LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There will be no publication of the Greymouth “Evening Star” on Monday next (Labour Day).

An accumulation of slack coal at the Paparoa mine is still causing broken time. The mine has not worked since Tuesday of this week, but will resume on Tuesday next.

Mr. Semple to-day announced the conditions under which men employed by the Public Works Department may obtain leave of absence, to follow seasonal occupations, during the forthcoming season. The instructions have been circulated. —Press Assn.

There were no enrolments at Greymouth to-day in the Special Military Force, but two enrolments yesterday afternoon raised the total to 277. The additional enrolments are as follow: Edward Airey, Greymouth, and Carson Walker Welsh, Hokitika.

A slip of approximately 40 tons of stone came down on the BlackballRoa road, about half a mile above the Blackball mine, early this morning, completely blocking the road. Grey County Council workmen are engaged to-day. in clearing the slip, and the work was expected to be completed this afternoon. Blasting was necessary to remove one particularly large stone.

Taxi-cab regulations issued with last night’s Gazette give effect to the transport licensing legislation passed last session. They fix uniform standards for wages and hours of work for all cases where’ taxi-drivers are not covered by present or future’ awards. The minimum weekly wage is £4/10/-. with overtime provisions. The maximum continuous stretch of work is 5i hours. A taxi-driver must also have 10 consecutive hours rest out of every 24, and have one day off in seven. — Press Assn.

At the Stillwater Hall to-morrow (Saturday) the Residents’ Ball will be held. One guinea Monte Carlo. Mar ley’s Orchestra. Good time assured ali dance lovers. Buses leave Grey P.O. 9.15 p.m.—-Advt,

People are' always ready to popularise something distinctive, and it is this that contributes to the great selling success which Dewar’s Imperial Whisky is now meeting with. No whisky can compare with the rare and appealing flavour of Dewar’s —it is mild and smooth to the palate, a true friend to all men. You would be wise to procure a bottle of Dewar’s, as its distinctive palatable flavour will meet with the greatest approval at all times. Messrs Griffen and Smith, Ltd., Distributors, Greymouth, Westport, and Hokitika. — Advt.

George McKay, a milk vendor, was convicted and fined £4 with costs by Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M., in the Westport Magistrate’s Court, when he was charged with selling milk containing 25 per cent, water. Mr. A. A. Wilson, fox* the defendant, said McKay was short of milk and bought a quantity from a neighbour, from which the samples were taken.

When the practice of grading was being discussed at a meeting of shareholders and suppliers of the Midland Dairy Company in Temuka, one speaker said that he knew a Scotch farmer who sent his cream away in a hurry. He discovered afterwards that rennet had been inadvertently poured into one of the cans. The farmer was on tenterhooks until he received his ticket, which, to his satisfaction, showed finest grade.

. Arrangements have been made by the New Zealand Institute of Secretaries to ensure that its members on active service are not penalised regarding subscriptions while they are with the forces. The institute has 640 members in the Dominion, and it is expected that many will join the various territorial units. It is proposed to remit the annual membership subscription of £2/2/- during the period of service.

' “This place is lousy with air-raid shelters,” is the terse description of London by a New Zealand Royal Air Force pilot, in a letter home, written after the outbreak of war. “It is quite strange to see so many girls in uniform, sandbags everywhere, watertanks in the streets, and fire tenders behind taxis. We have had three airraid alarms, and are quite bored by them. No enemy air attack could possibly penetrate our defences. At night all cars have their lights dimmed and screened,” continued the writer, “and the city is pitch dark.”

Trenthani camp has now its own library. One of the oldex’ camp buildings has been renovated and decorated to make it as suitable as possible fox’ the purpose. Gifts of books and magazines have been received and the library will operate on the same lines as any public library. In. a separate reading room stands' have been erected fox- newspapers of the same type as those in public libraries, and the camp authorities are seeking the co-operation of the Press throughout New Zealand in an endeavour to make it possible fox' troops, wherever they come from, to be able to read theii’ home paper in the camp library.

The depletion that has taken place in the last year in the accumulated overseas assets of New Zealand banks is shown in a table published in the latest Abstract of Statistics. In August, 1938, the net overseas assets of the banks (on account of New Zealand business only) were £20,555,046. By Decembex’ of last yeax’ the figure had fallen to £6,806,733. Although the total fluctuated aftei' that month, rising as high as £9,272,099 in March of this year, it had fallen to £8,882,775 on August 28, the latest figure given in the abstract.

There is to be a straight-out contest fox- the Westport Mayoralty, two nominations having been received at the closing time yesterday. At the election to be held on October 31, Mr. John Kilkenny, who recently resigned, but subsequently agreed to contest the election, will be opposed by Mr. J. M. Robertson. Mr. Robertson served for nine years on the Westport Borough Council, and for a term as Deputy-Mayor. He is connected with several local organisations, including the Technical High School Board of Managers. He is well known in racing circles. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Mayoralty in 1935, when Mr. J. Kilkenny was first elected.

That the immunisation of children between the ages of six and twelve months from diptheria was a common practice in the United States, and had almost entirely eradicated the disease, was mentioned by Dr. M. H. Watt, director-general of health, in a recent address. In large cities like Detroit more than 52 per cent, of the children were immunised before they reached 12 months. So rare was the complaint, said Dr. Watt, that a suspected case in Vancouver was regarded as news, and was given considerable prominence in the newspapers. The immunisation, he pointed out, was voluntary, but an educational campaign, stressing its advantages, had been successful.

The biggest and brightest ball of 1939, Schaef’s Hall, next Monday (Labour night).—Advt.

No fewer than 44 industrial disputes occurred in Nev,’ Zealand during the six months ended June 30 last, involving a loss of 29,160 working 'days, and approximately £33,472 in wages, states the monthly Abstract of Statistics. These figures represent considerable increases on the figures for the corresponding period of 1938, when there were 39 disputes, involving a loss of 12,796 working days and of £12,538 in wages. Of’ the 44 industrial disputes during the first half of this year, 10 were in the meat freezing industry, involving 3307 workers, 18 in the coal-mining industry, involving 4897 workers. x om? in land transport, involving 2000' workers, and five in the shipping and cargo working industries, involving 1055 workers. The greatest number of working days lost occurred in shipping and cargo working, the total lost in these industries being 20,468 days and the loss in wages £23.529, or considerably more than i'-lf the grand totals in all disputes throughout the Dominion.

In order to connect in now switchgear, electric supply will be cut off on Sunday (8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.) from the Nine Mile, Ten Mile, Twelve Mile and Barrytywn districts.—-Advl.

Your home ITicr.ds will be particularly keen for Christmas remembrances this year. Why not send them a, copy of or? of the New Zealand Christmas numbers? Your choice of six annuals, viz.. Auckland Weekly, Free Lance, Christchurch Star, Otago Witness, Christchurch Press and Tuis, at 2/- each, nostage 2d extra. Also “New Zealand from the Air,’’ 2/G, postage 3d each, at B. Dixon’s Ltd., Tainui Street.— -Advt.