LOCAL & GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 January 1932, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

If the newspapers and the white people ignored Gandhi he would fade out of the picture, according to Mr. P. G. Shaw, a Darjeeling tea planter, who is on a visit to Auckland.

While passing through Grcytown last week a Clydesdale stallion, which is travelling the Wairarapa district for stud purposes, was startled by the elephants in Wirth’s Circus. The horse was being transported on the back of a motor-lorry and in its terror it broke its stout tethers and jumped from the vehicle. The horse was secured later, none the worse for its outbreak. There was a serious outbreak of tire in the scrub and fern on the Rotorua Sanatorium grounds this week. ’ By some cause unknown an old rubbish heap among the scrub to the left of the Prince’s 'Gate entrance caught on fire. . The flames quickly spread through the long dry grass, fern and light scrub and were soon roaring at a height which threatened serious damage. A telephone message soon brought the fire brigade on the scene and the men were luckily able to check the fire before it cross a footpath into the valuable shrubs, trees and flowers bordering the main drive. It had come to his notice, stated the District Engineer, Public Works Department, in a letter received at Saturday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council, that there were one or two local bodies hiring motor trucks that were not licensed. In requesting that these vehicles be not engaged on work which was subsidised by the Government, the District Engineer pointed out that it was a strict rule with the Department that unlicensed vehicles must not be hired under any circumstances. "It has apparently got about,” observed the Clerk (Mr. J. C. D. Mackley), ‘that when working for the Government or local bodies lorry owners need not license their vehicles. ’’ ‘‘The position in Masterton is quite satisfactory,” lie added. The letter was received.

The Deputy Chairman of the Unemployment Board advised the Masterton County Council at its meeting on Saturday that it had been considering a proposal that workers should provide for themselves, as far as possible, with the necessaries of life, outside the relief contributed by the general publicthrough the unemployment funds. In furtherance of this policy, the board intended ,fr.om January J, to make it a condition of relief that workers cultivate in their own time the areas of ground they were occupying, whether as owners or tenants, for the purpose of growing vegetables thereby assisting to maintain themselves. • It was pointed out that the Masterton Borough Council was already doin' good work along the lines of the board’s proposal. A suggestion by Councillor W. I. Armstrong that the Clerk (Mr. J. C. D. Mackley) explain the board’s jnoposa] to the men when they came to be paid, was adopted.

The secretary of the King Solomon Deep Lead Ltd. reports a wash-up for the week of 470 z 13dwt.

A happy lorry load of boys, left town this morning for the Y.M.C.A. boys’ camp being held at Kopuhranga.

A Melbourne cable states that the Holy Trinity Church at Thornbv, also the vicarage and Sunday School, havebeen destroyed by fire. The damage is estimated at £7,000.

11. and A. Fraser, of Tokanui, broke the world’s sawing record of 12sec. for an 18-inch log at the Otara Sports yesterday, ripping through the Jog in 11 l-ssec, states a Press Association message from Invercargill. At a special meeting of the Masterton County Council, held for the purpose on Saturday, it was decided that Saturday be the statutory half-holiday for shops in the county of Masterton for the year 1932-33.

The tender of Mr. 11. Christiansen was accepted at Saturday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council for the construction of a reinforced concrete culvert at the 16-mile peg on the Westmere highway. A British Ministry of Transport return shows that the gross amount received in payment for licenses for road vehicles issued during the twelve months ended November 30, 1931, was more than £25,000,000, and exceeded by £300,000 the amount collected in the corresponding period of the previous year. The New Zealand Reel o’ Tullock dancing championship at the Wairarapa Caledonian Society’s sports on Saturday was won by Miss Jean Scott. In the Novice Highland Fling Class the result was: Miss Burns, 1; Jack Tozer. 2, Len Tozer, 3, the two latter being pupils of Mr. Phil. Barry’s School of Dancing.

During the last two years some 50 dogs have been illegally destroyed by a. poisoner at Devonport. The Devonport police have made every endeavour to catch the perpetrator, but their efforts have not been rewarded. In the meantime the destruction of dogs cotinnues. A few months ago there was a do gpoisoner at work at Mount Eden, and a number of animals were found dead.

The board has noted with approval that the council intended to hold meetings in various ridings with a view to co-operating with the settlers in the matter of transfering the unemployed to developmental work on farms, stated the Deputy Chairman of the Unemployment Board in a letter received at Saturday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council.

The expenditure on unemployment relief by the Masterton County Council in December amounted to £769 8s fid, making the total expended to date providing unemployment relief work £5,896. As a result of giving the unemployed full time during December, the council had been requested to pay £34 6s 9d into the Public Account. This sum had been expended in excess of the allocation.

About forty managers of butchers’ shops of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, London, were recently shown a film of the New Zealand Meat Board, entitled “Meat We Eat.” This film, which is chiefly composed of scenes in New Zealand taken for the Meat Board by the New Zealand Publicity Department, tells the story of the New Zealand mutton and lamb industry, from sheep station to the butcher’s shop in England. The Co-operative managers found it very interesting and it was stated that the film had a high educative value, and that the Dominion was the greatest supplier of mutton and lamb to the Mother Country.

Two men attacked the manager of the Community Stores, Moera (Hutt Valley) on Friday night, one held him while the other entered the shop, but took nothing. As far as could be ascertained this morning, the manager, Mr. A. Theaker,' was cycling home along Wakefield Street, Lower liutt, at 9.3 U p.m,. when one man whistled to him to attract hie attention, and the other at the same time knocked him oft’ his bicycle. The two men dragged Mr. Theaker off the road and took his keys from him while the other went and searched the shop. Mr; Theaker was not hurt, and as soon as he was able to he communicated with the police. It is understood that £32 in money was in a brown paper packet on the premises, and that the would-be thief searched all round it without finding it. The police are investigating.

The Local Government Loans Board advised the Masterton County Council at its meeting on Saturday that the latter’s application for authority to divert the unexpended balance of the Bridges Loan, 1926, was dealt with at a recent meeting of the Board, when the following resolution was passed:—“That the board hereby authorises the Masterton County Council to use £4OO of the unexpended balance, £764 2s 4d of the bridges loan of £SOOO for the purpose of contributing towards the cost of reconstructing a bridge over the Kerearea Stream on the MastertonWeraiti Main Highway.” The board was of the opinion, the letter pointed out, that the unexpended balance of the loan, after deducting the £4OO proposed to be utilised for Kerearea Bridge, should be paid into the sinking fund as 2 per cent, would be insuffeient to repay the loan at the maturity date. The letter was received, the Clerk (Mr J. C. I). Mackley) observing that the suggestion contained in the latter portion of the advice would probably be adopted.