Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1943, Page 4

Local and General

The North Island Motor Union is to ask the Government to provide two full petrol coupons per month as from the beginning of February, in view of the improved petrol position.—P.A.

Meetings expressing dissatisfaction with pip fruit prices are being held throughout the Auckland fruitgrowing areas, and a petition is being signed appealing to Parliament to grant an economic price to the industry.— P.A.

Sergeant Trefor Llewellyn Tyler lost his life when an aircraft which he was piloting crashed near a North Island Air Force station, last night, while he was engaged in night flying training. Sergeant Tyler’s mother, Mrs. I. L. Tyler, lives at Ngakawau, Westport.—P.A.

The Auckland Drapers’ and Allied Retailers’ Association, at a meeting this morning, unanimously resolved and urged its members to remain closed on the Tuesday following both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and further agreed to withdraw the application made to the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr. Wilson) for firms to remain open Fri - day night, December 17. Under the arrangements proposed many Auckland shop assistants will nave four clear days’ holiday, both at Christmas and New Year week-ends.— P.A.

■The Christchurch Manpower Appeal Committee will spend another busy period ih Greymouth next week. The sitting will commence at 7 p.m. on Monday, when four or five cases will be heard, and on Tuesday a long session will commence at 9 a.m., there being some 14 appeals for consideration. The majority of cases concern young women who have been directed to mental or other hospital employment. A meeting of the Clerical Workers’ and Shop Assistants’ Advisory Committee was held in Greymouth, last evening, when seven cases were discussed. In two of them the Committee had no recommendation to make, but in the other five it recommended that the appeals be allowed. In the case of two young women who had been called by the manpower authorities to enter the Grey Hospital for training as student nurses, their employers notified the committee that they did not intend to lodge applications for their retention.

“It’s hardly safe for a man to go on his own property ori a Sunday,” declared Cr. W. Fisher, Chairman of the Grey County Council, at to-day’s meeting, when stressing the danger that has grown from the practice of inexperienced “deer stalkers” roaming the country with guns during week-ends. Five cows on one property and four on another had been shot, while residents had had narrow escapes in the Kopara district. The good prices for deer skins, he said, had attracted numerous unskilled persons, mostly youths. Cr. H. G. Carter remarked that not only cattle but men were getting shot. People not used to the business were shooting at anything and everything. In his opinion they should be required to pass suitability tests, involving mental and physical asnects. On the motion of Cr. Carter and Cr. T. G. Jamieson, the Council decided to anproach the Minister of Internal Affairs to institute such stringent conditions preliminary to granting shooting authority. “People’s lives are at stake,” declared Cr. Carter, in moving the resolution.

Two members of the Greymouth Squadron of the Air Training Corps left this morning for a North Island Air Station for a course of instruction.

The ’ Greymouth Fire Brigade was called out about 3.20 o’clock this afternoon to an outbreak of fire at the office of the “Grey River Argus.' The fire was located at one end of the jobbing department upstairs, but was extinguished quickly and only minor damage was done. >

In view of the increase in the number of men and families who need the assistance of the R.S.A., the Grey branch has decided to have an annual street appeal the first of which will take place to-morrow and on Saturday morning in Greymouth. Paper R.S.A. badges will be given as an acknowledgment of donations. In the past the R.S.A. has relied on the Foppy Day sales as a source of funds.

No support for a proposal by the Otago Harbour Board that representations should be made to the Government to postpone the local body elections until May, 1945, was given by the Lyttelton Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday. The chairman (Mr. J. K. McAlpine) said he could see no reason why the elections should be postponed. It was not democratic and it was not essential to postpone them.

A fire which broke out in the extended Denniston mine last Thursday is still burning, although three concrete stoppings have been put in. Because of the great heat there has been difficulty in keeping the fire from soreading, and no mining is being done in the section. It is expected that it will be three weeks before the fire is extinguished. Circumstances of the fire are similar to those in the Millerton mine, where a fire has been burning for several years.

An undertaking that he would eschew party politics and would not stand for Parliament if he were elected Mayor of Wellington, was given by Councillor AV. A. Appleton, when agreeing to the request of a large deputation which waited on him to ask that he should be a candidate for the mayoralty at next year’s local body elections. He also gave an undertaking that he would stand against all-comers.

