CURRENT NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25248, 29 July 1947, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES

Plans for extending the work of the Plunket Society in their district were discussed by members of the Opawa-St. Martins sub-branch of the society at’their monthly meeting. Mrs C. H. Holmes presided. Nurse Purchas reported that during June the attendances at the Plunket rooms at Risingholme had been as follows:—babies 157, pre-school children 14, adults 164, new cases 15.

“A penny for friendship” campaign will be a recognised yearly feature of observances for the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers in future. The division is a constituent society in the Associated Country Women of the World, the office of which is in London. The A.C.W.W. has asked each constituent society in 59 countries to observe an international day each year, to which each member will contribute one penny. The proceeds will be devoted to furthering, through the A.C.W.W., world friendship and goodwill. The W.D.F.F. at the conference just concluded in Wellington decided to introduce the “penny for friendship” idea, and it will be observed throughout all branches.

The interest from the Fanny Cole Memorial Fund of the Christchurch branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union will in future be used for prizes in a temperance essay competition to be held among secondary school pupils. This was decided at a recent meeting of the branch. The money was formerly used for prizes awarded to primary school pupils on the results of an examination held by the union on the subject of temperance. Miss Henderson presided at the meeting. A silver tea service and vitrolite silver-mounted tray were presented to the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of N.Z., 1.0.0. F., Brother W. Greenslade, and to Mrs Greenslade, at the Ridgely Lodge Anniversary Ball. The presentation, which was made by Brother Braggins, P.D.D.G.M., was in recognition of Brother Greenslade’s cervices as secretary of the lodge for 28 years. A presentation of a handbag and a cheque, was made yesterday by the staff and pupils of the Fendalton School to Mrs L. L. Townail who, with her husband, will leave New Zealand for America in the Rangitiki early next month. The headmaster (Mi- A. R. Blank) payed a tribute to Mrs Townall’s work as a physical education specialist during the years she had been on the staff. When the household’s only reliable clock stops, and no time signal is forthcoming from the radio the housewife will often resort to telephoning the exchange of the Post and Telegraph Department, a radio station, or some other establishment in the city to inquire the correct time. To meet such a situation a very efficient system has been perfected in England, where it was found that the answering of such calls gave the telephone exchange operators an undue amount of work. The problem has been solved by the installation of a mechanism popularly known as the speaking clock. A person wishing to know the time merely dials the letters T.1.M., and hears a clear voice announcing: “At the third stroke it will be 10 o’clock and 10 seconds.” Then follow three sharp strokes. These announcements continue at 10 seconds intervals all day and all night. The announcements are recorded on glass discs like gramophone discs. The maximum error permissible in the speaking clock is .1 second fast or slow.