General News

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 6

General News

Aviation Conference There was no plenary session yesterday of the civil aviation conference at Wellington, all of the delegates being busy with the work of committees. Th£ i following official report on the day’s i proceedings was issued last evening: ' “The committee set up to make recomI mendations regarding the provision i and maintenance of ground facilities I for air services in the South Pacific I met last night under the chairmanship of Air Commodore A. de T. Nevilt I Vice-Chief of the Air Staff of New Zealand. Sub-committees were estab■lished to consider particular technical I problems, including meteorological services, radio aids, and aerodrome facilities. The reports of these sub-com-mittees were received to-day, and it is expected that the report of the principal committee will be available for submission to the full conference to-morrow. The Acting-Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash) was elected chairman of the committee to examipe proposals for the operation of a Commonwealth trans-Pacific service. The committees’ discussions occupied the whole of the day. It is expected that further meetings of the committees will be held to-morrow, followed by a session of the full conference, possibly to-morrow evening.”—(P.A.) Rangatira Delayed by Crew

As a protest against the alleged late payment of wages yesterday, members of the crew of the inter-island steamer Rangatira refused to take the ship to at tJte scheduled sailing time from Wellington, 7.80 p.m. The ship departed a ? b°ur late. The Wellington manager Steam Ship Company (Mr J. Neale) stated last evening that a representative of the mep concerned had approached the master of the Rangatira at 6.30 p.m. and informed that the ship would be held for an hour as a protest. An official of the Seamen’s Union appealed to the men vo desist from their attitude, but his counsel was disregarded. Mr Neale said that the men were paid at midday. He said that it was a big job paying crews of all the company’s ships in port, and it had just happened that on this occasion the Rangabra was one of the last to be dealt with No previous trouble of this sort had been experienced—(P.A.) Merger of River Trust The merger of the Ashley River Trust with the North Canterbury Catchment Bosrd will be marked by ?V I l£tion at Rangiora on March 22. At the meeting <sf the board yesterday, advice was received from the secretary of the trust (Mr W. C. Prosser) that speakers a 1 the function would • include the Hon. R. Semple, Mr A. M. Carpenter (representing the trust) and Mr W. Machin (representing the board). The absorption of employees of the trust will be discussed at the next meeting of the board.

Rain Lessens Hre Risk Widespread hgfit rain fell over the Ashburton County early yesterday mornmg. breaking a dry spell of several weeks. Up to 9 o’clock yesterday, 36 points of rain had been recorded at Ashburton, and half an inch was experienced at Methven. One hundred points were reported from Mayfield Showers continued throughout the day. and although the rain was not heavy, the ground received 3 fair soaking—enough to redupe epnsider-r ably the great fire risk of the last few weeks. Harvesting operations are not expected to be hampered seriously, as the major part of the work is well in hand. Drop Im College Roil The roll number of the Christchurch Technical College yesterday was 1156, compared with 1271 on March 1 last year. The Principal (Dr. D. E. Hansen) said that the boys’ roll had dropped by 72. and the girls’ by 43. The enrolment of new pupils was less by 28 girls and 69 boys. “T do not expect any increase on these nupibers before 1949, and probably there will be a further decrease,” Dr. Hansen added- “However, with 1156 pupils, the day school is still very well filled." Shortage of Trucks in Mine Claiming that a shortage of trucks or boxes within the Strongman State mine was adversely affecting the work of truckers in many sections, the Runangg State Miners’ Union has appealed to the Minister of Transport <the Hon. J. O’Brien) and the Undersecretary of Mines (Mr C. H, Renney) to give an opinion on the matter. A mass meeting of miners wjll be held at Runanga on Sunday morning to hear addresses by Mr O’Brien and Mr Benney. Production at the Strongman colliery this week has been normal. The main cause for dissatisfaction, it is stated, is that some truckers have been getting a reasonable supply while others have had to wait lone periods with nothing to handle.

Staff Training Scheme The Soil Conservation and Rivers’ Control Council has made a start with its staff training scheme, according to advice received yesterday by the North Canterbury Catchment Board. It was stated that applications were about to be called for 12 initial trainees holding degrees or diplomas. Preference would be givep to former servicemen, but positions would be available to others if there were too. few servicemen available. Bursaries would be granted, and trainees would be taken on the staff of the Public Works Department at standard rates, with no restrictions on their subsequent ejnployment by catchment boards. The courses would be conducted by Canterbury Agricultural College, Canterbury University College and the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The first courses would probably be held in April Third Pacific Survey Flight

Advice has been received by the Auckland office of Pan American Airways that a third survey flight is to be made over the San Fransiscp to Auckland route. An aircraft is expected here from San Francisco on Wednesday and will leave on the return flight on Friday. It ip not knowp whether the flight will be ipade by the Skymaster which has made both the early survey journeys or by a Constellation type, which will be used when the service starts. The first survey was made in January, and the same aircraft returned again on February 19. — (P.A.) A Wishful Thought An Italian official war communique issued during the siege of Malta, in wfiich it was claimed that every military objective on the island had been destroyed, was referred to by Lieuten-ant-General Sir William Dobbi-e at a luncheon given in his honour yesterday by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. The Italians, he said, seemed very pleased. In actual fact, however, they had pot destroyed one of the military objectives. To add a little colour to their statement, the communique had gone on to say that a coalmine on the island had also been destroyed. The extraordinary thing, however, was that there were no coalmines on Malta.

Trans-Tasman Shipping Problem The deficiency in the shipping tonnage available to Ngw Zealand for the trans-Tasman service and the temporary adverse effect it was naving on certain industries had been a matter of the utmost concern to the Government for some time, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. !D. G. Sullivan) yesterday. Everything ■ possible wps being dope to remedy the ; position, he said, and it was only as a result of efforts made by the Governi ment that an additional vessel, the I Sammex, was made available by the 'British Ministry of War Transport to i assist in clearing the back-log of Aqck- ! land cargo awaiting shipment in Sydney. An effort was being made to (secure a further vessel to lift the rest (of the accumulated Australian tonnage ’ and thus relieve to some extent the ihesvy burden that was pow falling on eight freighters of the Union Company which wgs endeavouring to meet the demands of practically the whole trans-Tasman trade. Mr Sullivan said that the high priority necessarily accorded feed requirements in the United Kingdom prevented in the meantime the relesse of any Tefrigerated tonnage for the Australian and New Zealand iservice. War losses had been a serious factor in disrupting the normal trans-Tasman service, and it was hoped that the eerly release of the Monowai and the Wanganellp. wjth new freighter tonnage at present on order and building, would ease the position in. due course.—(P.A.)