General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22337, 26 February 1938, Page 16

General News

The Fishing Rivers The secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society has received advice that the Waimakariri, Hurunui, Rangitata, and Rakaia rivers were clear yesterday, but because of the prevailing north-west wind it is anticipated that they will not be suitable for week-end fishing. The Ashley and Selwyn rivers are clear and fishable. Otira Gorge Road Advice has been received from the Canterbury Automobile Association that the Otira Gorge road was opened again yesterday. The road is quite safe for traffic although there are still a few small deviations. Road Named After Flying-Boat Christchurch is to have a road named after the Imperial Airways flying-boat Centaurus, which recently visited New Zealand. This decision was reached at the meeting of the Heathcote County Council last evening, when it was decided to divide the Port Hills road from Heathcote to Cashmere into two parts on account of prevalent confusion in house numbers. The part of the road from Cashmere to Murray Aynsley Hill will be renamed Centaurus road. It will be numbered, following the usual practice, from west to east. The road from Murray Aynsley Hill to Heathcote Valley will retain the name of Port Hills road, and will be numbered in the opposite direction. Party Funds "For every £ 1 we can find for the next election the Labour Party will be backed by £lO. It will have about £1,000,000," declared the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. A. Hamilton) in reply to an interjector, who suggested that the National Party stood for "big men," when he was speaking at a meeting in Auckland last night. Mr Hamilton said that the National Party would be struggling along with hundreds of pounds while Labour would be backed by thousands. Many people believed that the financial strength of the Government Party would be its downfall. The National Party sought the support of the business, professional, and commercial men of the towns, the rural vote, and that of a large proportion of the working people.—" The Press" Special Service. Tramping Track on Hills The outcome of an interview between Mr A. Thomson, supervisor at the Takahe, and the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, yesterday, it has been decided to extend Mitchell's track for trampers from the Sugar Loaf near the Kiwi on a parallel line with the new motorists' highway along the summit of the Port Hills to Evans Pass. Mr Thomson's staff of four men is to be increased to eight so that • the track may be pushed through to make a complete tramping track from the Sign of the Kiwi to Evans Pass. Model Maori Pa With the arrival of a truck load of tree ferns at the Temuka railway station yesterday, further material for the building of a model Maori pa at Arowhenua has been received. The fern tree logs which are essential for the proper construction of Maori whares, according to ancient Maori plan and custom, and which are known among natives as ponga, were cut in North Otago earlier in the week. On the site of the model pa already are assembled raupo logs and other building material. Although it was originally announced that the whole job would be completed by Easter it is now definite that the work will take much longer.—" The Press" Special Service. St. Andrews Hill Sewerage Approval of the raising of the balance of a loan to complete the sewerage scheme on St. Andrews Hill has been given to the Heathcote County Council by the Local Government Loans Board. The total loan is £2750, of which £I7OO has been spent. When the loan was authorised in 1933 the council decided not to raise the full amount, as there were many sections on which houses had not been built. Recently, however, there has been a large subdivision in this locality, and accordingly the council has decided to reticulate the whole area. Growth of Catholic Church The steady growth of the Catholic Church in New Zealand since Bishop Pompallier celebrated the first Mass in Thomas Poynton's home at Hokianga in 1838 was referred to by the Rev. Father M. J. BJeakley. when speaking at Hamilton of the birth of the Catholic faith in the Dominion. Although immeasurable hardships had to be suffered by the early missionaries, the Church had made rapid headway, and to-day there were 200,000 Catholics in New Zealand with 450 priests, 2000 religious teachers, and 600 churches. Insurance Calculations "Is it not the fact," asked Mr Justice Callan of an insurance company manager in the Auckland Supreme Court, "that if I go to be insured on a certain day the company does business with me on the assumption that I am going to live for a certain number of years; but if I go on the same day to buy an annuity they do business on the assumption !hat I am going to live for a different number of years?" The witness- agreed that that was so. "And the difference each time is to the advantage of the insurance company?" continued his Honour, and again the witness agreed that that was so. Novel "Ringside" Clock In the Empire Games boxing bouts a remarkable clock was used, details of its performance being given by Mr G. Watchorn, who has returned to Palmerston North after attending the Games, at which he was a judge of the boxing. Four-sided, the clock was hung about nine feet directly above the middle of the ring, and the hand on each side made a complete circle in four minutes. At the beginning of a round a bell was rung by the clock and the contestants began, and at the end of the three minutes a bell rang again for the boxers to retire to their corners. Eight seconds before the minute interval was completed a warning bell sounded and the gong rang again for the commencement of the next round. The clock was started at the beginning of each bout and did not require further attention until the end. Jurors' Excuses Because some other members of the staff of the company by whom he was employed might have to work overtime if he served, was not considered by Sir Michael Myers, Chief Justice, ag sufficient reason for excusing a juror who applied for exemption at the New Plymouth Supreme Court sessions. In another case in which a junior member of a company's staff had been allowed to go on leave and the senior member asked to be excused, his Honour said the juror and his firm should understand that in such circumstances his idea was that the leave of the junior should be postponed until the senior officer's duty to the country had been discharged. Empire Exhibition Features An alpine peak permanently snowclad is one of the spectacular exhibits now being installed at the Empire Exhibition, which the King will open at Glasgow on May 3. The "mountain" is being built by a firm of refrigerating plant manufacturers, and its snow will not melt even under the hottest sun. A modern bakery capable of producing 30 loaves a minute is being built in the Palace of Industry by one of Glasgow's biggest bakers. The plant will be electrically operated, and is being specially made for the exhibition. A full-sized motorcoach placed on the roof of the Scottish motor traction pavilion will offer visitors a novel view of the throng in the neighbouring amusement park. A stairway inside the pavilion will give access to the bus. A model of the yacht Nahlin, built for Lady Yule, and now owned by King Carol of Rumania, will be a feature of the display by a well-known firm of yacht brokers. In the huge palace of engineering the steel framework of the first stand is already erected. It occupies a site in the centre of the building. On top of the stand a huge globe of the world will constantly revolve, and below it will be grouped a series of putnps and auxiliary machinery. The globe is being built on a steel framework, and the driving mechanism alone weighs four and a half tons. The surface, showing the earth's crust, is being modelled in plaster.