LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 304, 6 October 1942, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Approximately £lB was/ raised at the games evening conducted at the Welcome, Club last night by tbo Ashburton Women’s Wdr Service Auxiliary.

A New Zealand casualty list issued last night reported one man died of sickness, one missing, two previously reported missing now prisoner of war, and three wounded. There were no Canterbury men in the list.

Advice that no definite policy had yet been formulated for rationing lime has been received from the former Minister of Primary Production for War Purposes (Mr W. J. Poison) by the Wellington Primary Production Council. A letter states that reports were awaited from various interests. —P.A.

There have been no offers to contribute to tlie proposed fund of £IO,OOO for disabled soldiers of the Ashburton County, to which Mr G. D. H. Hefford, senior, and an anonymous donor offered to subscribe £SO each, on condition that 198 other persons did likewise.

The Women’s War Service Auxiliary at Ashburton, acting on behalf of the Timaru Man-power Officer, has so far interviewed about 42 women who registered in the 22-23 age group for drafting to essential industry. A considerable number have still to be interviewed.

Among the men who were employed, om the construction of a coast defence vessel launched at Auckland are several between 60 and 70 years of age. Mr. It. Lidgrad mentioned' at the launching ceremony that, when cue man of 70 applied for a job, he expressed a doubt on the score of age. “Well,” said the old man, “I have two sons fighting overseas and Want to do my bit.” Ho started the following morning.

Pleasure at the manner in which the Maori committees were eo-operating in the Dominion war effort was expressed by the Minister in Charge of the Maori War Effort, the Hon. P. K. Paikea, who'has just completed a tour of his electorate, the Northern Maori. Ho said that the Maoris had been pleased by the information that the Government would take from them this season 1000 tons of kumaras for 'the Army. He had impressed on them that they must provide for their own needs and . then grow more for the use of other people and for the forces.

The Government was becoming concerned over a possible shortage of meat to fulfil its commitments to the British. Government, said Mr. T. L. Powdrell, at a, meeting of the Wniroa Farmers’ Union. It was probable that 1,000 tons of ewe mutton, would be required, and this would mean that a better result must be achieved by farmers than existed this year, when they bad to allow their surplus to goto the works for canning. Mr. Powdrell also stated that owing -to drought in Australia, a much larger quantity of meat had left New Zealand than at this time last year. Extra shipping had been made available with the result that there had been practically a record clearing.

A discussion embracing examples of taxable and nntaxable incomo provided an interlude during the hearing of a case in the Court of Appeal. The Chief Justice- (Sir Michael Myers) said that if a person won £2OOO m an art union it would not he income for taxation purposes. Mr H. P. Richmond (Auckland), agreeing, said that m that instance the income was a matter or chance and was not taxable; but if a person placed a bet on the totalisator he was supposed to know the, horses and skill entered into it, and therefore something was deducted by way of tax. Mr Justice Northcroft: “What about bookmakers’ profits?” Mr Richmond: “They pay taxation if they can catch them!” Mr Justice Blair: “They make a return for taxation as bookmakers, but the income-tax people don’t say anything about it.” Winnings at bridge and golf were also cited as cases whore persons might hayo to pay. tax.