HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 300, 1 December 1936, Page 6

HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

GLEANINGS OF DOMINION NEWS.

.Cars Shifted By Huge Wave. • i A huge roller, one of the highest |y©t recorded and estimated at about four feet in height, rushed up the . |teach at Chase’s Gorge, Dargaville, on Wednesday afternoon and caught 'three motor-cars, which were washed yp the gorge and deposited many ’yards from their original positions. iThese huge waves, which occasionally occur when spring tides are mak•ini’ and are backed by strong westerWinds, have caught many unwary motorists, and those caught on Wednesday were lucky to escape with only minor damage. The wave swilled up the gorge • and reached a point about. 100., yards above Ordinary highwater mark. The cars were not seriously damaged, but they could not be driven away under their own power, the water having penetrated the -motors.—Press Association.

# * * Union Membership Restricted. Eighty-four new members have been admitted to the Wellington Workers’ Union. There were' nearly 3000 applications for but 'the executive considered that if the union's- strength ■w&re- greatly Increased it would Oeprfve members of a reasonable! amount of work and detrimentally disturb conditions generally. “I fail to» -understand why the Waterside Workers’ Union should be expected itorabsorb -any number of men at any given time of all the time,” said Mr. 12. Canham, president of the union. Mr. Canham added that if the membership had not been restricted, conditions on the wharf during the depression, when there were large numbers of men out of work, would, have- been impossible. Men who had given- consistent serivce over a long period of years were entitled to protection. —Press Association. * * * Praise for Canterbury Fishing. Great pleasure at the fine fishing to be found in New Zealand was expressed' by' an America” visitor, Mr. ! R. Emmett; of Chicago, ‘ id through Christchurch -n our ■ through the‘Dominion. H; . "I America in April and siince vsited -the greater part of the English-1 speaking world, Mr. Emmett said he felt qualified to say that New Zealand was the best place for a holiday that, anyone could wish. As fishing was his hobby, he had been particularly attracted to the sport that was offered in that direcion. In the North Island the trout fishing had impressed him aS altogether easy’, and he had found the fishing in the streams near Temuka more to his liking. For (such a small stream he thought the Wsihi river- was absolutely linbeatdble in tthe quantity of fish and the sport ’that it afforded. He intended on his way south to make another ; _ -

Blood Transfusion Service. ‘ There is a steady increase in the membership of the Wellington blood transfusion service, and many applications have been received for particulars. . It is not generally known that constant communication is maintained throughout the day and night between the various hospitals and the blood transfusion service, and 'the organisation is so arranged that calls can be conveyed to donors with minimum relay. A donor can be provided within 30 minutes of receiving a call. * * * New Air Service. A semi-public meeting arranged by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce is to be. held to-day to discuss the proposed air service between Auckland and Wellington. The chamben, which has already expressed its disappointment with the service, because it does not. provide a one-da'y air connection from . Auckland to| Dunedin, has invited mayors of the; city and suburbs, heajls of other local bodies, members of Parliament and representatives of the Union Steam Ship Company, Limited, to attend. * * * Road Improvements. Various improvements are being carried out on roads-in-the central districts of . the North Island, and the roads should be in good condition for the Christmas touring season, according to reports received by’ the Automobile Association (Auckland). The Tangarakau’ Gorge route from Ohura to Stratford is in- excellent order, a clay section having been graded and widened, and a new two-car concrete bridge built at the Mangapapa Road turn-off. Other routes described as highly satisfactory are- the Wanga-nui-Raetihi (via Parapara) and Rae-tihi-Tokaanu roads. ■ Extensive imj prove merits are being effected on the Turangi-Taihape- to Napier, via Kuripapanga, is expected to be an allweather route early next year. The , hill section of the road over the Taru•u and Kuripapanga Ranges is dei c ledly rough and narrow, but, it is reported, it has never been inipassI able. The Publip. Works Depart!1 meat is straightening and widening the Napier-Taupo Road, while on the Taupo-Rotorua Road many bends have been eliminated. Considerable advancement has also been made with road conditions in North Auckland, and the measure of co-operation given by local bodies there is stated by the association to be very gratifying.

Arbitration Court. The Arbitration Court will be occupied this week mainly' in hearing drivers’ disputes. The first case will be heard to-morrow, when a general drivers’ dispute on a Dominion basis is set' down for consideration. There will be an application to amend the passenger transport drivers’ award, and the Dominion local bodies’ drivers' dispute will be heard. It is possible also that the unfinished case of the laundry workers will be continued this week. * * * A New “Lord Mayor.” Amusement was caused at this week’s meeting of the Morriiisville Borough Council, when a circular from a German firm was received addressed to the “Lord Mayor of Morrinsville,” “I felt quite bucked up when I received this,” remarked the Mayor, Mr. W. T. Osborne. It would appear 'that the senders had a high opinion of the standing of Morrinsville among the municipalities of the Empire. * * * School Diamond Jubilee. A recommendation that the diamond jubilee of the Morriiisville school be celebrated on Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27, of next year, has been made by the Morrinsville School Old Pupils’ Association. 'A meeting of the old pupils, teaching staff and school committee will be held early in the New Year to discuss the programme. The Morrinsville school was opened on June 25, 1877, or only three years after Messrs. T. and S. Morrin took up land in the district and gave their name to the settlement. * # * N.Z. Seeds at Johannesburg. South African farmers are particularly interested in the quality' grass and the clover seeds displayed in the New Zealand pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition at Johannesburg. Many of them have been given samples to plant on 'their farms in an endeavour to improve, the quality of South African grass. “South African grass is worthless and the wrong sheep are bred for meat purposes,” said Mr. M. O’Ptrien, the New Zealand Commissioner. “Farmers in the Union have requested me to arrange for stud sheiep to be imported to? South Africa.”

