LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6974, 6 October 1948, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Meeting of Presbytery The Waikato Presbytery met in St Andrews Church, Te Awamutu, yesterday, when many matters, mainly of a domestic nature, engaged the attention of the Presbytery. The Moderator, Rev. S. R. Wishart, of Huntly, presided over an attendance of 25 members. The Presbytery had lunch at the Regent Lounge.

Appreciation Expressed Appreciation of the Otorohanga County Council in granting the use of their meeting chambers and the co-operation shown by the executive officers was conveyed in a letter from Mr L. A. Johnston, secretary of the Otorohanga Rabbit Board that was received by the former at their meeting on Monday.

Manpower at Mangakino According to a weekly survey of the manpower position at Mangakino Hydro-electric Works, published recently, there were 995 men employed “on the big job” in the closing week of last month. New arrivals numbered 16 and departures 20, indicating that the manpower situation continues in a state of flux. The Production Index

It was stated in the course of discussion at a meeting of public body representatives last evening that a conference in Hamilton yesterday had made a production survey for the Waikato area. It had been indicated on the assumption of supply availability, particularly of fertiliser and fencing wire, that the production of the area centring on Te Awamutu would be doubled in the next 20 years.

Cancer Appeal A request for support for their £lOO,OOO appeal was made to the Otorohanga County Council on Monday by the Auckland branch of the British Empire Cancer Council. The matter was deferred until the next meeting and Councillors generally were of the opinion that the object was a most worthy one. One member thought that the Government should deal with it in the same way as y they dealt with the tuberculosis menace.

Lengthy Council Meeting Monday’s sitting of the Otorohanga County Council was the lengthiest in regards time that has been held for a considerable time past. Commencing at 10.30 a.m-, it was just on 5.30 p.m. before the business on the agenda was disposed of. Those present were Mr J. L. Wallis (chairman), Crs H. Rothery, R. H. Wynyard, H. E. Walters, G. D. Hall, H. C- Grierson, J. Jamieson. The clerk (Mr M. P. Goldsbro’) and engineer (Mr B. McKenzie), were also present.

Prisoner’s Brief Liberty A very brief period of liberty, something under four hours, was enjoyed by a prisoner, Thomas John Prier, yesterday morning, when he escaped from the Waikeria Borstal Institute. Prier was arrested by the Te Awamutu Police and a party of warders from Waikeria out at the Hairini swamp, the prisoner apparently making his way towards Cambridge. He was returned to the Institution and he will appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, charged with escaping from legal custody.

Committee of Enquiry The Minister of Health, Hon. Miss Howard, advised the Te Awamutu Borough Council last Monday night that the Government had not agreed to the request made for the setting up of a Royal Commission of enquiry into sewage utilisation and composting, but had agreed to a Committee of Enquiry being formed. The Mayor said it did not matter what they called the body, so long as they enquired into the question. After Cr Williams had remarked that it did not matter so long as they did something, the letter was received.

Rotary Club At last night’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Rotary Club, held in the Regent Lounge, Mr R. (Dick) Goodall, was admitted to membership. The president, Dr F. C. Blundell, presided over a good attendance of members. Among the visitors were Messrs WJ. H. Clark (the guest speaker), A. J. Tailby, and A. G. A. Baigent. Mr Clark, the Senior Boys Vocational Officer, of Auckland, gave an excellent address on “Vocational Guidance and How it Works”. Mr C. Bartrum conducted the “fines” session and Mr R. C. Judd the community sing.

Burglars Sentenced Ivan Hardcastle Blakeborough, 21 years of age, was sentenced in the Auckland Supreme Court, to two years’ imprisonment to be followed by one year’s reformative detention on 20 charges of breaking and entering, and the conversion of cars. Some of the offences were committed in Te Awamutu. An associate of Blakeborough, Allan Joseph Pope, aged 20, was sentenced to 12 months’ reformative detention for converting cars, breaking and entering and theft. Pope met Blakeborough in Wellington. Vans For Ex-Servicemen

Covering an expected delivery period of six months, commencing this month, a limited number of light motor vans of English manufacture is to be allocated to ex-servicemen through the Rehabilitation Department. Allocation is to be restricted to those ex-servicemen who are fully eligible for assistance and who are owners or part owners in a business for which a van is essential. The price of the vans, which are not expected to be suitable for farming purposes, will be subject to the recent alteration in the exchange rate.

Speed Limit of Cars The Otorohanga County Council on Monday, in response to a letter from the Transport Department, soliciting an expression of opinion as to the speed of motor cars outside the restricted areas (where the limit is 30 miles per hour) decided to inform the Department that they favoured a speed limit of 50 miles per hour. There was a sharp division of opinion as to the speeds that should be observed. One Councillor said he did not believe that speed was responsible for many motor accidents. Crs Rothery and Wynyard moved the appropriate resolution and Cr Walters asked that his vote be recorded against the motion as he believed that there should be no speed limit beyond the ordinary regard for the safety of users of the roads.