LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Heavy Damage Caused by Rain. The recent heavy rains caused many slips in the Wellington City Council’s area, and the necessary repair work, which will be undertaken as labour is available, will cost £15,000.

Electric Power Supply. The conference of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation in Napier decided to call upon the Government to take every possible step to restify the critical position in respect of electrical power. Death on Train.

The death occurred on the afternoon express to Auckland from Wellington yesterday afternoon of Mr R. D. Knight, of -Longburn, a well-known horse dealer, who had often been a judge at shows in Palmerston North and elsewhere in the North Island. The body was removed from the train at Levin.

Woman Charged With Murder. A married woman with five children, residing in Palmerston 'North, was charged before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North yesterday with the murder of her newly born male child on September 3. She pleaded not guilty and reserved her defence and was committted to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail of £lOO was allowed, a condition being that she report daily to the police and reside with her parents.

An Advisory Committee. An intention to ask an advisory committee representing all sections of the Hamilton" electorate to assist him in his Parliamentary duties has been expressed by Mr -F. Findlay, the new M.P. for Hamilton. Mr Findlay said the appointment of such a committee would "make for better government. The people had made it clear that they were tired of a Government which represented only one section of the community. It was his desire to work in the interest of all the people independent of party affiliations. Joe Louis in the Army.

Sergeant Joe Louis, heavyweight professional boxer of the world, will shortly be in Australia with the special service department of the United Slates Army. Few are held in higher esteem than this coloured man, who rose from rags to riches, but remains unspoiled. He has defended his crown more often than any other heavyweight champion ever did, and is the first to wear it in the service of his country as a soldier. Since entering the army he has given the whole of his earnings from two fights to war funds. Bookmaker Sent to Gaol. Charged with having kept a common gaming-house, John Bart Rusmussen was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at Rotorua yesterday. The police said he used premises at Whakarewarewa as a petrol station and for the business of bookmaking. On December 15 he had been fined £5O for bookmaking. Eric Curt Maurice Forster was charged with having conducted a common gaming-house in Victoria Street. He had been previously convicted three times and had been fined up to. £lOO. The magistrate sentenced him to two years probation. Pukekos Nest in School Grounds. The children of the Master ton West School have given a practical example of bird protection. About three weeks ago a pukeko’s nest, containing four eggs, was discovered in the school grounds and the children were asked by the headmaster, Mr J. P. Farrell, to refrain from interfering with the nest or birds. This request they faithfully observed and last Thursday the eggs hatched. In recognition of this achievement, the school has been made a group member of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, a society for recording observations on bird life.