General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25606, 22 September 1948, Page 4

General News

Prices of Three-course Meals

“I know where you can get a threecourse meal for about half that price,” said Mr Justice Tyndall in the Arbitration Court in Wellington yesterday. The workers’ representative in the carpenters’ and joiners’ dispute, Mr R. Stanley, had claimed that meal money should be increased to 2s 6d, on the grounds that a three-course meal could not be bought for less anywhere in New Zealand. His Honour repeated his remark when Mr Stanley said that not even in Dunedin did he believe that such a meal could be bought for less. “Try Bellamy’s then,” said his Honour.— (P.A.) No Nothing “No nothing,” said the Magistrate (Mr Rex C. Abernethy), in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when a young man was charged as follows by a traffic inspector: No light, no brake, no red reflector, and no bell on his bicycle. His was a semi-racing cycle, said the defendant, and was stripped for racing purposes. “I sometimes sit as a Coroner on cases of death which have been caused through just this sort of thing,” said the Magistrate, imposing fines and costs for the offences. National Service

Notice to ask the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) if he had seen newspaper reports that the council of the Federation of Labour, at its meeting this week, would discuss military service and conscription, was given by Mr W. A. Sheat (Opposition. Patea) in the House of Representatives yesterday. He asked if the Prime Minister would “give a lead to the federation, and forestall any suggestion that Government decisions on such matters must follow the federation’s decisions by making an announcement of the Government’s policy before the federation meeting.” Mr Sheat said it was reported that Mr A. Drennan, vice-presi-dent of the Federation of Labour and president of the Communist Party, would outline the policy of the militant section of the federation in a public address this week.—(P.A.) Roads Cleared of Scrap

Magnetic trucks operated by the Main Highways Board to clear roads of iron or steel articles, likely to cause punctures, picked up 26,0681 b of scrap in the North Island, and 25701 b in the South’ Island during the year ended March 31. 1948. This is stated in the board’s annual report, which < has been presented to Parliament. A magnetic truck and a trailer-type magnet were operated over 5699 miles of highway in the North Island, while a second trailer-type magnet covered 4086 miles in the South Island. The average yield of scrap for each mile covered was 4.571 b in the North Island and 0.631 b in the South Island, compared with 3.681 b and 1.6041 b respecively for the previous year. N.Z. Boatswain on Stranded Ship The boatswain of the British freighter Lochmonar, driven by a gale on a reef south of Florida, is an Auckland man, Mr Alexander Fraser Vail. He has served on the vessel for two years, and planned to make this trip (London to San Francisco) his last, before bringing his French wife to New Zealand. His mother lives in Auckland. During the war. Mr Vail, who is 32, served as a member of the crew of the barque Pamir. He is believed to be the only New Zealander aboard the ship. The last report from the master was that the vessel was standing up well, but the tug that has reached the Lochmonar reported that the weather was too bad for rescue operations.—(P-.A.) Saving to Drainage Board The Christchurch Drainage Board will benefit by the restoration of New Zealand currency to parity with sterling. There will be a saving of £1302 Is lid on interest payable in Australia on September 30. Strawberries on Sale at Auckland Strawberries were on sale at Auckland markets yesterday at 16s a chip—a record price. Strawberries had never previously been offered in Auckland before October. Two chips of table strawberries and four of fruit suitable for jam-making were offered. —(P.S.S.) Maoris and All Blacks “New Zealand believes in treating the Maori people in a particular way; we preach, and most of us practise, racial equality. Therefore it is against our general concept of equality to acquiesce in racial discrimination when practised in any other country,” said Mr Av B. Grant, secretary of the Canterbury Trades Council, commenting yesterday on the trades unions’ attitude to the exclusion of Maoris from the All Black team to tour South Africa next year. Mr Grant added that as an integral part of the economic. political and social structure of New Zealand, trades unions were both qualified and fully entitled to discuss and express opinions on any matter affecting the economic, political and social wellbeing of the people, and the policies of the State or any subsidiary organisation.

Courtesy to Traffic Inspectors “The Court will not stand for traffic inspectors being abused by the public. The public expects courtesy from the inspectors and I think that the public always receives courteous treatment from the inspectors,” said the Magistrate (Mr Rex C. Abernethy) in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when a City Council traffic inspector stated in evidence that, during 23 years of service, he had never been so roundly abused as he was by the defendant in the case—a man who was charged with running an unlicensed heavy transport vehicle. The man was fined £2 10s.

Little. Benefit from Immigration Immigration had benefited the works industry very little, said the Commissioner of Works (Mr E. R. McKillop), in his annual report submitted yesterday to Parliament. The total labour force of the works industry was about 38,450, and was still far short of its pre-war level of 47,000. Up to the end of February, 1948, only 270 immigrants had become available to the industry, while in the same period 155 employees left for oversea, making a net gain to the industry of 115 persons. “A steady flow of immigrants into the works industry is very necessary, particularly because of the accumulated demands on the industry for housing, education and hospital buildings, and hydro-electric works, ’ Mr McKillop continued. “It is necessary to emphasise that the real demand is for skilled tradesmen, and this should not be overlooked by those' responsible for the selection of immigrants.” “Passport to Christchurch” A brochure folder bearing the words “Your passport to Christchurch” has been produced by the public relations office of the Christchurch City Council. Ihside the folder is a street map of Christchurch with figures which indicate the positions of cinemas, halls, parks, and places of interest to visitors. Disappearing Linen

Periodic searches at the destructors of the Auckland, Green Lane and Cornwall Hospitals during May and June revealed that 279 pieces of linen valued at £27 had inadvertently been consigned for burning, according to a report to a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board. None was found at the Middlemore Hospital. The searches were made because shortages were shown in annual inventories. Fiftythree different lines of linen, including 19 large items such as aprons, pillows, pillow-cases and towels, were reclaimed. The staffs have been urged to be more careful.

Naval Diving Record What is believed to be a record depth reached in an Admiralty flexible diving suit was recorded recently by a petty-officer diver in Loch Fyne, Scotland, from a submarine rescue ship, H.M.S. Reclaim. The diver descended to 535 feet at 9.29 a.m., states an Admiralty news letter, and was raised to the surface at 4.45 p.m. The object of the experiment was to perfect a suit in which rescuers could work comfortably at the crash dive depth of submarines. Building Supplies

In spite of intensive efforts by his office, bottlenecks in the supply of building materials continued to occur through shortages of shipping, raw materials, coal, and labour, said the Commissioner of Works (Mr E. R. McKillop) in his annual report submitted to Parliament yesterday. The need to limit oversea purchases to the sterling area had restricted the availability of materials to some extent. Through oversea purchases and increased production within the Dominion, it was considered that material supplies could be maintained for the current year.