Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 November 1943, Page 4

Local and General

Many of the Auckland members of th'? Police Force who sought the permission of the Commissioner of Police to work as labourers in sheds and stores during their spare time have received answers to their requests. In no case has permission been granted for mon to work, even on their days off or during leave. Recently gazetted regulations prohibited members of the Police Force from engaging in any outside remunerative employment. unless the permission of the Commissioner was given. About 100 men, ranging in rank from constables to detective-sergeants and senior-sergeants, had previously been working at night and on free days in Auckland stores. —P.A.

Describing his recent forced landing in a Fox Moth on the Franz Josef Glacier, the pilot, Mr. O. D. Openshaw, said he ran into an air pocket that took him down like a shot and made him powerless to lift or guide the aeroplane. The left Aving struck an ice pinnacle and came off. He jammed the rudder over as hard as possible and the aeroplane SAVUng round and round in a circle, all he could see being a huge pinnacle of ice in front of him, as they came down and struck the icefield, and flattened out with • great force. They landed on crushed ice, with enormous crevasses and high ice pinnacles.all round. The crevasses Avere of unknown depth, and looking down them Avas like looking into a blue mist.

The police have instituted inquiries regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Edward Moran, a former jockey and horse trainer, who has not been heard of since he left Greymouth in January last with the intention of going to Wellington. Mr. Moran formerly worked at Kbpara.

“We have had instances of ladies collecting funds without authority,” said the Secretary (Mr D. J. Evans) at a meeting of the Westland Patriotic Council at Greymouth last evening. “I heard of one case of a woman collector being asked for her authority and it was found that she was working for herself,” he added.

Up to the present, about half-a-doz-en young women on the West Coast have enrolled in the Women’s Land Service since the new campaign was inaugurated, and inquiries continue to be received. There have been 91 applications in Canterbury, and 22 of the recruits have commenced work on farms in that area.

Usable parts of' the aeroplane of Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., which was wrecked in a forced landing on Franz Josef Glacier are being brought down from the glacier on sledges. Most of the engine and equipment have already been brought down and tomorrow morning the fuselage, which has already been transported a couple of miles from the wreck, will be Transported to the foot of the glacier. This will complete the salvage operations.

Acting under instructions from the Greymouth Harbour Board, the lessees of Cobden Island are continuing with the work, of removing the gorse, about four acres having been

cleared so far. However, they informed the Board, in a letter last evening!, chat 'while good progress has been made and they hope\to have the job completed at an early date 1 it has been difficult to obtain labour. The Board expressed satisfaction with the position.

By a unanimous vote, the Greymouth Harbour Board, last evening, rejected a proposal by the Otago Harbour Board that the local body elections due to be held next May, be postponed till May, 1945.. The Otago Board suggested that the cost, of holding the elections could well be avoided and that postponement would give returned servicemen an opportunity of offering themselves at the polis. It added tnat the cost to itself lor an election would be £lOOO.

Mr G. E. English was elected President of the State Miners’ Union by ballot ’yesterday. Mr English is a former President of the Union, but he did not seek re-election after the end of his last term, when Mr H. Johnson was elected. Mr Johnson recently resigned but contested the position again at yesterday’s ballot. The voting was as follows:—G. E. English 230, R. Mitchell 115, H. Johnson 81; informal 13. For the position of General • Check Inspector, from which Mr Johnson also resigned, the voting was: W. Connolly 251, ±l. Johnson 208, Mr Connolly being elected.

A proposal that women should in future be eligible for election as elders of the church was contained in an overture which was brought before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at the final session last evening by the Rev. M. W. Wilson on behalf of the Presbytery of Timaru. Mr. Wilson said that the church today was coming to a different view from that held for so long. It was gaining a new idea of the dignity of womanhood. Communism led the way, and enabled women to take their place alongside men. Why should women not respond to the call to eldership? He added that in the Presbyterian Church in England there were many women elders, and he believed that women would improve the wisdom of the assembly and church courts. The proposal was sent down to Presbyteries for consideration and reports to the next Assembly.—P.A.