The statistics of the boot and shoe industry for 1942-43 show an increased production of 119,113 pairs of adults boots, or 5.1 per cent, above the figures for 1941-42, but there are recessions in the numbers and values of children’s shoes, adults’ sandals, slippers, and canvas and rubber shoes. In spite of a reduction of 107, or 2.3 per cent., in the number of persons engaged, the salaries and wages paid advanced £91,815, or 10.1 per cent.

An estimate that first mortgages on dairying land in New Zealand amount to between £30,000,000 and 000,000 is made by the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, which adds th#t second and subsequent mortgages may easily total a like amount. Referring to the growing burden of farm ‘ indebtedness, the journal quotes the Dairy Commission as having reported that only in exceptional cases was a dairy farm unmortgaged.

In the course of a report on his attendance at a Dominion patriotic conference at Wellington, Mr A. IL E'cock, Chairman of the Westland Provincial Patriotic Council, told a meeting of the Council at Greymouth last evening that some of the committees in other centres weie paying 2/11 for the cases for packing parcels, while others were “s'kiting” that they secured th.em for one shilling. “When 1 told them that we get them for nothing their voices were not so loud,” added Mr Elcock.

The adjourned annual and quarterly meeting of the Westland Licensing Committee was held at Hokitika yesterday. The following renewals of licenses were granted: — Robert William Parker, Clydesdale Hotel, Ross; Andrew Thomas Cumming, Commercial Hotel, Ross: Angus Roy Cunninghame, Empire Hotel, Ross. Transfers granted: William Alexander Robertson, Lake lanthe Hotel, to William Gilbert Sydney Connor; Annie Ford, Royal Hotel, Grevmouth, to Herbert Leonard Cox: William Leo Morresey, Cobden Hotel, to Mary Morresey.

Grey Valley farmers have welcomed the recent spell of fine weather, and the light rainfall, which have resulted in a substantial improvement in the feed position. Stock are already reacting favourably to the strengthened growth and should improve greatly in condition. Farmers are now looking forward to another prolonged, fine spell after Christmas to enable them to got thenhay in, the experience early this year having been unsatisfactory, wet weather resulting in the loss of much valuable hay.

“I can’t do the work if I haven’t got the men,” declared Mr J. Higgins, Engineer to the Grey County Council, during a discussion on the deterioration of certain of the County roads at this morning’s meeting. Mr Higgins stressed that priority work, such as attention to bridge decking, had to receive first attention, but added that he was endeavouring to cope with the requirements as circumstances permitted. In an effort to alleviate the position, the Engineer was authorised to secure a 15cwt truck from the Army, if possible.

The Grey County Council, to-day, gave its. support to the advocacy of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council that a West Coast catchment area be constituted, comprising the Grey and Westland Counties, together with that portion of. the Inangahua County which lies within the watershed of the Grey River and its tributaries. The West Coast District Committee advised that. at its meeting, recently, the opinion had. been expressed that the great majority of farmers, who represent a large proportion of local body ratepayers, favour the nroposed boundaries.

See Geo. Muir, champion of the Forestry Unit in England, versus the West Coast champion of the pine cutters at Nelson Creek on Saturday, December 4.—Advt.

. ®^*' ! Mats composed of Balswood 16 x 24.” Blue, green, maize and pmK. 4/6 each.—C. Smith’s.—Advt.

lute’s Coats are fashioned for beauty plus utility. Call any time; we ai' e . confident we can please you at White’s Fashion Corner.—Advt.

An American Laundry advertisement once read, “Don’t kill your wife—let us do the dirty work.” And when it comes to dirty work, not the crossroads kind—leave it to the Westland Laundry. Our No. 2 Thrifty Service covering 181bs flat work washed and ironed for only 5/-, our special blanket and down quilt service, our super service in laundering and tinting curtains and drapings—these services keep the Greymouth women who wisely use them from that killing washday drudgery. We can do your washing as well as you can your’in fact better and cheaper—only the best soap is used, with Lux I for blankets. ’Phone 136 now. Westland Laundry Ltd:, Depot 27 Albert Street,—Advt.