DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

[dy TELEGRAPH—rER TRESS ASSOCIATION.] SHORTAGE OF PLASTERERS. WELLINGTON, April 8. “There is not ;i man in my position to-day in Wellington who is not being worried into an early crop of grey hairs trying to find mon to carry the work through,” remarked a member of a leading firm of contractors to a reporter to-day. “Carpenters are hard enough to get, but our big trouble is to get- plasterers. There are half a dozen big jobs in town which are held up for lack of men to finish them. The shell goes up and there it stands for weeks, waiting for the men on one job to finish off and walk across, maybe calling at another job on the way. Yes, it sa}-s a lot for the amount of construction work going on just now, but the contractor who is working within a hard and fast time limit hardly finds it pleasant. The position in Auckland is pretty bad, too, in that regard, and several buildings are hold up in the same way. Dunedin is in very much tlic same box; in fact there is n general shortage of good plasterers right throughout tlio country.” PRICE OF BUTTER. WELLINGTON, April 8. The local wholesale price of butter was reduced by Id per Tb. t.o-dav. The retail price for highest grade standard brands is now Is 8d per lb., but other first grade lines are obtainable at Is (3d.

TROUBLE' IN BERTHING. AUCKLAND, April '). A sudden gust of wind when ihe passenger steamer Maheno, from Svdnep, was coming in to her berth at tee Queen's wharf last evening was responsible for some difficulty m manoeuvring the vessel on the eastern side of the quay. The Maheno was proceeding to an inner berth, and was between the Queen’s wharf and the Central wharf, when the strong easterly wind altered the vessel’s position, and for"*a few minutes she beeam* practically unmanageable. Suspense followed for those on board, and from tlio quay it could be seen that the bow was swinging towards the Central wharf, where the Port Pirie was berthed. Fortunately, at the critical moment oiie of tlio bow anchors held the vessel, and a collision was averted by the narrowest margin. The Maheno was brought up just ns she gently grazed tile other’s hull. The -Maheno’s stern, which was turned towards the Queen’s wharf, struck the Kurow, causing a noticeable dent to the plates beneath the deck-line, although the collision was a slight one. The Maheno was berthed at the Queen’s wharf shortly afterwards. NLUE ISLAND. WELLINGTON, April I The Cook Islands Department hat entered into an agreement with the Chatham Island Fishing Co., Ltd., under which the steamer Rama will take up the contract service between Auckland and the island of Niue. This service in the past few years has suffered many vicissitudes, which will he apparent when it is remembered that no fewer than four or five vessels, some of them with auxiliary power, have been lost within about six years. The Rama is in every way a suitable Steamer for the purpose of this trade, mid it is considered that the (rips she will run this year will enable some reasonable conclusion to he reached as to the possibilities of trade development with Niue. The Rama leaves 'Wellington tomorrow for Auckland, and her sailing date from the northern port has been fixed for Wednesday afternoon next. The intention is that she should make four triiis to Niue this season. It is almost certain that the inauguration of the steamer service will eiv courage the natives to grow bananas for export, and as Niue bananas are always regarded as the finest in the Pacific, their output should command a return on the New Zealand market sufficient lo justify the Island enterprise and encourage growers to greater production.