“Just before the end of the carnival in Greymouth we had an ‘invasion’ of Ross by young ladies selling raffle tickets,” said Mr K. O. May (Mayor of Ross) at a meeting of the Westland Patriotic Council at Greymouth last evening. “Have we a ruling on this question or should we have one?” he asked, and added that at the time of the “invasion” Ross had raised its quota and there was a certain amount of dissatisfaction about the matter. The Secretary (Mr D. J. Evans) stated that there had been a ruling that “you must not cross the border.” Mr F. A. Kitchingham said the Ross “invasion” was probably organised by some enthusiastic young ladies who had the opportunity of getting to the other district and that there would not be any intention of exploiting another town. The Council had already given a ruling on the matter. Members agreed on the ruling that there should be no overlapping.

■With cash contributions of £1332 14/7, the Westland district last week obtained another success in the national war savings campaign. Blackball, Hokitika, and Greymouth subscribed a total of £1157/16/4, or £438/16/4 in excess of their combined quotas while the remaining seven townships recorded deposits of only £174/18/3. Use of accumulations enabled Runanga and Ross to make up their quotas last week. Reefton has used up the whole of its surpluses, and failed to gain its, auota last week. Greymouth invested £903 13/4, £406/13/4 above its quota. Blackball £B2/3/-, £3O/3/- above its quota, and Hokitika £172, £2 above its quota. Runanga invested £l5/17/-, £B5 short of requirements; Reefton £52/8/- (deficiency £3O 12/-); Brunnerton, £3l/2/3 (£lB 17/9; Kumara, £l7/3/-, (£l3 17/-); Waiuta, £25/10/- (-£9/10/-); Otira, £6/17/- (£7/3/-); Ross, £26 1/- (£5/19/-).

“I think that the slightest risk of injustice will be obviated if I allow lull weekly compensation to the date of the hearing at Westport, and tAVO months’ compensation thereafter—a total of £4O/9/3,” said Mr Justice O’Regan in a reserved judgment of the Compensation Court, in which the Westport Coal Company, Ltd., applied to terminate Aveekly payments of compensation to Henry Edward Webster, a collier, who was injured in a fall at the company’s mine in .March last year, when he suffered fractures of the lower left leg. After reviewing medical evidence that the bone bad made a good union, although there was still some pain. in. movement, His Honor remarked: “Having regard' to the nature of the injury, the period of incapacity is exceptionally long, and I am unable to resist the conclusion, without any reflection on respondent’s honesty, that he persuaded himself seif into too serious a view of his condition.” The case was heard at Greymouth on September 29, at Westport on October 4, and at Christchurch on October 8

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Comparatively few inquiries have been received by the Greymouth Rationing Officer for the additional allowance of buttei’ or cream obtainable with a medical certificate. So far only a dozen permits have been issued, these being evenly divided between butter and cream, either of which may be obtained in extra quantities, o

It is expected that an early start will be made with the erection of a dental clinic for the Blaketown School. The structure, which will be of the Class B type, will be commenced as soon as tire plans and specifications are received from the Canterbury Education Board, members of the * School Committee and working bees supplying the labour. An indication of the approach of the date when the Westport section of line will be handed over to the Railways Department was given today, with the announcement that the Westport-Greymouth rail-car will not run on Sunday, November 21, when the Public Works Department will be engaged in preliminary clearing-up work on the Westport end of the line.

The Harbourmaster (Captain H Moar) reported to the Greymouth Harbour Board, last evening, that during the month 23 vessels had entered and left port. The inward tonnages had been 15,752 and the outward 15,969. The mean average depth on the bar had been 21 feet 3 inches and in the river 21 feet 9 inches.

An unusual type of vehicle will travel on the railway line from Ross to Mananui on Saturday morning, when a petrol-driven rail-motor built at Ross to the order of the Midland Sawmilling Co., will be delivered. The vehicle, which is eight feet high, five feet three inches wide, and 15 feet long, will run under its own power, and at Mananui the Railways Department’s lines will have to be split to enable it to reach the private line of the sawmilling company.

After being out of production for above five weeks, following access being cut off by serious flooding, the Ikamatua Sawmilling Co.’s plant has resumed operations and output is back to normal. An 80ft span has been built on the access road at one place, and at another part where scouring was severe temporary repairs have been effected with a grader by filling in the gap. Meanwhile the loss of output to the industry has been serious.

