LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 24 June 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A frost of ten degrees was registered in Masterton this morning.

A resolution approving of shops closing on Easter Saturday was carried by a meeting of Palmerston North retailers yesterday. The meeting also decided in favour of remaining open on Wednesdays when there are two award holidays in the week.

Tho increase in Wellington city rates tliis year represents about one farthing’ in the pound. The claims of a leaving certificate as against those of matriculation wen advanced at a meeting of the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors last evening. The opinion was expressed that employers wanted a test of capacity rather than a test of knowledge. Strong disapproval was voiced regarding the attitude of some employers in demanding matriculation standard of technical school pupils. Eour British air speed kings, all of them Schneider Trophy pilots, are to compete in the 750-miles race round Britain for the King’s Cup on Saturday, July 5, this year. Captain 11. E. Broad is to fly a specially constructed light aeroplane which is stated to be the fastest light aeroplane ever built, while Flight-Lieutenant 0. E. Worslcy is to pilot a specially tuned Cirrus Moth light aeroplane. Last year’s winner, Flight-Lieutenant R. L. R. Ateherley, who created a world’s speed record, and Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth, both of whom were in last year’s Schneider Trophy team, are to ily together in a mystery air racer.

In spite of the check placed upon tho consumption of spirits by high taxation, the profits of Buchanan-De-war, the well-known distillers, continue year after year to expand, says “The Times.” For the 12 months ended March 31 this company shows a profit of £1,307,248, which compares with £1,226,175 for 1928-29, and £1,155,563 for 1927-28. A year ago the ordinary dividend was raised from 28 per cent, to 30 per cent., and this time it is increased to 35 per cent., the balance carried forward being about the same at £106,598.

A remit that German names such as Monte Moltke, Mount Boon, Mount Bismarck and Kaiser Fritz Range in the nomenclature of prominent features of the Southern Alps should be abolished, is to be brought before the Dominion Conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association. It will be submitted by tho Wellington Association. A cable from Englewood (N.J.), U.S.A., states that Colonel, and Mrs Lindbergh have announced the birth of a son. The mother and baby are doing well. The son’s birth occurred on Airs Lindbergh’s twenty-fourth birthday.

Greytown is going talkie. The lease of the Town Hall for five years, with the right of renewal, has been secured by the Greytown Civic Picture Enterprises, at an annual rental of £lB2, who intend opening with talking pictures on Saturday, July sth. Another tender, that of C. G. Bouzaid at £156 per annum, was also received.- It is understood the new company is starting with a capital of £3OOO, the whole of which has been subscribed, and that Air W. R. Kemball will be the managing director.

Mr George Bernard Shaw, aged 73, is quite definite that Air George Bernard Shaw, aged 23,. was a first-rate novelist, although no publisher would then take his novel, “Immaturity.” It is how to be.published in July: as part of'his collected works, which will be issued in an edition of about thirty volumes. Air .Shaw says: “When I wrote ‘lmmaturity’ fifty years ago—under a difference title then, of course —I hawked it round to every publisher imaginable, and they all turned it down. I had noarly forgotten about it and I was surprised when I read it again to find that it was so interesting. ‘‘ It is just a novel, but a good one. It was written before I became a Socialist, and when I looked on life very differently, so I have, written a preface, and the contrast in style is amazing.” Fire totally destroyed Air 11. Brookes’ six-roomed residence at Newman at 3.30 o ’clock yesterday morning. The cause of the outbreak is a mystery. Early in the evening an open' fire was burning in the kitchen, and on the occupants retiring for the night, it was considered advisable to extinguish it, as a high wind was blowing. This was done. At about 3.15 Airs Brookes was awakened by a light and got up to investigate. On opening the door leading to the kitchen she was met by a sheet of flame. Air Brookes was aroused and immediately warned an occupant of the back part of the house, Mr Jack Bould, Avho in making good his escape was slightly burned. All of the occupants escaped in their night attire, nothing being saved. The house was insured for £650 and the furniture for £250.

A meeting of the Music Week General Committee was held last evening, Mr A. B. Wallace presiding. The programme as submitted by „ the Programme Committee was approved, except in regard to allocation of .each day’s-programme, which was left for adjustment at a later date to suit the different parties concerned. The Finance Committee’s recommendation of charges' to meet the necessary expenses was passed as follows:—Season tickets, transferable, to admit one adult or two children, 10s., and day sales 2s and Is, children half-price. It is hoped to enrol 200 subscribers of season tickets and with the benefits accruing this should easily be possible. Much interest is being evinced in the choir section, which promises to be, as it should bo, a stiong feature of the' week’s activities, and generally the movement promises to be very successful. Offers of considerable help were received from outside sources and the public can look forward to a week of real pleasure and profit. The Halls Committee will meet in the secretary’s office to-day, at 4 p.m., and the Programme Committee on Wednesday, at 6.30 p.m., at Mr A. B. Wallace’s house.

