NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25302, 12 August 1943, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

“ rpHE executive is firmly of the opinion that the Internal Marketing Department is solely responsible for the high price of citrus fruit and bananas,” stated the report of the executive of the Christchurch Consumers League, which was presented at the annual meeting of that body. “We consider it to be a costly organisation to the people of the Dominion, and entirely without merit. It is costly because the fruits controlled are always at prohibitive prices to the ordinary wage-earners with young families. Citrus fruits have also been in insufficient quantities, and, apart altogether from the excessive charges, they have not been made available through the monopoly control of the department. It will always remain a costly institution to the people, and should be abolished in the interests of efficiency and economy.”

Effect of Fruit Shortage Notices stating that apples, pears, oranges, and bananas will be supplied only to regular customers or with general orders will shortly be displayed in shops of members of the Auckland Retail Fruiterers’ Association, The notices explain (says a Press Association telegram) that this action is being taken to ensure an even distribution of these fruits, which are in short supply. Tobacco Importation* The shortage of cigarettes and tobacco is 7 apparently much more severe this year than it was last, although in five months of this year importations of tobacco totalled 616,4461 b compared with only 337 bib in the same period of last year. The better comparison for practical purposes, however, is with pre-war importations. In five months of 1937 the Dominion imported nearly 200,000,000 cigarettes and 1,500,0001 b of tobacco. Kaikorai Bus Service

The following resolution was adopted on Tuesday at a meeting of the Otago Road Transport and Motor and Horse Drivers’ Union of Workers: —“That this union thanks and congratulates the Minister of Transport, Mr J. O’Brien, for his prompt action in regulating a safe and reasonable time table on the Kaikorai bus route, and we are satisfied that, by his action, he has removed) a menace to the drivers and general public concerned.” Counterfeit Bank Note*

Spurious bank notes are in circulation in Auckland. Those so far detected all bear the same serial number —2 over M 355511. These counterfeit notes are what are described as “wishy-washy” in appearance and, according to bank officials, might deceive the public, but not the banks. Genuine notes which have been inadvertently through the family wash or a dry-cleaning process in clothing might have a similar appearance. Some American dollar bills have also been detected as counterfeit, but no particulars are available.

Closing of Shelter Trenche* As soon as the labour is available, the public shelter trenches in Auckland will be filled in. This decision (states a Press Association message) was made at a meeting of the Auckland Central Committee of the E.P.S. yesterday morning. The Mayor and chief warden, Mr J. A. C. Allum, said the works controller, who is the city engineer, Mr J. Tyler, had been given directions to fill in all the public trenches, the work to begin as soon as possible. There was no objection to private citizens filling in the trenches in their back yards or gardens. Mr Allum added that a survey of the public shelters was taking place, and the Auckland tunnels were to be maintained in the meantime.

Record Trade Record levels in value for New Zealand’s overseas trade were reached during the 12 months ended June 30, which corresponds with the season of production and trade, the total of exports and imports amounting to £143,074,000. Exports at £71,302,000 were lower by £2,737,000 than the previous year’s figures, which were the highest ever recorded. Imports, on the other hand, were at the record level of £71,772,000, being higher than the previous year’s total by more than £20,000,000. The net result turns the previous year’s surplus of exports, £22,661,000, into an excess of imports of £470,000, the first that has occurred in the last decade. Traffic Risk

A rider urging that legislatipn be enacted prohibiting the installation of gas producers on the driver’s side of vehicles was presented in the Supreme Court at Wellington by a jury which had dealt with a case of negligent driving in which a man had been struck by a truck while attending to the gas producer on his car. The foreman of the jury explained that the object of the rider was to prevent a recurrence of such accidents due to persons attending to gas producers being exposed to danger from other traffic. Mr Justice Blair said that he was interested in the point, and would see that the suggestion was conveyed to the proper quarters. He pointed out that the position of the producer on a vehicle was generally related to the location of the carburettor.

Change to Sheep Farming The alarming number of farmers | changing from dairying to sheep-farm-i ing was commented on by Mr W. N. I Perry, chairman of the Bruntwood Co- ! operative Dairy Company, Cambridge, iat the annual meeting of suppliers. 1 Dairy production had decreased by l about 18 to 20 per cent, in the past j two seasons, he said, and another big ! drop could be expected this year. The j labour problem had grown so serious ! that a surprising number of dairymen i in the Waikato were changing to sheep I farming. The tragedy of this was that ! they were changing from butter and ' cheese production, the two mostneeded products in New Zealand, to lamb production, when lamb supplies were ample. A great many farmers were reducing herds to sizes they i could conveniently handle without ob- ! taining the aid of outside labour, a large proportion of which now seemed 1 to be ineffiient. The lack of fertiliser and the prices for cheese and butter were additional factors causing the decrease in dairying.