NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

City Water Supply As a result of a succession of gains, the city water supply is no longer causing anxiety. The total storage at 9 a.m. yesterday was 132,386,000 gallons. When full the reservoirs hold 144,000,000 gallons. The leaks in the pipe line at Deep Creek have been stopped and this fact, coupled with the intake from other sources, has made it possible to discontinue the use of the pumps. “ Clearly Defined Path ” “ Given the right conditions, I believe we could double the production of food in New Zealand within 15 years with more scientific and more modern methods of farming,” said the deputy-leader of the Opposition, Mr K. J. Holyoake recently. He urged a wider study of pasture and management, agriculture and stock breeding. “ There is our path. It is so clearly defined,” he added. Hardwear Price Reductions May 23 has been fixed as the deadline date after which exchange reductions must apply to imported hardware. From that date the present authorised wholesale prices for any remaining stocks of hardware must be amended to exclude from costs the difference between the current rate of exchange and that ruling before August 18, when New Zealand currency was brought to parity with sterling. High-priced Bulls Believed to be a record export price for a Hereford bull in the United States, 13,000 dollars was paid recently by Mr I. A, Barnett, owner of the Kaitoa stud at Dannevirke, for a. rising two-year-old Polled Hereford from Wyoming. Mr Barnett returned by air on Sunday after travelling 8000 miles through the United States in a month. He also bought another two-year-old .Hereford bull for 5000 dollars. He expects that the two bulls will be shipped to New Zealand about the end of June. Licensing Control Although the recently-appointed Licensing Control Commission does not assume its responsibilities until June 1, negotiations are already in train for it to function as from that ,date. The chairman of the commission, Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., in reply to an inquiry, said that questions of staff and accommodation for the commission and its employees were at present under consideration. Accommodation was one of the commission’s problems. The headquarters of the commission will be in Wellington. Cream Rationing Advice that the Government was at the present time giving consideration to the abolition of cream rationing was received at a meeting of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board. The board recently made re presentations to the Minister of Supply, Mr Nordmeyer, that further consideration be given to the abolition of rationing. The chairman, Mr J. N. Clarke, remarked that he had been told in Wellington that it was felt that magistrates were too lenient in dealing with offences against the rationing regulations. Work Appreciated Praise for the work that was being done in New Zealand for the hard of hearing was given by the honorary secretary of the British Association of the Hard of Hearing, Miss Alfreda M. Fisher, on the eve of her departure from Auckland after a visit to.the Dominion. She expressed the “ very great pleasure ” that her visit to the Dominion had given her, and her appreciation of the unfailing kindness shown her by the people of this country. “ Especially I should like to men tion the hospitality shown Vne by the Board of Governors and the branches of the New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing,” she added. Telephones Popular An indication of the extensive use of the telephone by Government departments was given in an address by Mrs G. H. Ross (Opposition Hamilton) last night. Toll accounts for telephone calls by government departments for the 12 months had totalled £395,094 according to the last departmental estimates Mrs Ross said. The “ bills ” included the Prime Minister’s department, at £15,000, public works £30,000, arrhy £25,000, air £38,000 and native £BSOO. She recalled that when Sir Apirana Ngata was Minister of Native Affairs he had resigned after being severely castigated because his department’s toll bills had amounted to £641 Electric Harpoon The electric harpoon, which was tested in the Tory Channel by the Perano brothers recently, has been heralded as something new in equipment for whaling. This, however, does not appear to be the case. Fifteen years ago Mr Lars Christensen, who was in the Antarctic with his supply ship Solmglint, boarded one of his chasers and tried out this method. He fired the shot and struck the whale high up in the shoulder. The power used was 240 volts, which was later increased to 275 volts, and within 53 seconds a 65ft whale was lying rigid on the surface with only the tail showing any movement. At that time he considered the method would have to be improved to make it practicable for Antarctic conditions.