LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Confidence in Meat Board. A resolution expressing complete confidence in the board was adopted at the conclusion of an address by Mr T. A. Duncan, chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, to a large meeting of Taihape farmers on Saturday on the marketing of New Zealand meat. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Farmers’ Union and Sheepowners' Federation. Shipment of Pineapples. A shipment of about 200 cases of Australian pineapples has arrived in Wellington. Though the pineapples will be a welcome addition to fruiterers’ stocks, the shipment generally landed in very poor condition. The Internal Marketing Division has fixed a maximum wholesale price of 30s a case, retailers being asked to place their own value on the fruit up to that amount. There is no fixed retail price. Railwaymen’s Hours. A protest against the hours which railway employees '.afie required to work was made at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Engine Drivers, Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Association. A motion stated that members were called upOn to work shifts running into 16 hours and up to 19 hours continuously on duty, mostly at night, and that their health was imperilled by the strain due to irregular meals, insufficient sleep and conditions generally. Concern was also expressed at locomotive crews being called upon to work every alternate Sunday after completing a week of about 54 hours or more. Sick and Wounded. The monthly report from the Commissioner of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society, in the Middle East, shows that much attention is being paid to New Zealand sick and wounded in the various hospitals. Radio transmission and amplifier systems have been installed in the hospitals, and have proved a boon. Surgical dressings, extra hospital clothing, toilet requisites, stationery, reading matter, tobacco, fruit, sweets, and other comforts too numerous to mention are distributed by the Joint Council Commissioner’s staff. One pleasing feature in the latest report is that the position regarding books and magazines in quite satisfactory. The Joint Council representatives has established an advanced base at Tripoli, and stocked the store with all goods necessary, for the welfare of the sick and wounded. Meat Killings. Killings for the present season at the Dominion’s freezing works from October 1 to April 17, as issued by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, show lamb killings now total 9,144,885 carcases, compared with 9,260,850 to April 18 last season, a decrease of 115,974. Wether mutton killings are 463,276 carcases, and ewe mutton killings, 1,473,093, compared with 696,134 and 1,735,125 respectively last season. Details of killings, with figures for the previous season in parentheses, are as follows, North Island totals being shown first: Lamb (c/cs.), 5,208,767 (5,149,704), 3,936,118 (4,111,155); wether mutton (c/cs.), 427,490 (634,218), 35,786 (61,616); ewe mutton (c/cs.), 1,079,083 (1,079,119), 394,010 (656,006). Frozen beef production has reached 306,489 quarters, compared with 266,985 last season. Porker killings total 70,232 carcases, a decrease of 72,716, while baconers total 82,572, a decrease of 127,211.