Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 November 1943, Page 4

Local and General

Greymouth shop assistants are to participate in a campaign being launched to obtain a working week of five days and 40 4 hours, the object being to amend the Act to provide that if work is performed on a Friday night such employees shall not be required to work on a Saturday morning and, conversely, that if Saturday morning work is required these employees shall not be called back for Friday night. Mr. P. M. Velvin, of Christchurch, President of the Shop Assistants’ Federation, is to visit Greymouth on Tuesday evening to address a meeting when a resolution will be submitted asking the Federation and the Federation of Labour to send a deputation to the Government, reauestine - the introduction of the necessary legislation.

The Public Service Association announces the successful culmination of negotiations with the object of securing payment of salary in satisfaction of arrears of annual leave (says the Wellington “Evening Post”).. Public servants have the option of claiming the payment, it is stated, but the option has to be exercised by the end of this month, the last day of the present leave year. It is also stated that national savings bonds may be accepted in lieu of accrued annual leave. The announcement concerning national savings bonds says that Cabinet approval has been obtained to offer national savings bonds to public servants in respect of any annual leave accumulated prior to December 31, 1941 (this could include leave due for the leave year commencing December 1, 1941), and still un-* taken.

The patriotic shop conducted in Mackay Street, Greymouth, yesterday, by residents on the town side of Sawyers Creek, raised £37/13/6. Deposits to National War Savings accounts in Greymouth during the week ended to-day totalled £516/7/-, yielding a surplus of £l9/7/- above the quota of £497.

The board of inquiry constituted under the Government Railways Act to investigate the circumstances of the derailment of the Cromwell-Dunedin passenger train near Hyde on June 4 will begin its public sittings on Monday at Wellington.

Yesterday’s Rose Day effort proved the most successful in the history of the Plunket Society in Greymouth, about ”£l6O being obtained. Of the total £64/10/- was derived from the sale of roses, which were more numerous than for a number of years.

Normal conditions prevailed on the Greymouth waterfront to-day, after a short stop-work meeting of the Waterside Workers’ Union before work commenced this morning. The Holmlea, which was idle yesterday, began to take in coal cargo at 8.30 and was expected to sail for Nelson this afternoon.

Advice has been received by the Canterbury Education Board that the Education Department has given authority for the acceptance of a tender for the rebuilding of the Hatters School, near Ngahere, which was destroyed by fire, also for the erection of a dental clinic to be financed on the usual basis.

“The movement to amalgamate farming organisations into one big union is going ahead steadily and slowly,” said Mr. A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary, of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, at a meeting of the Mid-Canterbury executive yesterday. “This organisation is one of which every farmer in the Dominion is a member, and it will be subdivided into different sections.”

It was decided at a meeting of the Coal Utilisation Committee at Westport, this morning, to ask Mr. Webb to have a test of 351bs of Charfeston coal at the Scientific and Industrial Research Bureau, Wellington, with a view to establishing a low temperature carbonisation plant and if that is successful to make full scafe tests at Rotoaro and Waikato. — P.A.

Working to-morrow from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m., irrespective of the state of the weather, the maintenance staff of the Railways Department at Greymouth will commence the job of dumping stone at the site of the Omoto subsidence. Altogether 2000 tons are to be placed in position, and to-morrow about 200 tons will be dumped. It is not expected that another full day will be required for this work, which will be carried out on week-days as train running permits.

Appearing later than usual, the 1943 edition of the New Zealand Official Year Book had been held up through pressure of work on. the staff of the Census and Statistics Department, but, despite certain economies, it remains a substantial volume. Certain changes have been made in the formation which, while not detracting from the value of the book, have effected considerable savings in space. Into 712 pages has been crammed a mass of information, brought up-to-date, the most recent statistics relating to 1942. By judicious editing, nothing of worth appears to have been eliminated, facts and figures being presented with conciseness.

Anomalies in the butter rationing regulations are coming to light (says the “Wanganui Herald”). In the case of sheep farmers who keep only a few house cows for station milk, butter and cream, the regulations make waste mandatory where there is no butter factory nearby, as surplus butter must apparently be thrown out if the family and station hands are kept strictly to their half-pound a week. There are probably many cases where a sheep farmer’s property is so distant from a dairy factory that it would be uneconomic to deliver a surplus pound or so of cream daily, even if the farm were on a regular cream run. At the same time, this extra pound might represent a butter supply for the household at least two or three times the ration.

Representations are to be made to the Government by the Canterbury Trades Council with a view to the raising of the wages of all of the lower-paid workers, whether in the State or in private employment, and also to the returning of annual paid holidays lor all of the workers. The president of the Council, Mr. John Roberts, said that it was realised that the raising of the wages of the lower paid workers might mean a new level for stabilisation. The Trades Council did not think that that would be a serious matter, provided that all of the inequalities and anomalies were removed. The Council supported the principle of stablisation, but it considered that it had stabilised some inequalities and injustices, particularly as far as lower paid men were concerned. —P.A.

The war purposes committee of the joint council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red* Cross Society reports that at a social gathering in Egypt of repatriated men from Germany, and as an expression of approval of the services rendered by the Red Cross organisations during their internment, the men voluntarily subscribed £2OOO, with a request that their thanks and appreciation be conveyed to many subscribers and workers who helped to provide for their relief and sustenance in captivity, and thus made their lives a little more pleasant. The standing committee of the National Patriotic Fund Board has approved of a per capita grant again- this year from patriotic funds to provide Christmas dinner extras for New Zealand forces overseas. It is estimated this will involve a total expenditure of between £7OOO and £BOOO. —P.A.

Khaki Shirts in heavy twill material. Sizes S.M., M. and O.S. 15/6 at C. Smith’s.—Advt.

Your hat! It’s right if it’s froin White’s big collection of Models in fine fur felts and fancy straws; the collection includes all the snappiest shapes and all the newest and attractive trimmings—in all shades.— White’s Corner, Your Fashion Centre.—Advt.

Many Greymouth women know these facts! How about you? That it’s cheaper and better to send washing to the Westland Laundry. Clothes are washed cleaner under the most sanitary and sterile conditions —we actually use seven separate waters. Our modern washing and ironing machines cannot damage clothes. But what of the cost? Try our No. 2 Thrifty Service, which covers 181 b of flat work, washed and ironed perfectly for only 5/-. This comprises 8 sheets, 9 pillowslips, 9 towels, 6 tea towels and 3 tablecloths—a total of 35 articles or the eqiuvalent. This represents the average household’s flat wash for a fortnight—so the cost really works out at 2/6 per week. Add up what it costs you for soap, blue, firing and electricity and the depreciation on your own health, and you’ll find ours is a real Thrift Service.—Westland Laundry, Ltd., ’Phone 136. Depot: 27 Albert Street. —Advt.