General News

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23750, 23 September 1942, Page 2

General News

♦ Linen Flax Conference A conference of the managers, of the 16 linen flax factories in the South Island and representatives of the linen flax section of the Department of Industries and Commerce is being held in Christchurch this week. The conference was opened on Monday night by the chairman of the linen flax management committee (Mr F. Johnson) and several addresses were given. The director of the linen flax section (Mr J. W. Hadfield) reviewed the industry, and other speakers were Mr F. R. Callaghan, acting secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr J. W. Woodcock, fields superintendent at Dunedin, and Mr J. H. McGrath, chairman of the linen flax growers’ central advisory committee. The conference discussed agricultural problems yesterday, and will conclude its discussions to-day, when the processing side of the industry will be dealt with. Gas Masks for Timaru E.P.S.

Identification cards and gas masks are being issued to all personnel of the accommodation, evacuation, and wardens’ unit of the Timaru E.P.S. Issues are being made at a series of parades, which commenced last Monday and will end to-morrow. Personnel are required to wear their armbands, which will be checked to see if they comply with the latest regulations. The parades are being held at E.P.S. headquarters in St. Michael’s Hall. Masonry Removed The massive tower of the Wellington General Post Office has disappeared into dust. Workers in khaki have been hard at the demolition of this tower for the last three or four weeks, and, having completed the task, are now dispensing with the- heavv parapets which surrounded the old part of the structure. People with offices in the vicinity, while they miss the clock, say that the demolition of all this tophamper has given the building a new silhouette against the sky. Other buildings in that vicinity that are losing their old-time personalities are T. and W. Young’s warehouse, Levin and Company’s warehouse, and, in a less degree, Routh’s Building, in Featherston stra-n King’s Chambers has been prepared for a severe operation. It is understood that some 500 tons of masonry are to be lowci’id from the roofline of this building in Willis street. A real start with the demolition process will be made this morning. The repair work on the new Combined Services Hostel, in Dixon street, carried out by Mr A. Lemmon, is now almost completed. Here the parapet has been removed, the roof strengthened, and the building provided with a band of reinforced concrete. Otira Tunnel Freight Last week, 18,781 tons of merchandise were railed through the Otira tunnel from Westland to Canterbury, compared with 16,998 tons in' the corresponding week of 1941 and 14,983 tons in 1940.

Heavy Seas on Breakwater Tremendous waves broke against the nearly completed northern breakwater at the entrance to the Grey Harbour during the week-end, the spray at times reaching the height of 60 to 80 feet The engineer (Mr O. S. Kennedy) stated that this was the severest test the breakwater is ever likely to undergo The breakwater cannot be completed until the big crane used in its construction is again in working order. At present certain of its parts are broken, and it is difficult to renew them, as priority is given to Army requirements. Tanks and Guns From Tram Rails

Britain’s old tram rails, tons of which are going into the melting-pot every day. will soon roll out of war factories all over the country in the shape of tanks, guns, and other arms, writes a London correspondent. The 80 miles of tram rails abandoned in London since trolley-buses have taken the place of trams are made of high-grade steel. All over London they are being wrenched up from the roads, and more than half the work has been completed. Since it began last year, some 16.000 tons of metal have been recovered, and one London borough alone has taken up more than two and a half miles of track and sent it off to the scrapmetal depots. Apart from tram lines, railings and iron gates all over Britain are yielding a steady flow of metal for arms production. More than 200,000 tons of metal have been recovered, the equivalent in weight of about 12,500 Valentine tanks; or enough for the steel of 13 35.000-ton battleships. Soil Erosion on West Coast

An indication that a visit to the West Coast by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council may be expected as a result of representations made by the recent conference in Greymouth, is contained in a letter received by the chairman of the Grey County Council from Mr W. L. Newnham, chairman of the Conservation Council. Mr Ncwnham said that the council desired to thank the Grey county and the bodies it represented, for the invitation, and should a suitable opportunity present itself, would visit the West Coast and discuss the naiticular problems of the district. “You will realise that, with the present restrictions on travel, and the difficulty of making the necessary time available owing to other demands on members, it is quite impossible at this stage to indicate when a visit can be arranged, but I will communicate with you again as soon as this is possible, Mr Newnham concluded. Coal Through Buller Gorge For the week ending September 21, 855 tons of coal were railed through the Buller Gorge, 1800 Acres of Linen Flax

The Mid-Canterbury district's quota for this year of 1800 acres of linen flax has been filled, between 60 and 70 farmers having undertaken to grow the crop. The majority of the contracts have already been completed, and the distribution of seed by the Department of Agriculture is in progress. Sowings of seed will take place from this month up till the end of October, and it is likely that with the warmer weather sowings will be completed earlier than last year. Some of the land offered for linen flax is between Methven and Ashburton, but most of the flax will be grown in the foothill o district. That area includes about 100 acres in the Anama district which proved very suitable for flax last year Last year farmers who grew flax for the Methven factory used the whileflowered variety known as Concurrent, but this year a blue-blossomed variety called Liral Crown would be grown, said Mr G. K. McPherson (instructor in agriculture at Ashburton). Farmers were strongly advised under no circumstances to mix the seed, he‘said The new variety would be slightly taller than the Concurrent and contained more fibre than the type used first, said Mr McPherson. He stated that the Methven Linen Flax Committee had conducted a ballot to obtain the order of cartage of crops harvested this year to the factory at Methven for pro' cessing, and farmers' crops would be carried in accordance with the place they had drawn in the ballot. Parliamentary Home Guard Two platoons of the Home Guard have been formed from members of the Public Service employed at Pailiament Buildings, the personnel having been drawn from the staff of the Legislative Department, the secretarial corps, and messenger service. The parliamentary company has a strength of more than 70 in its ranks, and a schedule of training is now being embarked on. The officer commanding the company is Mr H. Ive Forde, private secretary to the Minister of Primary Production for War Purposes, and the second in command is Mr A. D. Paisley. of the Prime Minister’s Department. Period of Radio Licences Of the 47,000 holders of radio licences in the Christchurch postal district. the greater number will be affected by (he decision of the authorities not to issue half-yearly licences after September 80. It was stated at the Chief Post Office yesterday that more than a third of the number already paid licence fees on a yearly basis, so that' probably between 25,000 and 80,000 will be affected by the requirement to take out licences for the full year. The reversion to the fullyear basis has been dictated by shortage of staff, and is expect d to result in a considerable saving in work.