General News

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24799, 13 February 1946, Page 6

General News

Growth of Air Travel Commercial aircraft roll in and out of Miami airport, Florida, as frequently as trams do in Cathedral square, according to Mr A. M. Satterthwaite, who spent several hours there on a business trip through the United States. Every few minutes aircraft arrived from or departed for other points in the United States, and Central and South America. The announcer w r as continually calling for passengers for Havana, Mexico, Chile. Brazil, Argentina, Trinidad, and the West Indies. Because no direct passage was available, Mr Satterthwaite took six weeks to reach Vancouver via Jamaica.. He was able to return to Auckland in 70 hours and 10 minutes’ flying time from England. Mr Satterthwaite spent about four months in North America, three in Great Britain, and some weeks in, Scandinavia.

Imperial Trade Conference When a London cable message dealing with the holding of an Imperial conference on Empire preference in London was referred to him yesterday, the Acting-Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash) said that a tentative date had been given in May for the holding of a conference to discuss Commonwealth trade policy. Though it was expected that the conference would be held at that -time, he said, final arrangements had not been com? pleted.—(P.A.) Survey of Thames Goldfields

Several scientists from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research have arrived at Thames to make a geological survey of the Thames goldfields. They include Dr. E. Marsden, secretary of the department, Dr. J. Henderson, geological adviser to the Government, and Messrs O’Neill, O. Marshall, and R. S. Prout, the two latter being former Thames School of Mines scholarship winners. It is proposed to start investigations around the upper Tararu creek area immediately. It is expected that the investigations will take several weeks.—(P.A.) Fire-Fighting Equipment

The present system for the servicing of private fire-fighting equipment by the Christchurch Fire Board is to be changed shortly. The board decided at its meeting last evening that as from April 1 owners of private firefighting equipment, will have to send it to the Cehtral Fire Station for servicing, and collect it. Previously the Fire Brigade collected and returned the equipment Clouds of Smoke In Grey Valley Probably as a result of extensive fires in the Nelson district, large clouds of smoke rolled down the Grey yalley yesterday, and at Ahaura residents* could barely see the nearby hills. It is unusual for smoke to travel such a distance, but the strong northerly wind yesterday would be partly responsible. Long Sitting of Court The criminal sessions opened in the Supreme Court yesterday before the Chief Justice (the Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers). The Court opened at 9.30 a.m. and the grand jury was empanelled an hour later. Trials continued throughout the afternoon, and the jury on one case retired about 4.45 p.m. The jury returned at 9.20 p.m. when the foreman stated that no decision had been reached. Butter for Oranges The people of Jamaica had not seen butter for several months, said Mr A. M. Satterthwaite, who paid a visit on his way to the United States and Great Britain last year. They were anxious to import butter from New Zealand, but he had explained that the Dominion’s output was sold under contract to Great Britain. It occurred to him that in normal time? butter could usefully be sent to Jamaica in return for oranges. Septuagenarian’s Gift A sum of £7O to present unreservedly to the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association has been given to the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) by an anonymous donor, aged 70, The donor stated in a letter to the Mayor that, celebrating his birthday, he made the presentation “in thankfulness to the Creator in His divine wisdom in permitting me to live to that age, during which I have enjoyed reasonably good health and freedom from want” He added that he had been inspired some years ago by the example of a woman who left a sum equivalent to her years to the church. Making Plaything of Hitler There were innumerable stories now being told in England of hoaxes perpetrated on the Gestapo in occupied Europe during the war. said Mr A. M. Satterthwaite yesterday. One current when he left England a week ago concerned the town of Mechlin, in Belgium. The Gestapo received an anonymous letter stating that in a certain house in a certain street a bald, rather portly man, of over 60 years, was scheming against the Reich and was making a plaything of Hitler and Mussolini. The Gestapo threw a cordon round the block and a company of men burst into the house. In the kitchen they found an effigy of Mr Churchill, complete with cigar, balancing puppet figures of Hitler and Mussolini on each knee. As a reprisal, the people of Mechlin were fined 5.000,000 francs

English School Teacher’s Request A request for co-operation in a correspondence plan to bring English and New Zealand and other schoolboys into closer touch with one another was received by the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) yesterday from Mr V. H. Lloyd, a teacher at the Lostock County Modern School. Stretford, Manchester. Mr Lloyd stated that the borough of Stretford had a population of 60,000, ana was largely an industrial area. His school was a modern type, opened m 1941, with free education and an agerange among his boys of 11 to 15 years. He asked to be put in touch with a similar school in the Christchurch area The boys would find many topics of mutual interest—sports, films, books, hobbies, and local and national events. Such a correspondence plan, he said, which he hoped to put into effect with schools in other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, would have an educational value apart from allowing the establishment of friendships and understanding. Overhaul of Maui Pomare The New Zealand Government motor vessel Maui Pomare. which will arrive at Lyttelton from Auckland this morning with a cargo of bananas and lemons, last visited the port in February, 1945, when she loaded timber and other cargo for the Islands. Her last visit to discharge fruit was in February, 1944. After discharging her cargo, she will proceed to Wellington for overhaul preparatory to a survey.

Transfer Of Bequest Subject to the approval of the Sugreme Court, the Lyttelton Harbour oard proposes to transfer to the Lyttelton branch of the British Sailors’ Society the trust fund of £5OO bequeathed many years ago by the Hon. J. T. Peacock to the trustees of the Sailors Home at Lyttelton. The money, which is invested in local body debentures, was bequeathed for the benefit of men of the Merchant Navy, and as the Sailors’ Home is not being conducted as a home, the board considered that the fund could be used for the work of the British Sailors’ Society. Banana Shipments Nearly 10,000 cases of Island bananas will arrive at Lyttelton for distribution in the South Island this month. The New Zealand Government motorvessel Maui Pomare, making her first trip to discharge fruit since 1944, will arrive this morning with a cargo of 4784 cases of bananas, and also 183 cases of Cook Island lemons. Early next week 5000 cases of bananas brought to Auckland by the Matua will be shipped to Lyttelton. The Port Line vessel Kaipara, which loaded 10,000 cases of oranges for New Zealand at Kingston, Jamaica, arrived at Auckland on Monday, but no advice of when the South Island portion of the cargo will arrive has been received in Christchurch. Gifts to Britain New Zealanders in the habit of sending food parcels to Britain should continue to do so to the fullest extent allowed. said Mr A. M. Satterthwaite, who returned from England by air last week after a trip of four days. The food situation was very grave, and contributions from New Zealand would do a lot of good. Soap, cooking fats, and chocolate would be particularly appreciated. 1