NEWS OF THE DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 63, 15 March 1944, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Miniature Ride Shooting Prospects of a revival in miniature rifle shooting are bright. This was stated at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Returned Services' Association Miniature Rifle Club. Sufficient ammunition is guaranteed for this season for this club and for others about Christchurch. Water Imported It had been estimated by a statistician that before the war Britain imported 3,000,000 tons of water annually, said Mr. W. Bankes Amer.v, leader of the United Kingdom food mission to Australia and New Zealand, yesterday. This had come into the country in imports of such foodstuffs as bananas and other fruit, which contained a high percentage of water. In order to conserve shipping space some of these imports had been stopped, and to-day children up to six years of age would not know what a banana was nor what to do with it if they were given one. Indifferent Voter In striking contrast to the zeal which prompted the suffragettes to agitate for votes for women is the indifference of some women to the exercise of the franchise. A young business woman was called on yesterday in connection with the licensing po',l, but, although a car was placed at her disposal so that she might lose no time in reaching the polling booth, she declared that she was not interested in the elections. It was pointed out to her how other women had suffered to secure for her the privileges she enjoyed, but she still refused to go and vote. Experience Teaches It is seldom the old hand who "cracks hardy," and when the enthusiasm of some soldier harvesters working in the Temuka district led them to strip to the waist before commencing work in the fields on a hot day, they were inclined to scoff at the farm workers who did not discard their leather jackets before handling sheaves. As the day went on, however, and the thistles among the sheaves began to make their presence felt, the soldiers felt their enthusiasm for coolness and a manly sun tan- fading. One by one they ■unobtrusively resumed wearing their jackets, much to the amusement of those who had learnt by previous ! experience.

Lifeboat for Tankers

The magazine Engineer gives prominence to a new type of lifeboat now in production and specially designed for use in oil tankers. These boats are constructed of steel with a canopy of double thickness asbestos, and are designed to carry 33 persons. A complete system of water sprays is fitted for the protection of the deck and sides of the boat. The water is delivered to the sprayers by two hand pumps, each of which is designed to deliver about 30 gallons a minute. Three alternatives are provided for propulsion. They are the Fleming hand-operated gear, the Victor Cub oil engine, or electric propulsion which is being developed by the Ministry of War Transport. A Serviceman's Pets The solicitude of a young American serviceman for two guinea pigs caused some amusement among the passengers on the suburban train which was derailed on the Orakei deviation last night. The serviceman carried his pets in a box and frequently lifted the lid to see how they were withstanding the strain of the journey. When the train was derailed 'he took the opportunity of alighting and gathering from the wayside some fresh grass which he placed in the box. In view of the breeding propensities of the guinea pig, it is to be hoped that the camp to which the serviceman belongs will not be confronted with a problem similar to that of the railway station official in Ellis Parker Butler.'s book "Pigs is Pigs." Special Jury Principle .

Givmg judgment yesterday on an application for a special" jury to near a case involving medical evidence, Mr. Justice Fair said the guiding principles were laid down in bhiska v National Trading Company ?^ ew Zealand. The facts relied on saticfl t£f r P rov t e d by affidavit to satisfy the Court that the evidence that 30 rliffirnn ed t W f S •° f , such nature tnat difficult technical or professional questions were likely to arise In the application under review that of the Auckland Hospital Board in respect to a damages claim bv Andrew Marelich, the Court he'rl that the affidavits as to evidence were vague and general instead of giving specific facts on which the might be satisfied as to the probability of difficult technical questions arising. To grant the application in such circumstances would be contrary to the intention of the btatute and to the principles laid