LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Publication on Monday. The "Times-Age” will not be published on Monday. January 1 (New Year’s Day). Wairarapa Bankruptcies. There was one bankruptcy in the Wairarapa in December, making a total of three for the year. Centennial Exhibition. The attendance at the Centennial exhibition yesterday was 22,705, bringing the total up to 679,860, the daily average being 15,451. Telegraph Office Hours. The hours to be observed at the Masterton telegraph office on Monday (New Year's Day) will be from 9 to 10 a.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m. It was previously inadvertently stated that the hours would be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m. Auckland Wool Clip. After valuing about 20,000 bales in three days, the staff of appraisers who have been engaged on the Auckland wool clip completed their work yesterday. The first Auckland appraisement was held late last month, but an extra operation was added this week to the original programme to take advantage of the shipping space which is soon to be available. Going to do a Man's Job. “You are going to do a man's job, but you’ve got the character and determination to do it." said Mr P. J. Priest, president of the Hastings branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, farewelling the Hastings and district members of the first’echelon of the Special Force. They would be carrying the honour of their homes, their country, and their King, he said, and as they played the game they would uphold the great traditions of the soldiers of New Zealand. Generous Assistance. The Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, has received from Smith, and Caughey Limited, a prominent firm of drapers in Auckland, a cheque for £lO,OOO, being a loan free of interest for the purposes of the War Expenses Account. In acknowledging this generous assistance, the Minister last night said he though he could best repeat the donors expression of the intention behind the loan, namely, that it might add even more to the spirit with which the war will be fought if all those in a position to do so were to make similar sacrifices in aid of the Old Country, which must necessarily bear the heat and burden of the struggle. German Goods Preferred.

German goods are being bought in great quantity in Wanganui, and no questions are being asked. “We have had no trouble at all in disposing of German articles this Christmas.” said one Wanganui dealer. “Much of our Christmas stock left Germany just before war was declared, and arrived in plenty of time for the Christmas trade. People have been buying German articles freely, and apparently the country of origin does not worry them in the least. All that concerns them is the price and the quality of the article, and in many cases German goods are given preference over those of British manufacture because they are cheaper.”

Rush for Marriage Licences. An unusual rush for marriage licences, which reached a peak on Thursday and Friday, has been experienced at the office of the registrar in Wellington, and a reduced staff has been kept working at high pressure. On Thursday 17 notices of marriages were received and seven marriages were performed in the office by the registrar and yesterday 12 notices were received and seven marriages performed by the registrar. It was stated yesterday that about a third of the bridegrooms were soldiers and that the couples included many visitors to Wellington. The number of marriages was a tremendous increase on that for the same period last year. Be Careful of Fires.

During the summer holidays .many thousands of picnickers will be spending hours in native forests. They are requested to take every possible precaution against spreading fire in the beautiful woodlands. Many warnings have been given, yea." after year, about the need of carefulness in the lighting of fires for the boiling of billies or for cooking, or the complete guarding of embers, and the extinction of glowing cigarette butts and pipe dotties, but some persons have continued to be careless. Visitors to the forests are also asked to respect the ferns and other growth. There is a law against desecration of native forests, but it has been broken by plenty of vandals.

Esperanto Congress. The tenth New Zealand Esperanto Congress, conducted under the auspices of the New Zealand Esperanto Association, will be held in Wellington from today till January 2 inclusive, when delegates from clubs and individual Esperantists from all parts of the Dominion will be present. The Mayor of Wellington, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, officially opened the Congress this afternoon. In addition to four business sessions, interesting events have been planned. An evening will be devoted to lecturettes in Esperanto from both local and overseas Esperantists. Another evening has been reserved for the presentation of plays and monologues in the international language. One of the sessions will be conducted entirely in Esperanto by members of the International Esperanto League. An excursion has also been arranged, when the Congress will visit beauty spots around Wellington. A dance evening will enable Dominion Esperantists to renew acquaintance with old friends and meet new enthusiasts.