THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Otaki Mail, 19 June 1939, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1939. LOCAL AND GENERAL

LOCS Young Farmers' Clubs will meet at Otaki to-night, when there will too a debate between Otaki-Te Horo CJub and Kairanga. At the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, it was decided to write to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Defence asking that funds be made available to provide headstones for soldiers'

Are pukekos a menace to farmers? During the hearing of a case at the Greytown Magistrate's Court on Wednesday evidence was given by a farmer that the pukeko attacked and damaged his turnip crop, and they had proved a menace when a wheat crop was being harvested. He had also seen the birds making a nuisance cf themselves in a Chinaman's garden.

Prices for potatoes remain high and rates for South Island stocks now range from £l2 to £l3 a ton at Auckland, compared witli £7 to £7 10s a year ago. Contrary to expectations, three large shipments which have arrived in the past few days have not reduced values.

"The excuse he gave me," said Inspector Nicholson in a speeding case heard at the Greytown Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, "was that he had just got married and was hurrying to get to Palmerston North." The hurry cost William Nisbet Scotland £4 and costs. It was stated that defendant had passed through Greytown at 50 miles an hour and had driven on to Carterton at 45 m.p.h., where ho was overtaken by the inspector.

During the hearing of a case at the Greytown Magistrate's Court on Wednesday it was made very plain that property owners could not shoot protected game during the closed season unless bv special permit from the Internal Affairs Department, and it had to be shown that the birds were a menace The position was quite different during the open season, when property-owners could shoot game on their land without having a license.

Alterations aro being carried out in the train control, telephone exchange, and telegraphic rooms at the Auckland railway station. The work will involve an extension of tho train control room into the adjoining room containing tho station's telephone switchboard. It will be necessary for the switchboard operators to be accommodated in part of the telegraphic room, which will be reduced slightly in size.

Speaking at a farewell function at Tauniaruuui, Sergeant S. G. Clist said with regard to sly-grog cases in the year from December, 1937, to December, 1935, that the police had established a record that would be hard to beat. In the 12 months tho revenue of the State from fines was no less a sum than £IOOO. The police had done their best to clean up a business that was a curse to tho town, said the sergeant.

The grounds of .the Auckland Raitway Station are to be provided with an IS-hole putting green, which will be in the lawn covering the area between the road at the eastern side of the main entrance and the Parnell railway embankment. The work is being carried out under the direction of Mr R. L Thornton, head gardener. The lawn is sheltered and it is considered that it will make an excellent site for the green.

With 10 cars caught in the snow on Gorge Hill on tho Te Anau Road, between Mossburn and Lumsden, on Monday, and one car over the bank, the patrol officers of the Automobile Association (Southland) had a particularly strenuous time. The arrival of tho two patrol officers was very welcome to the motorists, as none of the drivers of the cars had chains. The rescue work began at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and the last car was not out of its difficulties until 10.30 p.m.

"I personally protested to the Nurses and Midwives' Registration Board when I saw the paper," said Dr. A. D. Nelson, medical superintendent of tho Christchurch Public Hospital, when he was asked to comment on a report which stated that '' the difficulty of the questions on anatomy and physiology included in the examination for firstyear nurses astonished the Board of Examiners of the Auckland Hospital." Dr. Nelson added that he had received a reply to his letter asking that he supply a detailed criticism of the paper, and this he had done.

A novel, cheap and ingenious method of preventing frost from forming on the windscreens of cars is being adopted by several Christchurch motorists. This is to place a folded newspaper over the portions required to be clear, holding it in place with the windscreen wipers. The heat held in by the newspapers prevents frost forming, and when this is removed the glass is clear and unfrosted.

Although progress in piercing the Homer tunnel will be much slower with the reduction of work to one shift each day,- the advantage of carrying on the work during the winter is a saving of delay in the spring. It was explained to the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) when he visited the tunnel, that, if operations were entirely suspended during the winter, the tunnel would fill with water and several weeks would be required to pump it dry in the spring before work could be resumed.

A wedding which was to have been held in the Springdale Church, Waitoa, at noon on Wednesday, did not take place owing to the non-appearance of the bridegroom. Everything had been arranged for the ceremony, including the wedding breakfast, and the bride and her relatives and friends were in attendance. Rev. H. B. Hughes, Prasbyterian minister at Thames, made a special trip to marry the couple. After a wait of two hours for the bridegroom, whose whereabout are unknown, it was decided to postpone the ceremony and the company dispersed. As far as is known the bridegroom has no relatives in the Dominion. A house is to let. An electric heater, with cord. ete.. is for sale at 10a.

In the match on Saturday night, at Otaki, between the local Miniature Rifle Club and Levin, the former lost in both the A and B grade matches. Twelve points was the difference on the first and two on the second. A very enjoyable evening was spent.

A number of members of thi Women's Institutes from this district left for Levin this morning to attend the International Exhibition of Handicrafts, which is being in.'.d in the Century Hall.