LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1948, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The calmness of the Greymouth bar yesterday was noticeable, but less so than on the previous day, when small rowing boats made trips to sea even more easily.

For the eleven months ending February 28, railway revenue amounted to £15,249,665 and expenditure to £16,190,957. The loss on purely railway operations was £1,287,339, but this was reduced to £941,292 by a profit of £346,047 from miscellaneous and subsidiary services.

The British Labour Party has more than 4,685,000 members, and it is the first time that the membership has topped the 4,000,000 mark since 1921.

For most pupils of Auckland schools, the May holidays will begin three weeks after the schools reopen on April 19. Most private schools will remain open until the end of May, and close for one week. Mr G. K. Hamilton, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, said teachers and pupils had found correspondence studies arduous, and were in need of holidays.

Have you seen Jeff’s new bar ? Empire Hotel, Ross. —Advt. ■

Only five butter coupons were collected in Greymouth last week in the food saving campaign. There were 623 meat coupons saved.

Being found drunk in Mackay Street at 4.30 o’clock on Sunday morning cost a statutory first offender 10s, when he appeared in the Police Court yesterday before Mr E. £). Henry, J.P. The fine imposed was the amount of his bail.

One Greymouth resident made sure of an obviously new bicycle yesterday. Wheeling the machine from the footpath outside/a hotel which he .intended visiting, he took a coil of strong wire from his pocket and wired the cycle to a drainpipe, thus securing it well against theft.

A particularly bright meteor was seen in the southern sky for a second or two about 8.48 a.m. yesterday. Evidently few saw it for the Carter Observatory, Wellington, has received only two reports.

A final effort on the hockey field on Cobden Island is being made this week. The field is in course of preparation prior to sowing next Monday. Hockey players and. any others interested are being invited to attend.

The April meeting of the Greymouth Women’s Institute was held recently in the Lyceum Hall Mrs Green presided. Mrs McKnight and Mrs F. Taylor were nominated for West Coast Federation as delegates to the annual meeting. One new membei’ was welcomed and Mrs F. Taylor was nominated as agent for “Home and Country.” Mrs Green outlined the aims of “The Children of Europe Appeal.” A mixed food parcel was dispatched to England and 30 Peggy-squares were handed in. Mesdames L. Smith and L. Rose were each presented with shoulder sprays and accorded musical honours. Mesdames Smart 1, and Green 2, were presented with points prizes for the year. Miss Prendergast was first m the best bloom section. The monthly competition winners were:—Six gei'aniums, Miss Found 1, Mrs Green 2. Best bed-sox, Mrs Green 1. Mrs Smith and Mrs Pound (equal) 2. Cheese biscuits, Mrs Johnson 1. Mrs McKnight 2. Best bloom. Miss Cun--I'iffe 1, Mesdames Pound and Johnson (equal) 2. Flostesses were Mesdames McKnight, Perrin and Smith.

Overheard recently in a Greymouth theatre: “My husband says he wants a wife, not a drudge—so I send all my washing to the Westland Laundry. And here’s another thing—l could never put the finish on my ironing like the laundry. It’s wonderful!” Yes, wise housewives are appreciating the service offered by the Westland Laundry. There’s a service to suit everyone. We also specialise in laundering curtains and drapes, blankets, eiderdowns, etc. You can trust us with your most precious possessions. Only the finest laundry soap is used, while lux chips are used for woollens. ’Phone 136. Depot; Sam Mac Ara, Mackay Street.—Advt.

A large quantity of Australian fowl wheat has arrived on the West Coast, the price Of which for local retailers is 18s■ 3d a sack .plus 2s 8d for the sack and railage from Lyttelton, the wholesale price being 17s 9d ex Lyttelton. It is stated purchasers of less than a sack may have to pay an increased price. The Flour and Wheat Controller, Mr R. McPherson, stated: “I cannot understand the references to a wheat crisis on the West Coast, because there should have been sufficient wheatavailable to give all poultrykeepers a full ration till the end of June. In the South Island, in a normal season, sufficient wheat is provided from the harvest to cover the poultry industry’s requirements for 12 months as from March 1. This year, because of the short New Zealand crop and the fact that New Zealand wheat is all of good milling qualities, only 25 per cent, of the year’s requirements, or three months’ suply, was diverted to the poultry industry .through merchants from the New Zealand crop, and it is the to supply the other 75 per cent, in Australian fowl wheat from New South Wales where the crop has suffered very considerable damage.” The three months’ supply should provide sufficient wheat to carry the industry through for the months of March, April and May, and all merchants had access to their proportionate quantity to last them for these three months. This Australian wheat should be landed in Greymouth for approxibnately 6s lid a bushel, which was the equivalent, roughly, of 21s a sack, but the sack was charged extra.