LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 55, Issue 3938, 11 August 1937, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The period for which Parliament was prorogued is to be extended to September 2nd, according to an intimation given by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in Wellington. The present prorogation order expires on Thursday next, but Mr Savage stated that it would be extended for another three weeks. ■

A proposal to make a recommenda - tion to the Government giving rabbit boards power to take over control of all vermin, such as deer, goats and pigs, and also conferring on them control of noxious weeds within their districts. was lost after considerable discussion at the annual conference of South Island rabbit boards, held m Christchurch.

An indication that the Government intended to deal with the question of taxation without delay was given by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in aii interview in Wellington. “The revision of our taxation system must be faced as early as possible,” Mr Savage said. “We are anxious to see that taxation is equitable. The incidence of taxation is not equitable as it is to-day. Everyone knows that we have to change it.” The Prime Minister *vas unable to indicate whether the sales tax and income tax would be affected, nor could he say whether the Minister of Finance would be able to introduce amending legislation during the coming session. “A revision of taxation,” added Mr Savage, “must, of course, be faced as early as possible, and if it is possible to do anything before November it will be done, but I will not make a promise we might not be able to give effect to. The fact that Mr Nash anil I have had to be away has not helped to get things straightened out.”

Cash and promises totalling £12,165 have been given to the Auckland Young Men’s Christian Association ’.n response to its appeal for £12,000 to meet capital and ether needs.

To-day is- being observed as Arbor Day throughout th* Dominion. Av the Te Awamutu District High Scjiool to-day about a dozen native trees and shrubs are being planted, and the scholars addressed on the subject of tree planting and its importance to the Dominion.

Both primary and secondary schools aie to observe the same second term holidays this year, the schools closing on Friday 20th, and reopening on Monday, September 6th. School holidays have been considerably disorganised during 1937, first by the infantile paralysis precautions, which lengthened the Christmas vacation by a month, and recently by the New Edu cation Fellowship conference. The Waipa Hockey Association's ladies’ representative team to travel to Taranaki to play four matches there is to leave Te Awamutu next Wednesday. Original plans were for the team to gc this week, but as the Pako ladies’ representative team is playing in Taranaki this week the Taranaki Hockey Association suggested that Waipa’s team should defer the visit for a week.

A letter was received in Te Awamutu this morning from Mr G. H. Mackley, general manager of railways, in response to the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce for a representative of the Railway Department to attend last night’s meeting for the consideration of transportation arrangements. Mr Mackley said he regretted that it was quite impossible for either himself or Mr A. W. Wcllsted, commercial manager, to attend the meeting.

Local Rugby enthusiasts will learn with a good deal of appreciation that the Waipa Rugby Union has arranged to have a radio installed in the Albert Park grandstand next Saturday afternoon, so that patrons and players may hear the description of the Springboks v. All Blacks game nt Wellington. Further, all three matches at Albert Park are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. so that they may be finished before the Test match starts at Wellington.

Increases in salaries involving an extra £3170 a year are made necessary by the application of the Local Bodies Officers’ Union award to employees of the Auckland Electric Power Board, according to a report received from the grading committee at a meeting of the board. Other salary increases recommended by the committee, and approved by the board, by way of adjustments to officers who had lost the seniority provided under the board’s grading scheme, brought the total increase to £5050.

Details of the proposed boundaries of the Raglan electoral district, published in the latest Gazette, show that the electorate now comprises the existing* Raglan electorate, less the whole of the Pukekura, Rangiaohia, Kaipaki, and Mangapikc ridings of Waipa County. The district now includes the portions of the Rototuna riding of Waikato County and the Hamilton and Rukuhia ridings of Waipa County, formerly in Hamilton electoral district. The northern boundary is also adjusted.

It is announced from Gisborne that a regular nightly railway goods service will be instituted between Napier and W.airoa on August 23rd, and will continue until the complete new time table is in operation. The Railway Department will take over the line between Napier and Putorino, 40 miles north-east of Napier, and, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, will institute the service, one train leaving Wairoa at 6.20 pan., and arriving in Napier at 12.15 a.m. The other train will leave Napier at 5.30 p.m. and arrive at Wairoa at 11.20 p.m. Daily trains are being run by the Public Works Department between Wairoa and Waikokopu, 25 miles east of W'airoa, for departmental purposes, and these will cater for goods connection with the Wai-roa-Napier night trains, giving a regular service as far as Nuhaka and Waikokopu.

The Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon..D. G. Sullivan, has announced that an amended plan worked out for the flax industry by the Bureau of Industry, in conjunction with representatives of the industry, had now been approved. A vote had resulted in approval being given to the plan, which was the first under the Industrial Efficiency Act. An industrial committee consisting of representatives of the various sections interested, the workers and the Bureau would now be set up givingeffect to the provisions. Mr Sullivan said he had great hopes that as a re suit of the plan co-ordinating the efforts of all interests including the Government itself, the flax industry would be revived on a sound basis and would contribute to the prosperity of all those engaged in it and to the economic welfare of the country as a whole. The efficiency Act was based on self-government in industry, plus co-ordination, and not upon Governmental coercion, as some prejudiced persons would have people believe.

The big concrete piles being manufactured for the new bridge over the Mangapiko stream on the new alignment of the Great South Road are all being made on the job, and as they will total thirty, each weighing approximately three tons, some idea can be gained of the size and solidity of the bridge. During our representative’s visit of inspection this week he was impressed with the very thorough workmanship employed in making the piles. Each has a core of six steel rods, encircled with stout steel rings, held in position for the effective reinforcing of the concrete. At one end of each pile is a solid iron shoe about two feet long, to permit of the pile being driven deep into the earth. When the core is completed it is placed in a box mould, and the best of concrete poured in, and allowed to cure, before the pile is removed to the site of the bridge. To date six piles have been made, and cores are ready for one or two more. The workmen are concentrating on getting another half dozen piles ready within the next few days, and so the work will proceed without interruption until the whole thirty are ready. The piles will be snigged to the bank of the stream, up-ended, and slewed into position for driving down to road level. The temporary bridge that is being erected beside the site where the permanent one will be will assist in the finishing-off work, without interfering with the normal road traffic.