General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25310, 9 October 1947, Page 6

General News

Wheat from Australia “The Government may be laughing at the price for which it bought the Australian wheat we get in Auckland. I’m wondering if they get such a bargain,” said Mr A. E. Brownlie, president of the Auckland Master Bakers’ Association, at the bakers’ conference in Wellington yesterday. “Australians have told me ‘My word, you’ve got some good Australian second-grade, fowl wheat.’ ” The conference decided to send- a deputation to discuss the quality of the wheat with the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser), the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer). and the Minister of Health (Miss M. B. Howard).—(P.A.) Police and Children A letter to “The Press,” asking whether the police were entitled to interview children at school without their parents being informed, was read to the Canterbury School Committees’ Association last evening. Mr W. T. Langley (a member of the Canterbury Education Board) who presided, said the police had no right whatever lo interview children at school on any matter not directly concerning the school. If the school was involved, the police should appear in plain clothes and conduct the interview in the presence of the headmaster. When a member suggested that the full facts of the case mentioned might not be known, it was agreed that the execu tive should make inquiries. Winner of Art Union “Handy Andy,” who won the £2OOO prize in the art union drawn yesterday is still anonymous. Mr Andy Davidson, a Mackenzie Country rabbiter, remembers buying a ticket fr*»m a man who sold the winning ticket, and using the winning nom de plume. At the moment, however, Mr Davidson cannot find his ticket.—(P.A.) No Tins Hares, Baseball, or Speedway Applications for the lease of Sections of the Addington showgrounds were declined by the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association yesterday afternoon because it was considered that they would interfere with campers on the grounds during the summer. A'n organisation called Uniweld wished to hold weekly speedway meetings - The Canterbury Men’s Baseball Association wanted grounds for its competitions. Mr J. Hannah, of Matiere, desired to promote tin-hare racing. Members of the general committee said that none of these activities would be continuous, whereas there was an ever-increasing demand for camping space at the showgrounds throughout the season. Workers and Wages “I believe that we, as clothing manufacturers, affirm the principle that the worker should be worthy of his or her hire, that the appropriate award /s the marginal wage for the marginal employee in the trade, and, that attributes, such as extra ability, dexterity, or keenness, entitles the worker to increased remuneration,” said Mr J. J. Delahunt (vice-president) to the garment manufacturers’ conference. “A point I want to make is that the increased amount should be paid as soon as the employees indicate by performance that they are entitled to it, and not used as a bait to attract workers-whose performance is quite unknown.” Cuek Anniversary Celebrated The one hundred and seventy-eighth anniversary of the first landing of Captain Cook in New Zealand at Gisborne was celebrated at the Cook Memorial, Kaiti beach, yesterday. The Mayor (Mr N. H. Bull) and Mr R. Talbert, representing the Maori race, addressed a large gathering. . They said that Captain Cook because of his reception by the natives named the area Poverty Bay—a misnomer that aid not apply to-day to a prosperous town and fertile district.—(P.A.)

Imports or Exports? It was 'difficult to reconcile the happy stock position in New Zealand with the want and misery in other parts of the world, said Mr J. J. Delahunt (vice-president) at the garment manufacturers’ conference at Hanmer Springs yesterday. “Instead of the continual clamour for further importation of made-up clothing, particularly from Britain, at the expense of a scantily-clad Homeland, should we not look the matter squarely in the face and consider whether we might make available some of the finished products of our own clothing industry to relieve the burden of the British people?” he asked. Payment to Dredge Workers It is estimated that • more than £lO.OOO will be involved in payments which will probably be made to dredge workers on the West Coast in the next fortnightly pays. Amounts of individual back pays range from about £35 for the lowest paid workers to £5O 7s Clerical staffs of dredging companies operating on the West Coast are computing payments due to employees under the new award, which makes the increased rates retrospective to April 2. The new gross weekly rate, including shift allowance of 2s. is £ll 3s 6d for winchmen and £9 6s 9d for labourers. New Tugs for Wellington • Two navy tugs bought by the Union Steam Ship Company ' from the Admiralty are expected in Wellington to-day from Singapore via Sydney. They are the Empire Jane and the Empire Shirley. They are said to be slightly larger than the Terawhiti and are built for ocean-going work. The Empire Shirley towed the other vessel from Singapore to Sydney through a rough 33-day voyage. The tugs will be used at Wellington and are replacements for the well known Nat-one add Terawhiti, both of which have seen, more than 40 years’ service and are to be sold.— (P.A.) “No Salvation in Irrigation” “I am not one of those who think that irrigation will be the salvatipn of Canterbury. It would be all right if we had an irrigation climate, but when we get years of 38in and 40in of rain, there is no need for it,” said Mr L. W. McCaskill, during a discussion at the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Geographic Society last evening, when he said that irrigation schemes in Canterbury had been running at a loss since they began. One-third of the wheat in New Zealand was produced in the Ashburton county, and if all the land was going to be irrigated, where would the wheat be grown? he asked. Shortage of Shirts “There is no immediate prospect of improved shirt supplies,” said Mr J. Abel yesterday after the conference of shirt manufacturers at Hanmer Springs. “The industry is still suffering from labour shortages, and until all factors controlling the shortage are reriloved, there can be no improvement. The future supply is even more gloomy than it is at present.”— (F.0.0.R.) Wine Good beverage wines of up to 18 or 20 per cent, alcoholic content could be made without fortification but fortified wines were produced having up to 35 per cent, alcoholic content, and “all sorts of copcoctions” were used in these fortified wines, said Mr F. Langstone (Government, Roskill) speaking in the licensing debate in file House of Representatives yesterday. Some wine which he had drunk at a function in Parliament Buildings on one occasion “had never known the grape at all.”—(P.A3

New Tug Westport Originally constructed for war service with the Americans in the Pacific, the all welded, 75 feet vessel, Kawatiri, arrived at Westport yesterday to take up duty as tug and bar-sounding ship for the port. The Kawatiri was built in 1945 by Steel Ships, Limited, a wartime association of Auckland engineering and shipwright firms, under United States Navy specifications, and was one of 26 similar tugs which were on order at that time. The vessel has many amenities which are not usually found in small ships, such as a refrigerator, electric fans, and bunk lights. The Kawatiri is powered with 320-325 horse power Diesel engines, and is able to reach a speed of nine knots. It is expected that when the engines have “worked up,” the Kawatiri will have a top speed of 10 knots. Modern echo sounding gear and radio telephone equipment will be fitted in the tug soon.