LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 4 October 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Truck Supply .Edsftfoii The truck sUpply position in New Zealand would rip doiibt be relieved next year thfOUgh increasbd import ; licehces but at pfesent it was critical in some cases, said the Commissioner of Transport, Mr- Laurenson, at- a rneeting . of the New Zealand Road Transpoft Alliance. He said he had been aJsSured by the Army authorities tha't they had liothing left exee'pt . Army type trucks, so the ohly soUrces were deal'ers and imp'orters who, it was thought, would have faix suppiies by 1947. The' industry would have to battle along until then. Christmas Parcel Ru'sli' Prompted by the approach of Christmas mailing, food pai'cels for Britain in th6 Auckland area are pouring intO Post Offiees at the average rate of abotrt 2000 each week day how. Handling the largest niimber of parcel mails they have knowh, Auckland postal officials expect an even greater last minute rush. Four ships Will be carrying mai! this month and although no final closing d'ate for the Christmas delivery has been announ'ced, officials suggeste'd postings within the next fortnight to. guarantee a safe time margin for ! distribution. ! Interest in New Zealand "The increased interest in this country in the ■ United States of ' America has undoubtedly been I engendered by returned service personnel who ha'd" contact with New Zealand," said the Minister of Internal Affairs "(Mr. Parry) when jreferring to a.request just received | by the Department of Tourist. and Health Resoits, from a* San Francisco newsbap'er for an arti'cle with "tourist emphari'sV' Mr. Parry said that a riumber of'requests had b6en received recentiy for material and .! photogra'phs for publication abroad I d ealing with New Zealand's natural j attractions, sp'oi't and the life aiid I work of the pbople of the Dominion. Accident at Quarry , , Struck on.the head by a boulder during blasting operations ,at the i Logan Point quarry,. Dunedin, .Mr. IGerald Francis Shiel, . ^married, ! suflered a depressed fracture of the skull. He w.as admitted to hospital dangerously ill. Mr. Shieb who is the proprietpr of the cbncrete suppiies, was in an office just ins'iae the entrance to the quarry about 200 yards from, the scene of the blasting operatipns. ..His brother was outside and, finding boulders lying on the grounid which seemed to have come from . the qdarry, he apparently decided to enter the hut ' to warn his brother 6f the posSible ' danger. .He foun'd, hbwever, that a rock, which., app'eared- to have been flung oVer the quarry. bUild1 ings, had dropped -thrbdgh the corrugated iron roof, st'riking Mr. Shiel. Welfare Gra'ntS Already just on 800 applications for grants under the Rhysical Wel- : fare and Recreation Act have been. received reports the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) indicating the extent to which the Government's policy in making grants available had increased i interest in recreation and physical welfare, especially since the retufn ; of many servibemen and women to civilian life. Grants U're available for recreational facilities and the : purchase of equipment on the basis of £1 to £2 raised by the organisations themselves. The Minister .said that. no gr'afft was made to cover administrative. expenses, the payment of hon'oraria of the running; of tourriaments. Ea'Ch applica.tion was.consicLered.Qn its merits after a full investigatioh has been made by a physical welfai*e officet of the depkrtme'nt. flosiery Ratibnirig , The possibility of, hpsiery ratiohing bCing , ffiscohtinued in New Zealand b'efdre lohg is meh.tioned by the Food and Rdtiohihg CbnIroller (Mr. A'. , J. cbktellofel ,.in the annual repott ,6f thb.Departihbnt of Industrips .;aiid C.pffimerb'b , pfesented , to Parham'ent. .JVTr. Costiffloe stated .that . until recently hosiery suppiies had shown hb improVement, and the n'ommal issue during .the year was one pair , of ' fully fashioned stbbkhig's" .eabh , six months to ,all women ,.J$ ye'a'rs of age a'nb ovgf. xn Npyeniber la,st the ..faliure' of., impbrMtiohs ,and reduced lpcal .pTPcfucH'bh pf hbsier^ made it necesSa'ry to • exteiid the availability of the then current. hosiery coupon for a further six months. Some. improvement was now evident vhth suppiies coming forward, mope freely from overseas, added Mr.. Costellp.e, . apd it should not be , -the present hosiery . ratipning system cduld be discontinued.