LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The “Greymouth Evening Star” will not be published on Wednesday (New Year’s Day). Advertisers please note.

Notice in the latest issue of the Gazette imposes a levy of one penny for each ton of marketable coal raised from the Ohai coal mines. This levy is for the purpose of financing the Ohai rescue station which has been established in the area.

Grey mouth businessmen will observe this ’week’s late shopping night to-morrow, when shops will close at 9 p.m. Wednesday (New Year’s Day) and Thursday will be full holidays. Friday’s closing time will be 5.30 p.m., and Saturday’s 12 noon. There will be a full holiday on Monday next, in celebration of Anniversary Day, which fell on December 16, but which was not then observed on account of its proximity to Christmas.

Three men whose ages totalled 194 years and whose weight aggregated 61 stone, enrolled as members of the Home Guard one day recently in Hastings. One was a Maori weighing 23 stone, and the other two, who were Europeans, weighed 21 and 17 stone. One was aged 72, another 68, and the youngest and heaviest was a mere 54.

The number of radio licences in New Zealand had increased to 350,342 at the end of last month, an increase of 17,092 over the total at November 30 last year. Auckland’s total of receivers’ licences was 112,676, this being second to Wellington with 123,760. Dealers’ licences declined by 98 to 1029, multiple licences were 30, compared with 20 last year, and free licenses increased from 1133 to 1348.

It is obvious that if the War Cabinet is to continue as a national inr stitution for the purpose of directing the nation’s war effort, both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition must be members of it. Otherwise it fails as a united, national, effective, administrative body, or even as evidence of that national unity in the war effort which all desire.” This statement was made by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in a broadcast from the national stations last evening, in which he reviewed the war effort of the Dominion during the year now concluding.

Among the many hundreds —perhaps thousands—of inquiries made at the Christchurch office of the Union Steam Ship Company yesterday about the stranding of the Rangatira was one from a man who had obviously suffered on previous occasions from the work of rumour-mongers. “Is the ferry sailing to-night?” he asked the inquiry officer. “Yes,” was the reply, for the Wahine was even then making a daylight trip from Wellington in order to take over the Rangatira’s northward trip from Lyttelton last night. The inquirer gave the official no chance to explain this. “I knew it was a pack of lies,” he said, and rang off.

The total of marriages in Auckland during the year is expected to be about 150 in excess of last year, the increase being partly attributable to the continued recruiting for the forces. The registrar, Mri. J. H. V. Carr, reports that, with several days still to go, 1940’s total stands at 3663, as against 3524 last year. Marriages in the registrar’s office amount to 785, compared with 732 during 1939. December’s total this year is smaller than in 1939, however, there being 296, against 390, but there was a rush of military marriages just before Christmas a year ago.

Further postings to the Fifth Reinforcement of the Expeditionary Force are announced by -the Army Department, as follow: D. C. Faris, Cobden, to Divisional Cavalry, Burnham; Rev. A. G. K. Harper, Hari Hari, to be chaplain, Burnham. Both will leave for camp on January 7.

“Many firms are to-day paying the Government more money than they have been able to earn in 12 months,” 'said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, in an address to the Auckland women’s division of the National Party. “In many cases, taxation has been so high that with the addition, of the compulsory loan, the sum required to be handed over-has been more than 20/- in the pound on profit for the year,” he added.

“This is the first introduction of rainbow trout to the western fiords of Southland. I hope that the result of the liberations will be seen, and this this great sporting fish will be caught in Milford Sound,’ stated the president of the Southland Acclimatication Society, Mr. S. M. Macalister, when a report on the liberation was received at the meeting of the council. Members remarked that there were some brown trout in the fiords, and. also in Lake McKerrow and the Hollyford and Pyke rivers, but there had been no rainbow trout there.

Four out of a rake of five loaded coal hoppers were derailed on the Greymouth wharf, between Tainin and Albert Streets, during shunting operations this afternoon. The mishap was similar to that which occurred at Dobson last. week, being caused by the door of the leading hopper coming open and allowing the seven or eight tons of coal to drop on to the railway track, forming a barrier which forced the trucks off the line. No damage was done to the track, and the hoppers were soon restored to the line. The work of removing the coal, which was strewn over about 12 yards of track, was proceeding when the “Star” went to press.

Following a series of similar crimes at Greymouth over the past few months, an eight-year-old girl was criminally assaulted by a man while returning from swimming near the Preston Road railway line, early last evening. The child suffered no physical injury. Indications are that- the same pervert has been responsible for the various attacks on young children which have occurred recently, and parents are advised to warn children not to speak to strange men, and also to be guarded in allowing children to go to unfrequented spots in the early evening. The police are making every effort to trace the man responsible and to provide a patrol, but in vifew of the wide area over which the assaults have occurred and the difficulty of obtaining detailed descriptions, . the magnitude of the task will be appreciated.

Gratitude for assistance given them by carpenters, foremen and waterside workers on the Auckland waterfront, was expressed in a letter received by. the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union from the crew of a ship which was torpedoed and sunk. The crew of the ship was recently in Auckland, and received gifts of clothes and other assistance from the men. mentioned. The letter is as follows: “We, the members of the crew, wish to thank every one of you who so kindly subscribed for our benefit. We assure you that we deeply appreciate what you have done, and sincerely hope, given the opportunity, to repay the kindness shown to us. Once again we thank you, and hope to have the pleasure and good fortune to meet you all again under different circumstances.” The seamen’s pay ceased, at the date theii' ship was sunk, and they received only their war-risk bonus of about £5 a month, said Mr. A. Girven, secretary of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union. The men were shipped home as destitute British seamen, he said.

Rent a car, foi' economy and convenience. See the glaciers and lakes. Haines’ Motors Ltd.—Advt.

Just arrived: A shipment of Ladies’ Silk and Cotton Vests in two styles—round neck and shaped top. In flesh and creme only. 2/11 each.—C. Smith. —Advt.

White Wool 3-ply in “Aotea” and Petone brands, lid per skein. Also, navy blue wool, extra heavy weight, 3-ply, 1/6 per two-ounce skein.—C. Smith’s. —Advt.

Come to White’s this Xmas time for grand values in fashion goods. 5/- in the pound off all Summer Coats. These are the best offered anywhere in New Zealand.; —White’s Corner, your Fashion Centre. —Advt.