LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 November 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No Bankruptcies in October. No bankruptcies were recorded in the Wairarapa in October. Since the beginning of the year two bankruptcies have been registered. Offer to Work Longer Hours. An offer to the banks to extend working hours up to lour hours weekly, should this be Hound necessary, has been made by the New Zealand Bank Officers' Guild, as a contribution to the country’s war effort. Emotions of Indian Runner Duck. Although ducks of the Indian Runner type are not usually credited with having their emotions developed to any degree, an exception to this idea was forthcoming in Featherston yesterday. A motorist reports that as he was approaching the town, he saw a duck lying dead on the roadside. Another duck, probably the male, was frantically trying to get responses from it: Every effort with beak and foot to stir the motionless body was to no avail, and so all the live duck could do was to lie beside its mate in despair New Motor Run. The Automobile Association (Wellington) is suggesting a new afternoon trip for Wellington motorists when the Plimmerton-Paekakariki coast road is opened, and the association is printing a map to indicate the route. It is proposed that motorists travel to Paekakariki via the Western Hutt Road. Pahautanui, the Horokiwi Valley and the Paekakariki Hill, and return to the city via the coast road, Paremata, Porirua and the Ngahauranga Gorge. The distance will be 571 miles, which is suitable for an afternoon run, or, if the time is prolonged by a stop at any of the picnicking spots on or near the route, a full day’s trip. The whole run will be on main highways and through pleasant scenery. New Highway Access.

The official opening of the Ngahauranga Gorge Road and the Plimmer-ton-Paekakariki (Coast) Road, which make an immeasurable improvement to the highway access to Wellington, will take place on Saturday afternoon next. Each road will be opened by the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Semple, and the ribbons will be cut by Mrs Semple. The opening will take place at the Abattoir Road Junction at 1.10 p.m. The speakers will be: The mayor of Wellington, Mr T. C. A. Hislop; the president of the Automobile Association (Wellington), Sir Alexander Roberts; the chairman of the Makara County Council. Mr E. Windley; the chairman of the Main Highways Board, Mr J. Wood; and the Minister, following which the ribbon will be cut by Mrs Semple.

Purchase of New Zealand Meat.

A question by a farmer as to “what the Government is doing with regard to the rake-off between the farm gate and f.0.b.” in the purchase of meat for sale to the United Kingdom Government was answered by the Minister of Marketing. Mr Nash, in his radio broadcast last evening. The Minister said the freezing companies, the Meat Board and Government representatives had been in negotiation for the purpose of determining the price which would be paid for work between the farm gate and delivery on board ship. His previous answer on the same point was repeated by the Minister in reply to a Motueka farmer, who asked who would get the profit on wool sold by Britain outside Britain. “The answer is that New Zealand’s portion of the profit will go to the farmer,” Mr Nash said.

Increasfe in Cost of Living. Since December, 1938, food prices in New Zealand have increased by 7 per cent, and all retail prices by 4.6 per cent. These figures are revealed in the cost of living indices in the latest Abstract of Statistics dealing with prices in August, which also shows that the effective wage rate (purchasing power) has declined by 3 per cent in the eight months of this year which the Abstract covers. The present is the first year since the Labour Government came into power in 1935 that increased costs have caused a decline in the effective wage rate. A review of living costs shows that with the exception of 1920 and 1921, food prices today (groceries, dairy produce and meat), are the highest in the history of New Zealand, while the all-retail index has been exceeded on seven occasions only in the last 20 years.

Robot Doctor at Exhibition.

Yesterday Dr Wellandstrong, the exhibition robot, made his first public appearance, in a rehearsal of his part in the Health Department’s stand in lhe Government Court. A mechanical man, able to walk, talk and gesticulate. he will be in sole charge of a stand, will conduct visitors round it, and will explain the significance of the various displays. The robot was devised and constructed in Wellington, the entire exhibit having been prepared by Mr G. R. Mansford in conjunction with officers of the Health Department. Mr Mansford was a contractor engaged on the Social Security Building. He had a flair for making ingenious models as a hobby, and for this reason was appointed to undertake this exhibit. The result ,is believed to be unique; no similar robot has ever before been entrusted with such extensive responsibilities. The stand, of which the doctor is in charge, is known as "The Highway to Health and Happiness.” No human assistants will be necessary; the doctor will be in sole charge throughout the day.

Sugar Beet Industry. Two hundredweight of the best strain of sugar beet is to be made available for growing under contract in Hawke's Bay. Making this announcement, the Instructor in Agriculture in Southern Hawke’s Bay, Mr J. W. Palmer, who referred to the value of certain areas in the district for sugar beet production, said it was estimated that the selected localities should be able to produce between two and three tons of seed an acre, which was well above the European average. Taking a very conservative estimate of a ton to the acre crop, and allowing sixpence a .pound to lhe grower, this should provide a return of over £56 an - acre. 'At present seed ;vas retailing at as high <as 3s a pound. ..nd the grower should “sceiv'e at least of the retail price'. The idea was utumn, and