LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Midhirst Oil Bore. Just before the New Year holidays the depth of the New Zealand Petroleum Company’s bore at Midhirst, Taranaki, had been increased to 10,360 feet, and the drillers were looking forward to the establishment of a two miles depth within a few days. There has been some indication of a change in the formation with a greater proportion of sand which is regarded as an encouraging sign.

Price of Wooden Matches. By order of the Price Tribunal, the maximum price that may legally be charged retail for four boxes of New Zealand-made wooden matches is 3d. Of six Wellington city shops visited yesterday, four charged 4d for four boxes, one charged 3d and one refused to sell more than one box. The legal price for imported wooden matches, of which there are only small stocks now available, and for small boxes of wax matches, is Id a box.

Bookmaking Charges. Fines totalling £240 were imposed by Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., on four persons in the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court yesterday for having kept premises as common gaming houses. George Cann, billiard saloon proprietor, who had three previous convictions, was fined £6O. Ernest S. Hawkins, salesman, was fined £2O; Thomas Clark, tobacconist, who had three previous convictions, was fined £100; Francis James La Pouple, tobacconist, who also had three previous convictions, was fined £6O.

Resuscitation Classes. Reviewing the work of physical welfare officers, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, said yesterday that in co-operation with the Royal Life-Saving Society the department was making notable progress in the formation and instruction of classes for resuscitation throughout the Dominion. Formerly resuscitation was mainly concerned with persons rescued from drowning, he said, but the scope had been much widened by the war. It now included cases of suffocation from smoke or gas from broken mains or from material piled on people by an explosion, shock from blasts of bombs, or contact with broken electric wires.

Length of Service. “The men are there for as long as they are required,” said Brigadier N. W. McD. Weir, C.8.E., N.Z.S.C., officer commanding the Central Military District, when asked in Wellington yesterday what period of service would be required in terms of the mobilisation of the Territorial Force and National Military Reserve. Brigadier Weir, in reply to a question about leave for men to arrange their private affairs, said that this had been arranged as far as could be done already. As the preliminary work required of units mobilised at short notice was completed, it would be possible, where a man’s situation warranted such a step, for him to have the necessary leave to arrange private or business affairs.