NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22826, 22 December 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Change in Army Command. The posting to the reserve of officers, supplementary list, of Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) J. G. Nolan, E.D. and his relinquishment of the appointment of commanding officer, First Battalion, Hawke’s Bay Regiment, is notified in the Gazette. LieutenantColonel D. Maclntyre, D. 5.0., is appointed commanding officer of the battalion. Irish Diet “Monotonous.”

“The main problem in Eire is a scarcity of food. The Irish diet is very much like Britain’s," explained Mr. W. Cartwright, Timaru, on his return to New Zealand from Eire. Although nobody “starved,” the diet was monotonous. The staple foods bread and potatoes were off the ration, but meat, fats, butter, sugar, and tea were very scarce. Fruits could be obtained, but invariably at exorbitant prices. Vegetables were plentiful. “As Bad as in New Zealand.” A 45-hour week is worked in Eire, stated Mr. W. Cartwright, Timaru, who has returned to New Zealand after a stay of 10 years in Eire. The housing shortage is as bad in Eire as in New Zealand, according to Mr. Cartwright. Mass - produced prefabricated houses were being “churned out” to meet the demand, but these cost about £2OOO and were guaranteed for only 10 years. “Even with these artificial homes, the demand far exceeds the supply,” he saidMaize Salvage Committee

Brought into being following the May flood, the Gisborne Maize-Salvage Committee has completed the thankless task of administering a Government subsidy to flood-stricken growers. The final meeting of the committee was conducted this week when it was announced that all picking costs would be met by the end of the year. As far as the drying costs were concerned, it was learned that advice was awaited from Wellington. The committee expected to be able to pay out a portion of those costs in the near future. Six Large Tankers.

The managing director of the British Petroleum Company of New Zealand, Limited, Mr. R. W. W. Turner, has received information from the AngloIranian Oil Company, Limited, that the British Tanker Company, Limited, the A.1.0.C. tanker fleet which supplies Anglo-Iranian interests, has placed orders for six single-screw geared steam turbine tankers of 23,000 tons deadweight each- Each tanker will cost more than £1,000.000. The British Tanker Company, Limited, _ has now placed the whole of its wartime losses of 41 tankers, and the present tanker fleet exceeds 1,500,000 tons. In addition to the six new 28,000-ton tankers for which orders have now been placed 16 12,500 deadweight ton tankers are being built.