NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26478, 4 June 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Farmers’ Conferences A welcome to delegates to the conference of the various produce sections of Federated Farmers in Dunedin was given yesterday by the Otago provincial president, Mr S. Sim, who said he hoped that all the meetings would be a success. The annual meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the Farmers’ Union was also held yesterday, when subjects of domestic interest were discussed. Last evening the Otago provincial executive of Federated Farmers met to discuss internal affairs. ' The conference of branch delegates to Federated Farmers will open this morning, and will be continued to-mor-row. Twenty-one remits are on the agenda. Charitable Bequest

A bequest of £IOO to the Presbyterian Social Service Association for the funds of the Ross Home is provided for in the will of Mr Henry Mitchell Fowler, farmer, of Clarendon, whose estate has been sworn for probate purposes at under £4OOO. / Crown Range Road Closed Advice has been received by the Otago Automobile Association from the Lake County Council that the road over the Crown Range has now been closed to traffic for the winter months. Notices have been placed at each- approach.

Express Trains Delayed The two expresses from the north yesterday were late on their arrival at Dune'din. The through express to Invercargill from Christchurch arrived at 4.58 p.m.' instead of its scheduled time of 4.18 p.m., and the train due to arrive at 5.1 p.m. came in 17 minutes late. The delays were presumably caused by heavy loading. Heavy Betting

A total of £930.826 10s was handled by the. totalisators at the five race meetings held in the Dominion during the King's Birthday week-end, this being £51,752 more than last year. Bigger investments were recorded at all the centres with the exception of Ashburton, where the trotting club's totalisgtor showed, a small decrease. Suburban Building Progress

Eighteen building permits of a total value of £40,244 were issued by the Green Island Borough Council during May. The town clerk’s report, received at the monthly meeting of the council last night, stated that the main items were for new industrial building The erection of an oxygen factory for the Acetone Welding Company on the Main South road was estimated to cost £IB,OOO and permits for additional plant' for the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., were valued at £13,300. During the period 22 State rgntal houses and a telephone exchange building, which are exempt from permit fees, were commenced. Research into Erosion Whether research into the causes and control of erosion should be done by Government departments or by individual catchment boards was considered by the New Zealand Catchment Boards’ Association at its conference at Palmerston North. It was decided to ask the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council if it believed that this research should be done by the various departments for the council, and the results made available to boards, “ and. if so, when can the boards expect to see the work started?” If no progress can be promised soon “on account of the Government’s inability to secure trained staff because of the inadequate salaries offered,” the council is to be asked if it wishes catchment boards to make their own arrangements for research in their own areas. Seed-testing Station “It is a public scandal that we have been side-tracked for several years, and that no action has been taken in any way whatever to have a seedtesting station in the South Island,” said Mr B. J. Masters, president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, in a recent statement. “We feel that the Minister of Agriculture should now make a public pronouncement on what the policy of his department is to be in the future, and wnether it is going to give us some satisfaction or extend the Palmerston North station as the department intimated on one occasion.” Mr Masters said that the association was wholeheartedly behind farming and other organisations in their efforts to have the question reopened immediately. Municipal Organ Recital

The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday night, when a programme consisting of compositions by Blch and Handel will be presented. The programme is as follows:—Minuet in G (“Samson,” Handel), Chorale Prelude “If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee" (Bach), Fugue in E flat (“St. Ann.” Bach), Chorale Prelude “In Dulci Jubilo” (Bach), Suite from the “Water Music”: Allegro. Bourree, Air, Hornpipe (Handel), Toccata in D minor (Bach), Arioso (Bach), Largo in E (Handel), Chorus from “Israel in Egypt” Handel). Dr Galway will be assisted by Elisabeth Galway (soprano). who will sing “If Thou Art Near” (Bach) and "Spring is Coming” (“Otho,” Handel). There will be no charge for admission.