LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, 14 February 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Druids ’ picnic has again been postponed and will now be held on Sunday, February 23. On the occasion of Henri Cbehet’s visit to Masterton on Wednesday, March 4, with three Australian professionals, Messrs James and Aubrey Willard and D. Baker, • tennis enthusiasts and the public generally will see one of the World’s greatest’players in action. Cochet was one of the French team that won the DavhFCup in 1927, and was mainly responsible for its retention until 1933, when France lost to Great Britain. The annual meeting of the Wairarapa Nurserymen's Council was held in the Municipal Hall on Tuesday, Mr. E. Hale being in the chair. The annual report and balance-sheet were read and adopted. The following officers were elected for the coming year:—Chairman, Mr. H. L. Esau; vice-chair-man, Mr. W. Kemp; secretary, Mr. L. Robinson. Remits to come before the Dominion Conference, to be held in Auckland early in March, were considered. Replying to a County Council deputation protesting against a demand for payment of a share bf the cost of the new Rakaia Bridge, the Minister of Transport (the Hon.-R. Semple) speaking at Ashburton said that while the Government’s policy at the moment was that local bodies should contribute to the cost of main ; highways his objective was a fixed income for the Highways Board to maintain real arterial roads, leaving the local bodies to concentrate their resources on secondary roads.—(P.A.)

In a match for the Roydhouse Buttons, G. McLeod and-G. Simpson, of tho Martinborough Tennis Club, defeated the holders, L. D. Keedwell and D. L. Taverner (Carterton), 6/3, 3/6, 6/2. The death occurred at Dunedin last evening of Mr. H. H. Leary, Mayor of St. Kilda, aged 78: He was a member of the St. Kilda Borough Council from 1922 to: 1934 and was elected Mayor at the last local body election. Mr. Leary before coming to Dunedin, resided at Lawrence and was a member of the Lawrence Borough Council for 14 years and Mayor for two terms. —(P.A.) Frank Sharpley won the 220yds. hurdles in one fifth of a second inside the existing New Zealand record at a meeting of the Napier Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club last night. Finlayson made this time recently in Auckland and in the event of his record being recognised he and Sharpley will be joint holders. All the necessary precautions have been taken and there is no doubt that Sharpley’s effort will be recognised by the authorities.—(P.A.) Crown Prince Taufa a’ Hau, of Tonga, was listed as purser on the motor-ship Port Whangarei, which arrived at Auckland yesterday from the Islands. The ship is not authorised to carry passengers, so the Prince and two others signed on. After receiving his nominal pay of Is, the Prince lunched at Government House at the invitation of the Governor-General, Lord Galway. He leaves for Sydney by the Aorangi on Monday to resume his studies at Newington College.— (P.A.)

In Un advertisement* in this issue Mr. D. H. Bothwell announces that he has opened a studio of in the Academy Buildings, Masterton, and has vacancies for pupils, Mr. Bothwell, who has held the New Zealand dancing title since 1927, is prepared to give expert tuition in operatic, ball-room, international, tap. and Highland dances. All the latest steps will be taught and ball-room dancers will no doubt be interested in the latest craze at Home, the .Cuban Rumba. Appointments may be made at the studio to suit the convenience of pupils.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Methodist Church opened in Christchurch last evening, with delegates present from all parts of the Dominion: The retiring president, the Rev. J, H. Haslam, inducted into office the president-elect, the Bev. E. P. Blamires. The following officers were elected: Vice-president for 1936, the Bev. R. S. Hampton (Wellington East); president for 1937, the Rev. F. Copeland,. Minister of Whiteley Memorial Church, New Plymouth; secretary for 1937, the Rev. W. A. Burley.— (P.A.)

Go slow tactics were adopted by watereiders loading the steamer Fordsdale with butter and Cheese for British markets at the port of New Plymouth yesterday. Two men who worked as volunteers on. the -inter-colonial steamer Gabriella at New Plymouth last month were engaged at the Moturoa. cool stores loading produce into trucks. The watersiders protested against the employment of the two mea and held a stopwork meeting and adopted a go slow policy. The loading of meat from the Waitara works was not affected. Negotiations are proceeding but none of the p-arties will make any statement.—(P.A.) The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, made a short visit to Timaru yesterday for the purpose of investigating a pressure water supply scheme for an area in South Canterbury. The scheme is sponsored by Mr. T, O. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, who arranged a public meeting at which the Minister was present. Mr. T. G. Beck, resident Public Works Engineer, outlined the proposals, which aim at supplying water to an area of 123,000 acres. The estimated cost of the scheme is £179,000, of which £48,000 is for labour, the balance being for materials and transport of materials. The .meeting passed a resolution impressing on the Government the urgent need of a water supply and the Minister promised to give the scheme sympathetic consideration.—(P.A.) Perch, it was reported at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society on Wednesday night, had spread from Lake Wairarapa up the Ruamahanga River and into the Waipoua and Waingawa Streams, creating a menace to trout. Perch are not surface feeders to any extent, and the Waipoua and Waingawa are fly streams: It was mentioned that thirteen perch had been caught in a short time in one spot in the Waipoua and that they were very plentiful. The Wellington Society was asked by a representative of a Wairarapa sub-com-mittee what action could be taken. At present the licence for these streams prohibits worm-fishing, but it is on the worm that the perch are taken. Wormfishing is not looked on favourably by acclimatisation societies. The thinning out of the pereh would be in the interests of trout, which are earnest ground feeders as well as surface feeders. The problem set is not an easy one, but “will receive consideration.” Tyre and rim lost. Girl wanted for house work. General farm work wanted. Black and tan sheep dog lost. Featherston County Council insert a notice re ten per eent. penalty on unpaid rates. Mr. H. J, Wakeman, Cash Grocer, Pine Street, advertises Friday and Saturday specials in the wanted columns. J. Kerslake and Co. advertise an auction sale of the stock-in-trade of Mr. Pool’s Queen Street shop to-day at 2 p.m. Full particulars appear on page 8 of this issue.