LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Frost in Masterton. A frost of 11.7 degrees was registered in Masterton this morning. Scout Jamboree.

Applications to attend the New Zealand Centennial Boy Scout Jamboree at Heretaunga next December are pouring into jamboree headquarters, Wellington. So far 4800 New Zealand applications have been received, and 600 from overseas, but the quota is by no means complete. It is expected that at least 5700 boys will attend the camp.

Nursing Division Lectures. The local nursing division of St John Ambulance Brigade will commence a series of home lectures on Tuesday next. The enrolments will take place at 7.30 p.m. and the lecture at 8 p.m. The lady superintendent, Miss Whitehouse will be in charge. Instruction will be given in all phases of home nursing, including roller bandaging, care of the patient and sick room, diet and special bed-making. Mounting Taxation. Revenue from taxation for the year ended March 31, 1939, according to the latest monthly Abstract of Statistics, totalled £37,764,912. This is an increase of £997,387, compared with the total of £36,767,525 for the preceding 12 months. For the year ended March 31, 1936, the total revenue from taxation was £25,476,372, so that the latest figure represents an increase over 1935-36 of £12,288,540 or more than 48 per cent. Sedgley Home. The following gifts to Sedgley Home are acknowledged:—Cakes, Mrs W. H. Edwards, Mrs Staniforth, Mrs Coleman; apples, Miss Wallis; football and saveloys, Mr Long; sheep, Mr F. T. Williams; magazines, Mr G. Sellar; sandwiches, Lodge 19, National Party (W.D.), St. Matthew's Junior Bible Class (also cakes); gramaphone records, Mrs Smyth; buns, Mr Wallis; jerseys, wool supplied by the Rev. McLevie; entertainments, Orchestral Society Concert. Hidden Treasure Discovered. Hidden treasure was discovered by the tenant of a Middlemarch (Otago) property. On removing an old range in a hut at the rear of the house he found a battered tin containing gold and notes representing at the present price of gold over £3OO. The find consisted of 110 £1 notes, 25 £5 notes, one £lO note, 36 sovereigns, and nine half-sovereigns. The original owner of the house died four years ago, and the property was sold. Since then five tenants have been in occupation. St. John Ambulance Brigade. At a well-attended meeting in Dannevirke on Monday night it was decided to form a division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade to be known as the Dannevirke Ambulance Division. Mr W. E. Yates was elected superintendent of the division. Other officers are: — Surgeon, Dr. MacLaurin; secretary, Mr N. P. Pitcaithly; storekeeper, Mr G. Howe. The appointment of'ambulance officer was deferred. A subcentre of the St. John Ambulance Association was also formed. An Historic Pen. The pen with which the Amendment to the Constitution, giving voting powers to women in the United States of America, was signed some years ago. is a possession greatly prized by the New Zealand novelist, Miss Nelle Scanlan. Speaking at the English Speaking Union luncheon in Hastings, Miss Scanlan said that when she returned to England via America she would visit Washington and return the pen to a woman’s organisation in that city. Appeal to Carriers. Observing that a good many of the applicants did not appear to be members of a carriers’ association, Mr J. P. S. Skoglund, No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority, made an appeal at a sitting of the Authority in Masterton this morning for carriers to join up with an association. “I appeal to carriers to •consider this matter,” said Mr Skoglund. “If you are going to get real cooperation in the industry you must have carriers - as members of the association. It is going to make it very difficult to put the industry on a satisfactory basis in this location if you do not join up.” Coal Supplies. / “We do not anticipate any serious shortage of household coal, and, with reasonably good weather on the West Coast to enable the shipment of gasproducing coal, we should soon make up any leeway in that respect.” said the Minister of Mines, Mi - Webb, in an interview yesterday following a conference with representatives of the Coal Owners’ Federation and the United Mine Workers. The Minister said that the whole question of coal supplies, both from the points of view of household and gas requirements, had been discussed. The question of housing accommodation for miners had also been discussed and would be looked into by the companies concerned. Returned Soldiers’ Effort. Returned soldiers in Masterton have been busy today preparing for the “Diggers’ Market” to be held on Friday, collecting goods, etc. A working bee will erect the stalls tonight in the Municipal Hall. Gifts of goods, etc., may be left at the office of the secretary (Mr A. Prentice) from 3 o'clock till 5 o'clock this afternoon or at the hall between the same hours. Those who desire to contribute towards the stalls in the market and who live at a distance from the hall will be called upon if the secretary is communicated with. The “Diggers’ Market” is being held for the purpose of raising funds to entertain the Australian returned soldiers on their visit to Masterton next year.

Explosions in Wellington. The explosion of what is believed to have been a mixture of carbon monoxide gas and petrol fumes sent flame and hot air belching from a manhole at the junction of Wakefield Street and Jervois Quay, Wellington, yesterday morning. The force of a second explosion shot into the air the iron cover of a neighbouring hole, weighing one hundredweight. It narrowly missed a passing car. A second explosion occurred a few seconds later, when the cover of the second manhole, about 30 yards away, was thrown off. On Monday. Mr A. Burns, cable foreman, and Mr G. Keith, labourer, were affected by gas at the same hole and were taken to hospital. An inspection of the underground services to test for traces of gas was being made at the time of the explosions yesterday.