LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 October 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Large Sum of Money Stolen. A large sum of money, said to be nearly £lOOO, consisting of New Zealand, Australian and American banknotes, was removed from the safe m the basement dining-room of the Hot Dog restaurant, Farish Street, Wellington, in the early hours of Monday morning. The money was in a small box, the greater part being the personal savings of the proprietor, Mr Angelo Alexatos, a Greek. Slight Restored. “I can see my hands; I can see the pictures on the wall. ’ So cried Ml William Abbot Weekcs, Maxwell's Line, Awapuni, who is 102 years of age, and who had been blind for the past four years. Mr Weekes, on the morning of Labour Day, was being attended to by his daughter, Miss E. M. Weekes, with whom he rosides, when he remarked that he thought he could dimly see things. No particular attention was paid to his words, till he was wheeled in his chair into the kitchen, when he declared that he could see his hands as well as the pictures on the wall/ Further proof of the return of nis sense of sight was given by his readily recognising other members of the household as they entered the room. Land Service Applications. Since the campaign for recruits for the New Zealand Women’s Land Service began on October 5, some 350 applications have been received, including 63 in Wellington. The total number now nlaced on farms is about 1000. This compares favourably with the Australian figures. There are 60,000 land girls in England, where such a scheme has been operating since the beginning of the war. Consideration is being given, it is understood, to the granting of service stripes to New Zealand land girls on a similar basis to the scheme in England. Nearly all the applicants in the Dominion are city girls engaged in all manner of vocations. Many slate that their . main reason for going on the land is that they “arc sick of the sight of city pavements,” and are seeking escape from such an environment to the freedom of outdoor life. Marriages with Marines.

Averaging over 20 a month since the first contingent of American Marines landed in New Zealand on June 15 of last year, licences issued for marriages of United States service men and New Zealand girls in the Wellington city registrar’s district now total 344. These figures represent over 13 per cent of the total number of marriage notices issued from the registrar’s office during the 16 months’ period. Yesterday was a busy day, at least six licences being issued to United States service men who were in a hurry to get married. No similar statistics for the whole of the Dominion are available, but it is understood that the number of such marriage notices has been proportionately as great in Auckland, with substantia] numbers in Christchurch, Dunedin, Masterton and other centres. Il is estimated that the number of New Zealand girls who have contracted these marriages is well over 1000.

Gone Into Recess. The Pahiatua branch of the Solway College Old Girls’ Association has decided to go into recess for the duration of the war. Home Service Meeting. A meeting of the Wairarapa Home Service Association provisional committee which was to have been held in Masterton tomorrow night will now be held on Thursday of nex,t week at 7.30 p.m. in the Times-Age Office. Dance Recital. A dance recital will be given by the pupils of Miss Tandy in the McGregor Hall (Knox Church building), Masterton, on Tuesday, November 9. Among the items will be the Hungarian. ballet, the Toy Shop and a garden scene presented by the little dancers and many others. Judging by previous recitals given by Miss Tandy’s pupils, those attending on Tuesday, November 9, are assured of an enjoyable evening's entertainment. £5OOO Gift to Staff. When welcoming the guests at the Wellington Rotary Club's weekly luncheon yesterday the president Mr Hope Gibbons, mentioning that one of their visitors, Mr J. R. McKenzie, had distinguished himself by purchasing the historical Reeves home at Christchuich for presentation to that city, added that Mr and Mrs McKenzie had recently celebrated their silver wedding, and to mark the occasion had distributed the sum of £5OOO as personal gifts to members of the staff of McKenzie's Department Stores, Ltd., throughout New Zealand and overseas, surely a very generous gesture. Interhouse Gala Day. A meeting of the general committee of the Wairarapa Interhouse Association was held in Masterton last night, Mr G. Daubney presiding. It was reported that team entries for the gala day on November 27 would close on November 8, and that members of the teams and their colours were to be xegistered. Nominations for the sports events will close on November 17. A cup has been donated by an ex-Inler-house girl who is now a resident of Gisborne. This is to be allocated to the team with the smartest uniform to be judged from the grandstand. The committee expressed appreciation of the generous gift. The arrangements for the interhouse clay were further advanced and are now well in hand. Service Men’s Display. A display of work executed by disabled service men, which was shown in a room behind the Soldiers’ Club in Essex Street, Masterton, yesterday afternoon attracted a good deal of public interest. The display revealed a high degree of craftsmanship, being very creditable to the men and their tutors. Among a wide range of saleable articles were neatly turned out toys of all descriptions, pewter work, leather work, noker work, etc. 'lhe most pleasing feature of the display was the evident trouble which the men had . taken to give their work a good quality finish. The goods will be offered for sale at the Carterton Show, where they will be on display.