LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Payment of Land Tax. The Commissioner of Taxes draws the attention of taxpayers to a notification appearing in today’s issue that the due date of payment of Land Tax for the current year is on Thursday, September 30, 1943, and that the demands will be posted on or about September 23. Te Whiti Bridge. “’Progress has been very slow with the contract for the new Ruamahanga river bridge at Te Whiti,”. reported the engineers, Messrs Seaton, Sladden and Pavitt, at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the * Masterton County Council. “I suppose we will have a new bridge there one of these days,” observed Mr R. E. Gordon Lee (chairman). Debris in River. The danger of floating timber and debris to bridges over the Wangaehu River was referred to by Councillor H. H. Mawley at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Masterton County Council. Councillor Mawley said if, floating debris accumulated against the concrete piles in a high flood the bridges would be strained. The council decided to take action in the matter. Labour Campaign. Mr J. Robertson, Labour candidate for the Masterton seat, addressed a well-attended meeting of electors at Eketahuna last night. The Mayor, Mr W: Olsen, presided. Mr Robertson was given an attentive hearing, and was accorded a vote <~f thanks and confidence. The previous night Mr Robertson snoke at Pongaroa to an enthusiastic meeting. Mr C. Hunter presided. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Patriotic Fund Campaign. In connection with the campaign launched this week to obtain donations to the local patriotic fund, the following organisations were represented at Monday’s meeting of women, and the president of each organisation urges members to help the thanksgiving effort: —League of Nations Union, Mrs Barrer; Women’s National Welfare League, Miss Kummer; Red Cross Society, Mrs Tolhurst; Women’s Institute, Mrs Munn; Navy League, Mrs S. R. Gawith; League of Mothers, Mrs L. B. Maunsell; Air Force Relations, Mrs Lord; Country Women’s Red Cross Society, Mrs A. C. Gawith; W.W.S.A., Mrs Robertson; Townswomen’s Guild, Mrs Copp; W.D.F.U., Mrs C. C. Jackson. Taxation Proposal Rejected. A proposal submitted by the Ohinemuri Patriotic Zone Committee that in future all money needed for patriotic work be raised by direct taxation received little support at a meeting of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council. Mi’ W. M. Wallnutt, of Waihi, said there was a unanimous opinion in his area that taxation was the only equitable way for the collection of such funds. A number of speakers opposed the proposal. It was stated that if the State collected the money it would claim the right to disburse it, and it might be found at a later stage, 'when rehabilitation grants were made, that any assistance given from the Patriotic Fund would be taken into account. The point was also made that many people who now contributed to patriotic funds did not pay income tax and would be debarred from subscribing. The' proposal was defeated by a large majority. Lemons Plentiful. “Supplies of lemons at present are at their heaviest,” said the acting director of the Internal Marketing Division, MiPl. P. Fraser, in a statement yesterday. “The system of paying growers on a graduated scale designed to spread the picking of the crop over as long a season as climatic conditions will allow, has been in operation since February of this year, and is proving to be very useful in encouraging growers to pick lemons throughout the year, thus maintaining some supplies during the off season, when New Zealand is generally dependent on imports,” said Mr Fraser. “Retail prices in New Zealand have recently been reduced to a flat rate throughout the Dominion, ranging from 9d to 2s 6d per dozen, according to the size of the lemon. The plentiful supplies being received by the division arc reflected in the quantities on display in retail shops throughout the I country.”

Services Appreciated.

Appreciative reference to the work of the Red Cross Society in the Featherston district during the time that the Anzac Hospital was being used was made at today’s meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board. W.F.C.A. Staff Dance.

Another popular staff dance was held by the W.F.C.A. Ltd. last evening in the Masonic Hall, Masterton. There was a large attendance of dancers and the guest of honour was Lieut. R. Johnston, who is at present on furlough from the Middle East. Pool’s Blue River Orchestra played the dance music and extras were contributed by Thornton’s Orchestra. The winners of the novelty dances were: Monte Carlo, Mr and Mrs M. Fly; Lucky Spot, Miss E. McKenzie and Mr J. Spora. It is proposed to hold further similar functions in the future. Address at Freezing Works. Captain Justin Power, Independent candidate for the Masterton seat, addressed a full meeting of employees at the Waingawa Works yesterday at midday. Captain Power criticised the National Party’s claim to being Independent. He claimed that its members were not free to vote independently on a party measure or a vote of no confidence, any more than members of the Labour Government were. He stated th£jt the “old gang” whom the National Party were continually disclaiming were still behind the political guns. Captain Power was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address. Optimist Club Meeting. There was a good attendance at the weekly meeting of the Masterton .Optimist Club last night. Mr C. W. Gaze, who presided, welcomed the visitors, Messrs T. A. Russell, M. G. McKay, J. McGregor, M. Finlayson and Douglas McGregor. Messrs Russell, McKay and McGregor were former presidents of the club. Mr McKay acted as Chief Smiler for the sheriff’s session conducted by Mr E. J. Esler. An address was given by Mr Russell (Borough Sanitary Inspector), for which he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The next meeting will bring the season to a close, when a ladies’ night will be held. The secretary was instructed to invite Mesdames H. E. Pither and G. L. Thomas to the meeting when their assistance during the season would be acknowledged. A vote of thanks was passed to Mesdames C. Pickering and W. Flaws for assisting with the preparation of tea. Civil Servants. Addressing a well-attended meeting at Rangitumau last night, Captain Justin Power, Independent candidate for the Masterton seat, drew attention to a broadcast statement by Mrs Dreaver, a Labour candidate, that civil servants not in sympathy with the Labour Government were being watched and would*soon be working for other bosses. Captain Power quoted a remit at the Labour Party’s conference in 1937 which recommended the replacement of non-sympathetic public officials by persons able' and willing to administer the legislation in accordance with the Government’s intentions. At the same conference, he said, a report was read regarding complaints about the continued employment in Government service of various individuals, a matter which was brought to the notice of Cabinet and the Parliamentary Labour Party. Broadcasting Service. The good service rendered by the broadcasting system had been much discredited because of its use for purely party political propaganda, said Mr G. H. Mackley, National Party candidate for the Masterton seat, when addressing meetings at Hastwell yesterday afternoon and at Kaiparoro last night. He said that a wisely controlled and properly operated service possessed great potential power for good. The National Party would continue to broadcast Parliament and would amalgamate the services and place them under commissioner control free of political influence. All political propaganda would cease and license fees would be reduced. The broadcasting account had a surplus of nearly £1,500,000 and that was being increased at the expense of the licence holders. Votes of thanks were passed to the candidate at both meetings. Mr A. Thorby presided at Hastwell and Mr C. Burton at Kaiparoro.