MAIN TRUNK SLIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24635, 14 July 1943, Page 2

MAIN TRUNK SLIPS

DELAY TO EXPRESSES TROOP TRAINS AFFECTED (0.C.) WANGANUI, Tuesday Two slips 011 the Main Trunk line caused considerable delay to traffic, including special troop trains, during last night and to-day. A slip between Ohingaiti, 19 miles from Taihape, and Mangaweka delayed a special express running from Wellington to Auckland and two freight trains this morning. The express was held for an hour and a-quarter at a point beyond Ohingaiti while the slip, which came down at 5.45 a.m., near the mouth of a tunnel, was being cleared. The limited express from Auckland reached Marlon at 9.44 a.m. to-day. nearly four hours behind schedule. 'J his train was delayed late last night because of a slip between Poro-o-Tarao, 20 miles south of To Kuiti, and Waimiha. Trains from Wellington arrived lato at Auckland yesterday. The first express, due at 7 a.m., was delayed an hour and 20 minutes, and the limited express was 54 minutes late. The special troop trains also were considerably delaved.

; FATAL COLLISION MOTOIi-CYCLTST KILLED ACCIDENT NEAR WESTFI ELD A young man was killed yesterday afternoon when the motor-cycle he was riding was involved in a collision with a service vehicle on the Great South Road, between West field and Penrose. He was Mr. Alexander Raymond Newdick, married, with two young children, of Hotfou Street, Otahului. Mr Newdick was travelling to his work at the To Papa pa fertilizer works shortly before 4 o'clock when the accident occurred. POTATO CROP FAILS LOSS OF £8866 MADE PRODUCTION COUNCIL PLAN (0.C.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Tuesday A loss of £.')866 on the potato growing project inaugurated by the North Tarannki Primary Production Council in response to an appeal for increased production was disclosed at the annual meeting of the council at New Plymouth. A total of 152 tons of seed was used on 126 i acres and nearly 70 tons of potatoes were harvested. The expenditure totalled £5121, including £2512 for seed, and receipts were £1255, including £.'i22 from the sale of cut potatoes when the seed was being prepared for planting. The failure of the crop was attibuted by the chairman of the production council, Mr. H. F. Blyde, principally to the weather, which caused delay and deterioration of seed before planting and gave impetus to the spread of blightin the summer. SUNDAY TAXI WORK CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION SUPPORT FROM PRESBYTERY The Auckland Presbytery decided last night to support the appeal of three taxi-drivers, who are also elders of the Church, against being compelled to do Sunday work on roster. The Presbytery also claimed for such conscientious objectors the right of appeal to some impartial tribunal. Reporting on behalf of the public questions committee, the Rev. J. D. Smith said the work had apparently been portioned out among the drivers under regulations from which there was no appeal. One of the men concerned was superintendent of a Sunday •school. One of them was obtaining signatures- for a petition to the Taxi Control Committee on conscientious grounds, and he thought he had a right to the support of the Presbytery. The public questions committee recognised that there was a certain amount of essential work that had to be done on Sundays, but there were a number of drivers quite willing to do that, and it .seemed an unnecessary complication to try to compel others. The Presbytery unanimously endorsed the appeal of the taxi-drivers who objected to Sunday work on conscientious grounds, and suggested that they he given alternative periods of work by the Taxi Control Committee. Mr. Smith moved a further motion of protest against the action of the Minister of Transport in authorising regulations which gave him absolute power without any right of appeal. The motion was adopted. DEATH AT 100 SISTER OF SIR J. CARROLL (0.C.) XAPIER, Tueday After celebrating her 100 th birthday j recently, Mrs. .lane White died ye.st.er-j day at her residence. Kennedy Road. ; Napier, after a short illness. Mrs. White, whose husband. Mr. Robert j White, predeceased her many years ago, j spent the early part of her life in the ' Wairoa district, later going to Napier, j where she resided until her death. She ; was a keen horticulturist and worked in her garden up to a month ago. Of her family of six—three boys and - three girls-—five predeceased her. the one surviving son being Mr. Surtees J. White, formerly of Wellington and now > residing in Napier. Mrs. White was a j sister of the late Sir James Carroll. NO SUNDAY HOCKEY USE OF PARK REFUSED (0.C.) HAMILTON, Tuesday A request lor the use of Hinemoa; Park on Sunday mornings for hockey ; practice was received by the Hamilton | Domain Board from essential workers j last night. In moving that the board i express its regret that it could not! grant the use of the park as requested, i Mr. W. B. Young said the board should I oppose any form of organised sport on Sundays. To allow the request would! create a dangerous precedent. The chairman. Mr. F. A. Swarbrick,! said they should consider the feelings j of the public concerning sport on Sun-' days. He pointed out an inconsistency, however, in that the board allowed golf, on its links at the Hamilton Lake on Sundays. The motion was carried. DANCING ON STATION Dancing to the music of the military band was adopted by a number of couples among the thousands of people waiting for Hie arrival of the second train with members of the Second New Zealand Fxpeditionary Force last night. Announced for 7.10 p.m.. the train was delayed just outside Auckland The dancing was done as much to lessen the rigours of a cold southerly wind as to while away the time of waiting. WATER SUPPLY IMPROVED (0.C.) NOUMEA, July 11 Improving Noumea's wartime water supply and permanently benefiting the town, the American military authorities have installed a pumping system which will increase considerably the normal How hitherto obtainable. New reservoirs are also being installed at dillerenfc points. The Fluted States forces have also improved tlie water supply at Port Vila, capital of the New Hebrides.