General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22243, 6 November 1937, Page 16

General News

Shorter Working Week Saturday morning closing by Auckland legal offices, will come into effect to-day, according to a recent decision of the Auckland District Law Society. Together with firms at Wellington Lower Hutt, and Whangarei barristers and solicitors and their staffs will now enjoy a fiveday week. Similar proposals are stated to have been rejected by all except these four law societies in the Dominion. However, it is explained that with Courts and Government departments closed there is not a great deal of legal work that can be done on Saturday mornings.—“ The Press” Special Service.

Quaint Procession in City Several persons who were in Chester street near Cranmer square yesterday morning saw one of the quaintest little processions ever seen in the city. A duck was walking from the Avon river down Chester street with her 10 or 12 ducklings following close behind her in single file. The little column moved quite unconcernedly along the road and, when it reached Cranmer square several nfotonsts who were about to cross in its path stopped, and the duck and ducklings crossed the square without interruption. Mr C. Hunton, who saw the procession, said he thought the ducks had gone along Chester street from one part of the river to another. They had shifted, he thought, because there would be more food for them in the river near the more thickly populated part of Chester street.

Model of the Golden Hind A Christchurch man, Mr B. G. Webber, recently completed a model of Sir Francis Drake’s famous ship, the Golden Hind. Built mostly from Southland beech timber, the model is about 3ft 4in long and about 2ft 3iin in height. Except for the little fighting turrets on the mast the whole model was built by Mr Webber in the workshop at his home. It is the first model he has attempted to make, and it has taken him about four months of spare-time work to complete it. The sails were made from the linen which is wrapped around imported raw rubber, and the tiny cannons were made of brass. The hardest parts to make for the model, Mr Webber said yesterday, were the ladders for its sides. Since he has completed the model many persons have wanted to buy it from him. Aviator’s Record Considered to be one of the Dominion’s foremost aviators, Flight Lieutenant D. M. Allan, chief instructor to the Auckland Aero Club, will, if the weather is suitable, complete 5000 hours of flying to-day. He was only two hours short of this total yesterday, and to celebrate the occasion he will be guest of honour at a complimentary dinner in the club house at Mangere this evening. Flight Lieutenant Allan has been responsible for the training of about 170 pilots at Mangere.—“The Press” Special Service. Council’s Financial Position “The City Council is in a good position this year because it has the Municipal Electricity Department’s funds to draw on," said the Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland) when, at a meeting of the Christchurch Domains Board yesterday, Mr H. Kitson (chairman) thanked the council for keeping up its payments to the board. “The council is always in a good position,” said Mr Kitson. “Oh, no, it is not,” replied Mr Beanland. Park Wanted for Redcliffs Redcliffs and Sumner people formed a deputation yesterday to the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, Minister for Labour, asking that something be done to provide a park for Redcliffs. It was claimed that Redcliffs hockey teams, who were among the keenest about Christchurch, had to travel to Christchurch to do their training, because there was no ground available in their own district. It was asked that a reserve of little more than three acres should be turned into a playing area. The Minister promised to inquire immediately whether the work could be put in hand. Ships Open to Public H.M.S. Achilles, now at Lyttelton, will be open to the public to-day, from 2 p.m. till 6 p.m., and H.M.S. Leander will be open to-mor-row, from 2 p.m. till 6 p.m. A frequent train service to Lyttelton will be in operation, to enable the public to visit the warships. Fireworks Set Hedge Blazing Though hundreds of children in Christchurch and the suburbs got their innocent enjoyment out of crackers, throw-downs, and rockets in celebrating Guy Fawkes Day last evening, one party with some sky rockets got more thrills than they were hoping for when a very brilliant explosion started a large macrocarpa hedge blazing in Kerr’s road, Wainoni, about 8.30 p.m. The hedge was a particularly massive one, being several feet through and about 15 feet tall, but when the Central Fire Brigade had put the flames out there was a gap of about a chain in the high green Border. Up to a late hour last evening this was the only excitement requiring the attendance of the fire brigade.

Milk for 120,000 Children “In view of all the difficulties the success of the milk in schools scheme has been very satisfactory indeed,” said the Minister for Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, during the discussion on the Estimates in the House of Representatives. “Since last February the scheme has been extended to approximately 120,000 children,” Mr Fraser said, “and that is mpre than 40 per cent, of the children attending the schools. It was much more difficult to obtain adequate pasteurisation and in all circumstances the degree of success achieved has been very satisfactory.”—Parliamentary Reporter.

Canterbury Health Camps A children’s health camp will be opened at the North Canterbury Racing Club’s course at Rangiora on November 29, and it will be open for about four months. For the first month the camp will cater only for boys, and it is the intention of the committee to close the camp during the Christmas season. All arrangements to have the equipment available as soon as possible have been made by the Christchurch district executive committee of the Federation of Health Camps, by whom the camp is being organised. Mr St. J. J. Dunne has been appointed honorary secretary to the federation committee. Notices Urge Boycott A demonstration in support of a boycott of Japanese goods met the gaze of pedestrians in Otahuhu yesterday. In many of the borough streets, lettered in white paint on the bitumen footpaths were notices which read “Don’t buy Japanese goods.” The notices were obviously printed on the footpaths by means of a stencil and a considerable degree of skill in executing the lettering was apparent.—“ The Press” Special Service.

A Helping Hand A boy who had caught a trout from a bridge over the Wairarapa stream yesterday faced the prospect of losing his catch when he found that he would have to leave his rod and run round a fence to net the trout, until a woman passing by was enlisted to hold the rod. The angler then gave instructions to his inexperienced assistant as he completed the capture.

Songs Sung in Schools The practice of giving children modern popular songs to sing in school hours was strongly condemned yesterday by Mr Ernest Jenner, lecturer in music at the Christchurch Teachers’ Training College. “Bad taste in songs ought to be stamped out absolutely,” he said. “To give children modern popular songs to sing in school hours is every bit as bad as to let them read ‘penny dreadfuls’ in the literature classes. It has no business to be brought into education.” The Fishing Rivers The secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society wishes to advise that the Hurunui, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Rakaia, and Ashley rivers are in excellent condition for week-end fishing.