GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 20 September 1920, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

_— The sugar workers’ strike continues, with no indication of any settlement. In the meantime quite a number of the men have taken up other occupations, with the result that when operations are resumed it will be quite within the bounds of possibility that the output of the works will be than that of the period prior to the strike.

There has been no difficulty in ge. ting sufficient boys for the Amokura during the year, and there are still a few applications waiting for admis sion when there arc vacancies In' them (states the Marino Department .- report). The usual technical scho,-. classes in connection with the shi] were carried on during the winter, am; as the vessel did not "go to see during llie summer the classes were contiuuee in modified form during the season. The general behaviour of the boys war" very good. There has been no difficulty in obtaining employment To: them in other ships on completion oJ their training on the Amokura.

The iutroduction of oil fuel is being adopted by some of our Mew Zealand steamers, and the s.s. Niagara has run with this fuel for a lung time (states the Marine Department’s report). Steam can be luaintaiued with unvtn}iug pressure all the lime, and the crews arc much reduced in numbers tor the power developed, as the whole thing is automatic. The storage of oT in the tank spaces, formerly used for water ballast, affords a considerable increase in the cargo-carrying capacity of the steamer using oil-fuel. 9he cleanliness of the stoke hold as coin, pared with boats using coal as a fuel is very marked, and the working conditions of the firemen are, of course, much improved.

The annual report of the Mines Department states that there was a decrease in the production of metals during the past year. The value oi mineral exports, however, showed nr. increase of nearly £2,000,000, this being largely due to the fact that .157,023 ounces of gold entered for export in 1918 were not exported until 1919. The total value exported for 1918 was £2,947,909, and for 1919 £4,424,089. The value of bullion ob tained from quartz mines in 1919 amounted to £573,002, obtained from treating 280,057 tons. The dividends paid amounted to £llB,BOl. The Government has now under consideration a proposal for the development of oil resources with the object of definitely proving whether they are of commercial value. The sum of £4450 was paid in subsidies. The production of kauri gum for 1919 was 412 S tons, valued at £253,812, as compared with 2419 tons, valued at £157,313 for 1918. There was a profit of £5787 made on winning coal at the State mines, and after deducting losses sustained by the depots, amounting to £5706, there romaiued a credit balance of £2l on the year’s operations.

j An interesting incident showing the j value of wireless was reported the I other day. On Saturday morning the j chief officer on thr. steamer Wyandra. j en route from Brisbane to Sydney. 1 left, the bridge at 4.30 tt.ni.. ili, an . { with alarming symptoms. There wa. Ino doctor on board. Tito captain, j alarmed, sent it wireless to the E.M..~\ ! Orvicto, also en route from Brisbane

to Sydney, but some hundreds of mil

behind. The doctor on the Orvicto i asked lor the symptoms, and then go' I replies to a number of difficult medii cal questions. Then lie prescribed a l certain treatment. The Wyandra’i officer remained very ill all day, bit. by Sunday morning he had responded

to treatment, and by Sunday aftcrj noon, still being treated by wireless ; by the doctor, he was much better, j By Monday he was on the road to rej covcry. The Wyandra got into port j on Monday morning, and the Orvicto * in the evening; and the first thing the doctor did on landing was to go , and see the patient he had cured by j wireless.