LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21247, 18 October 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In Hands of Police Following the report 1 of serious ancl continued losses of papers and books from the reading room of the New Plymouth Public Library, the committee has decided to place the matter in the hands of the police. New Scout Troop The formation of a Boy Scout troop at Matangi was decided upon at an enthusiastic meeting at Matangi last night. Mr G. I. Clarke, District Scoutmaster, addressed the meeting on the value of scouting and the necessary steps to be taken to form a troop. The following committee was appointed to organise the new troop: Messrs A. M. Campbell (chairman), R. C. Larsen (secretary), W. J. Bourke, T. L. Harper, A. Jamieson, A. McClellan, W. L. Ranstead, 11. G. Russell and H. Thompson. New School Buildings The tender of £56,613 has been accepted for the erection of the four buildings comprised in the work to be carried out at the Whangarei Girls’ High School. The buildings to be erected are a new school, hostel, laundry, and staff quarters. The school will be of modem design, and of two storeys. In the hostel, provision is made for six sound-proof rooms, a sick bay, isolation, room, and convalescent room. The successful tenderer was Mr A. Walker, of Whangarei. Subversive Circular An effort was being made in Dunedin to slow down production in clothing manufacture, stated a resident of that city. Girl workers had received an anonymous circular telling them to refuse to accept their present conditions and to organise an agitation for increased wages. He said the circular appeared to be the counterpart of the anti-conscription note distributed in Christchurch, and looked like a further attempt to sabotage New Zealand’s war effort. The circular had been disregarded by most of the girls who had received it, but its circulation had been regarded seriously by the proprietors of the factories concerned.

Rifle at Coronation The termination of a year's search for the military rifle used by a Maori soldier attending the Coronation ceremony was notified at a meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council, when the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, wrote informing the council that the rifle carried by Corporal David Wickcliffe, one of the New Zealand contingent attending the Coronation, would be made available to Corporal Wickcliffe at the price of £4 8s 9d. It was stated that Corporal Wickcliffe had gone overseas with the Maori Battalion, and the council agreed to share the cost of the purchase of the rifle with the Arawa Trust Board, and to place it in the municipal museum.