NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 130, 29 November 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

WEATHER FORECAST Moderate northerly winds, freshening tomorrow. Weather fine and warm. The further outlook is for fair weather. The Moon.—Full moon/ December 12. High Water.—Today, 6.23 p.m.; to- , morrow, 6.47 a.m., 7.21 p.m. Railwaymen's Claims The question of wages and conditions, which has given rise to marked concern among the men for some time, was discussed yesterday by what is described as one of the largest gatherings of rallwaymen ever held in Wellington. A resolution was adopted guaranteeing wholehearted support to the executiye council of the A.S.R.S. in any action it might deem necessary to advance the claims of the men in the matter. It was made clear that the men are determined to obtain an improvement, and look to the Government to have the. position rectified at an early date. Foretaste of Summer. Although from a strict meteorological point of view summer does not begin until Wednesday next, December 1, Wellington had a welcome foretaste of -it yesterday, and again today. The sun shone yesterday uninterruptedly from the time it rose, a little before 5 a.m., until it set, about 7.30 p.m., the total number of hours of bright sunshine being officially recorded as 13.5. Temperatures rose to just below the 70 degree mark, 68.7 degrees being the maximum recorded at Kelburn. Cooling breezes tended to keep temperatures down and made the day ideally pleasant. Many people who went to the beaches, whether to bathe or just to idle, got their first real dose of sunburn for this season, the effects being distinctly visible, and in cases uncomfortable, this morning. Today, with a somewhat warmer wind blowing, temperatures are a little higher than they were yesterday. Private Building. A Greymouth report states.that the secretary of the Westland Master Builders' Association (Mr. A. P. Jamieson) has announced that the Building Controller has acceded to the request of the Builders' Federation that its members be permitted. to resume the erection of private houses. Mr. Jamieson said that material was being made available for such work, particularly where rehabilitation was involved. Builders would also be permitted to carry out alterations to houses. School Party's Trip. A party of pupils and two teachers from the Kelburn Normal School left for Taranaki on Saturday to repay a visit made by children from the Tikorangi School to Wellington last year when they made a broadcast on the work of their agricultural club. The visitors are staying at Tikorangi for a week and will be given full opportunity to see as much as possible of farm life in Taranaki. They are being billeted with the parents of Tikorangi children, in most cases in homes fron? which boys and girls went to Wellington. "Wishing Tree" Intact. A report some time ago that the famous "wishing tree" on Hongi's Track, just above Lake Roto-iti, had decayed and blown down is stated to be incorrect. A Wanganui party on a recent trip found that the tree still stands as majestically as ever. In places it is showing signs of decay by internal rotting, but is good for scores of years yet. One of the tourists suggested that the tree could be saved by an "operation" by a tree surgeon, who could cut out the infested wood and refill the cavities. Dominion's Trout. Admiration for the size and quality of New Zealand trout and their fighting capabilities was expressed at Auckland yesterday by Sir Neville Pearson, a member of the British Newspaper Proprietors' Delegation which has been visiting the Dominion. Sir Neville spent one of the few days at his disposal in visiting Rotorua and trying the fishing resources in that district. "I never saw in any English streams anything like your trout," he said. He had been amused to see one local angler cooking a breakfast of bacon and eggs alongside a wellstocked trout stream. He regretted he had not had more time to spend fishing. Output of SJfeer.

Despite a slight reduction in the number of persons engaged in the industry, the quantum and net value pi the output of breweries and malthouses reached new high levels in 1942-43, reports the Abstract of Statistics. A total of 22,246,024 gallons of ale and stout was produced during the year, this being an increase of 2,414,704 gallons (12.2 per cent.) over the 19,831,318 gallons produced in 1941-42. The reduction in the number of persons engaged was from 1228 to 1191, or 3 per cent. Nevertheless, the salaries and wages paid increased by 8.9 per cent, to £436,574. The increases recorded in the cost of materials used, the value of output, and the value added by the manufacturing process were 4.3 per cent, 9.2 per cent, and 14.8 per cent respectively. Noteworthy was the reduction of no less than 54 per cent, in the quantity and cost of sugar used. This followed the rationing of sugar, and the reduction in the alcoholic content'of beer brewed after May 1, 1942.' The slight reductions in the quantities of barley for malting and of malt used, despite the increase in output, may also be assigned to the same cause. Checking a Drift. Referring to the aims of the National Council of Sport at the annual meeting' of the New Zeauand Cricket Council in Christchurch, Dr. P. S. Foster said that a number of delegates had mentioned the necessity for looking after the physical welfare of children in the primary schools, and giving them proper instruction.' His view was that attention must first be paid to th& break that came when the boys lefr school. Many took up positions where they earned good wages and took no interest in any sport or hobby. That was the greatest problem they had to face, welfare officers assured him. Efforts must be made to get hold of such boys and interest and encourage them in sport. At present far too many of them, on leaving school, drifted into bad habits* and delinquency. The position was far from satisfactory. He hoped that the National Council of Sport would devote a large part of its activity to that problem. The council would have no need to interfere with games already organised. Brave Act. "The action of Constable Beasley deserves the highest praise and commendation," remarked the Coroner, Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M., at the inquest into the death of a man who was seen to jump from the Hamilton traffic bridge and whose' body was recovered by Constable Beasley. "The current in the Waikato River is particularly fast, and his action, to my mind, was a brave and fearless one. He was running a grave risk of himself becoming exhausted, and that makes his action all the more commendable." It was. stated that the constable dived into the river, swam 200 yards before catch-' ing up with the man, and then managed to steer the body to the opposite bank, where artificial respiration was tried unsuccessfully. Depreciation Scale. During the hearing of a case by the South Auckland Land Sales Commit-: tee at Hamilton a Government valuer, Mr. A. R. Cullimore, stated that his Department had adopted a table of depreciation as a general guide when valuing buildings, and that the State Advances Corporation accepted it. Giving an outline of the table, the valuer said depreciation was allowed up to 40 per cent, 'for age of buildings, with an estimated total life of 60 years for dwellings. It was customary to allow 1 per, cent, per annum depreciation in the' first 10 years, 1£ per cent* in the next 10 years, and 13 per cent for the following 10-year period. Then there was depreciation of up to 15 per cent, for obsolescence. To a question from the committee chair-" man, the valuer explained that. obsolescence applied to • all dwellings erected about 40 -years ago', and lacking the modern conveniences, but particularly those of - non-modern design.