LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Turakina Tunnel Construoiion of the TurakinaOkoia railway deviation, including repairs to the Turakina and Deniair tunnels, should be completed by the- end of the year, according to the latest estimate made by Public Works Department engineers, who expect the remaining 1173 feet of relining in the Turakina tunnel will be completed within six weeks. The relining gangs will then start on the Deniair tunnel, which runs jbetween Okoia and the Wangaehu I Vallev. I l Protection of Pukeko I The protection -on the native pukeko, swamp hen, should not,be liifted. This opinion was expressed j at a meeting of the Hawke's Bay ! Provincial Executive of Federated Farmers in Hastings. The Depart- ; ment of Agriculture is seeking the views of farmers concerning whether the restriction on destroy.ing the pukeko should be removed. A i'armer whose property is being damaged by the pukeko is able to obfcain special permission from tne Department of Agriculture to shoot them. The executive deeided that this condition should maintain. Tax Cuts for Wheat Farmers Reduction in taxes for wheat growers as a means of encouraging the sowing of greater acreages was recommended to the Governrnent in a resolution passed by the Wanganui District Council of Primary Production at its final meeting. The decision was reached after % discussion on the possibilities of ! continuing the drive for more j wheat production in the Rangitikei and Wanganui districts in view of the Dominion shortage, I which- has forced the imporation of : large consignments of wheat from , Canada.

! Minister Gives Support j "I feel that the cause is a verj j worthy one, and it is also one in which I am particularly interested," said the Minister of Works (Hon, j R. Semple > , in referring to ' the effort by the Manakau branch of ; the Plunket Society to provide Plunket rooms at Manakau. "I am i interestea because it concerns the welfare of the mothers and infants of this • country." Mr. Semple, besides giving other help, has arranged for the screening of the fllm "World of Plenty" in the Manakau Hall to-morrow night at 8 p.m.

i Appeal by CORSO j The CORSO street and shop day started well this morning. By 12 noon to-day, the street collectors, i Mesdames C. S. Keedwell, H. B. Burdekin, Z. Lynch, H. H. Marsh, F. j Tabor, C. Bartholomew and W. ! Donnelly had raised over £23. A ; shop day run in conjunction with ! the street appeal was in the charge i of Mesdames A. C. Kennerley, F. C. | Leminon, C. Andricksen, and N. Mc- | Lean, who are selling vegetables, ! cakes, clothes, and flowers. The i shop will be open again to-night : under the supervision of four St. j J ohn Ambulance men. I Mount Messenger Tunnel ! "The idea of a tunnel through Mount Messenger has apparently been scrapped," stated the presi- | dent of the Automobile Association j (Taranaki), Mf. N. F. Little, at a j meeting of the association's exetive at New Plymouth. Mr. Little said he had been told this by the , association's representative on the Main Highways Board, Mr. M. H. Wynard, at the February conference of the North Island Motor Union. "The authorities apparently intend to leave the present road much as it is," said Mr. Little. He understood that considerable improvement in the alignment of the highway in thq hills north of Mahoenui v/as to be undertaken.

Fell 60 Feet Into Sea A young cadet On the barque Pamir, which berthed at Wellington on Wednesday night, had a remarkable escape from drowning when he fell overboard during the sailing ship's voyage to Vancouver. He'was George Ounn, of Wellington. Gunn dror«ned 60 feet into the sea from the ngging. The ship stopped immeriiately but there was no sign of l.vm. Prpoarations to iout a boat out to search were frantically being made when a shout from underneath the ship was heard. A man wpq lniwrpf) down to 'nvestleute and found the cadet sitting on the "v id pr. Tbp ohanees of anvonp survh.Hrig such an a ccfdent ave slim, so Gunn was lucky to be alive.