LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Fire in Mine. A serious fire burning in the Denniston mine has spread through the concrete sealings. The circumstances are similar to those in the Millerton mine, in which a fire has been burning for years. No mining is possible in the affected Denniston section. Sales Tax Receipts. Sales tax receipts in the Dominion for September were £1.106,366, compared with £957,166 in the previous month and £978,361 in September last year. The figures for Wellington were £392,717, against £309,625 in the same month of 1942. Waiorongomai Ram Exported. An outstanding Romney ram, bred in the famous Waiorongomai stud by Mr R. W. Matthews, Featherston, has been shipped to England on behalf of Mr Frank Morris. Groby, Leicestershire. The ram was selected as likely to prove a top sire, and as a ram which would create the keenest interest among English breeders. For no other purpose i but to advertise New Zealand’s dominant sheep breed in England, Mr Matthews stated, would this ram have been allowed to leave Waiorongomai. No money could have bought him. Mr Morris’s flock has been built up regardless of expense. The animal is described as the'most outstanding ram of the Romney breed ever to leave New Zealand. Social Security Fund. Social security benefits paid during the six months ended September 30, 1943, totalled £8,119,733, compared with £7,445.020 paid in the corresponding period last year, states the monthly Abstract of Statistics. The amounts paid under the main headings, with the figures for the same period last year in parentheses, were as follows: Age benefits, £4,008,795 (£3,739,028); widows, £452,175 (£431,392); invalidity, £514,649 (£492,645); family, £395,225 (£398,063); sickness, £195,640 (£198,454); hospital, £893,005 (£664,421); maternity, £232,885 (£267,063); medical, £486,577 (£463,986); pharmaceutical, £354,264 (£281,692); universal superannuation, £362,480 (£326,589). War pensions paid totalled £1.348,567 (£1,053,832), of which those arising out of the present war amounted to £394,846 (£190,602). Statement Denied. It was stated last night by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Roberts, that his attention had been drawn to a reported statement by Mr J. M. Smith, superintendent of service vegetable production, at a recent sitting of the Auckland Manpower Appeal Committee at Whangarci, that it was the policy of the Department of Agriculture to plough in all vegetables not taken by the armed forces, and that this policy had been carried out as it was not the wish of the Government that any vegetable production by the . department should conflict with marketing by commercial vegetable-growers. “This statement is entirely incorrect,” said the Minister. “Vegetables not required for the armed forces are either to be sold on the l ocal market, processed in the dehydration plants, or placed in the extra cool storage now in course of construction. During 1943 the services vegetable production scheme has been extended to cater for the requirements of the forces in the South Pacific area, and when shipments do not coincide with crop maturity, the available supplies are handled by the Internal Marketing Division.”

Suspects Handed to Police, Suspecting that two men-whom he noticed in a car near Tokomaru were those wanted by the police on breaking, entering, theft and conversion charges, Mr Noel Duncan, driver of a Wellington-Palmerston North newspaper car, yesterday morning advised the police on his arrival at Palmerston North. Later at Awahuri, overtaking them still in the car, he headed them oil and detained them and with friends’ assistance brought the men to Palmerston North, handing them to the police. Testing Period for Pupils. Recent weeks have been the great testing period for many pupils of secondary schools and other education institutions in Wellington. Extending /Over 10 days, the Public Service entrance examinations were recently completed, and yesterday a commencement was made with the university entrance (matriculation), school certificate and university scholarship examinations, which are being held at Victoria University College. The examinations will continue till Friday, December 10. Art Club Evening. In our report of the social evening held by the Masterton Art Club in the Savage Club Rooms on Tuesday evening, reference to the chairman, Mr A. E. Clemas, president of the club, was inadvertently omitted. Mr Clemas, who was largely responsible, with the active assistance of Mrs Clemas, for the organisation of a very happy and successful gathering, welcomed the members and visitors, introduced the contributors of items and gave an interesting and informative talk on the development of story-telling from ancient times.

Soldiers for Harvest Work. Between 4000 and 5000 men from the North Islafid would be called in to assist with the harvest in the South Island, Lieutenant-Colonel K. J. Walker, assistant adjutant, General Southern Military District, told the*, North Canterbury Primary Production Council yesterday. All pay and allowances \ (including dependants’ allowances) and conditions will be the same as for the mobilised territorial force, with certain I exceptions. The men will be paid & bonus of Cd an hour for work up to eight hours in ordinary time (between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.) and 2s 6d for all time over eight hours or outside ordinary time, in addition to Army pay. Transmission Prohibited. The New Zealand Astronomical Society’s journal, “Southern Stars,” cannot be sent to Russia. It has been returned to the society marked “transmission prohibited by censorship order.” On the other hand information from Russia continues to reach the society through the normal postal channels. This was reported at the annual meeting last night by the secretary and editor,'Mr M. S. Butterton. He said that no reason for the prohibition had been given. The society’s publication was addressed to the U.S.S.R. Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, said Mr Butterton. This Russian society embraced all cultural arts, including astronomy. Two copies of the New Zealand Society’s journal were usually sent; one for the Russian society’s observatory and one for its library. Mr L. Waddell commented that the prohibition was extraordinary. The chairman, Professor D. C. H. Florance, said that at least some reason might be given the society for the prohibition. The society decided to make further inquiries.