LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Motor Drivers’ Licences.

Motorists are well advised, if they wish to avoid congestion later in the month, to make early application for new drivers’ licences, which must be obtained before June 1. Both the Masterton Borough Council and the Masterton County Council are now issuing the new licences. State Houses.

Cabinet has approved contracts under the State housing scheme for the erection of an additional 84 houses in various towns, and for the purchase of numerous sections providing accommodation for 500 dwellings. W. Rigg, Ltd., have obtained a contract for the erection of seven single-house units at Masterton.

Fire Board Costs Increase. There is an increase of £BOOO in the Wellington Fire Board’s estimates for the year ending March 31, 1939, as compared with £33,400 for the year ended March 31 last. The chairman of the board, Mr S. S. Dean, said at yesterday’s meeting that the increase to £41,400 for the current year was unavoidable and was largely due to increased wages. Warehousemen’s Dispute. The hearing of an application by the employees in general warehouses (other than soft goods) for a new award for the Northern, Wellington, Taranaki, Canterbury and Otago and Southland industrial districts, was continued in the Conciliation Council at Wellington yesterday. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr M. J. Reardon, presided. The council adjourned in the afternoon, leaving as the principal matters in dispute classification of workers’ wages, hours and holidays. Use of Wood Waste.

Good progress is being made with the erection of the buildings of Amalgamated Chemical Industries, Ltd., at Waipango, about seven miles from Riverton. The extraction of chemicals from the wood waste of the Southland beech will be carried out at this company’s plant. Work has been in progress for more than a month, and it is hoped to complete the buildings within six months. It has been estimated that 80,000 tons of sawmill and bush waste is discarded every year in the Southland beech industry. Whale Oil and Munitions.

In restocking itself with munitions of war the world demands the slaughter of more whales. The curator of the Canterbury Museum, Mr R. A. Falla, said in an address to the Christchurch Businessmen’s Club, that whale oil was a very important natural source of glycerine. During the Great War the demand for glycerine for explosives had caused an increased demand for whale oil. “To some extent the increase in the making of armaments and munitions has a definite effect on the whale oil market,” he said. Water Invades Homes. Standing in swirling flood waters which reached above their knees, a Pipiroa resident and his wife spent part of Wednesday night in a room holding down a wooden bed on which were their four small children, the youngest a baby six months old. They were Mr and Mrs G. R. McQuoid, two of many Hauraki Plains settlers, whose homes have been invaded by the worst floods in the history of the district. The furniture was washing about in turbulent silt-laden water. The baby was rescued from its low cot a foot above the floor, and all the children were placed upon the wooden bed. Portable objects were put on tables. Three feet of water was inside the house by 11 o’clock. Motorist Acquitted.

In the Supreme Court yesterday, before Mr Justice Kennedy, Clarence Albert. Barnett, freezing works employee, Balclutha, was found not guilty of two charges arising out of a motor accident near Lovell’s Flat. Two passengers in the car he was driving were killed, and accused was charged that while in a state of intoxication in charge of a motor-car, by act, or omission, he caused death and, alternatively, that he drove negligently and thereby caused death. When the jury returned after 75 minutes, the foreman expressed the opinion that the stretch of road on which the accident occurred was dangerous for motor traffic because of the excessive amount of gravel on it. New Railway Line. An announcement that Cabinet had authorised a new survey of the route of the proposed railway line between Taneatu and Opotiki was made by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, at the conclusion of a meeting of the Ministry last evening. Mr Savage said that this survey would be undertaken right away. A survey had been made many years ago, but since then there had been representations that the route might be improved upon. It was therefore decided to make another survey. The distance between Taneatua and Opotiki is about 30 miles. The completion of the line will make Opotiki the railhead and will give it continuous rail communication with Auckland by way of Tauranga, Paeroa and Hamilton. Limitation of Navies.

An explanation of the term “relative strength” as applied to navies was given by Captain R. D. Oliver, R.N., at the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League. He said that while the British Empire required cruisers for protection of the Empire trade routes, it was necessary to keep up its naval strength in capital ships to offset the capital ships of other naval Powers. Numerous conferences had been held between Britain and other Powers for the purpose of endeavouring to come to some agreement whereby the building of large and costly battleships might be limited; but unfortunately these had so far not proved successful. The result was that the limit of size of ships and calibre of guns had not yet been reached, and no one could conjecture when it would.

Oranges Found to be Bad. Possibly 25 per cent of a record shipment of 24,800 cases of Cook Island oranges which arrived at Auckland by the Matua on Thursday will have to be destroyed as being unfit for human consumption. This will probably involve the Government in a dead loss on account of the cost of the fruit and also on account of freight from the Islands. A large quantity of oranges, found on inspection yesterday to be bad, was loaded during the afternoon on to the Auckland Harbour Board’s refuse launch, which left the Western Wharf with a full cargo to dump the affected fruit outside the harbour limit. It is understood that research into the keeping qualities of the oranges is at present proceeding in the Islands. 4