Just opened! Ladies’ Crepe de Chine Shoes, in Ivory, Cameo, Blush, Black and Golden Beige, at Carpenter and Evans' Quality Shoe Store.*

Competition is the .life of trade, and NTO RUBBING LAUNDRY HELP is She life of the grocery trade. Large oackets, 1/- each. All stores. 4

•Steady progress is now being made with the construction of the new bridge over the Ruamalianga River at Te Ore Ore. All the river piles are now in place.

The fortnightly meeting of the Stonehenge Lodge of Druids was held last night. Business was adjourned for a few minutes as a mark of sympathy to D.P. Bro. Denby and Bro. D. AV. Sim in their recent bereavements. Two members were initiated by A.D., Bro. A. Kilgour, assisted by P.D.F. Bro. F. Pickering. Bro. A. Levick was elected minute secretary and a committee was set up to organise a social on Alonday next. Three friends were proposed for membership.

Recently past and present Governors and other overseas administrators attended the Royal Empire Society’s banquet to tho delegates to the Imperial Press Conference at the Alayfair Hotel, over which Sir John Sandeman Allen, M.P., chairman of the society, presided. Lord Jellicoe, responding to the toast of the “Press and Empire,” proposed by Sir John Allen, declared that the English Press was a pattern to the whole world, and the New Zealand Press was a pattern to the English.

Air Ganeshi Lall, the Indian merchant prince, who at a command audience in 1927 showed the King and Queen his collection of gems and brocades worth £500,000, set out for England recently with an even more valuable collection. His treasures include the Shah Jahan or Taj Alalial emerald, said to be worth £60,000, a 77.28-carat sapphire, worth £12,000, and a magnificent necklace of •emeralds priced at £85,000. On his last visit to England he was guarded by four servants armed with jewelled daggers, for he often carried his wonder-

ful collection of gems in an ordinary pocket of his clothes.

For the death of her husband through an accident while in the employ of James Alawson Stewart, receiver for the debenture holders of the Alount Torlesso Collieries, Eliza Greening was awarded £IOOO compensation in the Arbitration Court at Christchurch yesterday. The nature of the accident was heart strain, caused by lifting heavy rails. The defence was that Greening was not an employee of Stewart, but was merely one of a party of contractors. This contention His Honour did not sustain, holding that relationship was in fact one of master and -servant.

The engine of 10.17 a.m. AVellingtonPalinerston North up mixed train was derailed about 11 a.m. yesterday at the north end of the Johnsonville Station. All the wheels except the leading pair of bogey wheels were derailed, completely blocking both- the up and down main lines. The mishap is believed to have been caused by a small stone getting between the points asi a stone was noticed in the “frog” where the engine was thrown off the line. The Napier and New Plymouth expresses had gone through, so that only suburban traffic was held up, the line being cleared by about 2.30 p.m. Passengers by local trains were transhipped on either ..side.

Air G. W.' Sellar presided over a fair attendance at a meeting of the Alasterton Accountant Students’ Society last evening, when an address on “International Trade” was delivered by Air G. W. Alorice, AI.A. Air Alorice dealt interestingly with various aspects of his subject, making a dispassionate survey of the advantages and disadvantages of free trade, protective tariffs and reciprocal trade agreements. He. referred also to the present so-call-ed adverse exchange rates, pointing out that while these rates were adverse to importers, they highly advantageous to exporters. On the motion of Air F. E. Wells, Air Alorice was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

*■ A party of about 50 fanners from Poverty Bay, Hawke ’s Bay and the Wairarapa is touring the South Island. They went south from Wellington on Saturday night and will visit Christchurch, Akaroa, Lincoln College, Metliven, Ashburton, Tiniaru, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill. Another party of about 40 farmers from North Auckland has been entertained by the Farmers' Union at Wellington over the week-end, being taken for motor drives. They were entertained to morning tea yesterday, prior to paying a visit to the woollen mills at Petone and General Motors (N.Z.), Ltd. They left to-day for Napier and Hastings and will visit Palmerston North on Thursday, leaving there on Friday night to spend the week-end at Rotorua, before returning home.