LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20918, 25 September 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Surf Life-Saving In conformity with the Government’s wishes, the council of the New Zealand Surf Life-Saving Association has decided that the Dominion championships will be held at Lyall Bay on February 16, 17 and 18. Regatta Abandoned The decision to abandon the Centennial regatta, to have been held at Auckland on January 29 next year, was made by a sub-committee this afternoon. Probably an ordinary regatta will be held. Day of Atonement The Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calender, began on Saturday. It is the culmination of the ten-day period of repentance which began with the New Year. Special services and observances mark the Day of Atonement. Industry in Britain The general background of the markets is deflationary, says a message from London. Some employers are reducing their staffs, and banks are calling in loans. All industries face prospects of rising costs, coupled with higher taxation and rigid control of prices. Amalgamated Wireless Dividend Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, has declared a final dividend of 5 per cent, making 10 per cent for the year ended June 30. Payment will be made on October 17. The rate in the previous year was 10 per cent, plus a bonus of 2 per cent.

Death Penalty for Troops The abolition of the death penalty for New Zealand troops on active service is being sought by the executive of the AucKland Returned Soldiers’ Association. The matter has already been taken up with the Government, which has promised to give every consideration to the request.

Building Held Up A number of contemplated building operations in Otorohanga are suspended due to the outcome of the war, the uncertainty regarding the procuration of necessary material and the scarcity of tradesmen. The Waitomo Electric Power Board proposed erecting extensive additions to its Otorohanga offices, and additional storage space, but has resolved to defer the matter for a time.

Full Pay on Service Lever Brothers (N.Z.) Limited, soap manufacturers, of Petone, have recently advised their employees that those who join the New Zealand Military Forces will be regarded as being still in the company’s service and will be granted leave of absence. Married men, and certain single men with dependants, will be paid the difference between their normal weekly wage and the amount they receive as military pay. Paying Proposition Governments had been alive to the interest taken in philately, said Dr. W. R. Fea, of Hamilton, in an address to the Hamilton Rotary Club, to-day on stamp collecting. In some countries, notably in South America, the demands of collectors had been exploited, the denominations of stamps in some cases being raised as high as £lO. However, philatelists had black-listed ” such attempts to make money out of their hobby. Baptist Assembly Postponed Preparations have been in hand for the past six months for the annual assembly of the New Zealand Baptist Union, which was to have been held in Dunedin next month, but owing to the unsettled state of affairs since the outbreak of war, it has now been decided to cancel the arrangements. Instead of a meeting of about 200 delegates, the committees will meet in Wellington and transact the necessary business. It is expected that the musical festival being prepared by the Dunedin Baptist choirs will take place. “German Money Pouring In” “German money has been pouring into South Africa; there is much evidence of that,” said Dr. M. S. Goldberg, a medical man from Johannesburg, who is visiting Christchurch. Both he and Mr H. Lipschitz, another visitor, discussed the extent of Nazi propaganda and the political situation in South Africa. Mr Lipschitz is a Johannesburg business man. “General Smuts is a very strong man, and will be able to control the situation,” said Dr. Goldberg. “There is no doubt that he is idealised both by the British and Dutch. He is now not only Prime Minister, but Minister for Defence as well.” Both Dr. Goldberg and Mr Lipschitz emphasised the strong support that would be given to Britain by the British and the moderate Dutch party in South Africa. “When a national register of those who would support the Union was made recently, most of the English and the moderate Dutch signed up,” said Dr. Goldberg. “The register was taken for the purpose fo a national emergency. There has been an enormous amount of Nazi propaganda, and a good deal of antiBritish and anti-Jewish feeling has been stirred up.”