General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25179, 9 May 1947, Page 6

General News

Bangitata Further Delayed A further delay in the sailing time of the Rangitata due to engine trouble was announced by the New Zealand Shipping Company yesterday. It is now hoped that the. liner will sail at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning. Passengers will embark at 7 o'clock on the same day, but intending passengers with no accommodation ashore may stay aboard.—(PA.)

Australia’s Immigration Policy Awareness of the Asiatic countries so close to her, and of her need of population to develop her economy, had caused Australia to adopt her new immigration policy, said Mr W. A. Bascand, In a luncheon address on his recent tour of Australia, to the Society of Accountants yesterday. "You mayask how they are going to house all these immigrants,” he said. “I think they are quite prepared to put up with the Immediate difficulties so that their ultimate objective can be attained.”

Bakery Workers for N.Z. ■ Since the executive of -the New Zealand Master Bakers’ Federation placed advertisements in a number of English trade publications to attract suitable tradesmen for the baking trade in the Dominion, It has received 707 replies from men who wish to emigrate. The replies will be circulated among master bakers’ associations so that members can advise the federation of their needs. The secretary of the federation (Mr G. R. Burrowes) has written' to the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser), the Minister of Labour (Mr A, McLagan). the Acting-Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer), the Wheat and Flour Controller (Mr R. McPherson), and the Director of Employment (Mr H. L. Bockett) for assistance in bringing chosen applicants to New Zealand.

Disputes in Industry Commenting yesterday on the reply by Mr P. Coyle (secretary of the Employers' Federation) to his statement on the settlement of industrial disputes, the Minister bf Labour (Mr A. McLagan) said that while he did not propose to engage in a newspaper controversy with Mr Coyle he would say that Mr Coyle had completely ignored the very pertinent questions contained ib the Minister’s statement. He also said that the powers conferred under the Strikes and Lock-outs Emergency Regulations wete not used to over-ride the Court of Arbitration in any way, but were employed solely in the settlement of disputes where a quick settlement was imperative, and to which the Court was unable, by reason of the pressure of its ordinary duties, to give its prompt attention.—(P.A.) Manufacturers’ Federation

Price control and Stabilisation, the electric power supply, and publicity will be among the subjects to be discussed by the council of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation at its meeting in Christchurch on May 10 and 12. Other subjects for discussion are the National Employment Service and the New Zealand Standards Institute. The president of the federation (Mr W. J. Truscott) will preside at the meeting. Dried Figs from Turkey Dried figs from Turkey, the first to be imported into New Zealand for five or six years, have now been received by a Christchurch grocery firm. When import restrictions came into force, imports of Turkish figs were reduced by 50 per cent, for two years, and then the war prevented further shipments. The present shipment is reported to have been long delayed in Sydney on the way from Turkey to New Zealand. Yacht on World Cruise The first yacht to visit Auckland on a world cruise since the war, the 27ft American yawl, Alone, left Suva last Friday afternoon for Auckland, according to advice received by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club from the Suva Yacht Club. The Alone is owned by Francis Agnew, of Los Angeles, who is accompanied on this stage of the voyage by T. Bish, of Suva. The Alone arrived at Suva in February.—(P.S.S.) Message From Afar A While he was attending a dinner of the Antarctic Club in England, a radiogram was received from a meteo r rologist in the South Orkneys who remembered that Professor Rudmose Brown, who had worked, on the same station in 1904. would be present, said Dr. R. A. Falla, at the Canterbury University College degree day ceremony yesterday. The message read: “Greetings from your old aunts. Please pass on to mother.” A check produced the amended version: “Greetings from your old , haunts. Please pass on to Mather” (Commander Mather, the secretary).

Scrutinising Signatures When a bank cashier paid but a cheque which had been forged, who stood the loss? asked Mr Justice Fleming of a witness during the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court yesterday. The witness answered that it depended on the circumstances, but usually the bank paid. Bank employees became so used to signatures that they could tell forgeries from genuine ones. They had c ertain warnings, such as hesitancy and the general appearance of the person signing, which put them on their guard. In reply to a question by his Honour, he said that a forger usually dre. a signature.

“Not Dog-in-the-Manger” “What does strike me about Australia is that they let the folk get going, and the Government does not try to do everything itself,” said Mr W. A. Bascand, in a luncheon address to the Society of Accountants yesterday, describing a recent tour of the. Commonwealth. He spoke or a Government housing project in a new industrial area, in which houses were to be built and sold either to industry or to individuals. “There is not that dog-in-the-manger attitude,” he said. The emphasis in Australian aims was economic, rather than social as in New Zealand, and it would be interesting to see how each country would get

IComptilsory Chapel Service The impending institution of compulsory chapel services at Arana Hall Hostel, Dunedin, controlled by the inter-denominational Stuart Halls Council, acting as the agent of the Council of the University of Otago, has aroused the resentment of more than 70 male students in residence there. The students do not object to voluntary services—in fact a big section welcome the 30-minute weekly chapel service—but a secret ballot disclosed 100 per cent, support for the stand against compulsory attendance. Those affected claim immunity under a University of Otago ordinance of 1869. which provides that the university must be secular. It is understood that the students concerned will seek legal injunction to restrain the execution of the direction.—(P.A.) Juryman’s Late Arrival Because of the absence of one juryman, a case set down to be heard in the Supreme Court yesterday at 10 O’clock was delayed for half an hour. Shortly before 10.30 a.m. the missing juryman arrived at the Court and explained that he had made a mistake in the time proceedings were to start Mr Justice Fleming remarked on the failure of the juryman to attend at the required time before the case was continued. His Honour said that the man’s explanation would be accepted; but he warned members of the jury of the necessity of being at Court on time. A sitting of the Supreme Court was quite an expensive thing. A delay of half an hour meant quite a bit, he said, asking jurymen to note particularly the time to which the Court adjourned. Reparations for N.Z. Neither textile machinery nor textile goods themselves are likely to be received from Germany by way of reparatioas. Information to this effect has been received by the Acting-Minister Of Industries and Commerce (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer), who said that consumer good* of any description were very unlikely to be received from Germany. Reparations from Japan had not yet been finally determined, said the Minister, but the position was being closely watched by the Government. It was possible, however, that textiles might become available from Japan by way of trade as distinct from reparations. A representative of the department was at present on his way to Japan and it was hoped to obtain more precise details of the availabil-. ity of goods in the near future.—(pX). 1