General News

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24901, 14 June 1946, Page 6

General News

-T • C- . f Australian Strikes •There is a great deal of trouble with strikes m Australia, ana it now looks as though the trouble might extend even further,” * said the ActingMinister of Labour (the Hon. J» O’Brien) on his return to Auckland yesterday by flying-boat from Australia. He mentioned that a dispute at Nobel’s explosives factory at Melbourne had now taken a serious turn. The strike, which had continued for five weeks, was reported in the Sydney newspapers yesterday tp be now threatening complete paralysis of the Australian coal minipg industry, as local reserves of mining explosives were nearing exhaustion. —(P.A.)

Ceiling Prices for Fruit” “The maintenance of ceiling prices for fruit in the post-war period is nothing but a form of punishment,’ states the report of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association, which will be presented at the annual meeting next week. Fruit was being kept cheap while other produce wks sold at phenomenal prices. Ten years ago the price of a case of pip-fruit and a shirt was about the same; but it now took four cases of such fruit tp realise the value of one such garment, continues the report. Ceiling prices tended tp turn growers from the production of necessary lines to less necessary product’on enjoying immunity from control.

Personnel Work in Industry Growing appreciation of the vglue of personnel officers in industry is reported in the latest bulletin of the New Zealand Vocational Guidance Association, published m Christchurch. Developments noted include the favourable reception of the Industrial Psychology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the institution of courses in personnel management ip Christchurch and Wellington, and the appointment of more personnel officers in factories, hospitals, public services, and elsewhere. Interest in such work has been shown by a number of returned servicemen, and some children leaving school have named it as their chosen career. The main divisions into which this work falls are employment, wages, 'joint consultations, health and safety, welfare. education, and training.

State Houses for Former Servicemen During April, 128 State rental houses and flats were allocated to former servicemen under the scheme in which they receive a 50 per cent priority. Since the preference scheme was instituted. 5149 homes have been allocated. The number of houses and flats made available in April, with the total to date in parenthesis for various rehabilitation districts, is: Auckland, 29 (1476); Hamilton. « (390); Napier, 4 (230); New Plymouth. 4 (146); Wellington. 59 (1910); Nelson, 1 (102): Christchurch. 13 (498); Dunedin, 10 (289); Invercargill 2 (108)

Carpentry Training Scheme The carpentry training scheme for returned men had developed to such an extent that the Rehabilitation Department was one of the biggest contractors for State houses ip New Zealand, said the Hon. A. McLagan, reporting to the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of’ Labour. Since the start of the scheme in 1942 the output of houses by trainees had increased to 440 for the year 1945 and was expected to be 1300 for the year 1947. At the peak of operations trainees would number about 2000 in carpentry and about another 500 in ancillary trades.—(P A.)

North Island v. South Island H The drift to the north complex was a grave danger to the South Island, said Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon, a member of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, during an address to a meeting at Ashburton last evening. He added: “I was with the Hon. D. G. Sullivan when he welcomed some troops back from overseas. Afterwards he asked me if the address went oyer all right. J told him I couldn’t hear a word because he had developed such a North Island brogue. We have to watch that drift to the north complex.” < Use of Lancaster Park The application by the Canterbury Rugby League for the use of Lancaster Park for a match against the touring British team was discussed m committee at a special meeting last evening of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union. It was announced after the meeting that a statement would be issued shortly.

Pip-Fruit Marketing Council The Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association is opposed to producer pontrol of the local market, states the report which will be presented at the annual meeting of the association next week. The association preferred the Government to have a majority vote on the Pip-Fruit Marketing Council (if it remained). to see that minorities were fairly treated- Jt was considered that all registered growers of pip fruits should have a vote fpr the council, whether or not they had-supplied the Internal Marketing Division •

Services to Y.M.C.A. “The ChrLtchqrch Y.M.C.A. has been particularly fortunate over the years in the men who have guided its destinies,’’ said the president, Mr W G. V. Fernie, at the • seventieth annual meeting of the associatlqn last evening. “The men who haye served us have carried op under exceptional difficulties —difficulties of financial matters and of obtaining assistance, particularly during the war. We have appreciated thpir efforts and the strong position the association is in today is a testimony of the unfailing service which they have given.” It was the intention during the coming year to extend work to country districts, said Mr Fernie. This was a cpntinuatkm of work which was started, some years ago, but which had to he abandoned in 1942. The work had copimenced, and good progress was being made, he concluded.

“Christchurch Ideal for Television’? Although it would probably be many years before television came to New Zealand, the ideal situation, for such a system was Christchurch, said Mr William J Blackwell, of Auckland, Who visited Christchurch yesterday after his return from a tour of GreaJ Britain. Canada, and the Pnited States, where he investigated modern manufacturing processes ’ and problems of radio and allied sciences. The maip difficulties confronting the establishment of television stations in New Zealand were the relatively small concentrations of population and fhp general topography of the country, he said. “Christchurch, being sp flat, would be the obvious site for a station, but the present cost of operating and maintaining a television system is so hign that I don’t think we will have it here for a long time.’’ In both Britain and the United States, the systems were fgr from being what the public really would like, but. much progress had been made in recent years An Unusual Defence

A novel defence, which succeeded, was put forward by two defendants charged with licensing offences in the Magistrate’s Court vesterday morning' They had been at the hotel after hours they said, not to secure g drink, but to extract teeth from two draught horses in a oQddpck at the rear of the hotel. The explanation was accepted and the charges dismissed.

Service in Interim Army Conditions of service with the interim Army are expected to be announced shortly, and jp the meanume n< enlistments from civilians are being made, although the names o’! applicants are being recorded at area offices So far abqut 30 inquiries concerning conditions of service have been received by Area 1 Headquarters in Auckland It is thought that once the conditions.have been published inquiries will come forward much more freely Men already serving in the Army who are prepared to continue m the interim force are now being reattested up to March 31, 1947 or 1948, according tp their wishes.—(F.A.)