LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 8 December 1937, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A dance will be held in the Te Ore Ore Meeting House on Friday, 10th December, at 8 p.m. The Masterton Lodge of Odd Fellows (Manchester Unity) will hold a 500 card tournament in the Odd Fellows Hall to-night.

Yesterday afternoon steady rain set in and was general throughout the Masterton district, ranging from 90> to over 100 points in various parts up till this morning. The rain will do an immense amount of good to the pastures. A Dunedin Press Association telegram states that at the Supreme Couru yesterday Clifford William Hall, aged 20, was sentenced to two years’ Borstal on charges of breaking and entering and theft. A New York cable .states that Dr. Einstein’s daughter, Mrs Marianoff, won her divorce action on the ground of desertion. Dr. Einstein, in evidence, said he had made unsuccessful efforts towards reconciliation.

The anual break-up eerenrony of the Masterton Technical School, will be held in the Municipal' Hall to-morrow night, at 7.45 o’clock. The speaker will be the Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., and parents, old pupils and friends are cordially invited to attend. During the past week very serious twig infections of fireblight have been reported in five different orchards in the Riwaka district, of Nelson province. Unfortunately the blight has .developed on apple trees. Further infections of fireblight in - pears have ; also been found in two varieties. The position is causing apprehension, and it is understood that instructions have been given to cut out and burn all the affected parts within the next week or two. There appears -to be little; doubt that the principal host is in hawthorn, of which miles still exist in the Riwaka area.

The new silver coinage designed, with the head of his Majesty King George VI. is now in circulation.- The amount of silver coin in New Zealand has been allowed to fall beloAV the usual level, with the object of replenishing the stocks Avhen these coins Avefe available. The coins bear the same markings on the reverse .side, while on; the obverse is an excellent likeness of! his Majesty in portrait form. The previous coins showed King George V. attired in robes and wearing the CroAvn. ’the wording, “George VI, King Emperor,” is more Avidely spaced on. the new coins, and occupies practically the entire circle.

Judgment was reserved by Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court at Christchurch yesterday on a claim for £3OOO by Honing Road Surfaces, Ltd., of Edinburgh, against Archibald Donald Paterson, of Christchurch, civil engineer, and a counter claim by Paterson for £Bl2 10s. The action is based on the company’s allegation that Paterson, who went to England in 1934 to exploit his own method of Toad paving, committed a breach of contract Avith the company by returning permanently to New Zealand before completing two years’ engagement with the company. This, it is alleged, spoiled the company’s prospects. Paterson’s counter-claim is for money he declares is owed him by the company.

While H.M.S. Achilles, flagship .of the New Zealand station, was steaming up the coast last week on her full power trials, she attained a speed of approximately 31 knots. The great speed through the water (almost a third again as fast as the Awatea on her record-breaking efforts in the Tasman Sea) raised a stern wash parallel with the vessel’s flush quarter-deck. In practically any merchant ship the high rate of speed would create an unpleasant vibration, but that was not noticeable aboard the Achilles. Her .estimated 31 knots, which was maintained for two hours, was a trifle better than the speed average by the giant French trans-At-lantic flier Normandie on both east and west record crossings. The new season for the taking of tolieroas commenced last Wednesday. During October and November, when most of the spawning of toheroas takes place, the taking of the shell-fish is prohibited by the Marine Department, the purpose being to conserve the beds. According to Captain C. Daniel, senior inspector of fishers for the Marine. Department in Auckland, it is expected' 1 that’the toheroas will be as numerous and in as good condition as during the past few years in the northern beds. The prohibition of the taking of toheroas during October and November, which was first brought into force in 1932, together with the limiting of individual amounts to 50 toheroas, has had a beneficial effect on beds throughout the Dominion.

A Hokitika telegram states that the Rimu dredge return was 211ozs. for 190 f hours and 56,106 yards excavated. The annual meeting of the Wairarapa Sub-Centre N.Z.A.A.A. will be held in the Municipal Building (Pei y Street entrance) at 7.30 o’clock to-night. The boy, John Seurr, aged five years, who was severely burned through a petrol explosion at a filling station at Rereware, succumbed to his injuries last night. • I ' .

The Wairarapa Wrestling Association held its annual smoke concert last evening in the Savage Club rooms, the president, Mr A. J. Snelgrove being in the chair. The championship trophies won during the past season were presented by Mr Snelgrove and toasts and musical items made the evening a thoroughly enjoyable one. The Parents’ Association of the Masterton Central School will hold a Garden Party and Sale of Work in the school grounds on Saturday, lltli December, at 2 p.m. The function will be officially opened- by Mr J. Robertson, M.P. Competitions will be held and the stalls will comprise cakes, sweets, etc. The proceeds are in aid of the Central School Bugle Band fund. An old-time dance will be held in the school in the evening.

In the Eketahuna S.M. Court on Monday, before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., C. 11. Seymour was charged with having failed to keep as near to the left-hand side of the road as possible, also with having failed to forthwith notify an accident to the police. D. J. Smith was charged with having failed to report and also with having ridden a motor cycle without a light (the latter charge was withdrawn). The first-named for having neglected to keep to the Ipft was fined 30/- with costs 12/-, and each for failure to report 10/- Avith 12/- costs. Walter Olsen was charged by the police in the Eketahuna S.M. Court on Monday before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., under the postal regulations Avith having sent a package containing indecent matter through the post. It was stated that accused had been employed on a station at Alfredton and had been dismissed and the offence was committed when he sent a letter to the person he believed to be responsible for his dismissal. Accused said in evidence that this person had Avrongly accused him of theft. Constable McGowan stated the case was not regarded as a serious one, but it contravened the regulations. A fine of £1 with 12/- costs was imposed.

Yesterday the owner of an Alsatian dog which had bitten a Hastings schoolboy was given a week by Mr J. Miller, S.M., to destroy the animal. The order for the dog’s destruction was made after hearing a charge in the Magistrate’s Court against Kara Fraser, who pleaded guilty to being the owner of the dog which had bitten the boy. Senior-Sergeant Sivyer said the dog had jumped out and bitten the boy without provocation. Tavo years ago the same dog had been involved in an inquiry over the biting of a boy, although no conviction had then been entered. After considering the matter for some-time the magistrate said there was grave danger in having the dog abhut and gave defendant a Aveek in which to destroy it.

During the progress of a case in the Eketahuna S.M. Court on Monday before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., Constable McGowan commented that there had been several accidents in the district recently that had not been reported to the police. The Transport Department was very particular, in this respect and prosecutions were bound to follow in cases where failure to report Avas discovered. Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., stated the matter was regarded as serious. Wherever there was an injury, no matter how slight, the accident had got to be reported to the nearest police station, so that the police Avould be able to cheek up on the drivers. It was not necessary for there to be a broken bone or anything like that to incur the obligation to report. In such cases he usually imposed a more substantial penalty that he would in the case before him, where not much harm had been done.