LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Soldiers Back from Pacific. A draft of 54 soldiers from the 2nd N.Z.E.F. in the Pacific who have been invalided for various reasons has returned to New Zealand, states a Press Association telegram from Auckland. Many of the men have been in forward areas and some have fought against the Japanese, but only one of the party was wounded in action. The remainder are suffering from various types of sickness or are accident cases. Decorated for Bravery. In the presence of a large attendance of the public at Thames on Thursday evening, Scout G. Fisher, aged 13, was decorated with the Gilt Cross, for bravery. The boy dived 15 feet from the wharf to save a smaller boy from drowning. Extra Ration of Butter. It has been decided to grant coalminers an extra ration of four ounces of butter a head a week, according to information- received in Christchurch yesterday. Sawmillers and bush workers living in isolated districts will also qualify for this additional ration, specially those in localities where their diet is restricted because of lack of normal shopping and other facilities. Early Justices of the Peace. Among the archives of the Auckland Supreme Court is a roll of the earliest justices of the peace, a volume that grows steadily mere valuable with the passing of the years. It covers the 20-year period from April, 1856, to April, 1876, and contains about 130 names. An interesting feature of the book is the quaintly detailed oath of office, with its quaint English legal phraseology, that was sworn by the justices in those days, and including the fine old words: “I will not let for gift or other cause, but well and truly I will do my office of justice of the peace in that behalf. And I will take nothing for my office of justice of the peace to be done but of the Queen and fees accustomed and costs limited by law.” Domestic Rights of Soldiers. “When a man goes away to fight for his country and suffers all the privations and restrictions incidental to active service he is at least entitled to have the rights of his own domestic life respected during his absence. There can be no feeling but profound disgust and contempt for any person who violates those rights,” said the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday. A young married man, on furlough from the Middle East, was before him for sentence, having pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court, Palmerston North, to a charge of assaulting a youth, aged 18, to cause him actual bodily harm. Evidence at the Magistrates’ Court hearing was that accused returned on 'furlough from the Middle East to discover that his wife and the youth had been more than friendly. The husband called on the youth and during the interview slashed the youth’s left cheek with a pocket-knife from mouth to ear. The prisoner was admitted to probation for eight months and his name suppressed.

Body of Airman Recovered. It is officially stated that the body of Leading Aircraftman Robert Ngaire McLintock, who was previously reported missing, believed killed, during a training flight in New Zealand, has been recovered. His mother is Mrs.R. V. McLintock, of Christchurch.

Art Club Gathering. In the Savage Club rooms, Perry Street, Masterton, on Tuesday night, commencing at 7.30 o’clock, the Masterton Art Club will hold a social gathering. A lecture will be given by Mr S. B. Maclennan, A.R.C.A., musical items by Mrs Eastwood, and a short play produced by Mr J. Lawson.

The Mosley Release. Protests against the release of Sir Oswald Mosley and Lady Mosley have been made by a number of New Zealand industrial labour organisations. These include the New Zealand Federation of Labour, which has cabled a “strong protest” to the British Home Secretary; the Wellington Trades Council, the Hutt Railway Workshops’ employees, the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, and the New Zealand Labourers’ Federation. Breach of Austerity Regulations. Holding that the “austerity suit” notice published in the New Zealand Gazette in October of last year was valid, Mr H. W. Bundle, 5.M... in a reserved decision delivered in the Dunedin Magistrates’ Court yesterday, convicted Adam Smith, tailor, of a breach of the direction of the factory controller in manufacturing a coat and vest in contravention of the New Zealand emergency standard specifications. A fine of £5 with 10s costs and £3 3s solicitor's fee was imposed. The case was said to be the first of its kind. The defence had contended that in the case of bespoke tailors manufacturing clothing from standard suit lengths no saving of materials was effected by the specifications. This, said the magistrate, was not a matter for the Court. The regulations gave the factory controller absolute authority. He held that the notice was valid, and as defendant had failed to observe it he must be convicted. Security for appeal was fixed at £7 7s.

Right to Apply for Rehearing. The right held by both employers and workers to apply for the rehearing of an appeal under the Manpower Regulations was stressed in a statement by the Minister of Industrial Manpower, Mr McLagan. His attention had been drawn, he said, to certain comments made by a magistrate in Napier recently to the effect that there was no provision in the Industrial Manpower Regulations for the rehearing of an appeal by a manpower appeal committee where an appellant who had not succeeded in an appeal had subsequently found what he or she considered new and material favourable evidence. “In dismissing the information without prejudice the magistrate concerned suggested that the regulations should be amended to provide for a further rehearing, and this suggestion may prove misleading to employers and workers,” said Mr McLagan. “I wish to make it clear, therefore, that provision already exists under the regulations for such a further rehearing.”