LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Troops Back from Pacific. A party of approximately 480 officers and men returned to Auckland recently after garrison duty in the Pacific. Looking bronzed and fit, the troops set a high standard of marching in their parade through Queen Street on their way to the official welcome at Alexandria Park, Epsom. In command of the party was Major G. G. Hancox. Report Denied. Reports have been in circulation during the past two or three days that stocks of new potatoes had been commandeered by the Government. These rumours were denied last evening by the Food and Rationing Controller, Mr J. E. Thomas, who said that no new potatoes had been commandeered, nor was any such action contemplated. Murder Charge. Alleged to have struck James Wera Muriwai with an axe, Robert Rapana Ogle, aged 16, 'a half-caste Maori, was charged in the Magistrates’ Court, Kaikohe, yesterday with having murdered Muriwai at Utakura, on October 14. Fourteen witnesses were called by the Crown. Mr R. Ferner, S.M., committed accused for trial in the Supreme Court, Auckland. Soldier’s Death. “This unfortunate soldier might have been alive today if the psychiatrist’s recommendation had been given effect to by the Army authorities,” said the coroner, Mr F. K. Hunt, at Auckland yesterday, at the conclusion of an inquest into the death of Private Bryan Sharp, 42, a patient at the Ravensthorpe Convalescent Depot, Bombay, who was found shot in the bush less than a mile away. Sharp had returned from a Pacific base for treatment. The coroner commented that though a psychiatrist recommended that Sharp should be boarded out of the Army for return to civilian life, that information was not made available to the medical officer in charge at Ravensthorpe when Sharp was admitted there on October 8. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide while of infirm mind. Rancid Butter. Numerous complaints that much of the butter now being sold in Auckland is rancid or quickly goes rancid were recently investigated by the New Zealand Women’s Food Value League. Its representations met with quick action on the part of the Government, which sent instructions from Wellington asking the Internal Marketing Division to make an immediate investigation. The division expressed concern and has undertaken to see that the trouble is rectified. It is believed that the condition has been caused by the action of some dealers in storing butter in coolers because they lacked adequate refrigeration space to lay in a stock before rationing came into force. The league realised that if such butter continued to be released more fresh butter might accumulate and the trouble would go on indefinitely.

Interhouse Marching. Details of the points scored by the various teams in the recent Wairarapa Interhouse Association's marching display are given on page 5 of this issue. Child Drowned. , While playing with her sister on the bank of the Kawarau River at Cromwell yesterday afternoon, Moira McNulty, aged eight years, fell into the river and was drowned. An Unreasonable Price. For having sold a coat purchased for £3 19s 6d for £9 9s, John Kensington Amesbury, milliner, Karangahape Road, was fined £5O, the minimum penalty, by Mr F. H. Levien, S.M. He pleaded guilty to selling the coat at a price unreasonably high. Theft of Benzine. Theft of 26 gallons of petrol' valued at £3 12s 7d from the Wellington City Council milk department was admitted in the Wellington Magistrates’ Court yesterday by Leonard Osborne Gyde, a milk roundsman employed by the council. Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., fined him £lO. Inter-Collegiate Shooting. At the Wairarapa College break-up ceremony last night the Acting-Prin-cipal, Mr F. J. Gair, announced that the Press Shield for rifle shooting had been won by the Auckland Grammar School with 78 points. In the Central Military District the leading team was the Wairarapa College cadet company with 75 points. (Applause). Mr Gair said credit was due to the boys and Major J. W. Bird, E.D., as in 1942 only one day’s shooting had been held and this year shooting commenced in October. It was a fine performance. Air Training Corps. The weekly routine orders for No. 21 Squadron, Air Training Corps, state, inter alia:—Parades: Masterton A and B flights, Thursday, December 16, at 6.50 p.m., at Wairarapa College, Masterton. Carterton C Flight, Tuesday, December 14, at 6.50 p.m., at King’s Theatre, Carterton. Eketahuna: Tuesday, December 14, and Wednesday, December 15, at 7.30 p.m. at the District High School, Eketahuna. Greytown: Monday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 15, at 7.0 p.m. at District High School. Grey town: Monday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 16, at 7.0 p.m. Training: Masterton, Thursday, drill, ■ P.T. and signals; Carterton, Tuesday, drill, P.T., signals and A.C.R.; Eketahuna, Tuesday, drill and P.T., Wednesday, mathematics, science and navigation; Greytown, Monday, drill and P.T., Wednesday, mathematics, science and navigation. Featherston, Tuesday, mathematics, science and navigation; Thursday, drill and P.T. Sergeant W. B. Cameron has been promoted to Flight Sergeant, Corporal C. A. P. Stuart to Sergeant, and Cadet R. I. Stalker to Corporal. Masterton cadets are asked to note that there will be no parade on Monday, December 13. The parade on Thursday, December 16, will be the final parade for this year, and the first parade next year will be on Thursday, February 3.