Local& General

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1948, Page 4

Local& General

Seddon Train Smash ■ [ The order of ref erence for the ' board of inquiry into the Seddon I train smash is: — (1) The cause of j the derailment. (2) Was any employee of the Railways guilty of any dereliction contributing to the derailment? (3) Any circumstances in connection with the derailment, such as in respect of rolling stock and the permanen't -way, calling for 'comment. (4) Any steps desirable to prevent the, occurrence of a similar derailment. i / The board is required to, feport by May 1. - , •. Causes Of Fatigue /•/' • "This is aii'dinpm'tant ,case, . , sara Mr. Justice C^nish! ,;in; . .fhe, Blenheim r Supreme,;:poppt .[dTjring ,tpe | hearing of .-.a .phajqge of negl/gept driving causing death. "It rais.cs the question of-a'driycr's.responsi-bility for the', failure of; his, physfcal powers; If a m§m chooses . to be up all- nighf.;,%t''a>r^P4fiy against fatigue. (an4 sleqpiness until I nature rebels, and.he finally doz'es, . .then .iit . is, ,anv. entirely different j matter from a case where.a doctpr, for ihstance,. qfter- working. /all [ night, . dozes - at fffje -wheel ,of his ..car,"' said His-H,onour/ * . . . / ,/ | Pioughshares Scafce ' ; . | • ManufacturerS.cpuld assist farmj ers ija their eff'bi;fs , to increase • fop'd [ production if tfiey cotild produce I i more pioughshares, ' which were hard to procure at present, said Mr. G C Warren at a meeting of the council of the Canterbuiy Manufacturers' Association. _ Supplies of pig iron had been obtained recently. but manufacturers were still faced with a shortage of labour, said Mr. T. H. Lawn in reply. Farmers could assist by sending i jimplement manufacturers as much 1 scrap steel and scrap iron as they could. Mouidy Bread To keep breald from going mouidy, housewives should store it in a ventilated. container.' This advice was given. at the conferbnce at New Plymouth of the New Zealand Federation of Bakers and Pastrycooks by the chief chemist of the Wheat Research Institute, Mr. E. W. Hullett. Hc was discussing complaints by. bakers of bread goittg mouidy. Closed in a coTitainer with no ventilation, bread coul'd be turned mouidy by humid air, he explained. The institute might Consider issiiing a pamphlet, as had been done in Australia, on the best way of storing bread. New World Of Flora New Zealand seemed to have a flora all of its own, and there were. few connections between.its plants and those of Britain, said Dr. Martin* Holdsworth, of., London, who has arrive'd in Dunedin to take up a position of lecturer in botany at the University of Otago. There was a closer link between the plants of tropical countries "and those of Europe than there was between New Zealand and European flora, he said. New Zealand was like an entirely. fresh world in many respects and offered him a limitless field of study. -He was sorry to see that the only weeds New "Zealand seemed to possess, in great profusion were tho.se from Europe. Wheat-Growing Probleihs A 'documentary fllm dealing with problems of wheat growing in New Zealand has been released by the National Film Unit for screenihg in the main North and South Island centres. The film is entitled "Whfeat Problem, 1948" ahd shows the Vital importance of increased graiii production in a world where the bread ration of millions falls below bare. necessity.- It was made with the co-operation of Lincoln College, the Wheat Research Institute, Christ- ' church flour mills ahd bakeries and several . Canterbury wheat growing farms. It was pro'duced to inform the p'ublic "about the wheat problem f.aeing Ne,w Zealand this year and to assist the "Grow More. Wheat" campaign, which opehed' fh , the South' Island last month.