LOCAL NEWS

Grey River Argus, 22 August 1949, Page 4

LOCAL NEWS

Works Department engineers are considering additions to the power-1 house at Waitaki, the main proposal being to put in two extra generators of 15,000 kilowatts capacity each to raise the output of the station to 105,000 kilowatts. Another proposal less likely, is to install a 25,000 kilowatt generator in the Lake Pukaki outlet in the same way as a similar unit is now being installed at Lake Tekapo.

The Australian eight oarsmen to compete in the Empire Games at Auckland are, with one exception, identical with the New South Wales crew which won the King’s; Cup last May. The eight are: W. Brown (stroke), E. O. Pain, E. O. Longley, R. G. Selman, B. R. Goswell, P. Holmes Acourt, P. Cayger, R. N. Tinning (bow), J. Barnes (cox). D. Palmer and V. R. Middleton are the emergencies; Mr W. Thomas is the coach, and Mr E. Kenny is manager.

The Belle of the Annual Celtic Ball will be judged at 10.30 p.m. in Sturge Street Hall, to-morrow (Tuesday), August 23. —Advt.

During the past year the Government purchased the undertaking of Taupiri Coal-mines, Ltd., a company operating the Rotowaro and Alison Mines and owning extensive coalbearing lands in the vicinity of Huntly and six other smaller properties were also purchased mainly for development purposes (stated Rt Hon W. Nash last night in his Budget speech). The Coal Valuation Commission has been established in accordance with the provisions of the Coal Act .1948, and will soon commence its discussions to deter’" 5 "" the global sum which is to be apportioned amongst the claimants in respect of the coal vested' in the Crown on the Ist April, 1949 .

Have you seen Jeff's new bar,? Empire Hotel, Ross. —Advt.

New Zealand’s payments last year to the rest of the world exceeded receipts by over £7,000,000 sterling. Receipts totalled £150,000,000 and payments £157,000,000. This excess takes into account capital transaction in relation to Government and local body debt amounting to £10.400,000. The volume of our exports in 1948 continued to increase, and the value reached a record total of £124,600,000. Imports in the same year totalled £108,000,000.— Budget.

The street appeal which was conducted at Greymouth on Fridav resulted in approximately £l5O being raised for the funds of the Greymouth branch of the Red Cross Society.

Butter substitutes, black marketing thieving, and evasion of cream rationg are urged by Mr W. E. Hale (Dairy Board Chairman) as reasons against a continuation of butter and cream rationing in the Dominion. He said: We have legislation to prevent margarine from being sold for table use as a substitute for butter. There should be some legislation to control the sale and use of other butter substitutes. The subsidy on butter is £2,000,000 per annum. If rationing of both butter and cream were lifted and the prices of liquid milk and butter allowed to find their proper level, it is hffihlv probably that there would be little change in the amount of dairy produce being exported to Britain. There is £2,000,000 a year in subsidising milk and cream to the consumer.” He said nothing about what the price* to the consumer would be.

History was made in the New Hebrides recently, when the Presbyterian Church of the New Hebrides held its first General Assembly. Till a yea*' ago the Presbyterian Church work in the Pacific Islands was under the direct control of the missionaries but last year control was handed over to the native Church, with the title of “The Presbyterian Church in the New Hebrides.” The missionaries continue to act as guides and counsellors, and the first Moderator of the Assembly is the Rev. Graham Miller, LI. 8., formerly of Dunedin.

Switzerland has been gripped by a “spy fever” since the arrest of a postal' officer accused of spying for a foreign Power for more than 20 years. Another arrest is reported of an unnamed man said to have worked in the armaments division of the Swiss War Department, but there has been no official confirmation of this. Swiss newspapers are featuring forecasts of more arrests.

Mr B. L. Dallard, Controller-gen-eral of Prisons in his report to Parliament, says that a group of extremists has been engaged in an “anarchist effort to impede and break down the law enforcement machinery, and that “an insidious antiauthoritarian propaganda campaign” inspired by Communists is hindering the New Zealand prison authorities in recruiting staff. This campaign during the war was assisted by pacifists, military defaulters and sympathisers who alligned themselves as fellow travellers v*vith extremists in a policy of disparagement and creating discord. It seriously affected morale and undoubtedly hindered recruitment.”