LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20991, 19 December 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

London’s Civil Defence The civil defence expenditure of the London County Council for the first six months of the war to March 31 next is estimated at £6,000,000. Miner’s Eye Injury An injury to the eye was received by a miner, Mr Harry Mason, aged 22, an employee of the Renown Colliery. yesterday, when he was struck by a piece of coal. He was admitted to the Waikato Hospital and his condition to-day is stated to be satisfactory. No Nazi Salute A subtle “dig” at the Nazis was delivered by the Moderator of the Christchurch Presbytery (the Rev. A. C. Watson). When calling for a show of hands to decide a question, he asked ‘members to raise their left hands, remarking with a smile, “We don’t raise our right hands nowadays.” County Bridges Following a suggestion by the engineer, Mr W. G. Macky, the Waipa County Council at its monthly meeting yesterday decided to vest the responsibility for the control of all bridges with a span of over 20 feet in the county instead of in the various ridings. It was considered by members that the change was desirable, as in the past the upkeep of bridges had meant considerable expense to the ridings. Improvements at Raglan The boathouse at the jetty, Raglan, is receiving attention, having been painted. The carpenters are building extra offices for the secretary of the Carnival Club and for the public address system to be used on Regatta Day, January 1. The children’s playground on the Kopua Beach, containing swings and merry-go-rounds, js almost completed, and a good allweather road on to the camping ground is ready for the Christmas influx of visitors. Gift for Prime Minister Among the many Christmas gifts the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, has received, is a coolsmoking pipe from members of an engineers’ corps at the Papakura military camp. “I am not a heavy smoker,” said Mr Savage, in accepting the pipe, “but a gift like this, and the goodwill behind it, are a temptation to smoke more often and to contemplate the kindness of the soldiers, whom I had never seen and may not even meet as friends. I warmly thank them and hope that the gift will soon be the pipe of peace/’

Carpenters Fear Loss That a serious loss of wages will be caused by the compulsory holiday imposed on carpenters during the Christmas and New Year week is claimed in a letter sent to the Minister of Housing,* the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, by the secretary of the Auckland Carpenters’ Union. The letter also asserts that output will be retarded as a consequence. “According to the award,’’ the union states, “only Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are statutory holidays, and, as our members do not get paid either for these or for any annual holiday period, this virtual locking out means that they lose the best part of a fortnight’s pay.”

Getting Up in the World “Gentlemen,” said Major-General Sir Andrew Russell in opening a brief talk at the quarterly reunion of the Hastings branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. “There was a time when we used to be diggers, but I think we can say that we are now getting up in the world,” he continued amid laughter. Later, the president, Mr P. J. Priest, remarked that he had heard it said that “diggers could be gentlemen sometimes.” He recalled that for the South African war the forces which were sent overseas were described as contingents. In the war of 1914-18 they were known as the expeditionary force and reinforcements. “But now we ate getting more important still and we have echelons,” he added.

Bees “ Interned ” The unusual experience of “ interning ” a swarm of bees fell to the lot of haymakers on the property of Mr L. Harris, Eureka, to-day when the bees, after a short, sharp action, refused to flee. During the haymaking the sweep brought a load of hay along to the side of the stack. It was hoisted to the top where several men were building the stack. When the hay was dumped on the top a swarm of bees flew from it and the men beat a hasty retreat. Work was held up for some time, but the bees showed no inclination to leave

“ port,” and all efforts to drive them off failed. After a consultation it was decided to “intern ” the bees. More hay was quickly hoisted up to the top cf the stack and no more has been seen or heard of the bees.