NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26113, 28 March 1946, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Dunedin Awakened “ Dunedin may have been lacking in progressiveness in recent years, but it has wakened up with a vengeance,” said the Deputy-Mayor (Cr J. McCrae) yesterday, when he welcomed the delegates to the annual conference of the New Zealand Master Carriers’ Federation. “ Otago and Dunedin are determined to go ahead. We have every asset here and some advantages which other cities do not possess.” Cr McCrae pointed out that Dunedin owned its own electricity, gas and transport services, which was not the case in any of the other cities, and that its cheap electricity was a benefit to manufacturers. “ The business done by the city trading departments is second only to that of Government Departments in New Zealand,” he said. “Be assured that Dunedin has shaken off its lethargy and is very decidedly going ahead/’ Mr Savage’s Memory A Press Association telegram from Auckland says that a tribute to the memory of Mr M. J. Savage, the first Labour Prime Minister, was paid yesterday. the sixth anniversary of his death, by representatives of the Auckland Labour Movement who visited the Bastion Point Mausoleum, where wreaths were laid. The Government was represented by Mr Bernard Martin, M.L.C. Resourceful New Zealanders The fact that the Second New Zealand Division had been using up to 5000 vehicles was mentioned by the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, at the New Zealand Motor Body Builders' Conference yesterday when referring to the extraordinary mobility of the Division. The New Zealanders had acquired an enviable reputation for its use and maintenance of motor vehicles, he said, due largely to the fact that most of them had had previous driving experience and to their inventive powers and resourcefulness on the repair side. Incorporation of Land /

A commission consisting of Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.. Mr William Edwin Shaw, and the district Government valuer, Mr John Alexander Wilson, sat yesterday morning to consider an application from the Dunedin City Corporation to incorporate areas from the Taieri County in the city. One area is situated in the Kaikorai Valley and comprises 180 acres and two areas are situated in the Costorphone district, comprising 360 acres. No objections were lodged to the application, and a report will be submitted by the commission in due course to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr W. E. Parry. Vandalism on Football Grounds

“ Last year vandalism was rife on all our playing areas,” said the treasurer of the Otago Rugby Football Union (Mr H. C. Williamson) at the annual meeting last night when he asked delegates of clubs to bring before their junior members the necessity for protecting the union’s property. Mr Williamson added that the union had spent a good deal of money in the purchase of new goalposts, and it was to be hoped that last year’s experience would not be repeated. Many of the goalposts had been damaged last season, and it appeared that some of the damage was caused by wanton destruction on the part of junior players. Municipal Organ Recital

Mr C. R. Spackman, guest organist, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday evening, when an interesting programme of organ music will be presented. The following compositions will be performed:— “Gothic March” (Salome), “Sunset Melody ” (Vincent), “Panis Angeiicus ” (Cesar Franck), "Rhapsodie in G Minor” (Faulkes), “Pastorale in F” (Bach). “Serenade” (Herbert), “By the Sea” (Schubert), “Noctufne in E Flat” (a request item), Chopin; March “Le Prophete ” (Meyebeer). Mr Spackman will be assisted by Miss Jean McLay, contralto, who will sing “ Like to the Damask Rose ” and “ The Shepherd's Song” (Elgar), There will be no charge for admission. Men Held in Services A plea for the release from the services of men who were needed in the industry was made by Mr J. E. Hunt, of Wellington, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Motor Body Builders’ Association, which' was opened in Dunedin yesterday. Mr Hunt, who spoke after the delegates had been addressed by the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, said that tradesmen were still being held in the services who were badly needed in the motor body building industry. In the camps they were going around picking up cigarette butts and matches, and he appealed to the Minister to comb them out and send them back so that the industry could get under way again.

Transport for the Services The growth of mechanical transport in the New Zealand services was referred to by the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, when addressing the conference of the New Zealand Motor Body Builders’ Association in Dunedin yesterday. At the outbreak of the war, Mr Jones said, Army Headquarters had 62 vehicles, but by March 31. 1944, this number had grown to more than 30,000. The sources from which they were obtained were as follows: —Impressed, 9379; purchased and made in New Zealand, 5089: purchased overseas, 15,079; from United States forces, 145; given, 26; total, 30.236. Since that time 21.000 of these vehicles had been disposed 0f—16,000 through the War Assets Realisation Board and the Ministry of Supply, and the remainder had been sent mainly to the British Pacific Forces. A considerable number of the vehicles on hand, which included motor cycles, tanks, etc., were not suitable for civilian use.

Then and Now A contrast between present conditions in the coachbuilding industry and those of the past was drawn by Mr G. T. Anderson, of Dunedin, in his presidential address yesterday to the annual conference of the New Zealand Motor Body Builders’ Association. “In former days there was a greater pride in the craftsman’s work than exists to-day,” he said. “It was a common sight to see most of the leading firms compefing at the annual shows, each with a dozen or more veheiles on exhibition, and the gold and silver medals of merit were keenly sought after, as there was an ardent rivalry between the various competitors in the trade. The team spirit was evident in the workshops,' and all employees pulled their weight in their endeavour to produce the best possible job. I don’t think the old coacbbuilder received much recompense for his efforts, but he certainly was wrapped up in his job.” Auckland Improvements The Minister of Works, Mr R. Semple, speaking at Lower Hutt on Tuesday night, mentioned a £5,000,000 development scheme for Auckland. When in Auckland a few days earlier the Minister indicated that the works would comprise road and railway projects, and his department hoped to dovetail the schemes into the findings of the Royal Commission on harbour facilities. Mr Semple said the Auckland City Council,, the Regional Planning Council and local bodies in the metropolitan area would have an opportunity within the next few weeks of examining the proposals that were being drawn up by his department. They aimed at great improvements in transport facilities generally throughout the metropolitan area. He added that the plans in preparation were intended to solve the transport problems of the metropolitan area for a period of at least 50 years.