Defence League.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 99, 27 March 1939, Page 6

Defence League.

Major-General Sir Andrew Bussell (patron) and lion. W. Perry M.L.C. (president), of the New Zealand Defence League, are visiting towns on the west coast of the North Island, including Palmerston North, this week, in order to further the aims of the league. Bridged at Last. The dream of Clutha Valley settlers for more than 64 years was realised on Saturday afternoon, when a punt that has provided the only means of crossing the Molyncaux Biver at Clydcvale during all that time was superseded by a modern concrete bridge. With the completion of this bridge only two punts remain on the river, one at the Tuapcka mouth and the other at Paretai, below Balclutha. Press Association.

Improvement of Highway. Substantial progress has been made by the Public Works Department with the improvement of the No. 60 highway, between Palmerston North and Shannon, and the work of cutting off the bad bend at the Linton corner is now under way. Pour miles of road, sonic at the Palmerston North end and some at the Makerua end, have received their first priming coat of sealing, and a start was made this morning with the application of the second coat on the Makerua section. Newspaper Advertising Importance. Newspaper advertising is the factor which has made the tourist trade the second largest industry in California. That declaration was made recently by Mr P. J. B. Morriss, first vice-presi-dent of the California Star Hotel Association, when he returned from Richardson Springs to Los Angeles from the spring meeting of the hotel group. Mr Morriss added that oil was the State’s greatest industry. Last year the tourist trade had benefited the State of California to the extent of 194,000,000 dollars.

Child Falls from Car. Falling from a car driven by her father (Mr C. A. Waugh) a child, 4 years of age, Barbara Mary Waugh, sustained minor injuries to her face and was admitted to a private hospital. Mr Waugh was proceeding from Feilding to Palmerston North when the accident occurred on Milson’s Line. Premier Leaves Auckland. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), also Hens’. L). G. Sullivan and W. E. Parry, left Auckland last night by the Limited express for Wellington. There was an enthusiastic scene at the station, the Waterside Workers’ Band attending. Mr Savage addresed a large crowd as the train departed.—Press Association. Railway Deviation Work.

Sixty men are at present working on the Palmerston North railway deviation, and are principally engaged in preparing the site for the goods yards near Rangitikci Line. Owing to a delay in the delivery of heavy rails, it will probably be several weeks before the laying of the track can proceed on the eastern side of Rangitikci Line. Payment of Rates. A statement on rates, presented to the Palmerston North River Board today, showed that the amount struck was £3026 18s sd, and collections up to March 24 wore £2807 18s Od, outstanding rates being only £2lB 19s lid. Arrears as at April 1, 1938, were £298 15s 2d and payments to March 24, 1939, totalled £152 12s, leaving outstanding £146 3s 2d. Arrival of Bombers.

The first batch of the new longrange Vickers Wellington bombers ordered for the R.N.Z.A.F. should reach New Zealand in October, stated the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones) at Christchurch yesterday. Altogether thirty bombers will come to New Zealand, and they will be flown in batches by New Zealand and British crews.— Press Association.

Dry Conditions in South. Impressions of very dry conditions are retained by Dir W. Mouldey, of Palmerston North, who just returned from a motor tour of the South Island. In conversation with a “Standard” reporter, Dir Dlouldey said that he was also struck by the great number of Public Works jobs which were in progress all along their journey, particularly on the West Coast. State House Inspection. Following upon their inspection of State houses on Saturday at Palmerston North, where 70 are let and over 100 are under construction, Hon. H. T. Armstrong (Dlinister in Charge of Housing) and Hon. M. Briggs, M.L.O. made a similar inspection at Feilding. Another contract is to be let shortly, it is understood, for State houses at Palmerston North. Guarding Assets Trustee J. T. J. Ileatley, at a meeting of the Palmerston North River Board, to-day, moved that in bringing down the estimates for next year the engineer give serious consideration of the reconditioning of the present works, lie was concerned, he said, about all the money being spent on new works, and no attention being given to the existing ones. His motion was carried. New Freight Contract. A delegation representing the four principal shipping companies engaged in the trade between New Zealand and the United Kingdom arrived at Wellington on Saturday, having come from London at the request of the New Zealand Government to negotiate a new freight contract for refrigerated cargo freights. This will be the first time that the refrigerated cargo freights conference has been held in New Zealand. Operatic Societies Federate.

At a conference of amateur operatic societies, held in Wellington on Saturday, it was decided to form a federation to be known as the National Operatic and Dramatic Association ol New Zealand. The following suKcommiltee was set up to make arrange-ments-.—Dlcssrs J. Harris (Napier), W. Jameson (Wellington), T. M. N. Rodgers (Palmerston North), R. J. Doung (Dlasterton), with Mr G. D. Alexander (secretary, pro tem). Fire on Farm.

Whipped by a brisk westerly breeze, a smouldering straw stack burst into flames which spread quickly into a paddock of dry wheat stubble on the farm of Mr J. H. Griffin, at Te Ore Ore, near Dlasterton, yesterday. Hundreds of acres of dry grass on adjoining farms and Dir Griffin’s homestead were threatened, as the flames swept through a plantation of young pi nus insignis. Volunteer fire-fighters sublued the flames after six acres had been affected.

Shunter Injured, Mr H. T. Redshaw, of 172 Fe-ather-ston Street, a single man, aged 22, employed as a shunter at the Palmerston North railway yards, was admitted to the Hospital in a dangerously ill condition as the result of injuries he received on Saturday afternoon while on duty. Mr Redshaw sustained a compound fracture of the lower left leg, a severe injury to his right foot, and lacerations to his leg. The authorities at the Hospital to-day reported that there was not, as yet, any appreciable change in his condition. Ratana Tragedy Recalled. Yesterday was tho first anniversary of the Ltatana train tragedy, when a New Plymouth-bound excursion from Wellington, carrying about 200 holi-day-makers, left the rails about 20 miles south of Wanganui. In the wreckage of the train were four bodies and two other people died later in hospital. The injured totalled. 40. of whom 13 were admitted to hospital; one is still in Wanganui Hospital, though it is expected that he will bo discharged in the rear future. He is Mr J. D. Gardiner, of Gonville. Friendly Society’s Savings. With £148,000 in savings, the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows has an average of over £5 for each of its 29,000 members, and its invested funds represent a further £167,000, or nearly £6 a member. Tho society has figured it out that it loses about £4OOO a year in interest on its liquid assets deposited with the trailing banks, and would therefore welcome an arrangement for tho use of cheques through the Post Office Savings Bank. At several biennial conferences resolutions have been carried urging the Government to make provision for all the friendly societies to operate on their post office savings accounts by moans of cheques, and the principle was again affirmed by the conference in Auckland last week.