LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 266, 23 August 1949, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Record Catch After the most successful season on record, the Tory Channel whalers have ceased operations for this year with a total catch of 139 whales. The previous best tally was 111. The final catches for the season were two on Friday and one on Saturday.—P.A. Tour by Mission Ship The Melanesian Mission’s ship Southern Cross, the seventh of that name to serve the Mission during the last century, is expected in Auckland at the end of this week, says a Press Association message. She will then undertake a goodwill tour of New Zealand in celebration of the Mission’s centenary.

Toe H Meeting . . Mr E. J. Wood presided over a good attendance at the weekly meeting of the Toe H last evening. The principal speaker for the evening was Mr N. W. Corbett, who gave an address on his experiences during the past 12 years as master at Tuarangi Home. Next week’s meeting will take the form of an “impromptu situations” evening.

New Zealand Workers’ Union

Special meetings for shearers and all other farm workers have been held at various centres throughout the Ashburton district recently. With the assistance of Mr W. J. Coppersmith, Canterbury branch secretary, and Mr W. A. Dempster, Timaru representative, local committees of the New Zealand Workers’ Union were elected at Rakaia, with Mr C. Currey president, and Mr D. Robertson secretary; and at Methven with Mr T. Middleton president, and Mr S. Lumsden secretary. Mr W. G. Ellery was appointed official representative at Mayfield.

New Transmitter

The erection of a new transmitter at Titahi Bay for station 2YA is part of a big programme of expansion work which the engineering staff of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service now has in hand, states a Press Association message. This and other changes being made at Titahi Bay are expected to be completed early, next year. The new 2YA transmitter will be of the same power as the present one—GO kilowatts. Its installation will make little difference to 2YA listeners, but it will enable a big change in station 2YC. At present operating with a power of five kilowatts, 2YC will take over the present 2YA transmitter. This will make it more truly alternative to 2YA.

Conference of Attaches The United States Ambassador, Mr R. M, Scotten, announced yesterday that the Air Attache, Colonel William B. Taylor, who returned from Japan at the week-end with the Embassy's Dakota plane, would depart again early in September to attend a conference of attaches and other Services personnel in Hawaii. Colonel Taylor would be accompanied by the Military Attache, Colonel Hugh C. Parker, and they would fiy via the Philippine Islands. The conference, which would bo attended by officers from Japan, the Philippines and the American mainland, said Mr Scotten, had no particular significance and nothing to do with the world situation. It would be of a routine character. — P.A.

Solicitor Intervenes

Although a Finnish seamen charged in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday with being a prohibited immigrant was not represented by counsel, a solicitor present, Mr J. A. Grace, applied for a rehearing after the man had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. and an order made for his deportation. Accused was Raime Olavi Karhunen, aged 20, who had been a member of the crew of the Norwegian tanker Herbrand, which sailed from Wellington on Friday evening and from which two Norwegian seamen fell when the vessel was at the Heads. There was no interpreter present to-day when Karhumen was charged, and he spoke uo English. Mr Grace applied for a rehearing of the case to enable an interpreter to be present.—P.A.