General News

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22673, 30 March 1939, Page 10

General News

Frozen Meat Congestion Urging the need for prompt action to relieve the congestion of the frozen meat stores at New Plymouth and Waitara, Mr F. L. Frost, M.P., communicated with the Minister for Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) last night, asking for the diversion of a ship to New' Plymouth. Mr Nash promised to make investigations and communicate the result to Mr Frost this morning. It is feared that unless it is possible to relieve the congestion a number of men at the Waitara freezing works will have to be paid off in the meantime.—Press Association. British Navy in China That British naval officers in Chinese waters were conversant with New Zealand defence problems and probably knew more about the country's coasVnnb, axvd military tactics than did the average New Zealander was an opinion expressed by Mr Ashley Hammond, a Temuka resident who recently returned from a voyage in the Far East. He had had it on excellent authority that during the September crisis Japanese warships were cruising in Nevy Guinea waters. The maintaining of strong naval power in Hong Kong was mentioned by Mr Hammond, who had noticed that when a number of British warships and submarines left Hong Kong it was usual for an equal number of American naval ships to come in. Mechanics Bay Air Base With the new buildings for Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., nearly completed, and the Pan American Airways headquarters already established, Mechanics Bay, Auckland, is already taking shape as a trans-ocean flying-boat base. Only aircraft in flight or lying at their moorings in the sheltered water behind the newly-raised eastern tide-deflector are lacking to complete the picture of an airport that is the junction of services operated by British and American companies. Though the likely dates for the inauguration of the trans-Tasman air service and the resumption of the South Pacific run from San Francisco to Auckland are as yet unannounced, no time has been lost in preparing the Auckland base.—“ The Press’* Special Service. Non-skid Linoleum Slippery linoleum, which is the bane of the average hospital nurse’s life, and has been the cause of many accidents, is being treated in Australia by a process which makes it perfectly safe to walk upon, according to Mr W. C. McCaw, an Auckland surgeon, who returned from Melbourne on Tuesday night. He said he had seen the process being applied. New linoleum was simply treated with a special preparation, but where material had been waxpolished every trace of wax had first to be removed. One advantajge was that after treatment the linoleum needed no further polishing and was just as sanitary as before. Antics of a Cow An enraged cow which broke away from a mob at Longlands, near Hastings, yesterday morning, held up a train and injured two people during its brief time of freedom. The cow set off at a brisk pace down the road when efforts were being made to load her on to a siding, became caught in a cattle stop, and temporarily delayed a train before she could be removed. Hearing a commotion, a man walked out on to the road to investigate, but was promptly pursued by the cow. A lively chase ensued for a few yards. The man sought safety in attempting to climb over a gate, but he completed the manoeuvre with unexpected suddenness, when struck from behind by the cow. He escaped serious injury. The next victim was a schoolboy who was knocked from his bicycle and had to receive treatment at the Memorial Hospital, Hastings. The police received four telephone messages in quick succession, stating that a maddened beast was at large. With the assistance of a number of people the cow was eventually bailed up and returned to the mob which she had left.—Press Association. Water Shortage in Nelson The Mayor of Nelson has made, an appeal to the general public to be very sparing in their use of water, as the position has become very serious. At the present rate of consumption there was only a few days’ supply in the big dam, the water being 11 feet below the spillway. After that the city would have to depend for the high levels solely on the upper weir: and for the low levels on what could be pumped. Ships Delayed by Gale At least two ships southward bound from Lyttelton were delayed yesterday by a heavy southerly gale encountered off the coast. They were the Union Steam Ship Company’s intercolonial freighter Waitaki, due at Dunedin yesterday to complete loading for Sydney and Melbourne, and the new motor-tanker Belinda, bringing motor spirit for the Texas Oil Company from Bahrein Island. The Waitaki arrived late last night and will sail to-day for Australia; but the Belinda did not reach the heads until it was too late to bring her up the channel. She will berth this morning to complete discharge.—Press - Association. Maori Prominence in Centennial “It is felt by the Maori people of the district that they are not getting the prominence they deserve in the Centennial celebrations,” said the Mayor of Petone (Mr G. London) at a meeting of the Petone Borough Council recently. He said that a suggestion had been made that the names of the Maori people who welcomed the pioneers at the landing a hundred years ago should be placed on the Petone memorial. Mr H. Love, who was representing the Maoris on the Centennial committee, was of the opinion that the part of the Maoris in the welcome was a big one. Mr London moved and it was decided that the suggestion should be made to the proper quarter. Hawke’s Bay Pioneer Believed to be Hawke’s Bay’s oldest resident, Mr George W. Lines, of Hastings, celebrated his one hundred and second birthday yesterday. He was born at Salford, Bedfordshire, England, and came with his parents to Australia in 1854. Later he came to Hawke’s Bay, and worked in a timber mill. The cottage built by Mr Lines when he came to Hastings was then the biggest in the town. It is still in use. —Press Association. Legacies to Church Bodies Churches in Wellington and various missions will benefit under the will of Miss Eliza Boyd Cole, who died in Auckland last November. Miss Cole was a retired missionary of the Church of Scotland. Included in the legacies are £SO to the Presbyterian Church Property Trustees, Wellington, for general purposes of the debt fund of the Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church, and a further £SO for the debt fund of the Seatoun Presbyterian Church. Legacies are also left to the Zenana Mission of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Dublin branch of the Leper Mission, the Women’s Missionary Society of the Church of Scotland, and the Belfast branch (Ireland) of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The residue of the estate is divisible equally among the Homo Mission Fund, the Maori Mission Fund, and the Foreign Mission Fund of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.—“ The Press” Special Service. Electrical Appliances Recently there have been discussions by several power boards on the Waikato Board’s resolution requesting the Government to lift the restrictions on British-made appliances till New Zealand manufacturers can supply the goods required. “This request,” said Mr M. Rocke O’Shea, genera] secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, yesterday, “would be perfectly reasonable provided the local manufacturer is given the opportunity to supply. In the matter of electrical appliances New Zealand manufacturers are turning out a large output over a wide range of articles. To the best of our knowledge in all of these the New Zealand maker can at present give much earlier delivery than could be obtained from any English supplier. Electrical appliance manufacturers have built up one of the most efficient industries in the Dominion, and while they make no extravagant claims they desire to be given the encouragement and support they have fully merited.”—“The Press” Special Service.