LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1948, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Driven .by Mr R. O’Donnell, of Roa, a motor car overturned near Kaiata, but neither of the two passengers, nor the driver, received any injury. The car was damaged to the extent of about £2O. It is stated that another vehicle, which did not stop, was involved in the accident, but the identity of the driver is not yet known.

The New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, will plant a number of New Zealand shrubs on the grave of Sergeant J. Ward. V.C., at Hamburg, on September 15, according to advice received at New Plymouth. Included in his party will be Air Commodore M. W. Buckley, officer commanding the R.N.Z.A.F. in Britain, and Mr A. Mitchell, of the New Zealand Press Association’s London staff, who last year took from New Plymouth young kaun and kowhai for that purpose. These species were considered unsuitable, however, and instead veronica camosula will be planted.—Press Assn.

A shipment of Indian coal for New Zealand arrived at Fremantle on Saturday in the freighter Wansford. The ship is carrying 7000 tons of coat, which was loaded in Calcutta, and is for the New Zealand Railways Department.'

The Minister of Health. Hon. Miss Mabel Howard, was asked at Dargaville, by members of the Kaipara Hospital Board, to advance the fares of two Rarotongan girls seeking work as domestic aids and then deduct the cost from their wages. The board chairman (Mr G. Stallworthy) said that rather than have a further delay, board members might dip their hands in their pockets to put up the fares for girls from Rarotonga. “You just can’t bring people into the country like that. We must go into the matter,” said the Minister. She promised that the possibility of bringing domestics frdm Rarotonga would be investigated. Two Rarotongan girls had previously been trained in the maternity annexe and proved satisfactory, Mr Stallworthy said.

On Monday there will be one despatch of mail from Greymouth at 7 a.m. and air mails close at 9.45 a.m. Otherwise the Chief Post Office observes a full holiday in all branches, while the telegraph office will be open from 9 to 10 a.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m.

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

The New Zealand apple and pear crop for this season is estimated at 3.150,000 cases, according to the officer in charge of the apple and pear section of the Marketing Department, Mr W. Benzies. He said it was expected 2,500,000 cases of apples and 300,000 cases of pears would be received by the Marketing Department, a total of 2,800,000. In addition, # it was estimated that 350,000 cases w’ere sold privately by growers.

Details of a scheme to establish a factory at Mount Wellington, with an initial outlay of £lOO,OOO, for the manufacture of motor car parts, were given in an interview by Mr William Hepworth, managing director of the Bradford engineering firm of Hepworth and Grandage, Ltd., one of the largest manufacturers of internal combustion engine parts in Britain.

The conversion of the former dance hall on the first floor of Hallenstein’s building, which was once operated by Herb Moore as a cabaret into modern offices, with every facility, as the new headqarters for the Labour and Employment Department has been commenced. Three offices, one each for the district officer, his assistant, and the various inspectors, will be provided at the northern end of the building overlooking. Mackay street, behind this will be an interviwing room. A public, counter and public space will be to the left of the present stairway, which will not be altered. It is expected that the upper floor will be ready for occupation within six weeks or two months. The lease of the present quarters of the department, on the corner of Mawhera Quay and Werita Street, will expire in three months. It is reported that the lease may be renewed and the building occupied by another Government department.

“I have heard nothing about it,” said the Minister of Finance, Rt. Hon W. Nash, when rumours that the family benefit was to be increased from 10s ‘to 15s a week for each child were referred to him last evening.—P.A.

Southland has a big surplus of potatoes from its crop, for which there is very little demand. The growers are in a quandary. They do not know what to do with their crops. Southland is one of the largest seed-produc-ing areas in the Dominion for Arran Chief and King Edward varieties, and the growings in Southland this season have been particularly high. Invercargill merchants are being inundated with applications from growers to find an outlet for their crops. One merchant said yesterday that the position had been brought about by the Government appealing for an increased acreage and then failing to find a readv outlet for any surplus grown. It appears therefore that primary producers do, after all. expect the State to find their markets. No doubt the Internal Marketing Division could dispose of the potatoes, provided that dealers in other areas would co-oper-ate. Recent years have emphasised the belief that there are few goods superior to potatoes. It is announced, however, that increases are to be made in the maximum growers’ prices for next season’s earlv and mid-season potatoes. There will be a ceiling price for South Island potatoes of £45 a ton, sacks extra, until early December, dropping by weekly steps to £24 at the end of January, and then by fortnightly steps to £l5 at the end of February. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Cullen) said that the increases are beine made to meet higher production costs. The ceiling mnces for the North. Island will be: £45 a ton, sacks extra, until mid-Sentember. dropping by weekly steps to £lB at the end of December. £l6 for the first half of January, with fortnightly stems down to 13 in the second half of February.