LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21370, 14 March 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sports Postponed The combined Waikato primary schools’ athletics sports which were to have been held today have been postponed because of the rain. As a result all children attended school today as usual. Assistance By School The thanks of the Waikato Hospital Board to the chairman and committee of the Hamilton West School Committee for their co-operation and assistance in facilitating the changeover of the school to a hospital annexe was expressed by the chairman, Mr F. Findlay, at the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday. Streets Now Dark A further stage in Auckland’s blackout trials has been reached with the screening of the few street lamps that are now left burning and the city is now in almost complete darkness. Passengers on the limited express were warned to pull the blinds down immediately the train left the Auckland station last night.

Sir Cyril Newall’s Rank An inquiry has been made as to the rank held by the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, Sir Cyril Newall, in the Royal Air Force. He is a Marshal of the Royal Air Force, a rank equivalent to a Field Marshal in the Army or an Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy. Armed Forces Board’s Fixtures A list of fixtures for the No. 2 Armed Forces Appeal Board for the next fortnight shows that hearings wfll be held at Putaruru on Monday, March 17, Rotorua on Tuesday, Tauranga on Wednesday and Waihi on Thursday. Otorohanga and Te Kuiti will be visited on Monday, March 24, and Taumarunui on March 25, with another sitting at Hamilton on March 27. Manoeuvres At Rukuhia B Company, Ist Waikato Regiment, will be in bivouac at Rukuhia during the week-end. The company will proceed to Rukuhia by motor transport and will carry out tactical exercises on Saturday afternoon, night and Sunday, returning to Hamilton on Sunday afternoon. The exercises will be carried out as far as possible under active service conditions. Escape From Lock-up Forcing a manhole in the ceiling of the cell and then climbing through an air vent in the roof, a Maori escaped from the Kaikohe lock-up at noon yesterday and has not yet been recaptured. The prisoner was William Mokaraka, a Maori labourer, aged 21. He had been in the lockup for some days and appeared to be of a quiet disposition. Inquest Adjourned An inquest into the death of Miss Myra Coots, aged 26, who was killed early yesterday morning in a motorcar accident at Hillcrest, was opened yesterday afternoon before Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M. The inquest was adjourned sine die. The condition of Mr Leslie Everett and Miss Elizabeth Everett, who were also injured in the smash, was reported today as being satisfactory. Work Curtailed The closing of work on the Maka-rora-Haast River section of the Haasfc highway and the concentration of workmen on the completion of the Haast River-Jackson’s Bay section was announced yesterday by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong. He said circumstances had forced the Government to concentrate on one section of the highway between Westland and Otago. New Zealand Unit’s Badge

A distinctive badge has been issued to members of the Long Range Desert Group, composed chiefly of picked New Zealanders, in Libya. One of the badges has been sent by a member of one of the patrols to his mother in Auckland. The badges are made of silverplated metal with a scorpion in gold, and bear the letters “L.R.P.” for Long Range Patrol, and “L.R.D.G.” for Long Range Desert Group, while on the outer edges of the scroll at the foot of the badge are the letters “N.Z.” Several Waikato soldiers are members of patrols.