LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 August 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Telephone Directories. New telephone directories arc being issued in Wellington this week.

Interhouse Association Dance.

A special feature at the Wairarapa Interhouse Association’s dance in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, tonight will be an “Evening in Paris” ballet to be presented by Interhouse girls at 9.30 The music will be supplied by Mrs Aston's orchestra and novelty dances will be held.

Railway Retirement System. The restoration of the pre-war system of retirements was one of the main subjects discussed at the annual conference in Wellington this week of the N.Z. Railway Officers’ Institute. It was stated that after interviews with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance it was expected that something in the desired direction, would be done.

Thief Sent to Gaol.

“Your crime has resulted in a cruel plundering of a substantial amount of the resources left to a widow by her husband. Within a few months you got over £6OO and dissipated it,” said Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, yesterday, when sentencing Arthur Herbert Greening to 18 months’ gaol on five counts of theft. It was stated in evidence that Greening met the widow through a matrimonial advertisement.

Gaol for Sly Grog Seller. “Fines won’t stop these things, but imprisonment may,” commented Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday, when he sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour, Anthony James Hardy, a labourer and carpenter, for having sold liquor without a licence. Accused had twice previously been convicted. He pleaded guilty. SeniorSergeant Paine said that accused had sold a bottle of whisky to a marine for 20 dollars, but the marine happened to be a police patrolman.

Voting at General Election. Regulations gazetted last night make provision for the voting arrangements for workers in essential industries and others in accordance with recent announcements in the House of Representatives. Workers directed to employment outside their own districts may vote for their home constituencies, and a similar concession is also being made* in connection with the wives of members of the forces who are temporarily residing away from their home electorates. The notice also contains a regulation disfranchising persons committed to defaulters’ camps and aliens in custody.

Land for ex-Service Men.

Referring to delay in land purchases for ex-servicemen, a complaint having been made by the New Plymouth Rehabilitation committee, Mr D. C. Sclatcr, secretary of the Rehabilitation Board, wrote asking for further paiticulars. A member of the committee observed that such trouble would oe overcome with the passing of + he Land Sales Bill, which provided that land for sale must first be offered to the Government for consideration by a local land committee.

Call to Prayer. His Holiness the Pope has addressed a letter to the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Maglionc, calling for public prayers next Sunday, the Feast of the Assumption, to implore Divine mercy on a world desolated by war. His Grace, Archbishop O’Shea, has been informed of the Pope’s request through the Apostolic Delegate in Australia. He has circularised all parishes in the archdiocese of Wellington requesting Catholics to attend Mass on Sunday and also Benediction in the evening, when there will be public recitation of the Rosary, for the intentions of his Holiness.

Damages Awarded to Singer, Alleging that a criticism of a song recital published in the “New Zealand Observer” on May 26 had much injured her credit and reputation and brought her into odium, ridicule and contempt, Mae Brodie, married, a professional singer and teacher, of singing, professionally known as Madame Brodie, brought an action for £750 damages against Geddes and Blomfield, Ltd., publishers, Takapuna, and Eric Adams Blomfield, Takapuna, publisher, in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday, before Mr Justice Fair and a jury. After 20 minutes’ retirement the jury found for plaintiff, awarding £4OO damages. Motions for judgment by Mr North and for a non-suit by defending counsel, Mr Finlay, were reserved.

Pyjama Shortage. “It does not appear practicable under rationing to make special provision for the supply of pyjamas for invalids, but the Rationing Controller will make arrangements for supplies in any cases of hardship which may be brought to his notice,” said the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr Sullivan, in a written reply in the House of Representatives yesterday to a question by Mr McCombs (Government, Lyttelton). The Minister said the shortage of pyjamas had arisen from the difficulties experienced in procuring the necessary cotton materials from overseas, combined with the manpower problem which had arisen from the heavy military production in clothing factories. Fortunately, deliveries of materials had been better recently and several factories would be in a position to manufacture increased quantities.