LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Child Drowned.

Having wandered from his home nearby, a four-year-old child was found drowned in a lake in Brooklands Park,

New Plymouth, late yesterday. He was Barry Frank Brown, son of Mr and Mrs F. S. Brown.

Early Vegetable Prices. New potatoes and fresh green peas, both from Nelson, could be purchased in Wellington yesterday. The potatoes, of medium size, were advertised for sale at 7d per lb., while the green peas were priced at 2s 2d and 2s 4d per lb, according to quality. West School Shop Day.

The shop day held yesterday by the Masterton West Home and School Association proved most successful, close on £lOO being raised for the benefit of the school. Exceptionally good business was recorded throughout the day. The association is indebted to many willing helpers for donations and assistance with the sale.

Compensation Claims. A statement that claims for compensation in connection with the Hyde railway disaster in Otago would be met and paid was made by the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, in reply to an inquiry by Mr Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) during consideration of the railway estimates in the House of Representatives. The Minister said that some claims had been submitted and settled already.

Hosiery Rationing.

Amendments to the hosiery rationing scheme, which were announced last evening by the Food and Rationing Controller, Mr J. E. Thomas, provide that till further notice, fully-fashioned silk or art silk stockings marked “seconds” by the manufacturers may be purchased on surrender of two clothing coupons a pair. . Similarly, all fullyfashioned black stockings may now be purchased with clothing coupons. Under the new arrangement, the only stockings for which an “X” coupon is required are first grade and “mediums” in fully-fashioned silk or art silk in colours other than black.

Retirement of Railway Servants. The statement that railway servants would now terminate their service at the expiration of 40 years was made by the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, in the House of Representatives during discussion on the Estimates. He was replying to Mr Carr (Government. Timaru), who referred to the grievance of the railwaymen whose chances of promotion had been prevented by .the retention of servants beyond their 40 years’ service. He said that in such cases those servants should be retired in the ordinary way, and then manpowered back into the service and so remove the bar to the promotion of younger men. The Minister said it had been necessary for war purposes to keep these men at work, but it had now been arranged that their service would terminate in the normal way.

Fall from Scaffolding. Robert Barrington, of 19 Wrigley Street, Masterton, was admitted to the Masterton Hospital yesterday with an injured knee, which received in a fall from scaffolding.

Sports Club Dance. Members of Hansell's Sports Club will hold a dance in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, tomorrow night. The music will be supplied by Thorne’s orchestra and novelty dances will be held. Diphtheria Immunisation.

The immunisation of school children against diphtheria is carried out by the School Medical Service. In a report of remarks made by the Borough Health Inspector, Mr T. A. Russell, at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, it was made to appear that Mr Russell had carried out the work. Bookmaker Fined £lOO. “Defendant has seven previous convictions, and on the last three occasions was fined the maximum penalty of £lOO. I cannot possibly impose a lesser fine on this, the eighth occasion,” said Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., at the Wanganui S.M. Court yesterday, after Charles Byers had admitted having kept a common gaming house.

Gifts Acknowledged. The Matron of the Masterton Hospital, Miss H. D. Grant, acknowledges with thanks the following gifts: Twelve pairs theatre stockings, Country Districts branch of the Red Cross Society; cream, Mr Felix Bolton; flowers, Mrs Wardell; books, Central School, Junior Red Cross, Featherston, and Masterton, Misses Speedy, V. Thomson, Messrs J. Andrew and R. Matthews; eggs, Mrs Peter Andrew; old linen, Mrs Shearer; tape, Red Cross Sewing Group; cards, Miss Barr; visits, Salvation Army Band.

New School at Mangamaire. Authority has been received by the Wellington Education Board to acquire a site of four acres for a new school at Mangamaire. The board has been requested to submit to the Education Department a sketch plan and estimate of the cost of providing a building on the open-air principle, containing two standard class-rooms, and other facilities. The Minister has suggested that consideration be given to the removal of the existing school building to the new site for use as a dining-room and playroom.

Minister’s Challenge. Replying in the House of Representatives yesterday to Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford), who had stated that surfacemen and other similar workers were underpaid in comparison with other occupations, and received no overtime till they had worked 12 hours and then only between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., the Minister for Railways (Mr R. Semple) said that was incorrect. Every railwayman was paid overtime in excess of eight hours daily and extra payment was made to men on night work. He challenged Mr Polson to meet him on any platform to discuss the previous Government and the Labour Government.