LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Price of Hay. It was indicated at a meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union in Masterton yesterday that unless farmers prevented hay from rising to over £5 per ton the Government Would issue a Price Order controlling the price of hay.

Auckland Wool Appraisal. A further tribute to the excellent condition of this season’s Auckland wool clip is provided in some of the valuations at the third appraisal which concluded on Sunday. Two bales of superfine half bred wool from Waiheke Island were valued at 25:,d per lb., this being the highest realisation in the Dominion since the appraisal system was introduced. Another notable valuation was 25.1 d per lb secured for three bales of superfine halfbred from Waiheke Island.

Two Men Injured. George Martin, crane operator, Taumarere, and William Cates, crane operator, Kawakawa, were admitted to the Whangarei Hospital yesterday morning, the former suffering from shock, abrasions and injuries to the chest and the latter from lacerations to the thigh, sustained when a railway crane was derailed and dragged 11 trucks with it. One truck was thrown 10 feet to the top of the bank of a cutting and the remainder were,scattered in a spectacular manner. About 60 men are engaged in clearing the wreckage, which has held up the north and south trains.

Bread and Water for Prisoner.

For having used personal violence on a warder at Auckland prison while an inmate of that institution,. Frank Wereta, a Maori, was sentenced by Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., to be fed on bread and water for 14 days.

The superintendent of the prison, Mr W. T. Leggett, said accused was working in the prison quarry. When he was directed by a warder to a particular section of the quarry, he lost his temper and struck the officer. Forty or 50 other men witnessed the action, which might have had much more serious consequences. Accused was serving a sentence for assault and causing bodily harm. Grading of Meat.

At a recent meeting the Now Zealand Meat Producers’ Board gave further consideration to the provisions regarding the grading of meat for local consumption, as it affects the meat export industry. It had previously made representations to the Government urging that the regulations should not be introduced till after the termination of the war. The board was convinced that if grading of meat for local consumption was continued it would be detrimental to the campaign for increased production of meat for the United Kingdom and the board is therefore continuing its protests to the Government. The board also considered the question of its ‘open door” policy in relation to the Fat Stock Disposal Order. Since its inception, the board states, it “has always insisted on the ‘open door’ to safeguard the interests of farmers, and it is just as emphatic today that there must be no variation in the facilities which enable any farmer to put stock into the work on owner’s account if he so desires.”

Whatman Home Gathering. There was a large gathering at the Cecilia Whatman Children’s Home on Saturday night when the anniversary programme was presented by the children. The programme included company songs, scripture recitations, tumbling exercises, sketches, gymnastics, pianoforte solos, verse speaking, etc., and the performance as a whole was most creditable to those taking part and to the organisers.

Wool Retention,Money. At a meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union in Masterton yesterday it was decided that in view of the present season being the worst in the history of the Wairarapa that the Government should pay in cash the five per cent wool retention money. A further resolution was passed urging a prompt and retrospective review of the subsidy to the local woollen mills. Bequest Reduced.

Expressing the opinion that the testatrix misjudged the value, nature and condition of the estate and the position of her daughter, Mr Justice Northcroft, in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, directed that further provision should be made out of the estate of the late Jane Bentley, of Hawarden, for the support of her daughter, Florence Stanbury, Hawarden. His Honour directed that the bequest of the residue of the estate, stated by counsel to represent about £5OOO, to the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, should be reduced to £5OO.

Waiouru Run Claim. An amount of £8833 was awarded Forests, Farms and Products, Limited, by the Court of Compensation, Wellington, yesterday on its claim against the Crown for compensation for the taking of the Waiouru run. The award stated that the claim was for the difference found between the value of the land taken and the amount owing to the Crown. The amount owing to the Crown was £46,866. From the value and interest from the time of taking to date, which the Court found was £55,700, the balance was £8833, which would be awarded as compensation. Rates and land tax would be apportioned. Respondents would pay the assessors’ fees (12 guineas each for five days), plus £4OO to claimant for costs, disbursements and witnesses’ expenses. Assistance to “Diggers.” A “Digger’ of the last war who had occasion during a bad winter to seek the assistance of the Wairarapa R.S.A. from its Poppy Day Fund, recently showed his appreciation of past assistance, by donating a cord of maire firewood to the association to be disposed of in aid of the association’s relief funds. This wood was recently the object of a competition which yielded a sum of £44 free of expenses, and the generous action of the donor, supported by a liberal response from the public, has been the means of the association double-banking the orders for Christmas groceries issued to about forty soldiers of the last war, whose present incomes are limited to war pensions, war veterans’ allowances or other forms of, social security benefits. This extra assistance is greatly appreciated by the soldiers for whom the donation was' intended to benefit, and is a source of great satisfaction to the donor. /