General News

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23353, 12 June 1941, Page 4

General News

The Guaranteed Price A hope that he would be able to announce the guaranteed price for dairy produce for next season at an early date was expressed by the Minister for Marketing (the Hon. G. Barclay) in an interview yesterday. When asked if there was any likelihood of the guaranteed prices for butter and cheese being altered to meet present conditions, the Minister said that details had not yet been considered by the Cabinet. —From Our Parliamentary Reporter. New Fire District The proclamation of a special Are district to extend the State forest area at Eyrewell is under way, according to a report to the Waimakariri River Trust yesterday. It will include the establishment of a look-out station at Halkett and of a telephone service. The prevalence of fires in the summer, said the report, and the control of picnickers and the public generally in the trust’s extensive plantations created grave fire risks. Patrols had been actively engaged over these areas during danger periods. The area of the board’s plantations, which must be safeguarded against fire, amounted to 2849 acres. Rationing of Fertilisers ”We are developing a rationing policy for fertiliser, and we hope to have it out before the end of this month,” said the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) in an interview yesterday. “The material on which the scheme will be based is now being collected from the fertiliser companies and consumers,” he said. He explained that it had not yet been decided whether farmers’ allowances would be based on proportion, of the amount of fertiliser they had used in previous seasons, or upon the acreage of their properties. It was definite, however, that essential crops would be a first charge on available supplies.—From Our Parliamentary Reporter. Out of a Hat A newspaper reporter drawing the name of Mr F. W. Freeman from a hat settled the chairmanship of the Waimakariri River Trust at the annual meeting yesterday. There were two members nominated —Mr Freeman (last year’s chairman) and Mr C. T. Aschman —and each of them received four votes in a secret ballot. The decision to draw lots was readily agreed to. Mr Aschman said, resignedly, before the drawing of the lucky name, that he had never yet won a prize in an art union. His luck held. Mr Freeman was the winner. Replacing Soldiers’ Clothing “Is it a fact that men serving overseas in Fiji are being charged for the replacement of worn out clothing?” asked Mr E. B. Gordon (Opposition, Rangitikei) in a question of which he gave notice in the House yesterday to the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones). In a note, Mr Gordon said that two men home on short leave had informed him that they had had to pay for socks, shirts, and boots which were worn out after nine months of active service.—From Our Parliamentary Reporter. Reduced Lighting “Generally speaking, the reduction of shop window lighting at Ashburton is quite satisfactory, and sky-glow has almost been eliminated,” said Mr H. G. Kemp, Ashburton Lighting Controller, in a report to a meeting of the Ashburton Emergency Precautions Scheme committees last evening. Some people were not setting about reducing their lighting as quickly as might be wished, he said, but more was being done at Ashburton, an inland town, than in Christchurch. Territorial Ballot An announcement that the next ballot to provide men for the territorial force would be gazetted on June 24 was made last night by the Acting-Minister for National Service (the Hon. D. Wilson). "The Gazette will contain the names of those men of 18 years of age who have recently registered, and those who have attained the ages of 19 years and 41 years since the last territorial Gazette was published,” said Mr Wilson. “In about a month a further list will be gazetted.” This month’s ballot will be the eighth to obtain men for military service.— Parliamentary Reporter. Economic Effects of War Some effects of the war on the economic welfare of a number of British countries were mentioned by Professor A. H. Tocker in an address to the Economics Society last evening. Malaya was experiencing a boom in tin and rubber, and Ceylon was doing quite well in tea and rubber. Nigeria and Sierra Leone faced lower prices for cocoa, and a reduction by a third in the demand for palm kernels, with a lower price. Fiji found its copra almost unsaleable. Jamaica found the demand for bananas reduced to nearly half, and the price reduced by a third. Palestine oranges, representing a major part of the produce of the country, could not be exported. There was no sale in sight for Kenya’s production of coffee, and it was being suggested there that the Government should buy the coffee and store it. Canada had a manufacturing boom offset by the biggest wheat crop in history at a time when there was the biggest world surplus of wheat. Australia had the poorest wheat crop in many years, but prices to the Australian farmer were likely to be low because of the world surplus. It would be seen from these facts, said Professor Tocker, that New Zealand was not alone in suffering the economic effects of the war. Nassclla Tussock Legislation to deal with the nassella tussock menace in North Canterbury will probably be introduced after a survey of the lands in which the tussock has spread is completed. This information was given yesterday by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. J. G. Barclay), in an interview. After his recent visit to North Canterbury, Mr Barclay authorised his department to conduct a survey. “This is going on, and as soon as I get a report I will have a conference with the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and the department, to see what we can do to meet the menace,” Mr Barclay said. He described nassella tussock as a grave, but very slow menace. Mr Barclay made this statement when a report that he was arranging with Mr Forbes to introduce either a local or a private bill to create a board with rating powers, was referred to him.—From Our Parliamentary Reporter. Profit on Ice-Cream “Can you tell us what is the usual gross profit on the sale of ice cream?” counsel asked a bankrupt milk-bar proprietor in the' Supreme Court, Napier. The witness replied that it was usual to sell ice cream for about 100 per cent, more than the purchase price paid to the manufacturer. Some sellers made as much as 200 per cent, gross profit.