■* * * Centennial Exhibition. 'To allow time for the proper flotation of a State-aided company to control the exhibition to be held in Wellington as one of the principal features of the centennial celebrations, in 1940, there has been a 'temporary official halt in the preparations being made by the Department of Internal Affairs, according to 'the Minister, Hon. W. E. Parry. It was only right that • further arrangements should be deferred for two mou'tlis until the company' was established, said the Minister. Work would recommence early next year, and continue unceasingly for three years. The Government aimed to make the celebrations as memorable as the event.

Quick Work By Doctor. To arrive in Wellington from England one day, to be appointed tho next day to a position at the Chatham Islands, and to leave the same evening to take up the appointment, is the achievement of Dr. K. E. Berry, whom the Canterbury Hospital Board has appointed as medical officer at the islands. On Tuesday' last Dr. Berry arrived in Wellington frbm London and interviewed the Director-General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt. He was advised that the position at 'the islands was vacant.;' and he caught the steamer express to Christchurch. His application and recommendations were accepted by the board at its meeting, and Dr. Berry left for the islands by the Tees,, which sailed in the evening. position carries a salary of £7OO a year.

* * Postal Business Record ? Both the postal and telegraphic business will reach record figures in the Christmas and New Year period, officials of the Post and Telegraph Department in Au'ckland anllicipate. For some time now both classes of business have been steadily increasing. Arrangements are being made to transfer all available men from other departments of the service to the branches that will he affected by the rush period. Exceptional figures have been attained alreaidy in arrivals of mail from overseas. The Wairanga recently brought 1085 bags from England, the heaviest lot for some years, and the Aorangi brought from Vancouver 1560 bags and 522 parcel receptacles for New Zealand, Auckland receiving 455 bags. Not in many years has such a large consignmen of mail arrived by this route.

Tallest Fire Escape. A fire escape which has been built for the Hull Fire Brigade is 'the tallest in the British Empire, if not in the world, as when fully extended it reaches a height of 150 ft. Within 30 seconds of the arrival of the brigade at a fire a fireman can be sent to the full height to play water, and there is a two-way loud-speaker to the firemen below. The escape can also be used for rescue purposes, or if necessary it can be extended in a horizontal position to make a bridge. The escape weighs over 11 tons, and the engine is capable of a speed of over 50 miles an hour. \ * Running Shoes Varied.

All the boards which the Labour Government abolishes are not issued with running shoes, and it seems that the expression, originated by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, and now in common use, may' be varied according to the industry to which it is applied (states the “Press”). At a meeting of poultry producers at Burwood, Mr. J. W. McGlinchy, of Hornby, reminded Mr. C. Morgan Williams, M.P., that he had once said the New Zealand Poultry Board would be given wings. “And they are sprouting,” Mr. Williams remarked. * * * Engine Depot Closing.

Thirteen railwaymen whose headquarters are at present at Mercer have received notice of transfer to various parts of the North Island as from December 5, when the locomotive depot at Mercer is to be closed (states a Mercer correspondent). This follows the advent of the K class engine on the New '.Zealand railways. The cutting-down and remarshalling of big goods trains from south at Mercer can now be largely eliminated, the K engines being easily' able to haul trains of 800 'tons total up the Whangarata incline, between Pokeno and Tuakau, which was the barrier previously to trains of over 650 tons. * * “An Emotional Chap.”

“He is an emotional chap, rather like me, and is inclined like me to make . irresponsible utterances at times.” This -was the way in which Mr. T. D. Bennett, ,'M.P., described the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, at a special meeting of ratepayers at Pleasant Point, when the new £200,000 Downlands water supply scheme was placed before the public for the first time (states the “Press”). “We ought to make use of what Bob Semple has offered us to-night. When he got a grasp of the proposals he went in wholeheartedly. I think we should show our appreciation.”l A motion of thanks to the Minister was carried by acclamation. # # # Christmas Lamb for England.

Efforts are to be made by the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union to have the Canterbury freezing companies arrange for the killing and export of frozen lamb to meet tlie British Christmas trade. A remit from the Amberley branch on these lines was passed at a meeting last week. It was stated that there were sufficient early lambs in North Canterbury to make up a shipment. Speakers stressed the point that the North Island enjoyed a share of the trade and it was desirable that Canterbury should follow the lead. It was suggested that the companies might arrange to open earlier by rotation from year to year. There would not be sufficient lambs available to justify all the companies opening their works. * * * Butter-box Prices.

Further objection to the increase in the price of butter-boxes was expressed by members at a meeting on Thursday of the South Auckland Dairy Association (states a Hamilton correspondent.) Mr. J. E. Leeson, of Morrinsville, said the increase was out of all reason especially as factories had given orders to box manufacturers on the assumption that prices would not be increased. It was remarkable that the committee which investigated the price of the boxes did not include a representative of the dairy factories which purchased them. A resolution was carried protesting against the system of pooling butter-boxes to be administered by the Dairy Board, and demanding the light to purchase bu'tter containers as in the past. Further, as butterboxes made from New Zealand timber could be purchased in Australia at prices substantially lower than those now being charged in New Zealand, the meeting considered that the present position amounted 'to exploitation of the dairy industry, and demanded that all regulations and restrictions against the importation of butter-boxes or cheese crates should be removed immediately.