General News

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23966, 5 June 1943, Page 4

General News

Apple and Fear Prices A price order for apples and pears gazetted last evening makes provision for prices ranging from 2d to 6d per, lb for apples, and from 2d to 9d per lb for pears.—(P.A.) Market for Potatoes Reference to the difficulty in the South Island regarding early and second early potatoes, was made in the annual report of the North Canterbury district of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, presented to the provincial conference yesterday. The report stated that growers of these crops had been in a very unfortunate position this season, while the market had apparently been held to enable North Island growers to clear. War Loan Investment The investment of £2OO in the third Liberty Loan by the executive of the North Canterbury district of the Farmers’ Union was approved by the provincial conference yesterday. The chairman of the local loan committee (Mr W. H. E. Flint) and Messrs A. M. Hollander and G. H. Wood waited on the conference and appealed for farmers’ co-operation in making the loan a success. Mr Flint said the loan was for the good of the Dominion, and every citizen of the Dominion. Rail-car Delayed The rail-car, from Greymouth, which was scheduled to arrive in Christchurch at 10.23 last night,, was about two hours late In arriving m the city. The cause of the delay was the derailment of a van in a Public Works Department train near Maimai, about nine miles on the Greymouth side of Reefton. The derailment occurred during the afternoon, and trains were delayed up to two and a half hours. The WestportGreymouth rail-car, which connects with the rail-car to Christchurch at Stillwater Junction, was also held up. Normal traffic was resumed on the line late last evening, after repairs to the track had been effected. Government and Farmers Concern at the lack of helpfulness and justice in the attitude of the Gov-ernment-towards the primary producers was expressed in , a remit adopted by the provincial conference of the North Canterbury district of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. The remit, which was put forward by the executive, expressed the opinion that production would fall unless a more helpful attitude was adopted. White Butterfly Pest “These periodic outbreaks of white butterfly are interesting us considerably as they indicate that the pupal parasite which is so well established does not continuously maintain -control, though it will eventually reduce any periodic outbt-eak- as has occurred in the last season,”' said a letter from the Cawthron Institute, received at a meeting of the Ashburton County Council yesterday. ‘‘Our second parasite, the one attacking the caterpillar, which we have well established in Nelson, will eventually be distributed throughout New Zealand. In the Nelson district, where the pupal parasite and the caterpillar parasite are well established, the white butterfly is at no time common.” Noxious Weeds Control The setting up by the Government of a special department to deal with noxious weeds was suggested by the provincial conference of the North Canterbury district of the Farmers Union in a remit from the HawardenWaikari branch, which was adopted yesterday. The remit stated that because of the rapid spread of noxious weeds the- matter should be made a national responsibility. Mail Service to New Caledonia Recently representations were made to the Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C, Webb) by Mr Clyde Carr, M.P., regarding the apparent irregularity of the mail service from New Zealand to service personnel in New Caledonia. A reply from Mr Webb states that during recent months it has not been possible to send all letters by air. In this respect, he said, service had compared unfavourably with the service provided during preceding mbnths. Special arrangements had now been made as a result of which transmissions of letters to New Caledonia and other points should be greatly facilitated. Mr Webb gave an assurance that the department was doing its utmost to provide the best mail service for the forces, whereever stationed.—(P.A.) Tyres for Fanners The Government’s intention to give very favourable consideration to applications by farmers for retread or secohd-hand tyres was announced by Mr G, C. Warren at the provincial conference of the North Canterbury district of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. Mr Warren said he had received the information from Dominion headquarters. If the necessary applications were made to the Tyre Controller farmers might be able to obtain some measure of relief which they had not had in the past. Dispute About a Jinkerman A dispute which arose between the New Zealand Sawmillers’ and Boxmakers’ Industrial Union of Employers and the New Zealand Timber Workers’ (Canterbury branch) Industrial Union of Workers about a worker who was employed as a jinkerman to transport logs from a plantation to a sawmill, was heard yesterday in the Court of Arbitration. The man concerned was the only person employed on the hauling of the logs, and he also snigged the logs a short distance from the stumps and then suspended one end of the logs by means of chains to a two-wheeled jinker and hauled them with two horses to the mill. It was claimed on behalf of the workers’ union that when this jinkerman was employed he came within the classification of breaker-out, snigger, ropeman, or shoeman and was entitled to a minimum hourly wage df 2s Bd. Mr Justice Tyndall ruled that the jinkerman in question was not a worker within the scope of this classification. A.E.W.S. Courses at Technical College A total of 145 men and women of the services took advantage of the Army Education and Welfare courses conducted at the Christchurch Technical College from May 10 to May 26, said a report read at the meeting of the Board of Governors of the college last night. The subjects covered included book-keeping, cabinetmaking, chemistry, draughting and design, dressmaking, electrical engineering, electric welding, gas welding, and mechanical engineering. All courses had been successful and the great enthusiasm of all the students had been encouraging to the instructors concerned, said the. report. Many students expressed regret that the course could not have been made longer. Wiremen’s Examinations A notice published in the Gazette gives results of examinations held in March under the Electrical Wiremen’s Registration Act, The following Christchurch candidates passed in the written part:—R. L. Bennett, R. H. Blackmore. E. B. Chisnall, E. E, Creagh, N. C. Edwards, J. Inkster, R. F. Kendrick, R. A. Lange. E. B. Morse, R. E. Svendsen, J. V. W. Thomas. P. G. Turner, G, E. Watson, and R. Wilkinson. M. J. Clarke and J. A. Mcßeth were successful Timaru candidates. In the practical part D. W. Frizzell, A. S. Fry, B. T. Hancock. I. J. Scott, R. E. Svendsen. P. G. Turner, R. Wilkinson, and E. T. M. Young passed. J. P. Young, from Timaru, was also successful. Religion in Schools ‘‘The anxiety of the teachers in regard to the moral training of the children reflects an anxiety which is being more and more widely felt, both here and in England,” writes Archbishop West-Watson in the latest issue of the “Church News,” in which is reprinted an editorial entitled “A Children’s Charter” published in “The Press”, on May 18. “The experience of the teachers,” continues the Archbishop, “has convinced many of them that If definite religious teaching comes into the schqols and some of them take a part in it careers may be prejudiced by preferential treatment in their selection. On the other hand, to teach morals apart from a basic faith that those morals are rooted in the basic constitution of men and women is to reduce them to matters of custom or convenience. We can make synthetic rubber without the use of the plant, but we cannot manufacture synthetic morals apart from faith,”