NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26531, 5 August 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

“ Bridegroom Ship ”

The “bridegroom ship” is the rescription given to the ti’ader Kornata. now in port at Dunedin, by several members of the crew. Most of the men have come out from England m the ship and will be engaged in the Union Company’s intercolonial and coastal trade. The first and second officers, the chief steward and the second and third engineers have all arrived in New Zealand to meet their wives, who had sailed before them. A happy meeting took place in Wellington when the ship arrived from the Persitm Gulf, via Australia and Auckland. A typical story of the “ bridegroom ship” was the meeting between the second engineer, Mr J. R. Dow, and his Scottish wife, who had arrived in the Dominion before him in the Rimutaka. Mr Dow met his wife, who was formerly Miss Irene Ramsay, in Glasgow, where the Kornata was launched. Small Whitebait Catches Small catches of whitebait have been reported from the Molyneux, Clutha and Taieri Rivers but the delicacy has not, as yet, appeared in the city shops. Fishermen were active. during the week-end but the season is not far enough advanced for great success. With the advent of warmer weather some of the large shoals sighted in The Nuggets area* are expected to start to run in Otago rivers and catches are expected to be good. Record Football “ Gate ” Gate receipts for the AucklandNorth Auckland Rugby match on Saturday were a record for an interprovincial game in Auckland. Cash sales on the day amounted to £1902, and receipts from the sale of reserved seats are expected to be more than £3OO. Six thousand tickets were distributed for sale in the schools, the proceeds being for school funds, the official attendance is estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000.

Pillaging Evil “ We are naturally sorry that we feel obliged to refer again to the theft of water-borne cargo, which is not only greatly prevalent, but increasing as the years go by,” states the annual report to be presented to the twenty-eighth annual meeting oLthe Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association. “As was pointed out a year ago, it is causing members, together with the interested shipping and insurance concerns, grave anxiety.” “ World’s Best Schoolboys ” '

An amusing reference to the constant attendance of members of Parliament during the present session was made by the president of the New Zealand Labour Party, Mr J. Roberts, M.L.C., when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Auckland Labour Club on Saturday afternoon.* “We have the best schoolboys in the world in Parliament to-day,” said Mr Roberts, amid laughter. “ Nobody is ever absent—nobody ever plays the wag.” Fewer Old Cars One impression gained by Automobile Association officials from their close watch on motor traffic to and from the Ranfurly Shield match at Invercargill on Saturday was that there were fewer “ old crocks ” on the road than was the case last year. They found that motoring conditions had changed considerably for the better in the last 12 months, mainly as the result of the numbers of new cars on the road and the easing of the tyre position. The-standard of driving was stated to be very satisfactory, and only one accident occurred during the day. It was due to a mechanical failure which forced a driver off the road. Shortage of Plough Teams “It will he only a few years before there will be difficulty in obtaining a team of horses for ploughing,” said Mr J. Dempsey, one of the judges at the Waimate ploughing match on Saturday. He said the youngest horse on the ground was probably eight years old. The replacement of horses by tractors on most farms was reflected in the appearance of many of the horses. The teams were quite good, but there was an absence of that careful grooming which had been notable at matches some years ago. Some horses had their tails trailing almost on the ground. “When a horse is not in regular use, a well-groomed condition cannot be achieved at short notice,” Mr Dempsey added. Lloyd’s Lutine Bel! Rung For the second time in 14 years, the famous Lutine Bell at Lloyd’s in London was rung recently. This was to call for silence while the “ caller ” announced that an overdue steamer, the Ary, was known to have foundered off the Waterford coast earlier in the year. The last occasion on which the bell was rung for this purpose was on June 29, 1933, when news was received of the steamer Christina Frazer, overdue on a voyage from Bulli to Geelong with a cargo of coal. The bell is, however, rung.at times for the announcement of news of outstanding importance,, as, for instance, on the occasion of the death of President Roosevelt. Far Reaching Powers “This is a clear illustration of the far-reaching powers of tribunals set up under the War Emergency Regulations,” said the chairman of the Auckland Transport Board, Mr W. H. Nagle, at a board meeting to-day when referring to the wage <■ increases granted to the board’s employees by the Emergency Disputes Committee. The board would have to face £134,140 additional costs yearly as the result of the committee’s findings. The matter showed how tribunals had replaced the Arbitration Court and the legislation which the court represented. Mr Nagle added: We thought the tribunals were to prevent strikes and lock-outs but we now find that they are able to issue what are virtually industrial awards.” Transhipping Overseas Cargo The long delay in transhipping overseas cargo from the north is referred to in the twenty-eighth annual report of the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association. The report states that the chief overseas companies have advised that they will avoid these vexatious delays by arranging for their ships to call at the Port of Otago. The present experience, however, is worse than the first. As an example, the report quotes the case of the Ruahine. That ship discharged part of her Dunedin cargo at Lyttelton, from where it was sent here by l'ail. She then went to Wellington, still with the balance of the Dunedin cargo on board. Those goods were later transhipped south. “It must be noted,” the report concludes, “that this not only delayed final delivery, but greatly increased the risk of damage and theft.” Aviation Spirit Released Surplus supplies of aviation gasoline held in a number of air force stations throughout New Zealand have been taken over by the petrol industry. No definite figures have been issued, but it is understood that the amount of petrol available for consumption by New* Zealand motorists will be increased by at least 1,000,000 gallons. The surplus stock of aviation spirit has been purchased by two companies only, it was stated. A spokesman for one company said that the spirit would be derated by a simple process. “The effect of this will be to swell the total stock of motor petrol in the Dominion pool,” he said. It is understood that some of the surplus stock has already been taken'over by the companies, but that large supplies have yet to change hands. The company official added that the quality of the petrol might be a little better than that generally available, but any suggestion that it would be greatly superior could be discounted.