TASKS AHEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25085, 26 December 1944, Page 6

TASKS AHEAD

BUILDING NEW WORLD

MR FRASER'S MESSAGE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday

"On ihe sixth Christmas of war all people will, 1 am sure, unite in earnest prayer that this will bo the last wartime Christmas," the Prime Minister, Mr Eraser, states in a Christmas message to the people of New Zealand. "I feel 1 express the heartfelt wish of everybody in hoping that this half decade of suffering and distress will soon yield to that peace and goodwill which for over 19 Centuries has marked the celebration of Christmas Day.

"With all the emphasis at my command I wish to stress that the war is not yet won. Hard and perhaps long fighting lies ahead and my Christmas message to my fellow-citizens is a call for continued effort on the part of everyone. To relax and let others win the victory of which we will enjoy the fruits would be a betrayal of all those who have striven and suffered on our behalf. It would bo utterly unworthy should we ho complacent about the lesser tasks that we aro called upon to perform or to Complain about those sacrifices, which are not comparable with those of our fighting men. "Complacency is only one of the dangers which we must shun at this hour. No less dangerous would be too easy discouragement. Now is no time to become discouraged, because there aro still some difficulties and some problems unsolved. Tho new world will only bo built slowly with great effort and with many disappointments, but it must be built on sure foundations. For this we need to keep our faith strong and our ideals clear.

"At this time our thoughts turn naturally to our soldiers fighting so heroically in Italy, to our sailors who are serving so faithfully and courageously over the seven seas, to our airmen who so intrepidly face the perils of the skies, and to the women in the services who have given such splendid support to our men. To all of them and to their relatives and all those others who are contributing in various ways to the winning of the war —indeed this means every New Zealander at home and overseas —I wish a happy Christmas."

NEW AWARD MADE CLEANERS AND LIFTMEN Shorter working hours and increased wages are provided for in a new award issued by the Arbitration Court for caretakers, cleaners, lift attendants and watchmen. It comes into operation on January 1, 1945, with effect for one year. The hours of work are reduced to 40 hours weekly, with an eight-hour day. Jn the case of lift attendants employed in an establishment where the hours of work are more than 40, they shall work those hours at ordinary rates up to 44 hours a week and thereafter at overtime rates. Cleaners permanently employed who work between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. are to be paid 2s a night extra. In a dissenting opinion, Air W. Cecil Prime, slates that it was not alleged that any changes had taken place in the general conditions of work since the last award was made, and the workers concerned had received the cost-of-liv-ing increases in common with other award workers. He, therefore, could not agree that hours of work should be shortened and wages increased.

STEWART ISLAND TRADE FORMER AUCKLAND VESSEL (0.C.) INV.ERCAKGILL, Monday Tho steamer Wairua, which has arrived at Bluff to take over the running between Bluff and Stewart Island, is expected to provide passengers with a more comfortable crossing than have most of tho vessels _ that have maintained the service in the past across Foveaux Strait, which has a reputation for choppine.ss and roughness. A hold had been fitted up as a spacious saloon for passengers. A sun deck 45ft in width has been built across the after part of the vessel. The forehokl has been refitted with cargo handling gear and will take about 100 tons of cargo. With accommodation for 850 passengers, the ship should be able to cope adequately with the holiday traffic, even at its peak, between the mainland and the island

Built in 1913 by G. T. Nichol, Auckland, the Wairua is a wooden twin-screw steamer of 352 tons. Tho Kaipara Shipping Co., for which the ship was built, employed her for many years in the Helensville-Dargaville cargo and passenger trade. When the Kaipara company was merged in the Northern Shipping Co., the Wairua was used in the passenger and cargo trade in and around Auckland. She was taken over by the New Zealand Navy more than two years ago, and work was begun in altering her for use as a naval vessel. The work was not completed, tho naval authorities deciding that they would have no use for the vessel. For several months tho Wairua was at a mooring at Purau Bay, Lyttelton Harbour, until she was acquired recently for tho BluffStewart Island trade.