General News

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24867, 6 May 1946, Page 4

General News

A Dying Trade? General concern because there was no blacksmith in Tamuka to undertake horse-shoeing was expressed by member, at a meeting of the Temuka branch of Federated Farmers. Members said that it was a great inconvenience to farmers, and there was a particularly good opening. Suggestions of advertising for a blacksmith, and approaching the Temuka Progress League, were dropped in favour of an approach in the first instance to the National Service Department. Members id that blacksmithing and a*dS trades'* 1 unfortunatel, to Familiar Face Missing “I see many smiling faces here today, but one familiar face is missing,'* said Mr C. Morgan Williams, M.P., when he spoke at the opening of -the new Kaiapoi bridge on Saturday. “I refer to the town clock. It is a good clock, and I hope before long that Kaiapoi will have a tower in which to put it." Agreeing with Mr Williams that the clock had been a great convenience, the Mayor (Mr W. H, A. Vickery) said the borough council was at work on the question, and hoped that it would get a subsidy or substantial help from the Government for a new tower.- - . Skymaater’a Proving Flight Making an official proving flight with representatives of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, 6 Pan American Airways Skymaster aircraft is expected to reach Auckland from San Francisco on Thursday. The Skymaster, which is travelling by-way of Honolulu, Canton, Suva, and New Caledonia, is carrying five passengers and a crew of 15. Officials will spend three days in conferences and inspections at Auckland, arid the aircraft will leave next Monday on its return flights—(P.A.) Black Prince Sails The light cruiser Black Prince sailed from Lyttelton ,at 7.35 a.m. on Saturday for Wellington. After four days at Wellington the ship will leave for Auckland. Mobile X-ray Unit In an unusual and impressive ceremony. performed with all the colour and dignity of Maori tradition, the Taranafi mobile X-ray unit, the tat •of. ita kind in the Dominion, was dedicated at Manukorihi Pa, Waitara, on Saturday. Built to assist the fight against tuberculosis among both Maori and pakeha, the unit has attracted wide interest. Its unveiling for the Maori people was one of the most important apd historic events in recent years. Tne ceremony. Including a luncheon, lasted almost four hours. The dedication was performed by Lady Miria Pomare, 0.8. E., widow of Sir Maui Pomare, who has lived in the district and was responsible for the early health reforms among the Maori people which led to the introduction of the mobile unit. The ceremony was held in the shadow of Sir Maui Pomare’s memorial statue. The function was attended by the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer).—(PA.) New Zealand Memorials In Egypt "The residents of Maadi were most moved by the tribute, but I think they deserved it for welfare work in the Maadi tent alone,” said Major-General W. G. Stevens, C. 8., C.8.E., in a broadcast address last evening, when referring to the Maadi memorial. The memorial took the form of a 20-toot 'high limestone pylon, with black terrazzo surrounding, and was placed in a midan in the village, he said. Inscriptions in English and Arabic recorded the fact that 76,000 members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. had trained in Maadi camp, and expressed thanks for the kindness and hospitality shown by residents. Tablets had been placed in the various churches in the Cairo area, he continued, and all the memorials had been paid for out of accumulated central regimental funds of the force. so,, that no* public funds were used. * Petrol Tax Revenue The hope that all petrol and tyre tax revenue in future would go to the Main Highways Board was expressed by the Mayor of Rangiora (Mr C. ,W. Tyler), when he spoke at a luncheon attended by the Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple) and members of the board at Kaiapoi on Saturday. Mr Tyler said the board had lost .uite a lot of ground during the war years and would need the revenue to catch up. He added that he thought the boroughs and eities should have representation on the board like that-of the counties, Island Oranges The tat shipment of this season’s, oranges from the Pacific islands,- approximately 4000 cases, is expected to arrive in Auckland by the Maui Pomare this week. Present indications are that the' Maui Pomare will be making a trip a month to the islands, bringing back about 10,000 cases of oranges each trip until August. A notice in Thursday night's Gazette fixed the maximum wholesale and retail prices. The retail price for island oranges is 7d -per lb.

.Roller Skating Championships New Zealand may be represented at the world amateur roller skating championships, to be held at Madison Square Garden, New York, in June. An invitation to send a team has been received by Mr G. S, Bright, Dunedin, secretary of the New Zealand Roller Skating Association. The invitation has been extended by the’Roller Skating Rink Operators’ Association qf America, which asks for full particulars of New' Zealand’s outstanding exponents and costs of transportation to and from New York. Officers Drive Themselves

For some time now the system of vehicle requisitioning and operational Army Headquarters in Wellington has been undergoing a change, and the result is teat’ officers proceeding on duty in motor-cars are no* not only permitted, tut encouraged, to drive themselves. rather than rely upon the services of a regular Army driver. Cars from the pool at headquarters are now supplied with or without drivers as demanded, and officers who are qualified to drive are not expected to request the use of a driver unless for some reason that is considered necessary. Apart from economising, in the use of drivers, further steps have been taken to curtail needless use of cars, and officers going to Trentham Camp are urged to travel in the regular sta-tion-waggon service rather than use individual cars. For journeys in the city area requiring no urgency tram tickets are issued. Runaway Horse Destroyed After a mad flight of nearly two miles through a busy part of Hastingson Friday, the racehorse, Surprise, rising thrfee years old, stopped in tne factory of wine and spirits merchants in Avenue road. It was eventually recaptured from a position between a brandy distiller and a flight di stairs. Frightened while grazing in a paddock in Karamu road, the horse leapt a fence and stampeded through busy streets and narrowly avoided a collision with vehicles and pedestrians who dashed for safety. Racing along Karamu road. ,tne horse struck a post and careered mto a fence, and severed an artery in a hind leg. The horse ran for three-quarters of a mile down Avenue road before it waf balked by a truck leaving the factory of J. Vidal and Sons, and swerved and entered the yard. It made a bolt for the distilling room, knocking the door off its hinges. It became lodged behind the distiller ana eventually was recovered by its owner, Mr G. W. McCormick, who had followed in his car. The horse was found to be badly injured and was later destroyed. Historic Papers Issued during the Boer War (18991902). papers published during the seige or Mafeking have been presented to the Dunedin Public Library. The gift which was made by Mrs A. Black, widow of Mr G. C. Black, of Christchurch. consists principally of news* papers issued in Mafeking during the seige.

Nelson Apples for Britain The first overseas ship to load direct at Nelson since 1940, the American vessel Vagrant, is due to arrive to-day to lift 80,000 cases of apples for London.