LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tinui Rabbit Association. In response to representations made by Mr James Andrew, a quantity of ammunition has been macle available to the Tinui Rabbit Association for rabbit destruction. Farmer Drowned. While endeavouring to rescue a lamb which had fallen into a flooded pit on his property near Marton, a wellknown farmer was drowned. He was Mr Frank Smith, aged .55, Cliff Road, and at the inquest in Marton the coroner returned a verdict of drowning as the result of falling into an old quarry pit. Butter Rationing. Support for the rationing of butter in New Zealand with the object of making larger supplies available for the British people has been expressed by dairy companies in North Auckland, stated Mr E. G. Appleton, chairman of the Northern Wairoa Dairy Company and chairman of the Northern Dairy Association Executive, yesterday. He said he believed the people of the Dominion would be pleased to make the necessary sacrifice under rationing in order to maintain for the British people the small ration of two ounces a head weekly. Meat Export Position. The meat export position and the future policy of the Meat Producers’ Board were outlined by Mr James Begg, a member of the board, at a meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Dunedin yesterday. Mr Begg said the British Government had advised that it required all the meat New Zealand could produce for shipment. It had pointed out that there need be no concern regarding the provision of shipping facilities. In future the meat board intended to press the point that the carcases sent forward should be as heavy as was possible consistent with quality, and to bring that about he believed a higher price would have to be paid. At its meeting next week he believed that the board would ask that the portion of money which had been retained in the meat pool should be distributed. Youth Compelled to Save Money. Compulsory saving was imposed by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, on a youth who, though earning about £6 a week, broke into an office. He is to live on £2 10s a week for the next three years. The prisoner was Oliver William Southorn, motor driver, aged 18, and he appeared for sentence on a charge of breaking into business nremises, which he admitted in the Lower Hutt Magistrate’s Court last week. Prisoner was granted probation for three years on condition that he pay the costs of the prosecution, and that he give an order on his wages for all in excess of £2 10s a week to be pqid to the probation officer for payment into the National Savings Account in the joint names of the probation officer and Southorn, the probation officer to have discretion to pay Southorn more if it was required for legitimate purposes, and to pay the amount saved to Southorn at the end of the probation period. He must reside and work as approved by the probation officer.

Finger Severed. Mr Ronald Butler, a cook employed at ‘‘Morland” station, severed one of his fingers and was admitted to the Masterton Hospital yesterday. Speaker’s Defeat. It was stated yesterday that the defeat of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Barnard, at Saturday’s poll, had only one previous parallel, that of Sir Frederic Lang. It has since been ascertained that another Speaker, Sir George Maurice O’Rorke, was 'defeated at the polls. Tribal Committee Dance. The Te Whiti and Taueru Tribal Committees held a very successful dance in the Orange Hall last night, there being a large attendance. The music was supplied by the After Beat band the M.C. was Mr L. Pike. Novelty dances were won by Miss Vercoe and J. J. Sposito, U.S.A. Marines (Monte Carlo) and Miss Margaret Holes and Lyle McClutchy, U.S.A. Marines (Lucky Spot). The Te Whiti Cup was won by Miss Catherine Chamberlain and Joseph Raspilair, U.S.A. Marines. Another dance will be held on Tuesday next at the Orange Hall. Dermatitis on Increase. Reference to the prevalence of dermatitis in the tannery industry was made by the secretary of the Tannery Workers’, Union, Mr A. Rawlinson, at' a sitting of the Auckland Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday. Mr Rawlinson said that he had worked in a tannery all his life and had not suffered from dermatitis. The complaint, however, was on the increase, and he attributed this to modern tanning methods. He thought that an inquiry should be made into the matter. The chairman, Mr J. O. Leddell, suggested that an industrial organisation should make representations in the matter. Declared Not Essential. According to a report from the works committee to the Palmerston North City Council, the Minister of Industrial Manpower has advised that gravedigging has not been declared essential work. The council decided to advisO the Minister and the controllei’ that it was disappointed at the decision as considerable inconvenience had been caused to relatives of deceased persons owing to postponed burials due to labour shortage. The council will ask the Minister of Health to support its application for reconsideration of the controller’s decision. Seed Testing Station. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, has been asked by the South Island Development- Committee of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association to take immediate steps io have the Government seed testing station at Palmerston North moved to Canterbury. In its letter to the Minister, copies of which have been sent to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, the committee says: “It has been brought to our notice that the Government seed testing station is located in rented premises in a commercial building in Palmerston North. This is really amazing in view of the fact that 96.93 per'cent of all seeds acreage is in the South Island, and of this quantity 54.9 per cent is in Canterbury. The figures are taken from the statistical report of the agricultural and pastoral production of the Dominion for the season 1941-42.” I