DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 3 August 1937, Page 7

DOMINION NEWS

DISABLED SHIP. I Per Press Association I AUCKLAND, July 31. After drifting helplessly at the mercy of wind and seas off a dangerous Pacific atoll while the crew struggled three days to carry out repairs in the shaft tunnel, and being nursed on a long ocean voyage, the City of Shanghai arrived at Auckland this morning from New York. The mishap occurred on July 10, while steaming in a moderate sea. The propeller shaft suddenly began to vibrate violently, and the engines were immediately shut off. The engineers toiled night and day until repairs were effected under great difficulties and the propeller was put in condition to complete lhe voyage, and the fact that the vessel was successful in limping into port, although three weeks behind schedule, was evidence of the workmanlike job. During repairs the vessel drifted crabwise, rolling and shipping occasional seas, and only fifty-two miles off some treacherous tropical islands. The rudder was almost useless without motive power, and there were no staysails on board which could be rig-' ged. “If the shaft had gone again it would have smashed through the ship’s side,” said a member of the crew. Last Sunday the City of Shanghai was overtaken by the City of Glasgow which shepherded her for the re mainder of the voyage to Auckland at an average speed of from 21 to 41 knots. Repairs fo the damaged vessel will be done in Wellington. HOUSING POLICY. WELLINGTON, August 2. The sincerity of the Government’s expression of willingness, through the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing (Mr J. A. Lee), to co-operate with small builders, 'is challenged by the Hutt Valley Master Builders’ Association in a statement Issued last night. • As an instance in support of the challenge, the Association states that a few days ago tenders closed with a well-known Wellington architect for a £2OOO house. The deposit asked for with the tender was £lO. For a contract of the same size, the Government, with “its co-operation with the small builder principle,” had asked a deposit of £45 and a cash bond of £225.

HEALTH AND SUPERANNUATION BILLS. WELLINGTON, August 2. An assurance that tlie introduction of national superannuation and health insurance would not be prejudicial to the friendly societies, was given by the Hon. W. Lee Martin (Minister in Charge of Friendly Societies) at a dinner of Court. Sir George Grey, A.0.F., in Wellington on Saturday. He said that provision must be made lor those who for

health reasons had no chance of get ting into a friendly society, but the societies would be, consulted about, any more.