LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Porker Pigs. The lifting of the restrictions on the killing o£ porker pigs for export between the weights of 1001 b. and 1201 b. was announced yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay. On March 28, instructions were issued that, as from July 1, porkers between the weight range of 60 to 1001 b. only could be killed for export purposes. •

Mutton Birds for Maori Troops. A shipment of several thousand mutton birds will shortly be consigned to Egypt as a special ‘'comfort” for members of the Maori battalion. It was felt by many Maoris that, acceptable as they were, the standard of parcels of comforts was not altogether suited to native soldiers overseas, some of whom had written home expressing a longing for the '‘good old mutton bird.” The birds have been tinned so that they will arrive in good condition.

Mine Dispute Settled. Holding that the interpretation of the minimum wage clause by Mr W. Meldrum, independent chairman of a disputes committee, did not alter the provision in the agreement, but that Grey Valley Collieries had apparently made a decision believing it required a weekly measure-up for every place in the Dobson mine, also that the miners’ request for weekly pay dockets be refused, the Coal Production Council (Messrs T. O. Bishop, A. McLagan and Strongman), after a two-day sitting, gave its decision on the Dobson mine dispute at Greymouth last night. A largely-attended meeting of the union last night decided to accept the order of the council, and the men resumed work today.

Railwayman Found Dead. Mr William Edmonds, a former inspector of tile permanent way of the New Zealand Railways Department in tlie Wanganui district, was found dead in his home. Wicksteed Street, on Tuesday. Mr Edmonds, who was 67 years of age. lived alone, and had not been seen for some days. He joined the railway staff as a casual ganger in Te Kuiti in 1898, and became a permanent member of the staff in 1900. After serving for 40 years, he retired in Wanganui last year.

Dairy Association Profit. A very substantial increase in turnover and gross profit, which had permitted a 50 per cent increase in the rebate paid to contributing shareholders, amounting to £8639, was reported by the chairman of directors, Mr A. Morton, to the annual meeting of the National Dairy Association of New Zealand yesterday. The general manager, Mr C. H. Backhouse, showed that there had been an increase of nearly £lOO,OOO in turnover, which had been achieved with an increase of just over £lOOO in expenses.

Soldiers and Civil Life. "The Government will do its utmost to remove any hardship from soldiers returning to New Zealand, to put them back into industry and to lit them in every way to take their place once again in the normal life of the community.” said the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, addressing the Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment League at its annual conference in Wellington yesterday. Already 750 soldiers had returned from overseas —most of them sick, some of them wounded —and it was obvious that, as a result of the great light that had been put up in Greece and Crete, the number would be increasing in the future, said Mr Jones.