LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Heavy Frost. A frost of 10.4 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning.

Teachers and Labour. By 46 votes to 37 the New Zealand Educational Institute at its annual meeting in Wellington yesterday decided to postpone until next year consideraotion of whether or not it should affiliate with the Federation of Labour. In the meantime branches are to be asked to discuss again a report on the subject prepared by a committee at the request of the previous annual meeting. Record by Centaurus. All records for commercial aircraft were broken by the Imperial Airways flying-boat Centaurus recently when it flew 2169 miles in a day—from Tiberias (Sea of Gallilee) to Karachi (India). The Centaurus left London for Singapore on the fast, new airmail schedule, which provides for the mails to reach Darwin seven days out from England. Some 200,000 letters were carried, posted for the first time for three halfpence. Absent Polling Clerk. One polling clerk engaged to help at the Oddfellows’ Hall booth in Clyde Quay, Wellington, during the elections, failed to put in an appearance at the appointed time, and on looking over the list the deputy-returning officer saw that the man was Mr Edwin Armstrong, of Hataitai, victim of the suitcase murder. A substitute was appointed. Mr Armstrong, who had had previous experience at elections, was graded by the authorities as an A class applicant for the position.

Training of Apprentices. Attention was drawn by Mr R. G. Ridling, director of the Wellington Technical College, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association yesterday, to the fact that there was practically no apprentice today who was given training in the trade to which he was apprenticed. “We should make it our business to urge the Government to see that these young people are given the opportunities for training that are available,” he said. “The opportunities of training in industry to-day are governed completely by profit-making. Employers cannot under the system of very difficult economic stress and competition, arrange for the training of their apprentices.” Lovelock Presentation.

The annual report of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association states that the appeal made to sporting organisations throughout the Dominion for donations towards a presentation to the New Zealand athlete, Mr J. E. Lovelock to commemorate his record win in the 1500 metres at Berlin did not receive the support anticipated, mainly owing to the invitation to Mr Lovelock to visit New Zealand as a guest of the Government. The small amount of £35 13s was subscribed and this was subsidised by the Olympic Council with £57 13s sd. The sum of £75 sterling was remitted to the High Commissioner for New Zealand and Dr. A. E.' Porritt in London to purchase some suitable memento. The receipt of the bank draft has been acknowledged by the High Commissioner, who had advised that he and Dr. Porritt were conferring concerning the presentation. Big Fish. For quite a number of years Mr Bill Vickery has claimed the Bluff' “groper record” but it would appear that he will now have to relinquish this title to Mr Clary Bewley. Some years ago Mr Vickery caught a groper oil Bluff wharf, and this so encouraged him that he persevered and a week or so later caught another one from the same place. Having caught the two his luck petered out and no one seems to have had any success with the big fish since until Easter Monday when Mr Bewley eclipsed Bill’s record completely. Mr Bewley was out in a dinghy with his father, Mr Bewley sen., from Macandrew Bay. They were straight out from the main wharf beyond the single pile with the light on it, fishing for blue cod. Several cod and a barracouta or two had been hauled in when a final haul was made. The result surprised the fishermen and established a record. With one heave of a codline with cod hooks two groper were secured and both, after some manoeuvring, were duly got into the boat and brought ashore. Quite a number of spectators witnessed the triumphant landing of the fishermen and their parade homeward with their catch hung on a pole between the shoulders of father and son.