LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Fruit and Vegetable Marketing.

Because of anomalies created through Government control of the marketing of fruit and vegetables, the Canterbury Fruit Buyers’ Association is urging the Government to establish an advisory board in each of the main centres to deal with the causes of dissatisfaction in the trade, each board to consist of one broker, two retailers, one grower and a representative of the public.

Rotary Clubs Abolished. “Rotary clubs, have been abolished in Germany, Italy and Japan,” said Mr D. A. Ewen, in an address before the Wellington Rotary Club yesterday. “I am inclined to think that we should take it as an honour that they were abolished, as Rotary stands for friendship between man and man, and nation and nation, and friendship is the last thing those nations stand for.” Mine Idle. The Pukemiro mine was idle on Monday as the result of a prolonged stopwork meeting by the miners in the morning. The meeting, which was held before the men commenced work, lasted longer than is usual in such cases, and, as it was found to be too late to enter the mine, work ceased for the rest of the day. The stopwork meeting was the monthly meeting held by the employees to discuss union affairs, and no industrial dispute was involved.

To Save Electricity.

The suggestion that Power Boards throughout New Zealand could save electricity by requesting County Councils to close down such equipment as crushing plants, etc., between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. was made by Councillor H. H. Mawley at yesterday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council. He said that the council could close down its crushing plant between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. without causing inconvenience. The men could make up the time lost each day by working on Saturday mornings. The Clerk said the council would have to pay the men overtime if they worked on Saturday morning. Women Herd Testers.

Recognised by the blue bib overalls and navy drill jackets which most of them wear, 150 girl herd-testers, travelling by horse-drawn vehicles because of the petrol shortage, have, during the past season, been carrying out important work for the herd recording department of the Dairy Board. Their employment has only one great' disadvantage for the department, which finds that too many have been getting married to farmers, and recruits are constantly required to take their places. Before the war the department had some 200 male herd-testers in the field. Now there are only about a dozen left, and these are retained in the testing depots. Women herd-test-ers had not been heard of till the first' group took the field in 1940. Most of them have been trained at Massey College, where they undergo a three weeks’ course. They vary in age from 18 to 40, and come from all walks of life, including city and Government offices.

Power Shortage. Allegations that the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, had ignored warnings in 1937 and 1938 by the power boards conferences of the need for increased power supply and had lacked appreciation of the position were made at a meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board by the chairman, Mr J. Boyce, and Mr M. A. Elliott, a member, during a discussion upon a letter from the -Electricity Controller concerning steps to be taken to deal with the electricity supply in an emergency. A statement by Mr P. G. Guy that, though there was an abnormal demand at present, thd Government was not to blame drew a retort from Mr Boyce that Mr Semple was warned of the impending shortage in 1937 by the engineers’ conference. The trouble was partly due to the non-shipment of generating equipment which the Government had had made, declared Mr J. A. Nash, but Mr Elliott maintained that Mr Semple was to blatne ill that he had discounted warnings given.

Interhouse Dance. A feature of the Wairarapa Interhouse Associations’ dance in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, on Friday night, will be a tap trio by pupils of Miss B. Hirst. Novelty dances will be held and supper will be served. Dominion Breweries’ Profit.

Dominion Breweries’ net profit for the year was £38,479, compared with £25,972 for the previous year. Taxation absorbed £167,236 of the company’s earnings. There was an increase of £82,808 in the gross profit, which was £363,405, against £273,015 for the year before. Budget Debate. Morning, afternoon and evening sittings of the House of Representatives were held yesterday, when the financial debate was continued. Eight speeches were made, five by Government members and three from the Opposition benches. It was the first Tuesday morning sitting under the revised meeting hours adopted last week. The House adjourned at 10 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. today.

Compensation Proposal. The Waipawa County Council at its monthly meeting unanimously instructed its delegates to the conference Ito be held at Napier of the Hawke’s Bay joint counties to support a remit being sent forward by the Waipuku ran County Council that “a remit be forwarded to the forthcoming counties conference asking that representations .be made to the Minister of Health urging an immediate amendment to the Act, whereby compensation on a scale to be prescribed in the Workers' Compensation Act should be paid to all hospital employees who contract disease as a result of their employment.” Supplies of Eggs. I

• No eggs were available in the Wellington area last week, excepting for requirements of the Armed Forces, and those required for medical and Plunket priorities. The firm which handles the Wellington egg supply, reports the resumption of the rationing of supplies for civilian consumption on a 121 per cent basis. This quantity is in addition to the supplies required for medical certificates and Plunket chits. Peak winter wholesale prices for eggs bontinue, and these as charged to retailers are as follows:—Heavy grade hen eggs, 3s 3d a dozen; standard, 3s Id; medium, 2s lid; pullets, 2s 6d; duck, 3s Id; small duck, 2s lid. Farewell Gathering.

A very enjoyable dance was held in the Masterton Savage Club rooms last evening, for the purpose of saying farewell to Corporals Shouler, Jones and Ward, and Cadets Irwin, Gilbert, Miller and McKenzie, who are leaving Masterton shortly to continue their training in the R.N.Z.A.F. During the evening the Officer Commanding, Flying Officer Playsted, wished the Cadets every success, and handed them their reports on training whilst members of No. 21 Squadron. The supper arrangements were in the hands of Mesdames Jones and Shouler, and the music for the dance was supplied by Miss Beryl Hawke and the Thorne family.

Social Welfare. Questions of social welfare were discussed by the Government member for Christchurch East (Miss Howard), when she spoke in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives last evening. “Some of the women on the farms are the real heroines of this war,” she declared, when making a plea for domestic help for them and other housewives. She expressed the hope that the Government would provide assistance for those women burdened with home work and worries. It was a matter that should be investigated at once and those who could not afford to pay for help should have it granted from the Social Security scheme. Miss Howard suggested that a comb-out of the civil servants administering the Social Security benefits would be beneficial. She knew of cases where people had not got sympathetic treatment froln officers. Miss Howard urged that nurses in the Dominion be trained in giving the Kenny treatment for infantile paralysis, adding that she had received letters from many anxious and ready to take up the work. If fathers and mothers of afflicted children desired this treattnent it was the duty of the Government to provide it.