LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 July 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mental Patient Killed. A mental hospital patient, aged 36 years, Mr Edward Hibbert, was struck by a railcar at the Hokitika borough boundary yesterday afternoon. He was badly mutilated and death was instantaneous. The Pork Ban. The Food and Rationing Controller, Mr Thomas, has announced that due to the continued shortage of pig meats required to meet essential demands, the period of prohibition on the retail sale of pork which was the subject of the Sale of Pork Restrictoins Order, 1943. had been extended from July 18 to September 30, 1943. A further public notice has been issued covering the situation. Husband and Wife Die on Same Day. The coincidence of a man and his wife dying in the same hospital on the same day occurred at Milton on Thursday. They were Mr and Mrs Henry Hand, well-known identities in the district. Mr Hand, who was 88, had been in hospital for some time, and his wife, aged 72, was admitted to the institution as the result of collapse early this week. Mrs Hand died at 5 o'clock, and her husband shortly before midnight. A similar coincidence occurred in Auckland last week. In this case, the death of a man aged 53 was followed by the collapse of his wife, aged 49, who was in poor health. She died a few hours later. Candidate Withdraws. The Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, announces that Mr A. Briscoe Moore, an official nominee of the union as candidate for the Meat Board, has voluntarily withdrawn his nomination with the approval of the Farmers’ Union. This has been done primarily to assist in promoting the projected fusion of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the Sheepowners’ Federation, and other producers’ organisations, the union having been satisfied by Mr F. C. Johnston, the sitting member and Auckland candidate for the board, that its policy ofoperative ownership and control of freezing works will be safeguarded. Manure Rationing. The suggestion that the Government be asked to amend the present system of rationing fertiliser with a view to allocating it according to the necessity of the soil and the crop, was put forward at the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in Wellington, but it was negatived, the statement being made that it would take years to survey the whole of New Zealand for the classification of requirements on those lines. Mr H. E. Blyde, Lepperton, said there were many anomalies in the present system of rationing manures, but he had yet to hear of a practical alternative. Supplies of fertiliser were being distributed today in the most simple way, said Mr W. A. Sheat (Pihama). Lack of Co-operation. A motion which raised the subject of the constitution of the Church of England in New Zealand, particularly the obstacles to co-operation between, and united action by, dioceses, was discussed by the Wellington Diocesan Synod in committee yesterday. The motion, which was moved by the Rev H. S. I. Kenney, and carried, was as follows:—“That in the opinion of this synod, the gravest disservice is being done to the cause of the Church in this land by the existing lack of unity and co-operation between its several parts, and that without prejudice to the working of the diocesan system, the diocesan representatives to General Synod be requested to meet and to consider how they can best exert their whole influence toward securing a common policy and united action on the great problems with which the 'Church of the province is faced.”

Bore Abandoned. An announcement that the drilling of Devon No. 2 bore has been abandoned was made by the New Zealand Petroleum Company in a bulletin issued at Gisborne yesterday. In the two months since drilling began the bore has been driven to a depth of 6177 ft. Tests for oil and gas on sandstone horizons proved negative. The bulletin adds that following a gravity survey and much detailed geological work, including structural drilling a deep well is to be drilled at Uruti, 30 miles by airline front New Plymouth. The drilling plant is now being dismantled at the Devon No. 2 bore and work on the road to the new drilling site is in hand. Remit Withdrawn. Taking the view that it would only create a political disturbance at present, and that there was not much use in dealing with it now that an election was definitely being held, the sponsors withdrew from discussion at the Do minion conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in Wellington yesterday a remit that the executive should reaffirm its attitude in connection with the holding of a general election, and could not conceive that there was any way of arriving at a solution when the whole country was mobilised for the prosecution of the war, and was of the opinion that party differences should be completely submerged and the fullest use made of all members of the House in setting up a National Government to carry the struggle to a successful conclusion.

Housing Conditions. Officers of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children visited one house in Auckland recently where 20 men, women and children are cooking, eating and sleeping in one room of an old-type villa. Another family of five children, mother and father, live in a basement with no window, only a hole in the wall covered with sacking at night. There are no conveniences, and the place is dark, damp and swarming with rats. Other similar cases are quoted. Sometimes disused shops are taken over as dwellings, especially by Maori families, it was stated. Babies are born in these hovels, and the greatest pity is felt for the mothers who struggle in such awful surroundings to keep their children clean and fed. Motor Warrants of Fitness. Regulations are to be gazetted shortly providing for warrants of fitness for private cars to cover a period of 12 months instead of the present sixmonth period, a Christchurch Press message reports. Warrants for commercial vehicles and for cars for which petrol licences are issued will continue to hold good for six months only. No increase in the testing fee for 12-monthly warrants is proposed. This information was confirmed by the Commissioner of Transport, Mr Laurenson, who made it clear that the 12-monthly warrant would apply only to private cars which were operated on petrol drawn through coupons only. Mr Laurenson added that he expected that the regulations would be gazetted shortly. Interhouse Association Dance. The fighting forces were largely represented at the Wairarapa Interhouse Association’s dance helgi in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, last night. Particularly welcome were men on furlough from the Middle East. Bright music was supplied by Mrs Ashton’s Orchestra, and the duties of M’s.C. were capably carried out by Messrs J. Bruce and F. Stains. Extras were played by Private Russell, of the Marine Corps. A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Miss A. Stains and Private G. Hood, of the Marine Corps. Daniel Davey received a splendid hearing for a song and tap dance, and he had to respond to an encore. Supper was served by the Garages’ indoor basketball team. Next week a military two-step competition will be held. The competition will be for the original military two-step and not the modernised variations.