CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7944, 30 October 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

WORKMEN'S BLOCKS. Tho New South Wales Minister of Lands is haring special inquiries made regarding areas of Crown. land available immediately adjoining country towns with populations of over 1000. It is proposed, wherever such land is available, to have it cut up into live-acre blocks and to offer them to workmen upon an easy residential tenure* Tho element of speculation will be entirely eliminated from the scheme and no man will be allowed to hold more than one block. Tho present rapid development of country towns, Mr Beeby points out, has revealed the necessity of having a number of skilled workmen on hand, and it is at present a matter of considerable di£h culty, especially in progressive centres, to obtain satisfactory residence for builders and other workmen. harm labour, being largely nomadic, is not in- such need. Fortunately land for the purposes contemplated is available around tho towns, and steps are being taken bo have surveys made and the land out up into blocks which will be ©ecurable on an easy form of tenure- The principle of the Workmen's levelling Act can be applied in. this way to tho country as well as to the city. It is also hoped that some assistance in the building of homes will be guaranteed under the Act when it’ becomes law. A SMART DISCHARGE. Smart cargo-handling was accomplished in unloading the Shaw, Savili and Albion liner lonic at Wellington last week. Owing to detention at Home by the late strike the lonic is behind her time-table dates, and it was imperative that she should discharge and load with the greatest despatch in New Zealand co pick up lost time. Captain Evans, the Shaw, Savili and Albion Company's local marine superintendent, approached the Harbour Board and received their assent to work the lonic day and night, to enable her to get away yesterday morning for Lyttelton. This she managed to do. The lonic berthed at the King's wharf at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, and about an hour later pratique was granted. The stevedores worked till 10 o'clock on. the first night. After that two shifts were worked —one from noon till midnight, and the other, from midnight to noon. The sheds at the King's wharf were, empty when the boat arrived. In a s little over three days' continuous work the lonic put out 5700 tons of general cargo from London, 100 tons of transhipments from Hobart, and also Leaded 150 bales of flax. There was also the baggage of over 500 passengers put out. The Harbour Board gave tho ship every facility for prompt discharge, and the lonic, when she left Wellington yesterday morning, had her insulated space ready to load moat and dairy produce immediately on arrival at Lyttelton. The feat has not been equalled in the history of New Zealand. The lonic will return from Lyttelton to Wellington towards the end of.tho week to sail about Saturday next for London.