LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The “Wairarapa Times-Age" will not be published on Saturday, Christmas Day, nor on New Year’s Day. There will be no other break in publication.

Sent to Trial on Murder Charge. Reginald Delone Surles, seaman, aged 25, again appeared before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, on a charge of having murdered Robert Lane, a shipmate, on an American mercantile ship at a Wellington wharf on December 3. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

Railway Crossing Smash. Three persons in a motor-truck were injured when a special train struck it on a crossing at Koitaratahi (Poverty Bay) on Tuesday. They were John Donaldson, the driver, bruising and concussion; Joy Donaldson, aged 4, daughter of the driver, leg injuries, and I Harry Faithful, an elderly man, bruising and shock. The locomotive hit the rear of the truck, which was tossed 30ft and wrecked. 'Child’s Death. A medical examination of the body of the male European child found near the railway line north of Mangaweka has disclosed that death occurred at some time between 14 and 18 hours before the body was discovered at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. It is believed that the child v/as thrown from a passing express train on Sunday night or early Monday morning. The body was fresh and rigor mortis had not set in. In an endeavour to determine the cause of death a post mortem examination was carried out yesterday by a pathologist, but the report is not yet available. Echo of Motor Fatality. Eleven Avitnesses were called by the police at the Invercargill S.M. Court yesterday when Mason McCormick, salesman, Sumner, Christchurch, and Williams Thomas Small, bushman, Lumsden, were charged with being in charge of a motor-vehicle involved in an accident which resulted in injuries to Roberta Fotheringham and failing to stop. They were also charged with negligently driving a motor-vehicle at Waikiwi on December 14, thereby causing the death of Roberta Fotheringham. Both accused were committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Invercargill, an application for bail being refused. Land Transfers. Land transfers, which had been on a very heavy scale in recent months, reached even greater proportions in October, states the latest Abstract of Statistics, which covers the 10 months of 1943 to October. The review refers to the coming into force of the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act, and gives the opinion that transactions in anticipations of its operation were largely responsible for the high figures recorded. The number of registrations during the month was 3693, valued al £4,680,426, compared with 3238 and £3,492,614 in September, and 2579 and £2,208,878 in October, 1942. Land Transfer registrations for the 10 months ended in October were 29,413, valued at £31,303,637, an increase of 7837 and £13,286,019 compared with the corresponding period in 1942. Compared with a similar period in 1939 the increase was 4568 and £12,014,674.

Burglar Caught Red Handed. Caught red handed by the police in the early hours of Monday morning in business premises in Dunedin,- Alfred Leonard Lewis, aged 22, maltster, yesterday admitted 20 charges of breaking, entering and theft, which covered £169 in money and goods valued at £Bl. He was committed for sentence.

Prunus Plum Pickers. Members of the Mo Katoa Scout Troop, in response to a call from the Borough Engineer, picked the plums from the prunus trees growing in Archer, Hessey and Miriam streets. Transport Wairarapa provided the drivers and the motor vehicles free of charge. The soldiers’ funds will benefit to the extent of £3 17s 6d as the result of the efforts of the Scouts.

Stalin's Birthday. The 64th anniversary of the birth of M. Joseph Stalin, who is a native of Gori, a Georgian township near Tiflis, fell this week. His family name was Djugashvili, and he adopted the name Stalin, meaning “steel," from several others by which he was known in the Russian revolutionary movement, of which he soon became an acknowledged leader. He first met Lenin in 1905, and became his close friend and collaborator, taking over the control of the Bolshevik Party on Lenin's death. Stalin was intended for the Church by his mother, but he early accepted the doctrines of Karl Marx and he abandoned his theological studies after five years. His birthday in the past has been celebrated throughout Russia by great processions and military displays.

Territorials for Freezing Works. About 250 Territorials called up for the annual one month’s service period nave been compulsorily diverted to work at the Westfield freezing works, according to an announcement by Mr C. G. S. Ellis, Auckland district manpower officer. He said the reason for che drafting was the urgent necessity to provide manpower for essential operations beginning on January 4. Territorials covered by this decision are those included in the December 28January 28 call-up, and a section of those who will be called up in the next monthly listing are likely to be similarly directed to the freezing works. Ninety territorials who were clue for calling up were found already employed at Westfield. All the territorials concerned in the direction are over the age of 20, and they will receive full civilian rates of pay.

Chess Congress. The 51st Dominion chess championship congress will begin next Monday in Wellington. There are nine Wellington entries, and the only visiting player is the Canterbury champion, L. J. Darwin. The Wellington competitors include two ex-champions, A. Gyles and F. K. Kelling, also H. McNabb, who was runner-up to Dunlop at the Wanganui 1938-39 Congress, and R. G. Wade, who tied with Dr. Allerhand for first place at the Timaru 1940-41 championship. The following players have entered for the major open tourney, which is held concurrently with the championship:— From Auckland, Mrs T. G. Short (Dominion woman champion), Dr. Meyer and Miss Hollis; from Palmerston North, H. I. Christensen and A. Summers; from Wellington Club, J. K. L. Webling and N. T. Fletcher; from Wellington Technical College, N. S. Henderson and B. Wood; from the Wellington Working Men’s Club, L. Gneiss and W. J. Fairburn; from Timaru, W. Pearse,