The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1946 Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 13, 19 August 1946, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1946

Local and General

Indian Princes “Most of the Indian princes are scared stiff about the moves being made by the Indians for ment,” Mr C. J. R. Price told a questioner, following an address given by him at Wanganui on the Indian political situation. The princes were jealous of their claimed rights, but the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, had warned them that a change was coming to meet altered circumstances.

Scottish Princess Legend

The legend that a Scottish princess, allegedly a daughter of Bonnie Prince Charlie, once lived on Campbell Island, finds no support from Mr J. 11. Sorensen, who is at present in Christchurch after spending three and a half years on the island during the war years. He said that an 'old hut is still there, and heather is growing, but if a woman lived there at all, she was probably a convict woman picked up by whalers. London’s Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace, set up for the exhibition of the nations in 1851, and destroyed by fire 10 years ago, is to rise again on the same site. Two young architects have won the £2OOO prize offered for the best design. The new palace will cost £15,000,000 and cover 200 acres. It will have exhibition halls, a great amphitheatre for 10,000 people, an opera house and a theatre. It will have a vast sports stadium for 10,000 spectators, and a swimming pool, as well as many other features.

Challenge of Human Engineering

This interesting heading covers a speech by Mr Henry Ford 11. at the annual meeting of the Society of Automative Engineers at Detroit in January of this year. The speech is a remarkable one from one so comparatively young as the original Henry Ford’s grandson. Copies have been circularised throughout the world and the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce has interested itself in securing a number of them through the Hutt Chamber. These are available to members and may be collected from Mr C. W. Good, the secretary.

Colours of Ships In the twelve months that have passed since the end of the war with Japan most ships have reverted to their peacetime colours. Some American vessels, however, more particularly those at present or recently under the control of the War Shipping Administration, are still in their wartime grey, most notable of these being the Matson liners Mariposa, Monterey and Lurline. Also grey-painted are British “Sam” vessels, of which several are in port at present. The first New Zealand ships to return, to peacetime colours were the Union Company’s interisland ferries Rangatira and Wahine.

Pheasant Chicks

Forty pheasant chicks were hatched at Te Raupa recently from eggs brought from England by air for the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. It is the intention of the society to introduce new game birds from England, and, with the consent of the Department of Internal Affairs, from Asia and America. The success of this particular experiment ' proves that the society’s ideas are feasible and no difficulty should be experienced in transporting eggs over shorter distances. A species of bird under consideration at present is the Indian sandgrouse.

Importance of Minquar Qaim Returned soldiers had formed the impression that the public in New Zealand did not appreciate events that occurred overseas, said Mr A. L. Curry in an address to the Christchurch Business Men’s Club. Everyone spoke of “Alamein” as being the place where Egypt had been saved, he said. Actually the battle that saved Egypt took place at Minqar Qaim, where ,on June 22, 1941, the New Zealand Division had made history by fighting a delaying .action. The battle had been the first great contribution to a series of actions which took place near El Alamein and which saved England, said Mr Curry-

llorse Meat For Unrra

Placed by Unrra in New Zealand some time ago, an order for 2000 tons of horse meat can now be fulfilled. The order was held up by the Meat Act regulations, which prevented the killing of horses in abattors, but an amendment to the Act gazetted recently extends the definition of the term “stock” to include horses and goats, thereby permitting them to be killed in licensed establishments. The new provision is for the purpose of supplying such meat to Unrra for distribution overseas only, and as soon as such demand ceases the list of “stock” will revert to the former limited scope under the Act.

Old Maori Custom A feature of the commemoration service of the Manukorihi Pa, Waitara, for Taranaki Maoris who lost their lives in action was the waiata, in which the whole story of the Maoris’ battle record from Gallipoli to the present day was traversed in song by an elder of the tribe. The custom dates from ancient times, when documents to record events were unknown and the waiata was the only means of preserving tribal history. It is now practised only rarely. In the Waitara peroration the chieftain spoke of Te Hoko Whiti-a-tu, or the Fighting 70, which is the traditional name applied to the warriors who fought overseas.

Completion of Rail Link Among the projects expected to be included in the long term development proposals which, according to an announcement made by the Minister of Works, the Hon. R. Semple, will be presented separately for Thames, Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty, is the formation of the remaining 24 miles of the unfinished Paeroa-Pokena railway deviation, on which construction - ceased in June, 1940. However, the inclusion of this link in a development scheme will not necessarily ensure its early completion, as priority work is keeping manpower and materials in short supply. There were 300 men working on the line when the work was discontinued in 1940.

Fiji Labour Problem Shorter hours and higher pay, claims for which are so often the subject of argument in the Arbitration Court and Conciliation Council in the Dominion, have been causing stress to laundry proprietors in Suva. Because of higher costs the proprietors as from August 1 are abolishing a monthly payment system and introducing a piecework system which will have the effect of raising prices to the public. What is of particular interest to New Zealanders, however, is that t.b r higher prices have been by the employees demanding a 12hour day instead of a 14-hour day.