LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22508, 17 November 1944, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

King to Broadcast It is announced from Buckingham Palace that the King will broadcast at 9 p.m. on Sunday, December 3 (9 a.m., December 4, New Zealand time) on the occasion of the stand-down of the Home Guard. Patriotic Auction From the patriotic auction sale recently organised in Hamilton by Mrs P. R. Newland and Mrs J. Ballin, the sum of £3Ol 15s 2d has been handed to the fund. Swiss Aid to France One hundred thousand tons 6f grain and other foodstuffs en route to Switzerland from Spain and Portugal have recently been diverted by the Swiss authorities to the South of France to help remedy the difficult food situation there. Decree Nisi Granted A decree nisi, to be made absolute after three months, was granted by Mr Justice Smith in a divorce case heard in the Hamilton Supreme Court in which Kenneth Leslie Meehan was the petitioner, Naomi Mary Meehan respondent and S. H. Holden the co-respondent. Aftermath of Storm Evidence of the storm which was experienced in the early hours of this morning was presented at the Hamilton Technical High School today. In places the Virginia creeper which adorns the walls of the school had been tom from its place and lay in masses on the ground. No Christmas Day Films On the motion of the Mayor, Hon. W. J. Rogers, the Wanganui City Council, at a recent meeting, decided to adhere to its original decision not to permit the screening of films on Christmas Day. The Mayor commented that a similar attitude had been adopted by the Wellington City Council. Request for Railcar Replying to the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce’s request for a railcar service between Rotorua and Hamilton, the Minister of Railways, the Hon. R. Semple, said that a railcar was not available for such a service. All railcars in the Dominion were in use, said the Minister, and it was not possible to secure others from overseas. Rode Bicycle on Footway “It would be just as well for people offending by riding on the railway bridge to know that they are liable to a fine of £10,” said Sen-ior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, yesterday. Pleading guilty by letter, Jack Mervyn Applegren, of Claudelands, was charged with riding a bicycle on the footpath of the Hamilton railway bridge on October 16, this act being a breach of the Government Railway by-laws. The magistrate, Mi* S. L. Paterson, imposed a fine of £l. Patriotic Quota A small gathering of Gordonton residents attended a meeting in the Gordonton Hall last night to discuss ways and means of raising the district’s 1944 patriotic quota. On the motion of Mr C. Gower it was resolved to circularise all residents and a sm\il committee, with Miss M. Riddell as secretary, was set up to frame the letter and undertake the necessary work. It was hoped that every farmer would respond to this method of approach in order to save time and benzine. Liquor on Train As a result of an arrest made by Constable E. J. Jensen on the Auckland-Wellington express train at Frankton at 5.50 p.m. yesterday, Arthur Bryce, aged 45, labourer, of Karapiro, appeared before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, today. On a charge of drunkenness he was fined £1 and on a charge of having liquor on a train he was fined £5. Senior-Ser-geant A. G. McHugh said Bryce had three bottles of beer in his possession. He had caused trouble and refused to leave the train. Objection to Newspaper Demands were made in the Australian House of Representatives at Canberra for the cancellation of the permission for the Chicago Tribune to print a South-west Pacific edition in Australia. The Tribune, an antiBritish newspaper, recently criticised Australia’s war effort. Ministers declined to answer questions on the subject, asking for notice. The speakers referred to the Tribune as “this anti-British rag” and “this traitorous paper.” The South-west Pacific edition, for which permission was granted after long delays, is intended for circulation only among United States service personnel. Morning Tea Break /

Surprise was expressed at the Hamilton sitting of the South Auckland Land Sales Committee yesterday when, during evidence concerning building costs, a witness stated that wages represented a considerable part of the total cost, adding that the workers’ award provided for breaks for morning and afternoon tea. It was pointed out that although no work was done during these breaks the hourly rate of pay continued, and therefore the employer had to charge up the full time in his costs. “In the old days it was a case of a hurried dash for beer and a beef sandwich, but now time is allowed for tea and cakes—the race must be deteriorating,” remarked a committee member amidst smiles. Philatelic Interests

* The Waikato Philatelic Society held the Pirn Cup competition on Wednesday evening. There were 24 entries, the judge, Dr. W. R. Fea, commenting on the particularly fine display. He congratulated exhibitors on the care and attention shown in the mounting of the stamps. The cup was won by Flying-Officer J. T. Robb, who came third in aggregate marks, the two first, Captain Bishop and Mr F. Tonar, having previously won the cup and therefore were not eligible to hold it again. Following were the results:—Captain Bishop 906 marks (possible 975), F. Tonar 876, FlyingOfficer Robb 844, C. R. Cooke 814. The display was the subject of much favourable comment after the judge had given his verdict.

Swiss Co-operation The Swiss programme of relief and reconstruction of war-stricken European countries includes the organisation of medical groups to fight epidemics abroad; help for bombed-out families in the purchase of necessities; hospital care in Swit • zerland for child war victims; relief for children in foreign lands; the organisation of repatriation convoy* in transit, through Switzerland. The money to finance the work has still to be collected, but the Swiss Government is expected to contribute up to 190,000,000 francs in cash or kind to the fund which the Swiss people are building up. There is to be a nation-wide collection and every person in Switzerland will be called upon to make a substantial gift as a thanksoffering for having been spared the horrors of war.