LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Intercollegiate Hockey. Teams representing Wairarapa College and Dannevirke High School played senior and junior girls’ hockey matches at the College grounds yesterday. Dannevirke won both games, the scores being 2-1 and 4-1 respectively. Mufti Allowance. The executive of the Auckland Returned Services Association has decided to urge that a mufti allowance be paid to merchant seamen who suffer loss through enemy action. It was considered that the allowance should be made only to men serving under New Zealand articles. Leave for Service Women. Service women in New Zealand who are married or are about to marry service men home on furlough have been granted an extension of the leave they previously received. This advice has been received by Mr Acland, M.P. for Temuka, from the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, who states that where practicable leave without pay for a period not exceeding three months will be approved for the service women concerned on their making application.

Quality of Stockings, Complaint about the quality of some of the stockings manufactured in New Zealand was made by Mrs Polson (Opposition, Mid-Canterbury) during consideration of the estimates of the Department of Industries and Commerce in the House of Representatives yesterday. She said that some of them were most unsatisfactory and she felt that our manufactures could be better. Mrs Polson supported her argument with an exhibit of a roughly-made, shapeless stocking which appeared to have been made for a person with a clubfoot. “It looks more like a sugar-bag,” said one member as she held it up for the inspection of the House. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, said he could not explain, nor could he defend the article exhibited by Mrs Polson. The matter would be taken up with the manufacturers.

Use of Humus. “The department has an officer working on the subject of humus as fertiliser for our soils” said the Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr Sullivan, when the department’s estimates were discussed by the House of Representatives yesterday. He was replying to Mr Roberts (Government, Wairarapa), who had emphasised the value of organic manures both to the life of the land and the health of the people through vegetables and fruits grown with humus. Mr Roberts ’said that Great Britain was converting vast amounts of waste into humus and returning it to the soil, with remarkable results. The municipalities of the Old Country were in the forefront of this nationally important activity. It was important that the Government should encourage the people of the Dominion to turn household waste into organic fertiliser. If the department 'were to carry out investigations along the lines of what was being done in the United Kingdom the results if applied to the Dominion would be of untold value, particularly to the health of the community, and it would be a permanent benefit to the soil and pastures.

Shop Day. The Masterton West. Home and School Associaton will hold a “shop day” on Wednesday, August 18. in the shop in Queen Street formerly occupied by Mr W. H. Saunders. There will be a great variety of goods for- sale including sweets, cakes, produce, clothing and meat. Progress On Estimates. A wide variety of subjects were discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday, when estimates of departmental expenditure were considered throughout the sitting which commenced at 10.30 a.m. Six more classes were approved, representing a total vote of £4,781,378. The House rose at 5 p.m., till Tuesday at 2,30 p.m., when the remainder of the main estimates will be discussed. Spread of Industries. An inquiry if it was the policy of tthe Bureau of Industry to decentralise industries and to explore the possibilities of industrial development away from the centres was made by Mr Carr (Government, Timaru) during the discussion on Estimates in the House or Representatives yesterday. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan said the Bureau had the necessary authority so far as licensed industries were concerned. Unless an industry was licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act the Bureau had no power to- tell it where to go. Meeting Civilian Needs. “Arrangements have been made for a switch-over in New Zealand industry as far as possible to meet civilian needs in clothing material, clothing and footwear, and to catch up on shortages,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce Mr Sullivan, during discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives yesterday. The Minister, who was replying to Mrs. Polson (Opposition, Mid-Canterbury) said that as a result of the work of a special mission which visited the United Kingdom and the United States the Dominion had succeeded in getting undertakings to supply a greater quantity of material than New Zealand was strictly entitled to.

Enquiry Asked For. A request for an inquiry into the operations of the motion picture business in the Dominion was made by Mr Richards (Government, Roskill) to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, in the House of Representatives yesterday when the departmental estimates were discussed. He said that he was informed that some theatre proprietors were asking their employees to work longer hours and had offered only 6d an hour for the extra time. Mr Richards said it had also come to his knowledge that certain monopolistic firms in the country were able to learn where any new shopping and business sites were to be in areas where Government housing schemes were undertaken. This wanted inquiring into. If there was to be any monopoly in any business it should be a State monopoly. One concern held 129 picture exhibition licences and was crushing opposition out of business. The Minister replied that all applications for licences were examined by a stipendiary magistrate, whose decision had always been accepted. He made no comment on the request for an inquiry.