General News

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21239, 10 August 1934, Page 14

General News

Town Clerk as Tourist Officer Besides supervising the general administration of the city, the Town Clerk of Christchurch (Mr J. S. Neville) is frequently called upon by persons living outside Christchurch to perform duties which fall more strictly within the province of a tourist officer. Recently he has received enquiries—from places as far apart as Central Otago and Pretoria, South Africa—asking for information about Christchurch as a holiday resort and as a place for a retired business man to settle in. To each enquirer comprehensive replies have been sent. Deaths From Exhaust Gases Deaths at the rate of more than one a day from automobile exhaust gases (carbon monoxide) are recorded in a United States Public Health Service report just received by Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, medical officer of health at Christchurch. The figures were obtained while an enquiry was being made to see how much truth was in the common opinion of the danger of fumigating with poisonous gases. The results showed that of 396 deaths in six months from poisonous gases of various kinds—automobile exhaust gases, coal gas, gas and oil leaks, illuminating gases, chemical and fumigating gases—6o per cent, were attributable to automobile exhaust gases. Of the 233 persons who died and the 13 who were overcome by exhaust gases, three died while driving a car. Fumigating gases were responsible for only 1J per cent, of the deaths from poisonous gases.

"Search For Beauty" Competition

Entries for the "Search for Beauty" competition, conducted by "The Press," closed last evening, when there was a last-minute rush. The concluding prize-winning photographs are published this morning, and to-morrow a special display of all the daily winners throughout the competition will be published. The names of the winners of the three final prizes will also be announced. Increase in Salaries Restoration of half of the cuts in its employees' wages has been agreed upon by the Geraldine Borough Council. The restoration will take effect on September 1. Aeroplanes for Australia The manufacture of aeroplanes will shortly be undertaken on a large scale in Australia, according to Mr G. i\ Davis, chairman of directors of Cockatoo Dock and Engineering Company, Sydney, who is now visiting Christchurch. Mr Davis said that although his company had built about 10 aeroplanes recently, the industry had not been taken up seriously in the Commonwealth. But at the present time the company was negotiating witli one of the foremost cWence and civil aviation producers in Great Britain with the idea of building their machines under license in Australia. The company would then be in a position to supply all the air defence requirements of Australia. Other industrial machinery, which had previously been imported, was also being built at the Cockatoo Dock Company's factories in increasing quantities. Katipo Spiders Reference to katipo spiders at New Brighton was made at a meeting of New Brighton relief workers when several men stated they had been bitten while planting marram grass. They decided to ask the New Brighton Borough Council to supply them with gloves.

Power Board Loan Consent has been granted the North Canterbury Electric Power Board to raise a Waipara County reticulation loan of £37,000, according to a Gazette notice issued last night. The term of the loan is 20 years, the rate of interest £3 15s per cent., and the amount to be paid annually into a sinking fund £3 7s 6d per cent. Export of Ghee Butter Satisfaction with the manner in which the question of the export of ghee butter to the East has been taken up by other chambers of commerce and newspapers in different parts of the Dominion, was expressed by members of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. A letter was received from the Associated Chambers of Commerce stating that steps were being taken to approach the Dairy Produce Control Board with a view to having the matter investigated. The chairman (Mr A. G. Lunn) said he understood that the annual consumption of ghee butter'in India was 1,000,000 tons, the retail price being Is 6d per lb. If New Zealand could capture only one-tenth of the market, the benefU to this country would be invaluable. —"The Press" Special Service. An Early Tunnel Scheme In the files of the Lands and Survey Department are the complete specifications for the construction of a railway tunnel beneath Carrington Peak at the head of the Waimakariri river, Mr B. A. Barrer told his audience in an address on the Arthurs Pass National Park at the Radiant Hall last evening. The Midland railway, however, eventually followed the Bealey river instead of the Waimakariri, and the tunnel was constructed between Arthurs Pass and Otira. The reason for the abandonment of the Waimakariri tunnel scheme was unknown to the lecturer. Sunday Carrying The question of the carriage of goods on Sunday by licensed carriers was raised at the sitting in Stratford of the No. 5 District Licensing Authority. The chairman of the authority (Mr Percy Thomson) said that a clause was being included in the new licenses to cover the question. "The position is this," said the chairman, "that the granting of these goods service licenses does not permit the carriage of goods on Sundays. It is still necessary to get a permit under the Stock Act or the Police Olfences Act. In any cases where a carrier sees another carrier operating on Sunday it is only his duty to himself and other carriers to make enquiry as to whether a special permit has been secured. If this has not been done the matter should be reported and a prosecution would follow." Mr S. Macalister, counsel for an applicant, said that although Sunday carrying was not allowed under the general law he wondered if it was prevented by the conditions of the license. "We are putting in a special clause to cover it," said the chairman. "A special license will still be necessary, as in the cases of night carriage of stock,"