TRANSIT HOUSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25287, 22 August 1945, Page 6

TRANSIT HOUSING

NEW SITE SUGGESTED MECHANICS' BAY AREA ■ A suggestion that service buildings at Mechanics' Bay could be used for transit housing purposes as an alternative to Victoria Park has been received by the City Council. These buildings were originally occupied by the United States Navy as a reception depot and later as the United States naval headquarters in Auckland. They are now shared by sections of the New Zealand Navy, Army and Air Force. An inspection of the buildings was made yesterday by members of the City Council Housing Committee and it is. understood that their findings will bo placed before the next meeting of tiie City Council. However, there is no reason to believe that the Housing Committee will alter its attitude regarding the suitability of tiie Victoria Park scheme when the .debate on transit housing is reopened at this meeting on a. motion by Mr F. N. Ambler. It is Mr Ambler's intention to move for the abandonment of the Victoria Park scheme. In the meantime the Harbour Board has deferred making a decision whether it will permit portion of Victoria Park to be used 'or other than . recrea t iona 1 pur poses. TRAIN DERAILMENT SLIP ON MIDLAND LINE DISLOCATION OF TRAFFIC (0.C.) GRKYMOtJTH, Tuesday Dislocation of rail traffic between the West Coast and Canterbury was caused early this morning when an extensive slip between Avoca and Craigieburn, on the Canterbury side of Arthur's Pass, caused the derailment of an engine, its tender and six waggons. The train was scheduled to arrive at Greymouth at 5.35 o'clock this morning. None of the crew was injured. A train from Christchurch had passed over the section of the track which was later covered by the slip early this morning, but the following goods train, shortly after 2.30 a.m., plunged deep into the pile of rubble, which was oO yards in length. The engine jumped the rails and its tender overturned. The first six waggons also left the line, but were not seriously damaged. A goods train from Greymouth reached the scene shortly afterward and its passengers were transhipped and taken on to Christchurch later in the morning. The railcar from Christchurch was next to arrive, and it was some . time before the transhipment of passengers and luggage could be effected. Its passengers and mails arrived at Greymouth at 12.15 p.m. instead of at 6.-10 a.m. This morning's Greymouth-Christ-cliureh express, conveying over 400 passengers in 11 cars, travelled as far as tlx' slip, where the passengers were transhipped to the express from Christchurch, which had a complement of 435 passengers. Both expresses were very late in arriving at their destinations. Tonight's railcar ran as usual from Greymouth and by the time it had reached the locality the slip had been cleared and normal traffic resumed. EARLY LAMBING THE NORTHLAND SEASON (0.C.) WHAXGAREI, Tuesday In some districts in Northland lambing commenced early this year, due probably to the weather conditions. Indications are that the season will be a good one for lambing and that the percentages will be high. Already a nrnnI ber of twin lambs have been reported, j The climatic conditions are also satisfactory for the dairy farmer. With pastures now showing growth and the warmer weather setting in .the supply of cream to dairy factories is rapidly increasing. The majority of Northland factories will be on a daily Cream col- [ lection schedule by the end of this ; month. ; LOCAL AND GENERAL I Orakei Boat Harbour The small Works Department suction - 1 dredge had continued working in the 1 Orakei boat harbour area, and a section ? of the reclamation was practically up to ' the finished level, reported the engineer--1 superintendent. Mr D. Holderness. at a [ meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board ' yesterday. Shortage of cement had pre--5 vented further work on the seaward > slope. , Island Fruit Supplies . The fact that part of a consignment of 7000 cases of Samoan bananas, which I arrived in Auckland on "Monday, proved s to be in inferior condition, was reported by the Internal Marketing Division vesl terday. The Auckland city area nad 5 been allotted '2957 cases, and these were on sale in shops yesterday. Supplies of i oranges continue to arrive fairly slowly. 1 The next shipment is expected to con- , sist of 8600 cases. 1 The New Gas Plant Preparations for the construction of : the new plant for the Auckland Gas Co. began yesterday, when contractors' sheds were erected and the sites of the ' new buildings were pegged. Work on the foundations is expected to begin within a few days. The contract, which was let to West's Gas Improvement Co., Ltd., for £272,161, is expected to be completed in about two years. Other im--5 provements will bring the expenditure 1 to well over £300,000. \ Cadets in Camp 1 About 250 cadets and cadet officers - from seven secondary schools in the ! Northern Military District are undert: going a week's voluntary course of inIjstruction at Papakura camp. They are - paving 2s 3d a head each day for rations s and quarters, and are receiving a variety r j of training. This is the first secondary " school camp held at Papakura, and is 1 also the first school camp held since the Northern Military District School of Instruction was transferred to Papakura from Narrow Neck. Increase in Traffic . In reporting an increase in road traffic since August 1 to a meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council last night, ) the traffic officer said that he thought ? extra care would have to be taken now, r as motorists would meet with inex- • perienced drivers, others who were out [ of practice, and, to a degree, women - drivers, in addition to the worst menace, the young motor-cyclist who considered > every road a speed track. The Mayor, > Mr R. J. Mills, remarked that the four > accidents reported already constituted [ an increase. ■ Potatoes on Roadway . One of the quickest reactions seen ' from Aucklanders -for some time was shown yesterday when a United States ' Joint. Purchasing Board van spilled a large iniuibei" of potatoes on to the rend when turning out ot Manukau Road into 1 St. Stephen's Avenue, school- ' children were the first to appreciate tne 1 opportunity, hut they were almost nnmediately followed by men women 1 on the way to their homes. The present 1 shortage of potatoes was excuse enough ■ for them, and those who did not have better containers filled their pockets. Bulk Grain Shipment Work is well advanced on the coni struction of two portable grain hoppers > and other necessary gear for handling , the shipment ot grain in hulk is ■ due at Auckland on Monday from Vancouver, according to a report made to the Auckland Harbour Hoard by tne engineer-superintendent. Mr D. Holderness, yesterday. Experiments were recentlv conducted at Auckland in the discharging of bulk wheat with a grab. It. is expected that the grain wil be discharged by grab into hoppers, wliicn ■ will then empty into trucks fitted witti special wooden tanks.