Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 4

Local and General

A Greymouth man, who was recently re-e'-amined by the Army, and was again mv.ded 3, but fit for Home Guard, has received advice by registered letter that he has been transferred to the Home Guard and that lie will later be advised of the time and place for his first parade. The fact that he has been in the Home Guard for over two years :.md holds n.c.o. rank was apparently overlooked by the authorities.

The period during which the public cculd buy pork off butchers has now terminated — with one important exception. Thanks to overtures on the subject, the authorities have agreed to permit sales of pickled pork i.UD till next Tuesday to enable butchers to dispose of the stocks in brine. A Greymouth butcher who handled a large cork trade st'-vd +o-day that the public, acting on the principle of buying “while the going' was good,” had been making abnormally large ’-wchases. Last week-end. particularly, his firm could have sold 12 times as much as .usual. “Every second person” wanted pork. He explained that the porker pigs now on hand would have to be held find bred as baconers. Whereas they would in the normal course return lid a pound as porkers, now they would have to be fed at heavy cost (transport charges on feed from Canterbury resulted in expenses being doubled) and then sold at BJd a pound on the hooks.

A black-out trial held at Runanga last evening, proved successful. The warning bell sounded at 7 p.m. and the all-clear at 8.

The Grey Electric Power Board Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) reported to a meeting of the Board, last evening, that since the previous meeting four new applications for power had been received and permits issued; that seven new consumers had been connected bringing the total number of consumers to 5,322.

Since the five butter factories on the West Coast closed down for the five months’ break between seasons a number of men have been placed upon their own resources to obtain employment. However, all have secured jobs on their own initiative, some having returned to small properties. None has enlisted the assistance of the Manpower Office..

An investigation of child delinquency in New Zealand with a view to the introduction of measures which would result in a higher standard of discipline was proposed in a motion carried by the Nelson Education Board. Failing the holding of an Education Boards’ Conference at an early date, at which the subject could be discussed, the board suggested the setting up of a national committee by the Government to bring down a prompt report.

The Runanga Patriotic Society acknowledges the following donations: Combined Convent and State Schools Coupon System £3O/13/6 (3 collections), State School Collection £ 1 14/-, dance £l/17/6. Donations to soldiers’ gift parcels: Mesdames F. Oakley 5/-, R. Harnbly 5/-, T. Bowes 5/-, Kaye 5/-, J. Whitehead 5/-, 2 o.t 2/6. Books: Mesdames Hassan, R. Aims, P. Pollock, R. Glover, K. Griffiths.

In the Westport Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M., Leslie John Sheridan, a trucker, employed at the Millerton mine, was convicted and fined £3 for being absent from work on various occasions. Mr. J. M. Bryce, Man-Power Officer, said that under the Industrial Man-Power Emergency f Regulations the defendant was fined on three occasions for absenting himself from work and he again committed the offence. It was a very glaring case. He understood that Sheridan was anxious to get into the armed forces.

Miss Russia in the “Miss Victory” contest to be held in the Grey district in conjunction with the United Nations Fair will be Miss Nola Gutberlet, of Brunnerton. The selection was made at a meeting of residents of Runanga, Brunner and the Grey County at Greymouth, last evening, when the Mayor of Runanga (Mr. E. W. Kennedy) presided over an attendance of approximately 40 persons. Messrs J. Mulcare, G. Eder, Mitchell and • Harper and Mesdames Kennedy, Johnston, and Wright were elected as a central committee.

A fortunate escape from more serious injury was experienced by Mr. J. Hickling, senr., of Blaketown, when engaged on the Greymouth Wharf as a waterside worker, about 10 o’clock this morning. ■ While crossing a set of rails his right foot became caught bv the cowcatcher of an engine wtitc?. was approaching very slowly, with the result, that it became wrenched, although he was able to free it. He also suffered abrasions to the right hand, and shock, and after receiving medical attention m’oeoeded to his home. He will probably be off work for about a fortnight.

The Grey Electric Power Board decided at a meeting last evening to donate £5O to each of the three Queen committees in the United Nations Fair “Miss Victory” contest and also £5O to the Reefton district (which had now come into the Board’s area), a total of £2OO, a similar sum to that given by the Board to the last Queen carnival for patriotic funds in the district. Mr. P. Blanchfield moved an amendment to the motion that the matter of a donation be held over pending disposal of an important motion (proposing a reduction of 10 per cent, for prompt payment, on the 6d per unit lighting rate) which he uroposed bringing forward later in the meeting, but there was no seconder for the amendment.

Rev. F. C. Every, of the Revival Prayer Fellowship, will speak at the weekly meeting in the Church of the Resurrection, Cobden, at 7 this evening—l.

Representations by the South Island Motor Union for a reduction of 50 per cent, in war damage insurance in resnect of motor vehicles have been declined by the War Damage Commission. Advice to this effect, dated. May 11, was received at the monthly meeting of the executive of the North Otago Automobile Association. The War Damage Commission, according to the lettei', was not prepared to advocate a reduction, as urged by the Motor Union to the Prime Minister, as it did not favour the principle of differential rates between motor vehicle insurance and oilier property insurance. It was further stated' that the Government was anxious to reduce war risks as soon as conditions justified the step. The letter was received, and it was pointed out that the insurance rate was still 5/- per £lOO, but it was now proportionate for the portion of £lOO on all classes of property.

Greymouth, Hokitika, Reefton, and Moan a, last week secured their national war savings ouotas. Reefton with a quota of £B3 weekly, responded with an investment of £6ll 13/4, or more than seven times the reauirement. This helped to ensure the district quota. Hokitika subscribed £215/2/-, which is £45/2/above the Quota, and Moana £ll, a surplus of £5. Investments of the remaining offices, which show some improvement, were as follows (deficiencies in parenthesis): Runanga, £5B/16/- (£42/4/-), Blackball £24 5/- ( £27/15/-); Kumara, £4 (£27); Waiuta, £9 ( £26); Brunnerton, £25 11/- (£24/9/-): Ross £l5/11/6 (£l6/8/6); Ikamatua, £l/6/6 (£l4 13/6); Jackson’s Bay, nil (£12); Otira, £2/14/- (£ll/6/-); Stillwater, 14/- (£6/6/-): Ngahere, £3 10/- (£5/10/-): total, £469/4/- ( £215/12/-).

Greymouth yesterday and to-day saw oranges again for the first time in four or five months, a small shipment having arrived from the Cook Islands. They were in poor condition and 40 per cent, had to be repacked, but those which reached the shops were of good quality. One merchant stated to-day that he could have disposed of all his stock by 11 a.m. yesterday, but in common with retail jshops he was rationing supplies to four for each customer. Normally Cook Island oranges should have been on the market some time ago, but a serious storm in that area severely reduced the yield. However, according to official advice if shipping arrangements can be maintained supplies will come forward regularly 'during the next three months. It is reported from Christchurch that the maximum price is 2/8 a dozen, with single fruit at corresponding rates. In Greymouth some sales have been made of four* for 1/2. It was stated that whereas wholesale prices have been fixed for Grevmouth, apparently ■no limit has behn placed on retail rates. Lemons are “scarce i as usual,” going off the market every few days, but consign-1 ments arrive at intervals of about 10 days and this fruit is not entirely unobtainable.