LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21365, 8 March 1941, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Home Guard Strength Enrolments in the Home Guard for the No. 4 (Hamilton) military area j up to February 28 numbered 6501, 1 said Lieutenant-Colonel R. D. Me- j Farland, Area Commander, today. ! Comment on Weather While in Hamilton yesterday, Mr S. G. Smith, of New Plymouth, remarked that a few days earlier he had received a letter from his son, now serving with the New Zealand Forces in Fiji, in which he commented on the weather as follows: “It is so hot here that when a dog chases a cat they both walk!” St. Aidan’s Garden Party Arrangements have been completed by a committee representing St. Aidan’s Church organisations for the holding of a garden party at Parana Park on Saturday, March 22, The comprehensive programme which has been prepared includes numerous entertainments for patrons. A band will be in attendance. Auckland Blackout Trials Plans to obscure completely all lights visible from the sea and to eliminate the sky glow caused by various kinds of lighting will be tested in Auckland during the next 10 days, when a blackout trial will be held. Outside lightings facing the sea and those creating a glare in the sky must be extinguished after next Monday morning and interior lighting of all kinds must be shaded a week later. Election Attitude The attitude of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to the proposal to postpone this year’s elections g'a account of the war situation was defined at a meeting of the council. The council adopted the recommendation of the executive that the postponement of the general and local body elections should be countenanced only if a national Government was in power representative of all sections of the community. Schools’ Excursion The children from Lower Waikato schools who participated in the annual excursion to Auckland yesterday numbered nearly 300, and with them were half that number of adults. Schools represented were Te Rapa, Horotiu, Ngaruawahia* Komakorau, Horsham Downs, Taupiri, and Netherby. Mr D. McPherson, headmaster of Horotiu School, was the organiser. The day was spent visiting the Auckland War Memorial Museum and several factories. Still at Liberty The last of 17 Javan macaque monkeys that escaped from the Wellington Zoo three weeks ago is still at liberty. A few days ago its remaining companion was enticed into an enclosure by an otter of food, was trapped and taken back to rejoin the 15 other monkeys in their cage. The last truant, however, profited by his companion’s misfortune and has since shown the utmost caution in his dealings with men. He is still living in the neighbourhood of the zoo.

Air Raid Victims Advice that his brother and sister-in-law, Captain and Mrs R. H. T. Zahrab, have been killed in their flat in London as the result of an air raid has been received by Mr G. Zohrab, Auckland. Captain Zohrab, who has a number of relatives in New Zealand, was born in England ,and served in the Great War. He was posted in charge of railways with the army of occupation at Cologne where he learned to speak German. His facility with the language led to his selection for a post in the British censor’s office during the present war.

Returning: From Leave Expeditionary Force soldiers who have been on leave are today returning to their camps. Those from this district who are undergoing training at Burnham and Trentham have already left and the men at Papakura will return during today. The railway stations have been crowded over the last few days and several special trains have passed through. The troops, who have had ten days’ leave, will resume their training at their various camps, all being under orders to report at their camps by tonight.

Claim by Miner A Huntly miner, Robert Wilson, aged 54 (Mr C. J. O’Regan) sought compensation in the Compensation Court yesterday from his former employer, Renown Collieries (Mr Hore). Wilson claimed that while lifting a full skip of coal back on to the rails on August 5 last he suffered an injury which had totally incapacitated him. He estimated his average weekly earnings at £lO, and claimed compensation at the rate of £4 10s weekly to date and a further lump sum. The company denied that he had suffered injury by accident arising out of his work, and said his average weekly earnings were not more than £9 Is sd. Mr Justice O’Regan reserved his decision. Problems of Democracy With the aim of stimulating interest in the organised discussion of the problems of democracy the Workers’ Educational Association has arranged for a course of three public lectures in Hamilton on “Democracy and Its Critics.” The lectures are to be given by the W.E.A. tutororganiser, Mr E. A. Olssen, B.A. The first meeting is to be held on Tuesday, March 11, the second on March 25, and the third on April 8. All of the meetings are to be held at the Centreway Tearooms, Hamilton, and will commence at 8 p.m. Discussion will be invited at the close of each lecture. The meetings are free, and are open to the public. Protest by Clergyman A vigorous protest against voluntary military training on Sundays was made by the Rev. J. Hubbard, in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Palmerston North. He stated that the Presbyterian Church had always been a fighting church, and also knew that if the nations opposing Britain were victorious it would be the end of the church. The nation, however, was fighting more than gangsters. It was fighting a certain philosophy of life. It seemed that the one day left for the worship of God was being sunk. The use of Sundays had not started with the military authorities. Successive Governments had started the ball rolling with mystery excursion trains and other organised out-

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