BLOCKED RAILWAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 4

BLOCKED RAILWAY

MIDLAND LINE TROUBLE REPAIRING DEEP WASHOUT (0.C.) GREYMOUTH, Tuesday The Midland railway line is still blocked by a washout between Cora Lynn and Arthur's Pass and indications are that the subsidence, which is only about three-quarters of a chain long but very deep, will not be repaired until tomorrow. Railcar passengers are being transhipped at the break. Delayed by the necessity for transshipping at the scene of the washout, passengers by the express from Christchurch did not reach Greymouth until after 6.30 tonight, nearly two hours late, while express passengers from Greymouth were similarly late in reaching Christchurch. Rain continued intermittently throughout the province today. ORCHIDS FOR QUEEN SPRAY SENT BY BOMBER (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH. Tuesday One of the two sprays of orchids sent to London by the Lancaster bomber when it left New Plymouth on Saturday will be presented to the Queen with "loyal' greetings from tho citizens of New Plymouth." The Governor-General, Sir Newall, has given his approval and the Mayor, Mr E. JR. C. Gilmour, has cabled to the High Commissioner for Zealand in London, Mr W. J. Jordan", to make presentation if the orchids arrive in good order. The other spray sent will be presented to Mrs Churchill.

HOURS OF SHOPS DEFERRING COURT HEARING Applications have been made for adjournment of two industrial disputes concerning the closing hours of shops and the introduction of the five-day week, which were to have been heard by the Arbitration Court during its present sitting. ( The applicants and respondents have agreed to ask the Court for an adjournment of the Auckland retail shop assistants' (21-mile radius) industrial dispute until the Court next sits in Auckland, and both parties to the retail grocers assistants' dispute have agreed to make a similar request for an adjournment until the Court returns to Auckland in the new year. In these two disputes a complete settlement has been reached in conciliation counfcil and the draft agreement is to be referred to the Court to make into an award. PACIFIC AIR SERVICE FIRST EAST-BOUND FLIGHT (0.C.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday The first east-bound flight of aircraft on the newly inaugurated Pacific air service connecting Australia New Zealand, Canada and London and operated by the Royal Air Force Transport Command, was resumed from near Wellington yesterday. This flight had begun from Sydney three days earlier, and will not operate to schedule, as Air Commodore Griffith Powell, C.8.E., R.A.F., who is in command, . has to make a number of visits and complete negotiations with officials en route. The service will not normally go via Wellington, but the aircraft went there so" that Air Commodore Powell could discuss the general operation with New Zealand Government officials. The crew and staff officers were guests of the New Zealand Government. DEATH IN A SHOP While purchasing meat yesterday afternoon, a widow, Mrs Margaret Mary Roiall. aged 49, of 13 Rum Street, Eden Terrace, collapsed in a butcher's shop in Upper Symonds Street. She died before receiving medical attention. An inquest will be held. CHILD SCALDED (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Tuesday Falling into a bucket of hot water in the cow shed on his parents' farm at Glenbervie, John Maddox, aged four, suffered scalds on his body and limbs. He was brought into the Whangarei Hospital this evening and his condition is regarded as very serious. SOUNDING-BOX AT BEACON A sounding box has been fitted to the outermost beacon markin'g the entrance to Bayswater wharf to act as a fog signal by echoing the ferry steamer whistles. In a report to a meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday, the engineer-superintendent, Mr D. Holderness. said that the masters of the ferry boats were of the opinion that the sounding-box would enable them to find the beacon in fog without any additional sound signals and that it would be a material benefit to ferry boats navigating th 6 channel. Since a man operating it some years ago ,was knocked into the harbour by a hoat approaching" in "the fog, a manual bell, which was the previous only signal on the beacon, has not been rung.