Comment on the apparent complacency of Church people in the face of Sunday desecration was voiced by Rev. E. S. Hoddinott at the Methodist Synod in' Greymouth, this morning, when support was given to a protest “against blatant desecration of the Lord’s Day.” “I think we ought to talk to some of the engine drivers sometimes and get their impression of Sunday excursions,” remarked Mr. Hoddinott, who said that in the past vigorous protests had been made by the Church.

In his closing remarks to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, the Moderator Right Rev. D. C. Herron (Dunedin) said there was a possibility that the European war would be over before the next assembly. But this was not likely to be the case with the Pacific war. He was humiliated to read of those who were protesting about the butter ration. They ought to be more earnest in sacrifice, work and prayer, lest the disaster after the last war should come upon them again.—P.A.

The transfer of Wing-Commander G. Carter from the position of Munitions Controller to the Air Force and tire appointment of Mr W. G. M Colquhoun as Munitions Controller is announced by Mr Sullivan. WingCommander Carter has held the position of Munitions Controller since May, 1941, succeeding the late Mr E. T. Spidy. Mr Colquhoun has been, assistant" to the Director of Production. Wing-Commander Carter now becomes Assistant-Air Member for Supply.—P.A.

A plaintive cry against overlong consideration of things ecclesiastical at the expense of the human frame was uttered at the Methodist Synod in Greymouth, this morning, when a ministerial delegate inquired whether the adjournment could not be taken at noon instead of 12.30. “Some of us have not had a chance of getting anything,” he complained amid laughter, adding:‘ “By the time we get there it’s all gone!” The Chairman agreed that members should not be denied their opportunity to obtain an ample dinner —but the Synod was deep in discussion well after noon.

At a meeting of the Westland Provincial Patriotic Council at Greymouth last evening a letter was received from the Inangahua Patriotic Committee asking that in future levies on the Inangahua County the Waiuta district be not included in the calculations, on account of the little support forthcoming from that district. The Chairman (Mr A. R. Elcock) said he thought all districts were in somewhat similar positions. He did not think anything could be done about the matter unless the Waiuta district was added to some other centre.—lt was decided to advise the Inangahua Committee that the Council could not see its way clear to support the request, but to suggest that a special effort be made to get Waiuta to assist, possibly in the raising of Red Cross or Sick and Wounded funds.

News of Methodist mission work in the Solomon Islands since the Japanese occupation is contained in a report discussed at the Nelson Synod of the Church, at Greymouth. It'stated that Rev. W. A. Silvester, who remained behind the enemy lines on Vella Lavella until the Japanese landed there, Avhen he sought refuge in ■.lie bush, Avas returning to New’Zealand, and Avas being relieved by Rev. A. H. Voyce, who had been released from chaplaincy duties. No information was available of the well-being and whereabouts of Rev. D. C. Alley, who, it was reported, had been seen working in a garden at Rabaul with other interned missionaries. All the stations, including the hospital at Bilua, had been destroyed, and it was estimated that to rebuild would cost £60,000. Not a vestige remained of the district training institution at Kokengolo (Munda), the head station of South Bougainville at Kahili, and the property at Gizo; the only head station that might have escaped was Sasamanga, on Choiseul. The mission ship Bilua had been purchased for £1275 by the board controlling Allied shipping, the Fauro Chief was under charter to the same board, and. it was thought that all other 'iats had been destroyed. Valuable coconut plantations had been lost.

“Take care of the pennies and the pounds Avill take care of themselves.” A thought worth remembering. But there’s the other side of the Question —why save those pennies at the expense of your health? And the back-aching drudgery of the Aveekly wash is a case in point. Owing to the excellent facilities offered by the Westland Laundry, Greymouth women are becoming more and more “laundry conscious.” They are realising that the feA\' pence they save aren’t “Avorth the candle,” Avhen they've spent a hard morning at the wash-tub rubbing and scrubbing clothes, running the risk of chills from hanging them out in cold Avinds, and the uncertainty of getting clothes dry in bad weather. Enquire about our No. 2 Thrifty Wash—lBlbs Flatwork beautifully laundered for 5/’Phone 136, Westland Laundry LtdDepot 27 Albert Street.—Advr.