LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21158, 6 July 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Suitable Hall for Hamilton “It’s a wonder they haven’t a decent hall in Hamilton for a thing of this kind,” was a remark overheard when a seat crashed during the drama festival in Hamilton last night. Unsuitable Titles for Plays “I would suggest to playwrights that plays be called Opus 1, Opus 2, etc.,” said the judge at the drama festival in Hamilton last night, when criticising titles as often having no connection with the theme of the play. Loan Repayment The redemption in London of the Auckland tramway loan of over £700,000 sterling, due on July 1, was confirmed yesterday by the secretary of the Auckland Transport Board, Mr C. R. Gribble, who said the operation involved £916,250, New Zealand currency. Free Treatment for Evacuees At a meeting of the Bay of Plenty zone committee for the placement of British children, the Mayor of Whakatane, Mr B. S. Barry, announced that he had received a spontaneous offer from the dentists and doctors of the district to give free treatment to all children who were billeted in this area for the duration of the war. Grants To Niagara Victims At a meeting of the executive of the Shipwreck Relief Society of New Zealand held in Dunedin yesterday it was announced that £l4lO had been paid for the relief of the officers, crew and passengers of the Niagara and that this amount would be exceeded when all claims for relief had been met. Orders had already been paid to 282 people. Thirteen or Fourteen Petticoats! “Those who take part in plays of the 16th or 17th Centuries should remember that dresses were much heavier in those days. Why, women wore 13 or 14 petticoats then,”' 1 said the judge, Mr C. Haswell Paine, at the drama festival in Hamilton last night. Mr Paine stated that most of the dresses in the period plays presented were too light in texture.

Commercial Bank Dividend The Commercial Bank of Australia, Limited, announces a dividend for the six months ended June 30 at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum on preference shares and 7$ per cent, per annum on ordinary shares, payment to be made on August 22 in Australian currency. ordinary dividend for the year is unchanged at per cent. The Berlin Short Wave In commenting on an incident in “Women at War,” one of the plays presented at the drama festival in Hamilton last night, in which one of the characters first reported that one side had won in a Cromwellian battle and later returned to say that the other side had been victorious, Mr C. Haswell Paine raised a laugh by stating: “She must have been listening in to the Berlin short wave.”

Queen Carnival Fund The sum of £185,353 has been collected to date through the Queen Carnival for the Sick, Wounded and Distressed Fund. When the final amounts have come to hand from the various organising groups, including the profits of the patriotic meeting held at Te Rapa last week, it is estimated that the total will be well over £190,000. The sum collected in the radio appeal was £31,578.

Coal Shortage Owing to the increased demand by the Government for coal, it has been necessary for merchants in Hamilton to ration their supplies to consumers, and a number has been unable completely to fill orders. It was stated by one merchant this morning that the larger Government demand had caused a heavy drain on the supplies from the Huntly collieries, but it was hoped to overcome the difficulty shortly.

Charged as Rogue and Vagabond Appearing before Messrs G. K. Sinclair and F. McGuire, J.’s P., in the Hamilton Police Court today, John Cameron, aged 36, a labourer! was charged with being a rogue and vagabond at Te Akau in that he had no lawful means of support and had previously been convicted as an idle and disorderly person. Cameron elected to be tried by a jury, and was remanded to appear in the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday next.

Farmers’ Fertiliser Company After steady increases since 1931, the net profit of the New Zealand Farmers’ Fertiliser Company showed a further marked rise for the year

ended May 31 to £26,269, compared with £23,587 for the previous year. The directors recommend an unchanged dividend of 6 per cent, on ordinary shares, absorbing £15,720. The dividend on preference shares was paid on May 31, taking £6282, while a final payment of £1292 was was made for brokerage and flotation expenses of the preference share issue.