THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “ Public Service.” MONDAY, JULY 13, 1942. PRODUCT OF SEAWEED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3139, 13 July 1942, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “ Public Service.” MONDAY, JULY 13, 1942. PRODUCT OF SEAWEED

An article in to-day’s issue draws attention to the possibilities of founding a new industry in the Bay of Plenty. This discovery that seaweed from the coastal waters of the Bay, from the Coromandel Peninsula to Whakatane, contains the agar so necessary for experimental use in medical establishments, brings the district to the fore, as a potential centre' for the future source of supply, to replace the article formerly produced by Japan. Just as necessity is the mother of invention, the cutting off of the Japanese supply has already resulted in a further discovery of New Zealand’s versatility as a land bountifully endowed. The Bay of Plenty agar is described as equal to the finest Japanese and it is pleasing to note that already Britain has placed an experimental order and enquiries have been received from the U.S.A. INTERESTS OF ECONOMY Conflicting the changing needs in time of war lead to decisions that are not really consistent, and for that reason many people are often puzzled. But from time to time instances occur about which there does not seem to be any ground for even a difference of opinion. Just at present there is a serious shortage of tyres for vehicular traffic, petrol is strictly limited and there is a growing scarcity of manpower. The correspondent of a Christchurch paper has written stating that a firm’s coal truck delivered an order for six tons of coal at his station some 30 miles from the yard, but he could not send any of his wool out from the ’ station on the empty truck. “To keep within the law,” he said, “the firm must send a ‘general goods’ licence truck . . . to do the job.” That entailed a journey of 60 miles, whereas the wool could have been sent out on the empty coal- lorry. Another correspondent has pointed put that certain tractors and trailers can be used to ‘cart manure or lime from works or rail for distances not exceeding six and one-half miles, but “nothing whatsoever can be carted to the rail.” He added that if the farm were seven miles from the railway then the cartage must be done in vehicles for which a heavy traffic licence had been taken out. In the interests of economy, limitations of this nature should be jettisoned and not for wartime only.