DOMINION NEWS HOLIDAY AT AUCKLAND MARRED BY RAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 April 1946, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS HOLIDAY AT AUCKLAND MARRED BY RAIN

The heaviest day’s rain in Auckland for six years occurred yesterday, the total to midnight being nearly three inches. Welcomed by farmers as an assurance of strong, though late, growth of autumn pasture, the rain, in spite of its intensity, caused comparatively little flooding, and no reported damage. It resulted in many sporting fixtures being postponed; or abandoned, reduced road traffic to a minimum outside the city, and finally extinguished hopes of a fine day to end the Easter week-end. In spite of the rain and poor visibility, rail and air schedules were maintained. The only two ships to be worked oyer the holidays by Auckland watersiders, the Union Company’s colliers, Kakapo and Omana, were unloaded for a brief period in the morning, but< labour was later 'sent home. The Kakapo was to have sailed yesterday for the West Coast, and her departure was delayed until to-day.—(P.A.) New Vessel Arrives.

After a fine weather .voyage of two months, the Union Steam Ship Company’s new motor vessel Kanna arrived at Dunedin yesterday morning via Suez and Fremantle. The Kanna was launched by Lady Freyberg in October. —/P.A.)

Small Draft Arrives With Army and Navy personnel from the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and ports en route, the Ptoyal Mail Line 14,000-ton motor-ship Highland Prince arrived at Wellington on Sunday. The passengers also included 64 wives and 26 children of New Zealand servicemen.

Heavy Rain in Northland. Heavy vain on Sunday afternoon, all Sunday night, and all day yesterday caused some flooding in parts of Northland, but main road services were not affected. It is generally agreed that the downpour will have a beneficial effect on pastures, as warm temperatures have accompanied the rain.—(P.A.)

Body Found Under Viaduct The body of a man was found lying in the bed of the stream under the Makotoke viaduct, about 25 miles north of Ohakune, on Saturday morning. The man was identified as being Leslie Rowland, aged about 30, of Auckland. His wife lives in Napier. It is reported that Rowland was a passenger on an Auckland-Wellington express on the night of April 18. — (P.A.) Third Flight Successful After two previous unsuccessful attempts and a further delay of a day because of unfavourable weather, passengers by a R.N.Z.A.F. Dakota transport reached Sydney' on Saturday afternoon. 'Commanded by Flight Lieutenant G ,R. Coates, thr t Dakota left Whenuapai at 7 a.m. and arrived at Sydney at 3.51 p.m, (New Zealand time) after a flight through cloudy but not turbulent weather. — (P.A.) Petrol Coupons. The May and June petrol coupons are to be made available at double face value during either month, according to advice given by the Oil Fuel Controller, Mr. G. L. Laurenson, to the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. A. P. O’Shea. “This provision is made to assist dairy farmers with their holiday arrangements,” said Mr. O’Shea, “and the concession will be much appreciated by the dairying community.”

May Import Less Wheat. New Zealand is to make a contribution of 700,000 bushels of wheat towards famine relief, according to a New Delhi cable message. This quotes a radio report that the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) had assured Indians at Karachi that New Zealand would place this amount of wheat at the disposal of the Combined Food Board. This is the first official announcement that New Zealand will make a wheat contribution, although there have been several hints of it. Increasing the extraction rate of flour has been mentioned. The New Zealand rate is about 72 per cent. During the war it was 85 per cent, in Britain. That was reduced to 80 per cent, at the end of the war, but was recently increased to 85 per cent, because of the world food shortage.—(P.A.) Cargo of Bombs Exploded. A description of the sinking of the former Union Company coastal steamer and oil hulk, Rosamond, in the Pacific, 200 miles from Auckland, on Saturday morning, is given in a radio message received from Captain Boulton, master of the islands motorship Maui Pomare, which left on Friday morning with the hulk in tow. The 62-year-old. Rosamond was carrying a cargo of several hundred tons of unwanted phosphorus bombs and gas shells. There was a dull and overcast sky with a fresh north-west wind and a choppy sea when the towline from the Maui Pomare was hauled in at 9 a.m. on Saturday, said Captain Boulton. The hulk’ was boarded by a military officer and charges were connected lo a 45-minute fuse and lighted at 10.5 a.m., the Maui Pomare then retiring a mile to windward. At 11 a.m. a dull explosion broke the Rosamond in two pieces. The after end disintegrated and the forward end stood vertically for about 30 seconds and then plunged down to the sea bed 900 fathoms below. —(P.A.)