LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, 6 July 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the boisterous weather prevailing yesterday afternoon the concert which was to have been given by the Municipal Band in the Masterton Park was postponed. Three inmates who escaped from the Borstal Institution at Invercargill on Friday afternoon have not yet been recaptured, despite a continuous search by the police and warders. All three are strangers to the province. On Friday evening a store at West Plains, five miles from the city was entered' and a quantity of clothing, two attache cases, a horse cover and matches and cigarettes stolen.—i(P.A.) Playing in the Wairarapa Table Tennis Association’s competition on .Saturday night, the Kuripuni B team defeated the Winter Sports Club B team by 14 matches and 33 games to 10 matches and 26 games. are the section results, the first figures relating to Kuripuni:—Men's singles: 3 matches, 9 games; 3 matches, 7 games. Ladies’ singles: 4 matches, 8 games; 2 matches, 6 games. Men’s doubles: 1 match, 3 games; 2 matches, 4 games. Ladies* doubles: 3 matches, 6 games; 0 matches, I game. Combined doubles: 3 matches, 7 games; 3 matches, 8 games. A protest against the injustice' to Timaru by differential rates was made to the Hon. D. G. Sullivan by a deputation from the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. The Minister said he was not happy regarding differential rates, which . the Department was forced to adopt to meet the merciless and relentless competition of land and sea. “If the policy of differential Tates had not been introduced the railways would have been wiped out,’’ the Minister said. It was hoped that the new policy of co-ordin-ation of transport services as effecting rail, road, air and perhaps, later, seaways, would result in many existing anomalies being done away with.— (P-A.) New Zealand salted butter, according to advice received from the London office of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board, was quoted on Friday last at 106 s to 109 s (equal to about 12.64 d f.0.b.) as compared with 105 s to 106 s the previous week and 88s to 89s last year. Unsalted ranged from 107 s to 110 s, as against Io7s to 108 s the previous week and 88s to 90s last year. The market was reported firm, retail prices being unchanged, New Zealand at Is Id and Danish at Is 2d. New Zealand cheese, white and coloured, was quoted at 58s to 59s (equal to about 6.48 d f.0.b.) as compared with 58s the previous week and 45s to 45s 6d last year for white and 44s 6d to 45s for coloured. The market was reported as firm, the New Zealand retail price being unchanged at 7d.

Little change was reported in the average wholesale prices of New Zealand mutton and lamb realised at Smithfield market last week. According to the report of the New Zealand Meat Producers ’ Board ewes, 65/721b5., dropped from 3Jd the previous week to 3 3-Bd, second quality Canterbury lambs, about 311b5., dropped from 6 7-8 d to 6}d and similar class North Island Downs from 7Jd to 7 l-Bd. The markets were reported as follow:-— Lamb: Steady with fair demand, but second quality have eased slightly. Mutton: Prices unchanged. Wethers meeting with fair demand. Ewes trade slow. Beef: Frozen beef, prices easier in view of increased supplies. Chilled beef, better trade with improved prices. New Zealand porker pigs: Market quiet but steady. New Zealand baconer pigs: Market steady and unchanged. Replying to a deputation from the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, who placed before the Minister at Timaru the serious position regarding the Strathallan Street railway crossing. Timaru, the Hon. D. G'. Sullivan said the Government was facing the question but there were a good many technical difficulties in the way. The Government wa» prepared to make the necessary financial provision in order to eliminate many bad railway crossings but the chief drawback at the present time was the insufficiency of draftsmen and designers. They had told the Department that they wanted the men even if it was necessary to secure them from overseas. The Department could not carry the liability of eliminating the crossings and putting in overhead bridges but the Government as a whole was disposed to face the question in a generous way.— (P.A.)

The first South Canterbury Industrial Exhibition and Winter Show was ojened at Timaru on Saturday by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, in the presence of a very large assemblage of town and country people. The display, which covers nearly 40,000’ square feet of space, is most comprehensive, affording the public of a splendid opportunity of seeing what the primary and secondary industries of the district and of the Dominion are capable of producing. The trade section is arranged most attractively, while the district “bays,” primary and secondary schools and arts and crafts sections cover such a wide range of exhibits that it is impossible to appreciate them in one visit. The Minister said he had visited a great number of similar shows in the course of his public career but he had seldom seen a display equal to that at Timaru. He congratulated the promoters on the success of their efforts and said the show would do much to bring about a greater appreciation of both the primary and the secondary industries of the Dominion.—(P.A.)