LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21221, 18 September 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“A Wise Person” ‘‘l have never driven a motor vehicle,” said a witness, a retired farmer, in the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court. “You are a wise person,” remarked Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M. Library Service Not Wanted The Masterton Borough Council rescinded a previous motion and decided to reject an offer in connection with the free country library service. Rise in Profit Whittome, Stevenson and Company, Limited, earned a net profit of £3895 for the year ended June 30, against £3078 in 1939 and £2839 in 1938. Dividend has been reduced from 6$ per cent to 6 per cent. The payment is free of social security and national security taxes. New Zealand Newspapers Dividend New Zealand Newspapers, Limited, announces an interim halfyearly dividend of 8d per share. The dividend, which is at the rate of Is 4d per share, or 8 per cent per annum, is unchanged from a year ago. Fifth Period Schedule Details of import licenses for the Fifth period are being completed by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, who is endeavouring to arrange to have them published by the end of this week. During the last few weeks the Minister has been engaged with departmental officers in completing the schedule. County Grant to Maori Hostel At Monday’s meeting of the Waipa County Council, in response to a request from the chairman of the Hamilton Maori Hostel Committee for a contribution towards the £IOO required to gain the Government subsidy, it was decided to make a grant of such sum up to £2O as the treasurer Fixed after taking into account commitments on the permitted unauthorised expenditure. National Fund Donations to the National Patriotic Fund to September 2 were £156,293 9s sd. Sundry contributions from the Public Service accounted for £603, and the fourth instalment from Post and Telegraph staffs was £350, making their total £ISOO. Other amounts were £54 from Arikis, chiefs and people of Atui, Cook Islands, and £23 through the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild.

Departmental Giving Contributions by the staff of the Railways Department to the National Patriotic Fund amount to £759 18s 8d for the four weeks ended August 17. The sum will be apportioned to the various provincial patriotic councils on the basis of contributions actually received from the respective districts. A further contribution of £SO has ’ been paid into the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Fund on behalf of Post and Telegraph staffs. Maeroa Water Supply The Maeroa water supply special area rating loan of £5750 application was mentioned at Monday’s meeting of the Waipa County Council. The clerk reported that the secretary of the Local Governments Loans Board had advised that the investigations required by the Loans Board’s rules of procedure had just been completed and it was hoped to submit the application to the next meeting of the board, the date of which had not been fixed. “Political Prisoners” “Don’t ask me to get excited about them,” declared Mr J. A. Lee, M.P., when asked at a Palmerston North meeting of Democratic Labour Party supporters what he was prepared to do to secure a revision of gaol sentences on “political prisoners.” “I am not going to be concerned over the plight of a man who has been sent to gaol for telling a soldier not to go to the war. The best trench is worse than the worst gaol. My concern is for those thousands of young men going overseas. They are going to have a tough time, too, and worse than the man in gaol.” Soldiers’ Gardens in Wartime Arrangements have been made by the Hamilton High School Old Boys’ Association for the caring of the gardens of old boys who are serving with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, or allied services, or the territorial forces. The work will be undertaken by pupils of the school assisted by old boys who are not serving. The offer should be appreciated by serving old boys, and already several applications for assistance have been received. Any old boys of the Hamilton High School leaving a garden which requires care should communicate with the headmaster, Mr H. D. Tait, or the secretary of the association, Mr V. D. Edwards.