LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22460, 22 September 1944, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Beer on Train A fine of £5 was inflicted on Thomas Campbell, of Christchurch, by Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, yesterday for taking beer on the Auckland-Wellington express at Frankton on August 4. Constable E. J. Jensen said defendant had previously been warned.

Spring Equinox The spring equinox falls tomorrow, when day and night will be ci equal length. A great deal of c ontroversy has arisen over the date hut while the equinox at Greenwich, England, seldom goes past September 22 New Zealand time is 12 hours ahead.

Comfort For Next-of-Kin The unusual task of visiting next-of-kin throughout New Zealand of officers and men he buried during the Pacific campaign has been completed by Captain T. L. Francis, who was Church of England chaplain with a field ambulance unit. In an interview he said he buried 26 New Zealanders during the campaign and many more Americans. He had been able to give parents, wives and families the knowledge that the men had received Christian burial. He had found that unfortunately many exaggerated stories had been sent to next-of-kin regarding the circumstances of death, and he. was able to dispel»much grief that had been based on inaccurate details.

Expediting Business When presenting an application for a taxi license to the No. 1 Transport Licensing Authority, Mr E. J. Phelan, at Hamilton yesterday, Mr S. S. Preston, Te Awamutu, mentioned the long delays that occurred between the tiihe of lodging an application and the Authority’s hearing of evidence. Mr Preston mentioned a case where an application had been lodged on July 3 and was listed for hearing on September 22. Negotiations witn other Government departments often entailed a great loss of time and involved the risk of the applicant losing money. Mr Phelan said he realised the position, and was trying to arrange ta have hearings in each district at no longer interval than two months, with more frequent hearings in districts where the business warranted it.

Power Board Transport Local bodies in the Waikato are experiencing difficulty in maintaining services with heavy vehicles, many of the trucks having been kept going instead of being thoroughly overhauled. The subject was referred to by Mr J. R. Ellis, engineermanager of the Central Waikato Electric Power Board, who said that during August the board’s fleet had travelled 27,489 miles, which was the greatest mileage for any month in the past’ two years. Of the board’s 34 vehicles, 24 had needed repairs during the month, and in one week alone it was neeesAiry, because of the shortage of available transport, to work 40 man hours’ overtime. Two trucks recently purchased from the Army were being prepared for service.