LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Train Derailed. The second ■ derailment. in Northland in five days occurred yesterday, two heavy trucks on a special goods train leaving the track near Taipuha, 30 miles south of Whangarei. Passengers and luggage from the north and southbound expresses were transhipped yesterday afternoon and the respective expresses returned to their starting points. Soldiers Sent to Gaol. “Robbery with violence is a serious crime, as one is never sure what the consequences will be, such as riot and disturbance,” said Mr. Justice Johnston, in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, in sentencing Robert John Kokiri, soldier and labourer, aged 23, and Karema Te Wao, soldier and farmer, aged 25, to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour, for robbery with violence at Otaki. His Honour said both men had been parties to a cowardly assault on an American soldier, Te Wao hitting him on the head with a bottle, and subsequently robbing him of part of his equipment and his money. Easter Railway Arrangementsc.

During the forthcoming Easter holidays there will be a lesser number of express trains than the Department has been able to provide during past years. Passengers desiring to make a journey exceeding 50 miles by trains leaving Wellington for Auckland and vice versa during the period April 21 to April 27, inclusive, will not be issued with tickets unless seating accommodation has been secured.' The return portion of tickets will not be available for use unless seat reservations for the return journey have been secured. On trains other than these referred to the Department will be able to provide only a limited amount of accommodation and the reservation of seats at the time of booking is advisable in order to avoid disappointment. Medical Schools.

An indication that he considered the establishment of medical schools elsewhere in the Dominion to be out of the question till full use was made of the facilities in Dunedin for the training of medical students, was given by the Minister of Education, Mr Mason, when invited in an interview last evening to comment on suggestions that' a medical school should be established in Auckland. “The shortage of teaching staff is •at present the main difficulty at the Dunedin Medical School, and this arises through members of the staff being absent on military duty as medical officers with the forces,” said Mr. Mason. “The first thing to be done in the way of improving facilities for medical education in New Zealand is clearly to see that the Dunedin staff is strengthened. While we are unable to do this it is futile to speak of other medical colleges which would have to be staffed.”

Theft Charge. A Maori, Joe Pura, 20 years of age, single, of Whakataki, was charged in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning with the theft of 28s, the property of Alfred George Bush, of Matahiwi. Accused pleaded guilty. Messrs L. J. Taylor and H. E. Pither, J’s.P., who were on the Bench, entered a conviction and ordered the accused to make restitution of the amount stolen. Detective-Sergeant W. Kane conducted the prosecution. Balmoral Hotel Case. After having occupied two days, the hearing of evidence in the case in which Mrs Sarah Anne Vangioni, aged 64, was charged, as proprietress, with permitting the Balmoral Private Hotel to be used as a house of ill-fame, was concluded before Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. A decision will be given on Monday. During one stage of the proceedings yesterday afternoon the magistrate thi’eatened to clear the court if the behaviour of certain people in the public gallery did not improve. Rabbitskin Sale. Approximately 68 tons of skins were offered at yesterday’s rabbitskin sale at Dunedin to a full bench of buyers. There was a very strong demand for all grades. Racks and runners in particular were keenly sought, and prices for these as compared with previous auction rates can be quoted at 24d to 30d per lb. dearer. Low grades were generally 5d to lOd per lb firmer. The bulk of the offering was comprised of racks and summers. There was also a small percentage of new season’s early autumns, which realised up to 114 d. per lb.

Supplies of Coal. New Zealand’s position in regard to coal supplies and the efforts being made to meet the tremendous demands on the industry were dealt with by the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb, in an interview at Auckland yesterday morning. It was quite true, he said, that West Coast' coal was arriving in a wet condition, this being occasioned by bad conditions on the coast harbour bars and the excessive wet weather experienced there in recent months. Both the Greymouth and Westport bars were badly silted up and ships had to leave underloaded. The situation from the coast point of view was bad. Shipping bottoms were limited and this, plus the fact that the ships could not be loaded to capacity, made the situation serious. Mr. Webb said Australian coal which had been burned in a number of gas retorts had not been coming to New Zealand, though 100,000 tons had been imported each year previously. The hazards of the sea had) not improved the situation and New Zealand could not' look to Australia for great relief at the present time.