LOCAL & GENERAL

Western Star, 4 March 1938, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

, The Oreti Surf Life Saving Club will give a demonstration, in Mitchell’ s Bay, The Rocks, on Sunday next commencing at 2.30 p.m. The Presbyterian Sunday School picnic postponed from lasi Saturday owing to the inclement weather, will be held this Saturday at the Pilot Reserve from 10.30 am., weather permitting. At the Magistrate’s Court, Roxburgh, on Tuesday, Albert R. Wilcox,son pleaded guilty to attempted rape on a gii’l 18 years of age, and wa, s committed to the Supreme Court, Dunedin,, . fox; sentence. The third wool sale was held at Christchurch on Thursday; when there wa s strong competition for practically 'all classes of wool..'Values were above' expectations, fine wools being up by gd to Id on North Island values. A proposal to form a- cement company in Southland with a capital 'of £40,000 is at present under consideration. It i s intended to erect- a plant at Centre Bush, and .it is expected that about 20 men will be permanently employed at the works. Miss Glady s li' e ne Ravenscvaft Stark, the daughter of a New Zealander, the Rfv. Henry Stark, wa s drowned in a boating accident on the Sea of Galilee. She was a nursing sister in the Ophthalmic Hospital of tlie Order of St John of Jerusalem. A Toe IT dedication, service will -be held in the Riverton Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 6th at 8 p.m., at which the Rushlight will be • bestowed on the new unit of Toe H, the Riverton Group. An invitation i s extended to all to be present at this' service.

Old ago pensions are at present limited to people who have been resident in New Zealand for 20 years and are 65 years of age in the case of men and 60 years in the case of women, except where the applicant is the parent of two or more children under 15 year s of age who are dependent on him (or her)-. In' such cases the age is reduced to 60 for men and 55 for women. There are today 58.000 old age pensioners, and the annual value of the pensions is £3,320,000. These show an increase of 8000 anil £400,000 respectively since a year ago. The yearly income of applicants for pensions must not exceed £llO 10s a year if single and £169 if married <

Tlie Police raided a Chinese residence in Grey’s Avenue, Auckland, on February 9, and the occupant, Wong Hum was fined £SO, in default three months’ imprisonment for being found in the possession of a quantity of prepared opium. Parliament ,is Likely to end it s session by tlie end of the month. The only measures to be dealt with are tlie residential qualification for old age pensions, a Bill for the establishment of the iron industry, a Bill removing urgent taxation anomalies, and a Finance Bill. Plau s for the reconstruction .and improvement of the Wellington Zoo, with a view to making it the best in New Zealand within the next two years, are being put into effect, liecent additions to the exhibits and improvements to the grounds are part of an extensive scheme to remodel the entire grounds and to increase the number and variety of tlie animals and birds. Two polar hears, tigers, wallabies, kangaroos and a leopard have been recent newcomers, and to house them a new block of cages has been built and new series of enclosures arranged. The bird cage s have been enlarged, and a new pelican and stork enclosure built. A new motor road is being put through the gardens, and a big gully at the hack of the ground being filled in, to provide for further extensions.