Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1945, Page 4

Local and General

A well attended meeting of the V. estland Electorate Committee of the New Zea lane National Party was held last evening at Greymouth. Representatives from the variom branches were present, and Mr. E. F.cmvers, of Greymouth, was unanimously selected a Parliamentary candidate for the Westland electorate at the forthcoming elections.

Christmas mails from England . will not reach New Zealand until after Christmas, according to a statement made yesterday by tne Acting-Postmaster-General (Mr. Jones). He said these mails, posted in England during the Tatter part of October and early November, had been delayed, and unfortunately would, not now arrive until early in the New *ear. They were first shipped to New Zealand on the Orion, but that ship had to return to port with engine trouble. The delayed mails had since been reshipped on the Athlone Castle.

Cold temperatures prevailed at Greymouth this morning and during the night, this being the result of an unseasonable fall of snow in the Otira district last night.. The temperature at. the Greymouth tiphead this morning at 9 o’clock was 46 degrees, more* ,( than 12 degrees lower than the usual reading at that hour.

There were six fatal motor accidents reported during November and these resulted in eight deaths; states the Transport Department. In November, 1944, there were nine motor fatalities. The danger to traffic and tyres due to the prevalence of broken glass on roadways was also referred to by the Commissioner of Transport, Mr. G. L. Laurenson.

The petrol shortage has not • been confined to belligerent countries. Mr. N. S. Dolamore, speaking last evening at Greymouth on “Utilisation of Wood Waste,” mentioned that in Sweden, which he recently visited, nearly all cars were fitted with gasproducers. AU Army trucks were run on charcoal or wood blocks, and the Ail' Force very rarely flew because of the fuel shortage. In some of the mills he visited water was being used as a lubricant instead of oil.

At the quarterly meeting of the Buller Licensing Commission at Westport yesterday, the following transfers of hotel licences were granted:—Cosmopolitan Hotel, Dobson, from P .G. Low to C .E. Cutbush; Club Hotel, Blackball, from Maria Meikle to "John Dunn; Toll’s Hotel, Denniston, from Jacob D. M. Campbell to F. J. Taylor; Junction Hotel, Stillwater, from David Wallace to A. W. Murdoch; Union Hotel (Westport) from Mrs M. McGill to Mr .A. P. Svendson.

Almost 100 applications by men and women for permission to terminate their employment were received by the Grey District Manpower Officer last month. The total number of male workers who sought permission to leave was 73, and 62 were successful, six were not, and five cases are still under action. Twenty-five female workers applied for permission to terminate and all but two received consent, the exceptions being still under action. Employers made applications for permission to dismiss four men and consent was given in each case. There were no applications to terminate the services of female employees.

A complaint that he could never leave the town even on his day off without first obtaining the permission of the head of his Department was advanced by a railwayman, appearing before the Christchurch Industrial Manpower Appeal Committee at Greymouth yesterday, as an excuse for being absent from work without authority. “The regulation has been in force for 38 years to my knowledge, and there have been few quibbles about it,” commented the Locomotive Foreman, Mr. J. G. Young. The Chairman, Mr. K. G. Archer, pointed out that when the railwaymen had gone on strike early in the year it had been about wages and there had been no question about leave. “This is a sort of one-man strike,” replied witness.

Much-needed supplies of cigarettes and tobacco for the West Coast arrived at Westport on the Karn early this morning, stated a Greymouth merchant to-day, and arrangements have been made to rail Greymouth’s quota as soon as the shipment has been discharged. It is expected that local deliveries will be made about the middle of next week. In view of the short supplies, many, stores in Greymouth now are refusing to sell cigarettes or tobacco to any person under 18 years of age, even though the purchases are being made on behalf of an older person, and one department store is asking under-age persons to leave tobacco queues. At least one tobacconist in the town has declined to sell stock to women customers. 5

Rain was exceptionally heavy in South Westland last month and eased as it progressed northwards, Westport being easily the driest town on the West Coast last month, having 25 inches less rain than Wataroa. Wataroa was the wettest town with an exceptional rainfall figure of 32.82 inches—the wettest since the inception of records there—on 23 days, the heaviest fall being 8.13 in on November 6. Hokitika was second wettest with a much-reduced rainfall of 12.25 inches during 20 days, the heaviest fall of 2.44 in being on November 16. Greymouth, third on the list, experienced 10.88 inches on 25 days, the heaviest fall being 2.31 in on the 22nd, and Reefion was next with 7.62 inches on 19 days, the maximum fall also being on the 22nd. Westport experienced only 21 wet days and the rainfall totalled 5.63 in.

A resolution strongly supporting the endeavours of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Police Association to obtain improvements in conditions of employment in the police service was unanimously adopted at a meeting of approximately 70 members of the Dunedin branch of the association, representative of all branches of the service. Improvements suggested at the meeting were the immediate introduction of a 40hour working week, payment at double time rates for work performed on statutory holidays, and payment at time and a-half rates for overtime worked. Members considered that the Government should also grant extra payment for those personnel who performed night duty. A recent statement of the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) that the majority of resignations from the service were being received from temporary em r ployees was denied, members claiming that the figures which had already appeared in the Press disclosed the true position.—P.A.

Give Recordings or Music for Christmas. —Anderson and Hopgood, Albert Street.—Advt.

For Xmas giving; a little Girl’s Frock in spun Art Silk, smocked and hand-embroidered. In Sky, Peach and White. Size 18in, 19/6. —C. Smith Ltd. —Advt.

Special Notice. Westland Laundry Ltd. wish to notify all customers requiring extras in the way of curtains, drapings, blankets and eiderdowns laundered before -Christmas, to send early and avoid disappointment. We will not be able to handle these lines a week before the holidays. ’Phone 136. Westland Laundry Ltd. Depot: Sam McAra. Mackay St.—Advt.