General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25139, 21 March 1947, Page 6

General News

—• — Egg Supplies The supply of eggs from poultry producers to the licensed distributors in Christchurch has been maintained above the normal seasonal level, And the recent fine weather has helped production. So far the distributors have not had to reduce the present supply ration to grocers, which is on the basis of one each for each butter registration. *

Regulations Revoked Twenty-six sets of emergency regulations op amendments thereto are revoked in the Emergency Regulations Revocation Order (No. 6), gazetted last night. They range from the Agricultural Products (Railway Transportation) Emergency Regulations, and the Amusements Tax Emergency Regulations to the now obsolete regulations dealing with visiting forces and United States forces. The war loan and war gift regulations are also revoked, while other measures deal ■with war? time shipping.—(P.A.)

Imported Fruit Juice * Supplies of imported and New Zealand fruit juice are now on the market in Christchurch. Grocers’ shops haye small supplies of orange juice from Australia, grapefruit juice from Jamaica, and apple juice, which is tinned jn Auckland.

Apples in Schools The Internal Marketing Division has advised the Education Department that it expects to be able to supply apples to all schools this season. It is hoped to commence distribution towards the end of this month. Coal from America

Further shipments of coal .from North America will be on their way to New Zealand shortly. Two ships have been loading at Portland, Oregon, this month, but no news was available in Wellington yesterday as to whether either had sailed, or when the ships could be expected in New Zealand. It is understood that the coal is for the Railways Department.—(P.A.’)

Training: Psychologists A training scheme for educational and vocational psychologists was inaugurated by the Christchurch Psychology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Two trainees are taking the course. It is hoped that they will be the first of many psychologists given a thorough practical training following their qualification at the University, and some years of service in the schools and elsewhere. Work is available for a considerable team of such specialists, and until more are trained the supply will fall far short of the demand. of Soldier Teachers The Soldier Teachers’ Grading Adjustment Board set up by the Education Department ( to review the position of staff whose normal promotion was interrupted by war service has been sitting in Christchurch this week.

Cricket Communications of , the Christchurch Boys’ High School were well served yesterday with progress results of the school’s annual cricket match against Christ’s College. Two members of the school cadet corps, from the signals section, sent scores at frequent intervals by a “walkie-talkie” set, and the reports were received at the school by cadets operating similar equipment. The scores were then chalked on a blackboard in a main corridor. The cadets received valuable experience, the pupils received what must have, been welcome tidings, as the school beat Christ’s College by nine wickets. Shipping Delays “The delays due to the prevalent rough weather and occasional persistent bad bars can be mitigated but not prevented,” states the report of the British consulting engineers on West Coast harbours. “Therefore, coal exports will remain liable to interruption? To counteract this the policy should be to accumulate buffer stocks at the importing centres, which can be drawn upon to regulate supplies to the consuming areals^” —(F.0.0.R.) Use of St. Barnabas Hall Objections had been made by some residents against the possible use of St. Barnabas Hall fof dances, said Mr H. Kitson at a meeting last evening of the Waimairi County Council. The trouble was that labour was needed to clean the hall after dances and meetings. It would be impossible if young •children at the play centre had to play among cigarette ends and broken glass. A public meeting, to discuss the future of the building, will be held on April 14. > New Rudder Fitted to U.S.S. Merrick The fitting of a temporary rudder to the Byrd expedition ship Merrick, replacing one which she lost in a collision with an ice-floe in Antarctic waters, was completed at Port Chalmers yesterday. and the ship will sail for San Francisco to-day. The new rudder, which is only about half the size of the original, Weighs seven an a half tons, and was built in Stevenson and Cook’s engineering shop. It was completed on Wednesday afternoon, and was removed ,on a large trailer to the Otago dock, where the Otago Harbour Board’s 10-ton electric crane was used to lift it into a landing barge from the Merrick. The barge was then moored under the vessel’s stern for the night. The work of shipping the v hich was carried out early yesterday morning, was uione entirely by the ship’s crew. Although it has only half of the original one, the temporary rudder, with certain safeguards will enabe the vessel to travel to the United States under her own steam.— (P.A.) Welcome Rain on West Coafet * Though the rainfalKwas insufficient to even temporarily tide tank users over their present difficulties, light rain yesterday afternoon and heavy showers last evenirig were welcomed throughout the West Coast. More rain is hoped for to-night to extricate many residents from their worst plight in years. There has been little rain for the last six weeks, and before that there had also been a long dry spell. Farmers have ordered tanks to be de- fc livered full of water. There have been instances where residents have been compelled to travel by car to the nearest lake or stream to do household washing and bathe their children. The Grey river is at its lowest level probably on record, though luckily there has not been any serious shoaling on the Grqtfnouth harbour bar. In spite of the prolonged spell of dry weather, pastures have stood up reasonably well, mainly because of heavy dew overnight. There has been an almost total absence of bushfires in the Grey district.—(F.O.O.R.)

Stolen Money Returned A sequel to the loss by a motorist this week of £55, removed from his trousers while he was sleeping in his car, was the receipt yesterday morning by the superintendent of police, Napier, of a bulky envelope through the mail containing a sum equivalent to that reported, stolen. An unsigned mote in the envelope indicated that the money was being returned by the person who stole it from the car while intoxicated.—(P.A.)

Building Permits “If builders are going to wait qntil they are told to take out permits before taking them out, it is a bad principle.” said Mr H. Kitson at a meeting of the Waimairi County Council last evening. Mr Kitson was referring to the report of the council’s building inspector, in which mention was made of building jobs being done without permits.. “Where there is a deliberate evasion, we will have to prosecute,” Mr Kitson said. “It is time we shook some of these builders up. and prosecuted them, and anyone else. Not knowing the law of the land is no excuse for breaking the law. It is time that any builders found submitting plans, getting permits and then asking specifications, should be taken to the Magistrate’s Court on Summons.”

Diplomas in Horticulture Approval of the scheme of an examination for the granting of certificates and diplomas in horticulture, which came into force in 1928, is revoked by the Institute of Horticulture Examinations Order, gazetted last night. Provision is made that the revocation shall not affect the validity of any act, certificate, or diploma properly done or granted while the approval was in force. The order gazetted last night contains a schedule for a scheme of training and examination of candidates for certificates and the diploma in horticulture Of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture. —(P.A.)