NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Excursion Train on Wairtfa Show Day The question of whether or not a railway excursion would be run to Wairoa on Show Day was discussed by the general committee of the Wairoa Agricultural and Pastoral Society yesterday, the final decision toeing left to the finance committee.—Special. Pictures at Christmas Permission is to be granted by the Auckland City Council for theatres to to open for the evening session on Christmas Day, but this permission is not to be extended to cabarets and other places of amusement, such as merry-go-rounds. Penalty For Beating the Train The penalty imposed on motorists who drive over railway level crossings in the Square, Palmerston North, when a train is approaching, has been raised by Mr. Lawry, S.M., to £7. The penalty for this offence some time ago was raised from £3 to £5. Lamb Competition Following the lines adopted by other A. and P. Associations, the Wairoa County Agricultural and Pastoral Society will conduct the local judging in the Meat Board’s district fat lamb competition, the 'London awards for which will not be made this season, as a result of war conditions. — Special. Wairoa Fat Cattle Pens Reporting on the proposed building of fat cattle pens on the showgrounds this year, the finance committee advised a committee meeting of the Wairoa County Agricultural and Pastoral Society yesterday that owing to the Government commandeer of fat stock and the impossibility of preparing and shipping chilled beef during the present European crisis, the work should be held over in the meantime. —Special. Veterinary Surgeon for Wairoa Advice that owing to the acute shortage of qualified veterinarians it was regretted that circumstances prevented the appointment being made at the present time of a permanent veterinary surgeon in the Wairoa district, was received Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, at a meeting of the committee of ’ the Wairoa County Agricultural and Pastoral Society yesterday.— Special. Humour Worth an Army Corps Bruce Bairnsfather’s famous cartoons of Army life during the last war were mentioned by the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, at the opening of the new Salvation Army institute in Wellington, when referring to the value during wartime of good spirits on the part of the people and the men who were, fighting for them. “Bruce Bairnsfather was worth an army corps to the Allies during the last war,” he said. W’arning to Recruits A serious warning against making false declarations when enlisting in the special force has been issued by the Canterbury area staff officer, Major H. M, Foster. There have been several eases where men under age have‘enlisted, giving their age as 21, have been medically examined, and had dental work carried out before their real age was discovered. It has been found that at least one youth under 21 has managed to get away to camp with the main draft —in this particular instance a North Island camp. Reverting To 44 Hours? The possibility of the Government reverting to a 44-hour week as a necessary war measure was mentioned by Mr. C. C. Smith, chairman, at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council during a discussion on the closing of the office on Saturday morning. “It has been mentioned through the press, but there is nothing definite yet,” he said. Cr. H. E Cross: There is no question of the war not continuing for a number of years, with its consequent drain on population. He also mentioned the fact that later it might be necessary to re-impose the Saturday morning working. The motion for closing the office’in the morning was carried. Penal Reform “There is an urgent need for an investigation into many things which are not the interest of the prisoners or the public,” said Mr. C. R. N. Mackie, speaking at a luncheon held by the Howard League for Penal Reform in Christchurch. “The Penal system in New Zealand is very much behind the systems in Great Britain and the United States,” he said. Mr. Mackie referred also to a recommendation that had been made for - a motion from the Christchurch branch of the league, urging prison reform, to be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. It also had been recommended, he said, that a Parliamentary committee be set up to investigate the whole of the penal system in the Dominion.