DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS

CONGESTION IN STEAMERS. AUCKLAND, December 4. The difficulties confronting a number of New Zealanders,. Australians and' Island residents in obtaining berths on ships travelling between Fiji and Auckland were related byseveral passengers who arrived at Auckland by the Matua to-day. They said-that a rush for passages by the ship had occurred long before it arrived, and that this would continue for the rest of the summer. No fewer than 15 of the 49 passengers on board the Matua embarked at Suva, and it was stated that although the ship had taken as many as possible at this port, there were still dozens more waiting to leave. If large commercial concerns operating at Fiji followed the usual practice of beginning with their holiday rosters this month the position would become even worse. "It is the usual story,” said one of the passengers. “While in winter it is easy enough to obtain passages away from Fiji, in summer when, in addition to visitors, there are large numbers of residents who want to go to cooler climates for their holidays, there are not enough ships for the traffic on hand.”

Fiji, he said, could not expect companies in the trans-Pacific and Island! trades to refuse berths to prospective passengers at the New Zealand and Canadian or United States terminals, merely because there' was a possibility of people wanting berths at Suva. Intending passengers in Fiji just had to join the waiting-list and take their chances. HEAVY RAILWAY BOOKINGS. DUNEDIN, December 4. ' The increase in fail fares from December 11 has led to an almost unprecedented rush for holiday bookings at the local branch of the Government Tourist Department, and persons who are travelling from Dunedin on dates as far distant as the middle and end of January have been buying their tickets and making bookings. No fewer than seven members of the staff were required on the counter on Saturday morning to cope with this extra demand for booking and they were kept working at high pressure to fulfil the wants of the travelling public. The local district tourist manager confidently predicted a record tourist season. There is scarcely a holiday resort of any note in New Zealand which is not almost fully booked throughout the holiday season. The only resort in Otago where limited accommodation is still available is Pembroke, so that it is safe to forecast unprecedented holiday traffic in the coming Christmas season.

MORE ROLLING STOCK, AUCKLAND, December 4. During his recent visit to Auckland during the week-end, the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) supplied information about the efforts being made by his department to complete the buildings of rolling stock to make possible more effective handling of the heavy goods and passenger traffic anticipated during the summer months. ■“The workshops at Otahuhu,” said Mr. Sullivan, "are pushing along vigorously their programme of construction of cars and waggons for the North Island traffic. At the department’s other shops, similar signs of

activity are in evidence. The Wanganui shops at East Town are building their quota. “The Hutt workshops have already delivered three standard type rail-cars for the Wellington-New Plymouth run, and the fourth is almost ready. Before the Christmas recess, the Addington workshops will have delivered for the South Island services a large amount of rolling stock. . “The totalled figures give 31 cars and 936 waggons extra to the rolling stock available last summer,” Mr. Sullivan added. “These should materially assist, in satisfying the public demand during the coming season. The work of constructing cars will be carried on steadily after the holida'ys, for it is recognised that many more vehicles will be required to ensure the effective handling of the centennial exhibition traffic, which will commence before the summer of 1939.” Mr. Sullivan remarked that a large number of waggons and cars regularly passed through the workshops for overhaul, and that many of these required heavy repairs. He then dealt with the subject of locomoTFve construction, and stated that the Hutt (Wellington) and Hillside (Dunedin) shops were concentrating on the building of 41 modern locomotives of the “K” class. ' These would bb turned out at regular intervals in the comipg year, and 20 of them should be available in time for the early exhibition traffic.

. N.Z. MADE BATTERIES. . WELLINGTON, December 2. The period of exemption from obtaining licences for those engaged in the manufacture of storage batteries is further extended by a notice published in the Gazette issued’yesterday. The Minister for Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) said last evening he had granted the industry the protection of licensing provisionally for six months, on’ condition that the industry formulated an industrial plan for its reorganisation. The proposed industrial plan had not been completed within six months, but as good progress had been made in its preparation, he had, on the, recommendation of the Bureau of Industry, decided to extend the period of provisional licensing for a further four months. “I am very pleased,’’ said Mr. Sullivan, “that good progress has been made in this industry by various units co-operating in the preparation of an industrial plan. lam hopeful that the industry will be successful in its efforts to prepare a satisfactory plan for its reorganisation and future development.”

