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Evening Star, Issue 22576, 18 February 1937, Page 10

The Port Chalmers fishing fleet left the harbour in calm weather at 3 o’clock yesterday morning, but when in the vicinity of Cape Saunders a sudden south-westerly gale arose, and the vessels were forced to battle their way back to port.

Practically the only faction which welcomes the adverse weather conditions experienced generally in the Dominion over the past week is the Otago Central fruitgrowers, who are finding that they are able to harvest their crops at more regular and sustained intervals, instead of all at once, when a glut on the market usually, occurs; The rain this season is also 'having a beneficial effect upon apples, filling them out to a marked extent.

In the Police Court this morning Alexander Marshall, a statutory first offender for .drunkenness, was fined 12s 6d, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., was on the Bench.

Both wethers and hea-ty ewes sold at improved. prices ■ during the greater part of the sale at Burnside yesterday, the rise being about Is fid a head. Medium quality ewes were also a shade firmer than last week, but as the sale was nearing completion there was _an easing tendency for all classes. Prices were: —Exti-a prim© heavy wethers, to 35s 9d; prime heavy, 30s 3d to 32s 9d; medium, 26s 6d to 295; light from 2.3 s fid; extra prime heavy young ewes, to 31s fid; extra prim© heavy, to 28s; prime heavy, 23s to 25s fid; medium, 18s fid to 22s fid; light from 16s. An oil painting of the late Mr H. E. Holland was unveiled by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) at the Government caucus. The painting was presented to the Labour Party by Mrs Holland, who was represented at the ceremony by her two sons, Messrs Roy Holland and Harry Holland. It will hang in the Government Whips’ room until a more suitable, and more public place can be found for 'it.

The Taieri Plain was swept by a cold wind this morning, and—a most unusual sight for mid-February—the Maungatua rang© was capped with snow. Farm work has been retarded for the past week by the adverse weather, much fruit has been blown from the trees, and patches of green oats and wheat knocked down, while some of the_ latercut hay remains in the coils owing to the unsuitability of the conditions for stacking. Wid© interest is being evoked in the children’s sand-building competitions to be held at St. Clair beach on Saturday afternoon, for which prizes have been donated by Mr Arthur Barnett. At the request of the Metropolitan Commissioner, Boy Scouts in uniform are asked to attend to assist in patrolling the beach.

“ I was pleased to see on my return from abroad that the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band was being heartily supported in its efforts to obtain new uniforms,” said Mr E-. S. Black this morning. “May I suggest that this band play through the streets of the city at least one evening in each week, as I feel this would brighten, business and at the same time give enjoyment to the people. A quick response to the appeal for funds means an early parade of the hand in new uniforms, a sight that will be worth seeing, and I feel confident that the public will respond willingly.”

At a short sitting of the Magistrate’s Court this morning, before Mr J. BBartholomew, S.M., judgment, with costs, was given for the plaintiffs in the following undefended cases:—J. 11. Brown v. W. H. Lysaght, 12s 2d, balance due on goods supplied; Standard Drapery Stores v, Phillip Robinson, £2 7s 3d, balance due on goods supplied; E. Batchelor Ltd. v. Walter Douglas Blackie (Waimahaka), 19s 6d, goods supplied.

The epidemic of infantile paralysis has definitely abated as far as Dunedin and suburbs are concerned, there having been no positive cases notified to the Health Department since the end of January.

The City and South Dunedin Fire Brigades were called to Hillside Railway Workshops to suppress a fire in an acid tempering vat in the blacksmith’s shop at 3.12 yesterday afternoon. No damage was done. The brigade answered calls to Messrs John Edmond Ltd., in Princes street, which was an automatic false alarm, at 10.55 p.m., and to a chimney fire at the Gridiron Hotel at 11.15 p.m.

