LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Club Temporarily Closed. After having been in operation for nearly nine months the American Red Cross Service Club in Auckland is to be closed for three weeks for enlargements which will double its size. The College Board. Criticising the Wairarapa College Board, a correspondent, “Disgusted Parent,” says some of them quarrelled and bickered, at their last meeting, “like a class of backward infant school children.” The correspondent also criticises the board for refusing to make the College Assembly Hall available for a meeting to be addressed by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser). Electric Light Bulbs. There are only two factories for the manufacture of electric light bulbs in New Zealand. The first was established in Auckland in 1938, and the other was set up in Wellington two years later. Between them, these two factories make over 3,000,000 bulbs a year, and they expect to be producing 6,000,000 annually by the end of the war, it is stated. Shop Lifter Sent to Gaol. Constance Augustine, a married woman, aged 54, Wellington, who had £193 in her possession when arrested, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment for shoplifting by the Magistrate at Christchurch. On three other charges of shoplifting she was convicted and discharged. Senior-Detective Nuttall said it was obvious that shoplifting was nothing new to her as she had been before the Court in Wellington and sentenced to three months for theft while she had also been convicted for receiving. Rehabilitation of Returned Men. Opposition members had said that the Government had done nothing to rehabilitate returned men, said Mr R. Semple in the House of Representatives last night. This was misleading and inaccurate. There had been 10,168 men demobilised from overseas service and 14,037 from home service up to March 31 last. Over 13,200 had been placed in employment or returned to their former employer and 1324 had returned to or acquired their own business or farm. There were 7803 not yet discharged, being either on leave or in hospital or recuperating. Loans granted up to June 30 last totalled £579,576 to 1221 applicants. Eighty-live men had been placed on farms, the loans totalling £234,295. Cartridges for Farms The Hon J. G. Barclay, Minister of Agriculture, has arranged that Stock Inspectors and other officers of his Department will issue permits for shotgun cartridges to rabbit boards and to farmers whose production is being adversely affected by rabbits and other pests on their land, states the Hon D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Supply and Munitions. The farmers may use these cartridges themselves, allow employees or friends to use them, or organise rabbit drives, so long as the cartridges are used over the land specified in the permit and are used for the approved purpose. Patriotic or other societies which desire to arrange rabbit drives to benefit their funds should arrange that the farmers, over whose land the drive is to be conducted, apply for permits in the usual way.

Kiatere Harrier Activities. Members of the Kiatere Harrier Club will hold a sealed handicap race from the Park Oval tomorrow afternoon. The Junior Championship event, run over two and a half miles will be held on August 28. Women Tramway Track Workers. All women volunteers, a gang of tramway track workers have started repairs on the Miramar section, though the weather has interfered with the work. The question of their employment was warmly debated at the last meeting of the Wellington City Council. Men and Women Demobilised. The information that 22,606 men and women of the fighting services had been demobilised up to June 30 last was given by Mr S. W. Gaspar, a member of the Rehabilitation Board. More than 9000 of the total given, according to Mr Gaspar, were from overseas and 13,388 from the New Zealand forces. Kuripuni Methodist Church. The Kuripuni Methodist Church Hall was crowded last night when the fortyfourth anniversary was celebrated. The Rev. G. H. Goodman presided and a report on the finances was given by Mr Speight. A bright programme was presented in which the children took a major part. The choir was heard to advantage. Spectacular Fire. The wool and skin store of White and Co., Ltd., in Robert Street, Dunedin, was completely gutted as the result of a spectacular fire which occurred shortly before 7 o’clock last night'. The damage is estimated at between £40,000 and £50,000. The store contained approximately 130 bales of rabbitskins ready for export. The brigade had it under control in about half an hour. College Tournament. On Wednesday a boys’ hockey team representing Wairarapa College beat Rongotai by 2 goals to 1 after a fast and interesting game. Today the College first fifteen left for Dannevirke to compete in the annual quadrangular football tournament. The teams competing are: Scots College, Hutt Valley High School, Dannevirke High School and Wairarapa College. Liability to Enrol. In a statement last evening, the Minister- of National Service, Mr McLagan, said that there was reason to believe that numbers of youths, on attaining the age of 18, had overlooked their liability to enrol under the National Service Emergency Regulations. “Failure to enrol,” said the Minister, “is a serious offence, and not only does the youth render himself liable to prosecution, but also any person who employs him while he is not enrolled becomes himself liable to prosecution. Every youth should make application immediately he reaches 18, and should ensure that he is in possession of a certificate of enrolment from the Director of National Service within one month. Employers should for their own protection ask to see the enrolment certificates of youths whom they are taking into their employ.” Forms of application for enrolment are available at all post offices,,and the Minister stressed the importance of a careful compliance with the regulations. Proceedings will be taken by the National Service Department against youths and their employers in the event of con- I tinned default.