General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25081, 13 January 1947, Page 6

General News

Pamir’s Arrival at Sydney Judging by the prominence given in Sydney newspapers to the arrival of the New Zealand four-masted barque Pamir in Sydney recently, the sailing ship must have aroused a good deal of interest in the city. The “Daily Telegraph,” Sydney; chartered a special aircraft and a photographer flew 85 miles out from Sydney to take photographs of the barque in full sail. The “Sydney Morning Herald” also featured the arrival of the barque, with photographs of the ship taken on the night of her arrival, and of her master (Captain H. S. Collier), and the second and third mates on the deck. Both newspapers give details of the ship and her 15-day voyage across the Tasman. Mention is also made of the peer who is a member of the Pamir’s crew, Ordinary-Seaman G. A. J. Balfour, or Viscount Traprain, eldest son of the Earl of Balfour.

Mosquito Ferry Pilots Leave On the second hop of their 12,000mile flight co England, 14 members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force who are to ferry Mosquito aircraft to New Zealand are due to take off this morning from Norfolk Island for Brisbane. Their Douglas Dakota transport aeroplane left Whenuapai yesterday. The Dakota is commanded by Wing Commander L. H. Parry.—(P.A.) Three Hat-Tricks in One Match An unusual feature of Saturday’s competition cricket was the bowling of three hat-tricks in a third grade B match between Old Collegians and St. Albans-Cathedral Grammar Old Boys. J. Manhire, of St. Albans, performed the feat in the course of taking eight wickets for 49, Old Collegians totalling 153. St. Albans made only 26, and the two bowlers to do the hat-trick were R. Brebner, who took four wickets for three runs, and J. Christie, who took three wickets for two runs. Settling in New Zealand A young Scottish couple, Mr and Mrs W. McCutcheon, and their 18 months old son have travelled over 11,000 miles by air to settle in New Zealand. They completed their journey on Saturday when they arrived at Auckland from San Francisco by Pan American Airways clipper. The couple have only one distant relative in New Zealand, the Rev. A. Morton, of Dunedin, who is a second cousin of Mrs McCutcheon. They will be his guests and they will probably make their home in Dunedin. Mr McCutcheon, who was a land agent in Glasgow, said he did not know what work he would take up in New Zealand.—(P.A.) • Sea Cadet Courses

Summer training courses for sea cadets will begin this week at Quail Island, Lyttelton, and at H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki, Auckland. Fifty-five cadets and two officers left Auckland on Friday for Quail Island, where they will be joined by detachments from Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. To-day, 15 cadets and one officer will proceed to H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki for a course which will be conducted by a regular naval officer. Parties from Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin will also go north to H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki. The New Zealand Naval Board has authorised the courses, which will provide approved, concentrated training for 13 days at both establishments. Post Office Patriotic Fund

The Post Office Patriotic Fund has now been wound up. It disbursed £22,589, of which £15,063 went to the National Patriotic Fund and £7526 to various provincial patriotic councils, as follows:—Auckland, £2242; Taranaki, £280; Hawke’s Bay, £240; East Coast, £146; Wellington, £2334: Marlborough, £108; Nelson, £216; Canterbury, £855; Westland, £129; Otago, £599; Southland, £377.—(P.A.) Alexander Graham Bell Centenary To mark the centenary this year of the birth in Edinburgh of the inventor of the telephone, the Alexander Graham Bell Centenary Association has been formed in London with, the Marquess of Aberdeen as chairman and Lord Tweedsmuir as vice-chairman. The main purpose of the association is to see established chairs, professorships and scholarships in physics and allied sciences in all universities of the Empire, the United States, South America and elsewhere. It is also proposed to raise a world-supported fund to found an Alexander Graham Bell College of Electricity and Physics attached to the University of Edinburgh.

Pohutukawas Bloom Late 'The pohutukawas at Courtenay place, Wellington, are usually in bloom before Christmas, but even now there is only one j;ree showing anything like full bloom. Pohutukawas in sheltered, sunny parts of Wilton’s Bush, Wellington, are also in bloom, though late. In normal years the “Christmas tree” is a glorious blaze of crimson in both I Auckland and New Plymouth before Christmas Day, bu| this year they are about three weeks late. The late season seems to have been general over the North Island. This is shown in all gardens, where flowers like Canterbury bells,, which should have ceased flowering under normal conditions in November, are still flowering. Derailed Engine Restored to Line The heavy type UC railway engine and tender which were derailed near Omoto on the Midland line on New Year’s Eve, were restored to the line yesterday afternoon with the aid of two 40-ton cranes, one from Dunedin and the other from Christchurch. Workmen had to cut the tender away from the engine, and it was brought into Greymputh first. The cause of the derailment still remains undetermined. The ehgine will be repaired temporarily at Greymouth and removed either to Addington or Hillside for repairs to the damage. When the engine was derailed a deviation had to be built round the obstruction, and trains were generally delayed on what was one of the busiest days of the year for the department.—(F.O,O.R.)