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Evening Star, Issue 23689, 24 September 1940, Page 6

Mention was made by Cr H. L. Gibson at the City Council meeting last night that a producer gas plant had been installed in a City Council truck employed in carrying coal between Fairfield and Dunedin. Yesterday it was running on producer gas for the first time. The results were very satisfactory, he said. In tho Police Court this morning Alfred James Boycs, a statutory first offender for drunkenness, was fined 10s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., was on the bench.

In recent years the oyster season has extended from February 15 to September 30, but advice received from Bluff by local oyster agents to-day is that the season has been extended to October 15. The quality of oysters coming to hand is said to be as good as at any stage of the season. An assurance that the No. 2 supply tunnel at the Waipori Falls would be completed early next year was given by Or D. C. Cameron at the City Council meeting last night. There was only 1,200 ft to finish, which would be done by the end of November, while concreting would take a month or two. The tunnel would be ready before the machinery arrived.

“ Purely accidental,” said Cr D. C. Cameron when explaining the outbreak of fire in tho trees at the reserve at Waipori to the City Council last night. Blame could not be laid at anyone’s door, he said. A farmer whose property was alongside the plantation had been burning off tussocks, with the council’s men in attendance, and when they left after a few hours the wind veered, and apparently took embers from the tussocks into the forest. A full report would be laid before the council at its next meeting, Cr Cameron continued, pointing out that it was fortunate that the fire had been stopped when it was. since there were some 20 to 25-year-old trees that might otherwise have been destroyed. A denial that on any occasion had a postponement of the opening of the trout fishing season been considered was made by the Minister of Interna! Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, when replying to a deputation at Taupo. The deputation stated a rumour was current that owing to the war the authorities intended to postpone the opening. An inspection was made by the Minister of river control work at Taupo to improve the water pressure at the Arapuni power station in the summer months. An assurance was given by engineers that the work would not in any way affect fishing. A proposal likely to find favour with school children was endorsed by the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation conference. This was that for the duration of the war secondary school annual holidays be extended by a month. Mr 11. S. Kinnaird, Otago, said that in his district many growers utilised secondary school pupils’ labour in the picking season, but they had to return to school just at the period they were most valuable.

Horses its training or competing at the Southland Racing Club’s meetings will in future go “ once round the turnip patch ” to complete the mile, for two-thirds of the area of about 30 acres enclosed by the course is to be sown down in turnips as a national production effort. The balance of 10 acres will be used as a run-off for the sheep which will be fed on the turnips next winter. The Southland Coursing Club, which previously had the use of the enclosure for its meetings, will not he granted a further lease of the area until the Pacing Club decides to lay it down again in grass. It is probable that, after the turnips have heou eaten off. the ground will he mopped again, though not necessarily sown in turnips.

AVhcn Cr R. Walls asked for comparative fortnightly figures of petrol used by the City Council at the beginning of petrol restriction and at present, Cr H. L. Gibson said he did not think the comparison a fair one. since the use of that fuel fluctuated, but ho promised to obtain the figures for the inquirer.

Sales of frozen moat are now being made over the counter in Christchurch butchers’ shops to relieve the shortage of fresh mutton brought about by small entries at the Addington market. By arrangement with the Marketing Department, which released the frozen meat, the Master Butchers’ Association has undertaken that its members will clearly indicate that such meat is frozen. With current prices for fresh meat forced to a high le\ r el by the abnormal winter shortage, a considerable saving is effected by the purchase of frozen mutton. No details of quantities supplied are available, but one authority said that “ fair amounts were being retailed.” The mutton is being supplied from the stores, of local freezing companies. Early in the season, when butchers asked the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) if ho could give some relief from the winter shortage, lie told them that frozen meat would be made available if necessary. Fresh beef supplies are also restricted at Addington, but this side of the market has been taken care of by shipments of beef on the hoof from the North Island.

A siting of the Conciliation Council was held to-day in the industrial dispute of the Otago and Southland preserved foods, jam. and starch factory employees, the commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presiding. The assessors for the employees were Messrs T. A. Brown, W. C. M'Donnell, W. Geary, and Miss Macdoncll, and for the employers Messrs W. B. Taverner, W. Stevenson, E. F. Lord, and A. S. Cookson. The claims provided for substantial' increases for junior workers, the present rates for whom range from LI to £3 4s, ■while the claims ranged from 22s 6d to £3 15s. For females the present rates range from l<s 6d to £2 <s 6d, while the claims provided for rates from £1 to £2 17s 6d. The balance of the claims practically covered the present conditions. The hearing was proceeding at the luncheon adjournment.

“ It rakes conductors longer to explain why they cannot sell concession tickets tlian when they can sell them,” said Cr J. Wilson at the City Council meeting last night, when the chairman of the Transport Committee (Cr H. L. Gibson) moved that these tickets should be available from conductors at all hours with the exception of between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday to Dnday and 12 to 1 p.m. on Saturdays—a privilege which would bo extended to the hill services and buses during the same hours as soon as arrangements had been completed. The position will rmht itself in time,” replied Cr Gibson, adding'(amid laughter) that some conductors had been selling the tickets out of hours to avoid just such explanations. The recommendation was .adopted by the council. Funds for war purposes will be raised in New Zealand this year in three different ways—by a war purposes loan, the details of which will be announced this week, by a savings scheme to meet the needs of small investors, and by an internal loan. Details of the three schemes were discussed by the Munster of Finance* the Hon. W- Nash, m an interview with the Christchurch Fress vesterday, before he left on lus return to Wellington. One thing the Minister made clear was that it is a misnomer to call the war purposes loan, the prospectus of which will be issued in a few days, a “ compulsory ” loan. IF would become compulsory, Mr Nash explained,, only when it had been’found that individuals expected to contribute hgd failed to do so, and then only to the extent of their income. ‘‘lt is an ordinary war loan, on the terms mentioned by me when I introduced the Budget, Mr Nash said, “ and as I have explained before, the compulsion procedure will b© introduced only to the extent that it is found that individuals expected to contribute, according to their income, have failed to do so. For part of the period the loan will be free of interest ; but for the rest of the period, and that will be the longer part, it will carrv a iow rate of interest.’ Mr Nash said that it was likely that details of tho savings scheme would shortly be announced. That would be organised in line with the legislation passed in tho earlier part of tho last session of the House of Representatives. The internal loan scheme would follow the other two. and no details of the procedure to be followed could yet be announced.