LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5600, 2 April 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Competition Winners Competition decided at the Red Cross Depot yesterday were won by Mrs J. J. Karl (lingerie), and Mrs J. Horan (traycloth and pillowsham).

Coincides With Anzac Day For the first time since 1886, Easter Sunday will fall this year on April 25, which coincides with Anzac Day, which will not be carried forward as a holiday on a week day. Mr Nash’s Future

The latest political rumour has it that after Mr Nash has presented the Budget at the forthcoming session of Parliament he will assume the office of Prime Minister, and Mr Fraser will be the N.Z. Minister at Washington.

Chinese Women Conscripted For the first time in her history China is to conscript women. A new law requires all Chinese women between the ages of 18 and 45 to join one of the auxiliary services for the duration -of the war.

Petrol for April. The Minister of Supply and Munitions, 'the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, has announced that it has been decided by the War Cabinet that the petrol ration for private motorists for April would continue at the half-coupon level. Coupon 25, at half the face value, will be available for April.

Fire Brigade Dance Intending patrons will be pleased to know that the music for the Fire Brigade dance, to be held in the Town Hall to-morrow night, will be supplied by the Fire Brigade orchestra, led by Sir Barrett. This combination proved popular at the Fire Brigade’s patriotic dance last year. Vital Statistics 9

There were 38 births registered with thq registrar of births, deaths and marriages, at Te Awamutu for the quarter ending March 31, which is a decrease of 26 on last year’s figures. Deaths numbered 14, a decrease of 10, while marriages numbered 10. Maori death registrations during the quarter numbered 7, births 12, as against 8 births registered last year. Prices for Onions

A price order issued last week covers main crop onions and fixes the maximum prices chargeable by growers and the margins of profit allowable to distributors, wholesalers and retailers. The maximum prices chargeable by growers range from £l2 a ton in March and April to £3O a ton in November. Retail prices range from 23d in March and April to 5Jd in November. These are qualified by quantity concessions for purchases of 51b and over.

King’s Counsel Whether further appointments of King’s Counsel should be made during the war period is discussed in a recent issue of the New Zealand Law Journal. It reaches the conclusion that the legal profession would say that no such appointments should be made until the war ends and sufficient time elapses to allow conditions to return to normal. The article states the question must be examined from consideration of the profession as a whole. Many members are serving with the armed forces and appointments in their absence would be unfair.

Early Days Recalled In the office of the secretary of<he Otago Early Settlers’ Association there is a chair which has associations with the very early days of the Otago Province. It was made 90 years ago by Mr W- J. Black, of Timaru, who arrived in New Zealand in the ship Blundell, and who used for the purpose a piece of manuka obtained from Grandview Hill, Opoho, Dunedin. At a function arranged by the Early Settlers’ Assocation to mark the ninety-fifth anniversary of the province, the president (Mr J. W. Patton) presented the secretary (Mr William Paterson) with a cushion for the chair. This had been made by Mrs Ann Fraser, of Timaru, a daughter of Mr Black, and the only passenger living of those who arrived by the John Wickliffe in 1848.

Post-war Immigration “It must not be assumed that there will be in the future large numbers of British people who can be spared and will be ready to come out to settle in New Zealand and other countries overseas,” said Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, in an address at the celebrations held by the Otago Early Settlers’ Association. It should be remembered that after the terrible ravages of the war there would be a tremendous need for vigorous young men and women to take part in that work. When, however, the time came for demobilisation, there might be a greater number than -usual anxious to start life afresh in new surroundings, and, if so. it might be possible to arrange for the migration of some of them to New Zealand as new settlers, who would assist in building up the Dominion. Police Auction Sale

Mdn and women are very forgetful. How else would it be possible for the police to come into possession of such a wide and varied assortment of lost articles as were disposed of by auction in Wellington last week by Thompson Bros., Ltd. Such trifles as handkerchiefs, umbrellas and walking sticks may well be left here or there by absent-minded folk who cannot afterward recall where they have been, but when it comes to kits of tools, bags of clothing, gold watches and rings, and even bicycles, it is rather difficult to imagine how such things can be forgotten. Needless to say, in these days of shortages, there was no difficulty in securing good prices for almost anything that was offered. For example, four tire-pumps brought 355, a bunch of spanners went for 15s, a bright steel ball-race for a wheel hub 21s, rosary beads ss’6d», new headlight and dynamo 42s 6d and the beginnings of a cardigan jacket with knitting needles and skein of wobl, ss. While a gold watch was purchased for £5 by a Chinese, there was no bid at all for a set of lower teeth which the auctioneer said “must be good for someone.” Tile bicycles, most of which had seen good wear, all brought fair prices.