NEW POWER BOARD BUILDING. DARGARVILLE, December 3 A new brick and- concrete building the headquarters of the North Auckland Electric. Power Board, was officially opened by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, M.P., yesterday afternoon. The building cost £4500. The speakers included the ehairman of the board. Mr J. A. McLean, and the Mayor. Mr Raymond Gibson. The board’s progress had been phenomenal, said the chairman. Power from Arapuni was first available at the end of December, 1936. Consumers now numbered 2680, and the load was 14,018 kilowatts. There were 350 ranges, 654 water heaters, 540 milking motors, and 169 industrial motors In use. The capital expenditure was £188,738, and the .annual revenue from meter readings was £36,600. One of the chief features of the board’s success was that it. had obtained loan moneys amounting to £267,000, together with

£30.000 for consumers, at 35 per cent., in instalments as required. The board had already established a reserve fund which, with the sums written off, amounted to £6732. The board was making application for a further loan of £lOO,OOO. DRIVERS' DISPUTE. AUCKLAND, December 3. As the outcome of representations made by the Drivers’ Federation to the Federation of Labour aboufe-mal-ters in dispute in general and the local body drivers’ awards, it is stated that the employers in the industry have agreed to meet representatives of both federations to discuss alleged defects in the awards. 'The conference is to be held at Wellington in about a fortnight’s time, and is looked on by drivers in Auckland as yet another attempt to settle grievances without resorting to direct action. The questions in dispute arise out of recent awards issued by the Second Court of Arbitration and relate principally to hours. RAILWAY REVENUE INCREASE. AUCKLAND, December 4 v The opinion that with a full year'** working, the increase of 10 per cent, in the fare and freight charges on railways and associated services would result in a rise of approximately £BOO,OOO in net revenue, was expressed by the General Manager of. Railways (Mr G. H. Mackley) in an interview in Auckland. For the balance of the current financial year it was estimated that the Increase in net revenue would be about £250,000. It was considered that with thei increases spread equally over all classes of business, and in view of their comparatively small amount, there would be little if any adverse effect on the business of the department.

STORM AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, December 5. Following a heavy drift from the south, throughout Sunday, with frequent heavy rain, one of the severest southerlies for, many years, set in at 6 p.m., and till 1.30 a.m. was very heavy, 182 points of rain being recorded at Kelburn during this period. The rain lightened thereafter, but the wind continued to rage and just before 6.30 a.m. a gust of 74 miles an hour was recorded at Kelburn. The reading at the Rongotai aerodrome at the same time was 88 miles an. hour, and a gust of 89 was recorded there. The Cook Strait Airways service is interrupted, but Union Airways appear to be running to schedule. The storm has subsided but the day is unseasonably cold and windy.

FATALITIES. PALMERSTON N„ December 4. Michael Denis Burke, aged 21, a railway porter, who was crushed between trucks at Palmerston North on Friday night, died in hospital. HAWERA, December 3. George Arthur Murphy, aged 69, a farmer, of Hawera, died in the hospital yesterday from injuries he received in a fall from a hay sv<eep on Wednesday. He had farmed near Hawera for many years. He leaves a widow and an adult family. HAWERA, December 5. As the result of severe head injuries received late last evening, when, a motor cycle he was riding collided with a car at Normanby, William Hunt, a Maori, died at the Hawera Hospital this morning. The accident occurred close to the

township, the car involved being driven by Wilfred Brett, accountant, Bank of New Zealand, Kaponga. It was raining heavily, and the visibility is stated to have been bad. An/X-ray examination revealed that the handle of the car door had been completely buried in Hunt’s skull, entering the top of the head and travelling towards the left ear, causing brain laceration. .> — TAURANGA POST OFFICE. TAURANGA, December 2. The Postmaster-General (Hon. F. Jones) opened the-new post office at Tauranga yesterday in the presence of about 1,000 citizens. Tne building which cost £23,645, occupies a commanding position, and is up-to-date and commodious.