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Evening Star, Issue 23352, 23 August 1939, Page 10

Better organisation to copo with heavy snowfalls was suggested by Mr Burnett (National member for Temukn) during his financial address speech in the House. During these times, he said, there should l bo weather forecasts every 12 hours to give warning to sheep owners in tho high country. Ho suggested also that the Minister of Transport should call a conference of representatives of all counties in the snow areas to discuss tho best methods of organised snow clearing. They should arrange beforehand wise measures for opening up the country after heavy snowfalls and for getting out the sheep. This should not be left till the last moment, hut should be prepared months ahead. In his own district the Mackenzie County Council had been planning for 40 years how. best to clear snow off tho roads. It had. a well-organised mechanical system, its perfect organisation being an outstanding form of insurance for pastoralists on the hill country.' Tho Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Transport): I know they have the best equipment.—Parliamentary reporter.

The postal authorities advise that the Kalingo left Sydney for New Plymouth on Monday with six bags or Australian mail.for Dunedin The mail should reach the local office bn Tuesday evening. Two interesting short wave transmissions arc scheduled for to-night, one from the Empire transmitter at Daventry, and the other from the Berlin stations. From London will be heard Miss Ruth Draper in excerpts from her repertoire of original character sketches'. Miss Draper, it will bo remembered, created something of a sensation in Dunedin about a year ago. when she was seen in a recital the like of which has not before or since been equalled. The Berlin transmission contains a special-interlude for New Zealand listeners, ‘ On to Wairekei,’ and will consist of a scries of Maori presentations. Times to tune in are respectively 5.30 and 7.45. A special meeting of the City Council was held ’this afternoon for the purpose of passing the formal resolution required in connection with the application to the Local Government Loans Board for permission to raise the sum of £6,500 for the purchase of motor omnibuses. The council contemplates considering tho matter of the raising of tho larger loan in the course of a week or two, when finer weather, it is hoped, will enable the -works department to begin the operations for which the money is required.

Among the thousands of Dunedin citizens who intend visiting Wellington during the exhibition (period aro a large number of Harbour Board employees, and the board’s engineer (Mr J. M‘G. Wilkie) is endeavouring to arrange the schedule of-work to enable those employees to make the necessary reservations for their trip. Such arrangements would necessitate closing down practically all work for just over a fortnight. Any proposition will be placed before the board for its sanction, and the holiday period will probably include the Christmas and New Year holidays. The number of employees affected is approximately 200, , The Harbour Board engineer (Mr J. M‘G. Wilkie) reports that all work in hand is going along smoothly. The contractors have started the extension to the P shed, which is expected to be completed in about throe months’ time. The Birch street wharf is on the way to completion, and the Railway Department is laying the track along the last section. The Leith canal will probably bo finished early in the New Year. It was intended during the off (export) season to redook tho north side of the George street pier at Port Chalmers, but it has been impossible to commence this work owing to the nondelivery up to contract time of the necessary timber from Australia,

The following resolution was unanimously adopted at a meeting of the Dominion Executive Committee of the New Zealand (Returned Soldiers’_ Association :—“ That all local associations of the R.S.A. be requested to launch an appeal at the earliest possible date to advocate greater support of the Government’s effort to build up a national military reserve, particularly in class number one.”—AA’ellington Press Association.

A gorse fire in Shetland street was dealt with by the Cit} 7 Brigade at 3.5 p.m. yesterday, while this morning at 8.37 there was an automatic false alarm from the premises of Messrs Coulls. Somerville, and AA’ilkiq Ltd., Crawford street. At 10.59 a.m. a justifiable call from the corner of Frederick and Leith streets was answered. Tho fewer number of malicious false alarms received hv the fire brigades was the subject of favourable comment in the superintendent’s annual report to the board. Last November a young man had Ipeen arrested and been ordered by tho magistrate to pay £5 6s towards the cost of a call. “ This punishment,” states the report, ” evidently had a salutary effect, as during the succeeding four months only six malicious calls wero received.

The monthly mooting of the Musselburgh School Committee was held last night, the chairman (Hr W. M. Caddie) presiding. The Head Master stated that the attendance for the month had been well maintained, and that the school basketball tournament had been completed in three sections, Musselburgh being declared winners in two, with the possibility of .a similar position in another section yet to bo decided. This was considered an achievement. Unfortunately,_ the bad weather experienced had interfered with the football matches, but the school teams were doing quite well in their respective grades. Miss Britton, having received an appointinent _at AVanganui, tendered her resignation as a member of the teaching staff, and this was received with sincere regret. The chairman referred to the sterling qualities of Miss Britton as a teacher, and wished her every success in her new sphere. The early express from Wellington, which usually arrives at Auckland at 0.55 a.m., was an hour and a-half late in arriving, while the Limited, usually there at 9.30 a.m., was an hour and a-quarter behind schedule.—Press Association. The Marton Sash and Door Company’s timber mill alongside the National Park Railway Station was totally destroyed by fire at about 1 o’clock this morning. The flames had a strong hold when discovered. The mill was a small one, employing 10 men. —Taumarunui Press Association.

Attention is drawn to an advertisement regarding the closing date of the by-election for one member to the executive of the Dunedin AVorking Moil’s Social Club, \