Local and General News

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 19, 9 October 1946, Page 7

Local and General News

Eire Brigade’s Quiet Time The Lower-Hutt Fire Brigade had a quiet time last week, receiving only one call, on Monday last. It was not a property fire. Address by Mr. Nash Mr. W. Nash, M.P. for Hutt, will address a meeting of friends and supporters in the Naenae Co-opera-live Hall next Monday. Bos Murphy at Darden Fete. Bos Murphy, the popular Hutt Valley boxer, gave an exhibition of sparring at a garden fete in the Sacred Heart College grounds at Auckland on Saturday. Chinese to Celebrate Tomorrow the Chinese will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the declaration of their country as a republic. In common with those in other parts of New Zealand Chinese fruiterers’ shops in Lower Hutt will be closed for the day. Applicants lor Scout Jamboree. One hundred and thirty applications have been received in the Hutt Valiev and Bays area for inclusion in the Boy Scout contingent to the Jamboree to be held in France next year. Oil Supply Tanks De-brieked. The large oil supply tanks in ;Seaview Road,' Lower Hutt, were bricked in in 1942 in order to protect them from possible bomb damage. The brick protection is now being removed, as it is thought that the steel tanks may corrode under their brick coverings. Pleasant Working Conditions 1 Attention is drawn to an advertisement by W. D. and H. O. Wills regarding wages, conditions, and full or part-time employment at their establishment. Those interested should write or telephone 60-501, or call personally at W. D. and H. O. Wills, Richmond Street, Petone, and obtain particulars. Salvation Army Band Festival Fourteen Salvation Army bands from all over New Zealand, comprising over 400 bandsmen; will take part in a festival in Wellington during Labour week-end, including a review and marching competition at the Basin Reserve on Labour Day (October 28). Some of the visiting bandsmen will be billeted in Lower Hutt and Petone. Most Common Name. Answering a reader’s'query in the American Magazine, Elsdon C. Smith, a name expert, estimates that there are, in the United States, 1,258,010 people named Smith, 938,880 named Johnson, 701,940 named Brown, 663,850 named Miller, and 663,420 named Jones. The same authority reports that Smith also is the most common name in England and Scotland, while Jones predominated in Wales and Murphy in Ireland. ~ College’s Fine Organisation Apart from the excellent music provided at the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College’s festival at the Wellington Town Hall last week the school authorities deserve great credit for the manner in which the hundreds of pupils were handled. The girls and boys seated themselves very quickly and rose for their items almost as one person, while when they moved from orchestra to choir they did so without any confusion and in record time. It was all a masterpiece of organisation. New Bimutalca Tunnel. The new Rimutaka tunnel, which the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) says must be finished within six years, is estimated to - cost £1,750,000, but there will be a great saving in operating costs. The new route will do away with Kaitoke, the Summit, Pigeon Bush, and Cross Creek,- connecting straight through to Featherston. It is also proposed to drive a short road tunnel through the spur which will bring Featherston within 20 minutes of Upper Hutt and eliminate the tortuous climb by road. Chamber ami Education. As convenor of the education committee Mr. E. A. Tomkies reported to the last meeting of the executive of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry that he and Mr. C. E. Moran had met the headmasters at their monthly meeting and given an outline of the Chamber’s activities and interest in educational matters. It was hoped to arrange to meet the committees of the primary, secondary, and technical schools, and as a result’bring about closer co-operation between the school authorities and the Chamber. It was recognised that the sphere was wide.

