Farmers’ Union Membership.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 157, 3 June 1940, Page 6

Farmers’ Union Membership.

A total Dominion membership of the Farmers’ Union in excess of 28.000 was revealed bv the Dominion treasurer (Mr W. Horrobin) when addressing the annual Auckland P ro " vincial conference of the union, that total showed an increase of about 2000 on the previous year. Gambling Condemned. Gambling for patriotic purposes is vigorously condemned in the latest issue of the New Zealand Methodist. Times, which in an editorial says: Me deplore the action of Cabinet, regarding it as most reprehensible and flagrant instance in apostolic language of ‘doing evil that good may come.’ ” Heavy Fog. Motorists travelling to Palmerston - North from Feilding late on Saturday night experienced difficulty in negotiating a particularly heavy fog in the immediate environs and within the city itself. It was so dense that visibility was reduced to a few feet, necessitating traffic proceeding at a very slow pace. Week-End Loading. , As a Government war measure a large overseas liner was worked at Auckland throughout the week-end, loading produce for Britain. Two hundred men continued to work to 10 p.m. on Saturday and resumed from' 8 a.in. to 10 p m. yesterday. This is the first time cargo work has been carried out in Auckland at a week-end since .the war started. - Coal Production. Confidence that the people of New Zealand could look forward to an increase in coal production was expressed by-.the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb), on Saturday. Only about 8000 tons of coal, necessary for troopships and food convoy ships, had been sent to Australia. The new State mine at Mangapeka, near Te Kuiti, had begun production already and within a fortnight coal would be produced from the second new mine at Okura, beyond Stratford. .

Farm Labour Shortage. The establishment of a co-operative employment association to meet the shortage of farm labour was approved at the annual Auckland provincial conference of the Farmers’ Union. Increase In Wages. r Though all industrial laws may now be amended under the powers, given by the Emergency Regulations Amendment Bill passed on Friday, the application by the Federation of Labour to the Arbitration Court to adjust wages to meat the increased cost of living will be proceeded with. The intention of the Government at present not to offer any obstruction to- the application was stated in an interview by the Minister of Labour (Hon. P. C. Webb) on Saturday. Fire Calls.

During May the Palmerston North Fire Brigade received eight calls, which were made up as follows: Fires, 2; rubbish fires, 2; chimney fires, 3; justifiable false alarm, 1. For the corresponding month last year eight calls were also received. The superintendent (Mr P- A. Milverton) stated to-day that the two fires received were- in a dangerous area and on both occasions the general alarm was sounded. Little damage was done at either.

War Cabinet Prospects. Though the Government’s suggestion for the formation of a War Council has been rejected by the Opposition, negotiations are still in progress between the Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser) and the Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton), and it is believed in Parliamentary circles that -there may be further developments soon. "What is regarded as being most likely to happen is the admission into a War Cabinet of representatives of the Opposition. Adoption of Children.

Typical of the replies being received by the Mayor of Napier (Mr T. W. Hercock) in response to his suggestion that 25,000 English children be brought to New Zealand for adoption for the duration of the war, or permanently, is one from Dunedin, as follows: “Accept sincere good wishes on suggestion regarding adoption of homeless English children. Sum of £SO at disposal any time required to further movement.” Numerous applications have been received from people anxious to assist by adopting children. Naturalised Aliens.

“Naturalisation subjects an alien to all the obligations, duties, and liabilities of a natural-born British subject, but in the event of a general calling-up of men of military age in'. New Zealand it is possible some specific provision would be made in regard to men of alien birth or parentage, "whether naturalised or otherwise,” stated the Minister for Defence (Hon. F. Jones), in reply to an inquiry concerning the status of naturalised subjects in relation to the Alien Control Emergency Regulations. Parliamentary Church Service.

A special service to mark the opening of Parliament was held in St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 'Wellington, yesterday. It was attended by the Governor-General, Viscount Galway and Lady Galway, the Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser), the High Commissioner in New Zealand for the United Kingdom (Sir Harry Batterbee), Ministers of the Crown and members of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council. The preacher was Rev. J. S. Murray, M.A., interim moderator of St. John’s.Failures of Allies.

“Few of us are so morally obtuse as to think that we are chiefly to blame for the situation which confronts us to-day,” said Rev. J. S. Murray at a special service at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Wellnigton, held to mark the opening of Parliament. “Nevertheless, we cannot forget that our own and our Allies’ failures have in a real measure helped to provoke the present crisis. We who have enjoyed the rich privileges of Democracy—order, freedom, justice, responsibility—have so little known how to appreciate and use them for noble purposes that we gave the German people, hopelessly discountenanced, and humiliated in so many ways, little cause to treasure such privileges, even when they had been taken from them.”