Local And General

Chronicle (Levin), 9 December 1949, Page 4

Local And General

Big Engineering Job. The contrac't for the fabrication of the steel penstocks to convey the water of the Waikato River from the dam to the powerhouse at Maraetai has been 'let by the Ministry of Works to a Christchurch firm. The contract price is £182,574. rt will be one of the biggest engineering jobs done in New Zealand, the penstocks being classed among the largest of their kind in the world. New Land Legislation. Discussion cbncerning the land policies of Federated Farmers and the new National Government prompted the provincial executive of Manawatu Federated Farmers yesterday to formulate the following request to the incoming Minister of Lands: "That- the Minister be asked to receive representations from the federationbefore any departure is made by the new Government from present land legislation." Sheep Farming Annual. Subjects of vital importance to sheep farmers on both store sheep and lamb-fattening country are dealt • with by farmers, research workers and other experts ih the Sheep ' Farming , Annual, s 1949, which. has just been, published by Massey Agricultural College. This ; attractively-printed book covers ' i the whole range- of 22 addresses j given at the sheep farmers' an- , n'ual meetings at the college and : at Napier in June. The articles ; ! include contributions from authori ities at the Animal Researoh Stations at Wallaceville and Ruakura, the Grasslands Division and the Soil Bureau of the Department of Scientific and Industriai Research, the Cawthron Institute, Massey Agricultural College and the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council. Much useful information can also be gleaned from the discussion' following' each paper. The price is 10s. Irony Of History. "History has a way, even in supremely challenging moments, a way of being ironic. It is extremely ironic that the peoples of the Americas, whose forbears emigrated from Europe to build out of desert, steppe land and untouched forest a vast, rich, free Commonwealth, should be .confronted at the moment when they • themselves are at / or near the summit of the material part of their achievement, with the spectacle of a Europe which, for all material purposes, has. become pioneering land again. I believe that it's here, in Western Europe, that the real pioneering of the next 30 year^ or so is to be done. That's ironic, but it's also extremely challenging. I believe it's a reason for hope and faith and for the determined and vigdrous action which follows on the possession of these qualities."— John ! Connell, talking in the BBC pro- : gramme, "London Letter."