General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23080, 24 July 1940, Page 8

General News

Council’s Petrol Economies

To reduce its petrol consumption the City Council is to buy a producer gas plant and give a trial to this means of conserving oil fuel. So far the petrol rationing has not been sufficiently severe seriously to curtail the .council’s transport, but the council’s works committee, considering that this condition may not continue, has suggested that the council should take what steps it can to meet any position that may arise. Even without rationing the committee-believes the council should reduce its petrol consumption to a minimum in the national interest.

Swiss Overseas Trade

The Swiss Consulate in Wellington has been advised by the Swiss office for the development of trade that Switzerland is making the greatest efforts to maintain her overseas trade. Swiss goods can be dispatched by parcel post via Lisbon, and shipments in very limited quantities are possible to North, Central, and South America via Barcelona and Lisbon. The Swiss war transport office is endeavouring to utilise its time-chartered ships for shipments from Genoa to New York, from where goods could be transhipped to Central and South America and Pacific countries. Final settlement of arrangements for transhipments still depends on pending negotiations.—Press Association. Pig-Raising Scheme

■The Christchurch Drainage Board is considering a plan to use portion of its sewage farm for pig breeding. Officers of the Department of Agriculture will accompany members of the farm committee of the board on an inspection of the farm, when all aspects of the plan will be considered. The board will *be presented with a report on the possibilities of extensive pig raising on its property. It was stated by Mr H. G. Livingstone at the meeting of the board last evening that at Bromley the board had an excellent farm capable of growing grass, root and other crops suitable for pigs. The board proposed to grow its own feed and had the best equipped farm of any local authority in New Zealand for the purpose. It seemed that there would be some competition among local authorities in the pig-raising scheme, he said. The idea of the committee was to go into the breeding of suitable pigs and not for fattening, it was explained by the chairman, Mr W. J. Walter. The farm committee of the board was authorised to visit established- pig farms in South Canterbury.

“Perpetual, Not Perennial”

Some amusement was caused in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday by a comment by Mr E. C. Levvey, S. M. During the hearing of a case the Magistrate turned to Mr W. H. Darby, probation officer, with the question: “Do you know something of this man?” Mr Darby said he knew only of convictions against the accused in 1938. The Magistrate: Was that before me? Mr Darby: Well, I-think it must have been. It was in this Court. The Magistrate (with a smile): Oh, well, I’m fairly perpetual, but not perennial, Mr Darby.

A Large Staff

Altogether, 10,704 classified officers were in the employ of the State on March 31, 1940, according to the annual report of the Public Service Commissioner, Mr T. Mark. The figure is an increase of 65 on the figure for the previous year. The wages bill for these employees of the State amounted to £3,290,429.

Board for Girl Employees

Difficulty is still being found in getting board for young" girls employed in the city, and the Christchurch Youth Centre is now making an appeal for help from women’s organisations. Miss C. E. Robinson, girls’ vocational guidance officer for the centre, said yesterday that a number of girls came from small towns to find work in industries, board being a problem as the starting wage in trades was, speaking generally, about 17s a week. Quite a number of these girls came to the centre each week, and for the two days this week there had already been four. In one case, which illustrated the difficulty, a girl was receiving wage" of £1 a week and paying £ 1 a week board.

Bullock for Auction

The Christchurch Drainage Board has decided to fatten a bullock at the sewage farm and have it auctioned for patriotic purposes. The auction will take place some time later in the year. The board will purchase about one ton of mangels and a similar quantity of hay for the fattening. There is a young bullock on the board’s farm ready for fattening.

Public Servants in Forces

When the 2nd Echelon departed and the 3rd Echelon entered camp,’ a total cf 1203 officers of the Public Service, permanent and temporary, had taken up duty in one or other of the armed forces, states the annual report of the Public Service Commissioner, Mr T. Mark. A further 482 had enlisted and had not been called up. The total represents just over 8 per cent, of the Public Service.

Money for Lincoln College

A plain indication that he sought for Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, the lion’s share of the vote of £27,000 for the School of Agriculture, at the expense of Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North, was given by Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) when the estimates of expenditure of the Department of Agriculture were under consideration in the House of Representatives yesterday. “I am wondering how much of this £27,000 is going to Lincoln and how much to Massey,” Mr Kyle said, ”1 am hopeful that the larger proportion will find its way to Lincoln, where some of the finest experimental work in New Zealand is taking place.”—Parliamentary Reporter.

Chance to “Try Their Wings”

The Canterbury Aero. Club has received a number of inquiries lately from young men, intending to join the Air Force or waiting to be called up, who wish to become members in the hope of obtaining preliminary flying experience should the club be able to recommence a flying service. In one or two cases intending recruits for the Air Force have expressed their wish to “try their wings” in civil flying first, but apart from this the desire has also been expressed to obtain the use of club facilities, such as books or instruments, with which the men could familiarise themselves with flying.

Post Office at Fair

The Post and Telegraph Department has decided to be represented at the New Zealand Industries Fair *in Christchurch by establishing there a post office as well as a philatelic bureau and stamp exhibition. The Chief Postmaster (Mr G. Clark) said yesterday that a special date stamp and special registered labels would be provided, and that the post office, including the philatelic features, would be under the control of a permanent officer of the department’s staff. As in previous years, the department would provide complete facilities for posting letters and lodging telegrams, in addition to a public telephone for local calls. Higher Penalties for Motorists

Motorists who continue to disregard two traffic rules —the right-hand rule and the newly enforced dipping of neadlights—will in future receive more severe treatment from Mr E. C, Levvey, S.M., than he has been giving in the Magistrate’s Court hitherto A case of each offence came before him yesterday, and Mr Levvey expressed his impatience. There were still too many who would not dip their lights when signalled to, he said, and they would have to pay a higher penalty than 20s in future; there were 'also motorists who were ready to gamble on getting across when traffic was approaching on the right, and these offenders would have to pay £5, he said.

Flock House

Flock House, which was acquired in 1937 by the Government for the training of lads in agriculture, had an income last year of £ 12,000. This was stated yesterday by tlie Minister for Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) in the House of Representatives, when replying to criticism by Mr E. B. Gordon (Opposition. Rangitikei). A full report showing the income and expenditure of Flock House should be supplied, said Mr Gordon, so that the House could see whether the . property was fulfilling its purpose. Mr Langstone explained that the vote of £BOOO was for the purchase of stock. The estate’s income of £12,000 last year was paid into the Consolidated Fund. The estimates now before the House were for expenditure only.—Parliamentary Reporter.