Electrification ol' Hutt Railway The Railway Statement presented to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Railways, Mr. R. Semple, last week, contained the following item: In the case of the Hutt Valley electrification, the supply of materials from overseas is a matter of difficulty and uncertainty, and it was considered that the only satisfactory method of overcoming the difficulties lay in personal contact. Mr. F. W. Aickin, Staff Superintendent and Chief Legal Adviser, and Mr. P. R. Angus, Chief Mechanica ■. Engineer, therefore proceeded to Great Britain, and have now successfully completed negotiations for the manufacture and supply of the necessary electric locomotives, multipleurit stock, etc,

Wellington Highland (lames. The Wellington Highland games will be held at Newtown Park on January 4ill. The Rainfall. The rainfall in Lower Hutt in September totalled 4.01 inches, compared with 3.71 inches in the same month last year. Returned Soldiers’ Re-union. The first annual re-union of the Hutt Valley Returned Services Association will he held on Friday, November 15th. I i osi ery Rat ion ing. In view of an increase in supplies it is probable that Fie hosieryrationing system will be discontinued before long. Cat’s 00 Kittens. A cat in an Auckland suburb has, over the past few years, given birth to 99 kittens. Sounds like a cricket score! Admitted to Affiliation. The Hutt Valley Softball Association has been admitted to affiliation with the Wellington Council of Sport. , Presbyterian Youth Conference. The annual conference 6C j Presbyterian Church youth organisations will be held at "Napier between Christmas and New Year. About 500 delegates are expected to attend. Free Kindergartens. The Hutt Valley has three kindergartens operating under, the Free Kindergarten Association, and there have been several requests for more, specially in the new bousing areas. Champion of Champions. The champion of champions award at the Miramar and Eastern Suburbs Horticultural Society’s spring show was won by Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Stalker's daffodil, “Scapa.” Increase in Road Deaths. During the first nine months of 1946 147 persons were killed in road accidents, compared with 99 for the corresponding months of 1945. Table Tennis Championships. In the lower grades of the Hutt Valley table tennis interclub championships, which were completed last week, Empire won the B and D grades and Te Ropu won the C and E grades. Social Security Payments. Commencing yesterday, all social security weekly and monthly benefits, as well as war pensions, are paid from the new . Lower Hutt Social Security Office in Dudley Street, at the rear of the Post Office. Singer’s Tour. Joan Hammond, dramatic soprano, will give the first concert of her New Zealand tour at Christchurch on Tuesday, October 15th. She will be assisted by Raymond Lambert, the gifted Australian pianist. Strength of Police Force. The strength of the police force in New Zealand at the end of 1939 was 1445 and today it is 1471.. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. J. Cummings, has authority for an increase up to March 31st, 1947, to 1562. Available for Hire. At a meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union it was decided to make available for hire the trestles and temporary stand stored at Athletic Park by the Hutt Valley Lawn Tennis Association from November toMarch. Swimmers at Football. Hutt and Petone swimming clubs played at Rugby during the weekend, Petone winning by 10, points to 7. For the winners tries w r ere scored by Wilkinson and Ridley,, both being converted. Carter scored 1 a try for Hutt, Sewell kicking a field goal. National Party Campaign. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, will open the general election campaign on behalf of the National Party with an address in Christchurch on Monday, October 21st. Mr. Holland expects to speak' in about 60 places, including all the main centres of population and sev~ eral of the country towns.

Films of Athletic Events. sp The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association is considering the purchase of six slow motion films of athletic events, for display throughout the main centres, and secondary schools. It will be greatly assisted by the Physical Welfare Department, which has agreed to pay half the purchase price and to service and maintain the film.

Surprise for Shopgirl. When Pamela Elliott, a 19-year-old English shop assistant, married an America*!! sergeant he told her that his people were “just ordinary working folk like you.” But when she went to join him in Louisiana recently she found that she had married into one of the wealthiest families in the State and that .her brother-in-law was a millionaire.

Hutt Valley Younger Set. For the purpose of raising funds to assist charitable organisations,.the Hutt Valley Younger Set conducted a most successful dance in the Horticultural Hall last Saturday evening. The sum of £2 7 was handed to a representative from the High Commissioner’s Office for the purpose of providing food parcels for the people of Britain. The next effort will be on behalf of the Wellington Free Ambulance,