From the Newspaper Files 100 YEARS AGO
West Gippsland Gazette – Tuesday, February 1, 1921.
ELLINBANK
After the excessive heat and hot north winds of previous days, it was with feelings of relief that people welcomed the cool change of Tuesday, 25th inst. Following the good rains of the New Year, the grass and other heritage made rapid fresh growth, but the trying conditions of last week have completely withered, having a detrimental effect on maize and other crops. Many farmers in the district are now busy ploughing their stubble paddocks in order to give them the benefit of the dry spell. Farmers are appreciating more and more the value of summer ploughing as an effective measure against weeds, as well as the benefit to the soil of recuperation for the next crop. Owing to the hot weather conditions a slump in the dairying industry has occurred but this is always an attendant condition of summer.
LOCAL AND GENERAL
The State schools will commence operation for the year today.
A disastrous fire at Wright and Lloyd’s smelting plat at Port Pirie on Tuesday caused damage estimated at close upon £250,000 and placed 500 men out of employment for an indefinite period.
A huge stone crusher, to weigh about 35 tons, is being built by Messrs. Jaques of Richmond, which it is claimed will be a record achievement in the making of heavy machinery in Melbourne.
A proposal was made that the English cricketers should play a match against a Gippsland team at Traralgon pm February 1st and 2nd, but the Englishmen were unable to undertake any more matches than those arranged.
Miss Killson, LLB, a woman lawyer of Adelaide, recently applied to be appointed as a public notary, but the court held that Act was not sufficiently wide in its authority to admit a woman lawyer to that position.
The United States has issued a postage stamp bearing the Union Jack and other Allied flags – the first time, in all probability, that any country has issued a postage stamp showing the flag of another.
The beet sugar industry in France is rapidly recovering its pre-war importance. This year’s yield is estimated at over 250,000 tons of sugar, against 150,000 last years.
Soldier Memorial
A public meeting is called by the Shire President (Cr. Erlandson) for Monday next at the Shire hall at 8 p.m. to discuss and bring to a definite issue the proposal for a Soldiers Memorial hall in Warragul.
The original idea of building a hall has not met with popular reception, and the cost of such a building estimated at £8000, seems now entirely out of the question. Whether the money subscribed will be devoted to the construction of a smaller hall, or club rooms of some suitable monument in memory of our fallen heroes, is to be determined if possible on Monday night. In addition to the money subscribed by the public, the returned men themselves have earned a handsome sum by means of entertainments and we understand this is all included in the fund. What is desired now is a proposal to utilize this money to the best advantage and to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. For this reason the President hopes to see a large meeting.
Roll Bars
The Drouin branch of the Victorian Dairyfarmers’ Association will oppose the compulsory fitting of safety tractor roll bars.
The meeting did not object to safety roll bars but did object to compulsory fitting.
Branch President Mr K. Steward, when moving the objection motion, told the meeting her did not wans to see a recurrence of the stainless-steel milking machine “issue”.
Mr Stewart claimed that when a Government decision making stainless steel in milking machines compulsory was made, the cost of the machines rose dramatically.
Branch secretary Mr H. Hales said that when stainless steel was introduced farmers were not consulted.
A strong advocate for the introduction of roll bard is the Victorian Young Farmer movement.
State president Mr Kevin Dale, of Drouin West, yesterday described roll bars as a “very cheap insurance policy.”
He said it was far better for a farmer to be “in the red than his widow in black”.
Mr Dale said the proposed cost of the roll bars was about $250.
Mr Dale said a full investigation into roll bars seemed likely soon.
He said although the proposal was moving very slowly, queries were being invited.
Mr Dale said that the three main arguments against roll bars were – cost; that they were not necessary on flat ground and that they were not really needed on large tractors.
He said the only argument to be substantiated was that large tractors need not be fitted.
Mr Dale said there were problems with roll bars strong enough to take the weight of heavy tractors and added that very few fatalities occurred with large tractors.
He said cost should not be a consideration when life was at stage. Mr Dale described the argument that roll bars were not needed on tractors as a fallacy.
He said that 46 per cent of accidents involving tractors were on ground with a nine-degree gradient or less.
He said it was unexpected obstacle which often caused accidents.
Mr Dale said than another argument – that the frame could be responsible for fatality “had not held water” in countries which roll bars were compulsorily introduced.
He said Sweden was a perfect example of the added safety of roll bars.
Tractor accidents were common before roll bars were made compulsory, but there has been only one fatality since”, he said.
Drivers escape injury
No one was injured in three separate car crashes near Warragul last Saturday.
Two cars collided in Queen St, Warragul, near Napier St, at about 12.30 am.
The cars were driven by Laurence F. Latt, of 21 Clifford St Warragul, and Keith Preston, of Drouin South.
Cars driven by George Arthur Snowden, of 1 Madoline St, Pascoe Vale, and Kenneth Hopgood, of 34 Vincent St, Glen Iris collided in Queen St later in the day.
A car driven by Lynette Johnson or West Brunswick, ran of Princes Highway at Darnum at about 6pm.