With regard to a question raised by a correspondent regarding the slaughter of animals in New Zealand slaughterhouses, and the killing of pigs and cows possessing signs of tuberculosis or pleurisy, when the heads only are condemned, the following explanation is given by the Department of Agriculture :—At the meat export freezing works and abattoirs in the Dominion all animals slaughtered are subject to inspection by competent officers of the Live-stock Division of the Department of Agriculture. In efficiency the system of inspection compares more than favourably with that in vogue in any other country in the world, and it has, on more than one occasion, been the subject of appreciative reference by authorities from overseas. Meat which has been passed fit for human consumption, but which cannot be exported for reason of some slight defect or blemish not affecting its wholesomeness, is consumed in New Zealand. Obviously this course must be adopted, otherwise there would be a serious economic wastage of wholesome meat. In the case of pigs (slaughtered at an abattoir or a meat export slaughterhouse) found with slight tuberculous infection in the head, the head only is condemned. If, after further careful check inspection, the carcass is otherwise sound, it is passed fit for human consumption. Such carcasses are exported to England or used for consumption in New Zealand. Adequate safeguards exist to ensure that the consumer overseas and the consumer in the Dominion receive only meat which is sound and wholesome. Praise and criticism for the Government’s housing scheme in Wellington were contained in the presidential address by Mr W. Gray Young, of Wellington, to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Architects at Christchurch last evening. The Government, he said, was setting a standard in housing which would be to its lasting credit. Houses were being built in the best materials, with every modern convenience. If the Government could only interest the tenants in their gardtens and care of their homes these housing areas should be among the show places of the cities and boroughs. “ For some reason,” he added, however, “ the powers that be have decided that every house be different in design. This I think is definitely a mistake for two reasons. First, it makes the scheme more expensive, and, second, they are going to lose something in architectural effect. Those of us who have seen some of the housing schemes abroad know how effective a grouping of houses of the same design round a court or square can be. This is greatly lost if each house has a different facade. The housing scheme has been rushed through to alleviate the shortage of houses, but with more time to consider the question the Housing Department, which has some excellent, officers, may alter its ideas.” The difficulty builders have in constructing foundations in Christchurch .was clearly demonstrated by Mr R. A. Campbell, yesterday.'.at the . annual meeting of the. New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers (says the ‘ Press ’). “I went to see,a place in Hereford street where a shop was to be built,” he said. ” For some reason Christchurch people wish to copy Sydney’s ‘ bargain basements,’ although Sydney is built on standsone and Christchurch on mud. An excavation 6ft or 6ft deep hfid been made, and there was water in the bottom of it. 1 1 took an 18ft rod andi was able- to push it right down.”

The Labour Department was criticised as ‘‘ inefficient ” in the inspection of factories for suitable arrangements for sanitation and changing rooms for employees, during the sitting of the Conciliation Council at Christchurch yesterday. The Dominion biscuit and confectionery employees’ dispute was being heard, andl Mr F. P. Walsh, of Wellington, one of the employees’ assessors, referred to the girls’ changing rooms as “scandalous.” “The conditions in the changing rooms for girls in some of the factories are scandalous. That they ■ are allowed to remain so is due 1 tc the' inefficiency of the Labour Department,” he said. The employees asked that boiling water should be provided for meals; that dressing rooms, lockers, meal rooms, andi hot showers should be made available, and that towels and wash basins should be provided in all cloak rooms. Mr D, I. Macdonald, agent for the employers, suggested that all these claims would be satisfied if the usual clause was inserted, and it was left to the unions to keep the Labour Department inspectors to their work, It was then that Mr Walsh made his remarks.

An agreement has been reached between the union representing the clerical workers in the freezing industry and the various companies which are members of the Freezing Companies’ Association. It provides for a salary scale for men ranging up to £6 a week for the twelfth year and for women a scale up to £3 12s fid a week for the eleventh .year. The hours vary, but there is a general limitation of 44.—Wellington Press Association. The postal authorities advise that the Arawa, from. London, due in Wellington on March 1, has 1,570 bags of English and American mails for New Zealand. The Marama, due at Bluff on Sunday from Melbourne, has Australian and English mails for Dunedin, and' the Monterey, due at Auckland on February 26, has 138 bags of English and American mails for the local office. The Marama’s mail should be to hand on Monday next; that by the Monterery on March 1; and the Dunedin portion of the Arawa’s mail on March 2.

Eye strain—for eye comfort, for better vision, consult Stunner and Watson Ltd., opticians, 2 Octagon. Dunedin.—[Advt.]