LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 May 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rainfall at Bannockburn Mr F. T. Day, Bannockburn, Gladstone, reports that 37 points of rain were recorded in April, and that 81 points of rain had been registered over the past two months.

Sawmiller Fatally Shot. A shooting fatality occurred at Rangiriri when Gustav Ludwig Winger, retired sawmiller, aged 75, of Rangiriri, one of a shooting party, was found suffering from a gunshot wound and died almost immediately.

Beach Tragedy. Leslie Lewis, aged 21, residing at Pine Hill, Dunedin, was drowned at Brighton Beach at 12.45 p.m. on Sunday. Mr Lewis was fishing from a rock when a wave swept over the rock and carried him into a heavy sea. Church of the Little Flower.

Archbishop O’Shea recently paid his first official visit to Plimmerton since the foundation of the Church of the Little Flower there 12 years ago. The archbishop said that he hoped that before long the parish would have its own convent and school.

Swimming Record Beaten. In a special attempt at the municipal baths at Dunedin last night, Miss Ngaire Lane succeeded in lowering from 74 1-5 secs, to 73 2-5 secs, the New Zealand intermediate girls’ 100 • yards backstroke record established by Miss Joyce MacDonald, Southland, in 1939. Miss Lane’s time is the fastest ever recorded by a woman swimmer in the Dominion. The senior record stands at 74 3-5 secs.

Rumour Denied

When asked last night to comment on a rumour that transports carrying New Zealand troops had been sunk, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, stated that in giving a complete denial to any such story he would once again draw public attention to the disservice rendered by rumour-mongers and those who listened to enemy broadcasts. Mr Fraser said he wished to make it clear that it is and has been the Government’s policy at all times to inform next-of-kin immediately news is received of any shipping losses. Licensing of Vehicles,

Licensing of motor-vehicles, which must be completed by June 30, will be carried out on exactly the same system as was adopted last year. Stickers to be attached to the windscreens of motor-vehicles will consist of a black transfer on a green background, as distinct from the black on orange for the current period. Before the introduction of this system of re-licens-ing about 110 tons of stec-l were used yearly in New Zealand for the manufacture of number-plates. A small quantity is still used for the replacement of plates which have become damaged, dilapidated, or lost. Identification of vehicles is still by the last licence plates issued, and the sticker is used to indicate that the vehicle is licensed for the current period. Sixpence is charged for the stickers, to cover the costs of accounting and administration involved, but numberplates cost 2s.