LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is reported that payment of rates is being made steadily at tne office of the Greymouth Borough Council, the receipts yesterday amounting to £9OO. The 10 per cent, penalty will be imposed upon rates not paid at 4 p.m. on March 31.

The late Mrs. Amelia Mary Ann Dolamore, wife of J. Howard Dolamore, who died at Richmond, Nelson, in November, bequeathed the residue of her estate, estimated at £14,000, to the Borough of Gore for improvement, maintenance, and management of the Croydon Bush Domain.—P.A.

'Thirty-one trucks of sheep and lambs, and 17 trucks of cattle will be railed from the West Coast to Canterbury by this evening’s goods tram, some for freezing works, and some for the Addington Market to-mor-row. This number, with the two trucks of sheep and lambs railed last evening, four booked for to-morrow evening, and 14 for Thursday evening, will make a total of 51 trucks of sheep and lambs for the week.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Nelson Education Board, advice was received that the Minister of Education wishes School Committee and Education Board elections to be held as usual. The Board agreed that the Education Board elections should take place, but instructed the chairman to interview the Minister, pointing out the great difficulty that will be experienced in country districts in holding householder meetings in schools, owing to the lighting restrictions and petrol shortage.

Another group of spots has broken out on the face of the sun and has already crossed the meridian. This group is not spectacular, although it covers a wide area, and consists of a number of small spots. They are of the characteristic type which cause magnetic disturbances and auroras, and a message from Wellington states that an aurora was visible there during the early hours of Saturday morning. Radio interference has been fairly marked during the last day or two, no doubt owing to the presence of these spots on the sun.

Through the efforts of voluntary workers from Gore, large areas of linen flax, which would otherwise have been lost, were saved for the war effort. Pupils of Gore High School and volunteers from the town have been conveyed to the country each day, to pull by hand crops which cannot be machine treated. Already over 20 acres have been saved. The owner of one crop of 53 acres decided to hand the proceeds, after payment of bare expenses, to the pullers’ organisation, which will donate the profit to the patrotic funds. —P.A.

The “Awake New Zealand” campaign inaugurated in Hamilton recently is meeting with a ready response throughout the Waikato and surrounding districts, and donations are steadily pouring in, the total to date being £2,250. The objects of the organisation are to rouse the public and the Government to the urgent necessity of a total war effort. The organisation is also urging that every able-bodied man should be trained to fight, and all factories and workshops of the country should be used to the fullest capacity in producing the arms, ammunition and equipment required; and the need for immediate individual action without waiting for Government compulsion, as • the success of any defence effort made by the Government must rest finally on the offensive spirit of the people themselves: and to obtain for Home Guard units such equipment as the resources of the district can supply.

Though persons wishing to travel more than 100 miles by rail between April 2, and April 7 inclusive (the Easter period) will be required to secure permits, for which only good reasons will be accepted, the Railways Department has decided to run daily expresses as from April 1 to April 11 inclusive, between the West Coast and Canterbury. Special expresses have been arranged for April 1 (Wednesday), April 3 (Good Friday), April 8 (Wednesday), and April 10 (Friday). These will be in addition to the expresses on the ordinary days, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. During the Christmas and New Year period when permits were also required by persons wishing to travel more than 100 miles, permits were not required by those who were prepared to travel by the perishable goods trains between the West Coast and Canterbury. During the Easter period, however, permits will be required by all who desire to travel by goods trains. Special trains to be run for district race meetings will not be affected by the travel restrictions.

Just arrived at White’s, a new selection of Millinery, personally selected by our Millinery expert. Ladies, you cannot do better than top off with one of these.—White’s Corner, Your Fashion Centre.—Advt.

I The flag was flying on public buildI ings at Greymouth, to-day, in honour I of St. Patrick’s Day. The usual holi|day was not observed by the banks, in accordance with the provisions recently announced, suspending the observance of holidays on Saints’ Days and Anniversary Days, for the duration of the war.

A meeting of the Barrytown-Puna-kaiki W.I. was held at the home of Mrs W. Butterworth, Mesdames W. Rowe and W. Russell assisting as hostesses. The cooking competition, whole-meal scones, was won by Mrs Rowe, Mrs B. Russell and W. Russell (equal) second. The roll call, “My Favourite Song,” was well responded to. Mrs Shepard (Christchurch) was welcomed as a visitor. Knitting was handed in for the soldiers’ comforts. Afternoon tea was served by the hostesses.

The Blackball State mine was idle yesterday, and to-day, and will be idle again to-morrow, on account of a shortage of orders. State mines officials stated this afternoon that it was not yet definite whether the mine would resume later in the week or not. The Wallsend mine was also idle to-day, on account of tne bins being full, and delays to shippingcausing a shortage of empty hoppers. The mine will also be idle to-mor-row, but may resume on Thursday.

The monthly, meeting of the Dobson Women’s Institute was held in tne School Hall. The annual report was approved. The remits for the Federation meeting were discussed, and members asked that a copy of the P.O.W.R.A. news sheet' be obtained. Final arrangements . were made for the birthday party. Presentations were made to Mrs E. White, who won the aggregate, and to the president, Mrs G. Smith, who has lent her home for committee meetings. Mrs Smith also received a small gift for her daughter. Mrs Hill received a gift for her demonstrations, the president remarking that few Institutes had a member able to give fresh demonstrations each month.

Reporting to a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Greymouth Technical High School, last evening, Mr. D. S. Kennedy stated that after the special meeting called to consider the construction of raid shelters to ensure the safety of the students at the school, tenders were called, and five were received. The lowest, that of Keating and McMillan, at about £llOO was accepted, and work was commenced yesterday. After the plans and specifications had been approved by the District Public Works Engineer, . Mr. E. F. Evans, advice was received that a blast-proof wall would have to be built in each of the five shelters, so that each division would not accommodate more than 38 people. That alteration was made, and the change approved. When completed, in about five weeks, the shelters would accommodate 340 children. The shelters were in concrete, and the type had been actually tested in England with 5001bs bombs at 30 feet, no one inside the shelter being injured.