LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Stipends of Vicars. A recommendation that the stipends of all vicars in the diocese should not be less than £350 a year, plus house and travelling allowances, was passed by the Waikato Archdeaconry Board.

Lodges and Social Security. Friendly societies would have to wait till after the war to determine the effect of the Social Security legislation on them, said Mr. N. J. McKay, Manchester Unity Grand Master for New Zealand, addressing the annual conference of the order in Auckland yesterday. Difficulties had been faced and overcome before and the society had prospered. The Social Security legislation should be a spur to provide benefits to take the place of those given in the past. New Ration Books.

No new ration books will be issued till next October, and" they will then have coupons usable from November 1 onward. There are sufficient coupons in the current ration book, which was issued on October 31 last, to cover requirements for a year. Two leaves of this book have -not been made usable yet, but the coupons in them can be made available immediately any new commodity comes under the rationing scale. The “M” and “O” coupons, if not expended, will be used, or their equivalent will be available, till the end of the war, so that any fears that they might be useless after the end of May are groundless.

Spending of Patriotic Funds. Receipts fom all sources from the inception of the ’Wellington Povincial Patriotic Council in 1939 to September 30 last amounted to £468,428. This sum has been distributed as follows:—Administation, £5921; entertainment, provision of sports gear and camp comforts, £8346; parcels and wool for knitted articles, £26,486; provision of musical instruments, £1131; miscellaneous equipment, £1021; grants to sundry patriotic organisations, £5273; payments to National Patriotic Fund Board, £212,708; Lady Galway and miscellaneous . expenses, £3217; expenses of establishment and running of clubs throughout the province, £23,809; amount transferred from General Fund to Welfare Fund, £111,335; contribution to London Distress Fund, £37,304; sundries, £3224. The Welfare Fund has been built up to £113,000 with interest on investments and sundry refunds.

Youths and Military Service.

In a statement last night, the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, explained that youths under 20 who have been released from camp in accordance with the recent decision of the War Cabinet will be required to perform military service with non-mobilised Territorial Force units in the same way as pthcr demobilised personnel. “It would appear,” said the Prime Minister, “that there is some misunderstanding with regard to the liability for military service of these youths, and that it is thought in some quarters that on being released they are no longer required to perform service. This is not the case. They will be posted to non-mobilised units and while continuing their civilian occupations or courses of study they will be required to undergo annual camp training and also periodical out-of-camp training. The same rule applies to those youths who have not yet been despatched to camp, including those who are hereafter called up by ballot on attaining 18 years of age.”

Harvest of Medicinal Herbs.

More than 100 tons of medicinal herbs, valued at approximately £3569, have been harvested to date by the Hastings municipal seed-cropping committee to meet the international demand for certain drugs. In addition, the season’s returns for vegetable seeds and other crops amount to about £ 1239. The committee harvested 198,2901 b. of foxglove seed, 37501 b. of belladonna, and 26,8611 b. of thorn-apple. The herbs were disposed of to the Department of Agriculture under contract for drying.

Building Society Meeting. The monthly meeting of the Directors of the Workmens Friend No. 2. Building Society, was held last night Mr A. V. Dixon, presiding. There were also present Messrs C. W. Walker, E. H. Morton, E. J. Brown. H. L. Price and S. M. Gilding. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Wm. Kemp, T. B. Braggins and A. E. Hubbard. The finance report as submitted by the secretary was confirmed. Accounts amounting to £4 14s 3d were passed for payment. It was resolved that an appropriation by sale of £4OO be made at the next meeting of the directors. Failing any tender being received, this appropriation will be balloted for.

Relations with Russia.

The usual monthly meeting of the Masterton branch of the Society for Closer Relations with Russia was held in the Y.M.C.A. last night. The feature of the evening was a debate: “That individual farming is preferable to collective farming.” The affirmative was taken by Mr E. Esler supported by Miss J. Rayne, and the negative by Mr. R. Wadhams, seconded by Mr R. Lambert. It was decided to abandon the usual monthly meeting during the coming winter months, but a monthly executive meeting will be held, at which essential business will be transacted. The president drew the attention of members to a pronouncement made by M. Stalin on November 6, 1941: “We have not and cannot have any such war aims as the seizure of foreign territories and the subjugation of foreign peoples, whether it be peoples and territories of Europe or peoples and territories of Asia, including Iran.”

Disposal of Eggs.

It has been claimed that the production of eggs in New Zealand could be doubled if the Government would permit some freedom of action in respect to marketing. In several instances owners of restaurants, eating-houses and confectionery businesses have considered setting up small poultry farms with a view to producing their own supply of eggs and poultry, which would only be for consumption by the places of business represented, and not for sale on the open market. To each application for an assurance against interference in such a project, the Internal Marketing Division has returned uncompromising dissent, not to the establishment of a poultry farm, perhaps, but to the handling of the eggs, which, it says, must go through the department channels, and be rationed out with other eggs. Those interested say that in this manner production is being discouraged, for there are few persons who are going in for this risky business for the sake of pasing the results of their labours on to a State department to ration out to the armed forces and the public. Indeed, with the cost of feed on the up-grade, several poultryfarmers in the Canterbury district are said to be going out of business on account of the poor return they are securing under- existing conditions.