General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 6

General News

Daffodils at “Otahuna” It is estimated that more than 2200 persons visited “Otahuna,” Tai Tapu, on Saturday afternoon when it was thrown open to the public by Sir R. Heaton Rhodes for inspection of the daffodils in the grounds. This is a record attendance for the outing which is arranged each year by the Canterbury Horticultural Society. Officials of the society who have attended for many years said they had never seen “Otahuua" looking better. Eighteen buses took visitors from Christchurch and there was a steady stream of cars on the rpad to Tai Tapu for nearly two hours.

The Palestine Mandate “Palestine has been costing British money and British lives,” said Viscount Addison, Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, commenting at a press conference in Wellington on Saturday on Britain’s decision to relinquish the mandate over Palestine. “Britain is doing all the hard work and is getting all the opprobrium and we are not prepared to allow this to continue,” he said. .“Britain has said before that she is not prepared to be responsible for Palestine under exist-? ing conditions. We are not prepared to have the sole responsibility for Palestine.”— (F.0.0.R.) Price of ißeer op Coast Wallsend State miners, at a meeting yesterday, decided that if the price of beer was increased on the West Coast, as proposed, from October 1, they would boycott hotels. The matter will, however, be discussed further at a meeting of the Coast Trades and Labour Council this evening, when, it is reported, miners’ delegates from Wallsfipd will state their objection to the proposal and seek the support of the Trades Council and constituent unions. It is understood that no action in the matter has beeri taken by other unions in the district. The Wallsend Miners’ Union will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, and a statement may "be made then if the price of beer is increased. Health Stamps Campaign The health camps organisation and the Post Office aimed this year to raise £lOO,OOO by the sale of health stamps, said the Postmaster-General, Mr F. Hackett, yesterday. The campaign will be opened by the Minister of Health, Miss M. B. Howard, in a broadcast address from all YA and ZB stations at 7.24 p.m. to-morrow, and the health stamps will be placed on sale on Wednesday. There had been a heavy and steady demand for first-day covers since they were made available at all post offices last Monday. Mr Hackett said. “I wish the campaign every sue?cess and I urge all who can to support its worthy objective,’’ Mr Hackett •added- (F.0.0.R.) Music Among the Rubble In Berlin, said Mr W. R. James, the Australian Eroadcasting director of music, in the 8.8.C.’s “Calling Australia” programme recently, he had seen mile upon mile of rubble; yet there were six symphony orchestras performing and two opera companies, innumerable recitals were given daily, and 11 theatres were putting on fine plays. “These performances,” Mr James said, “are given in buildings that escaped bombing. The Berlin Philharmonic, for example, plays jn the Titania Palatz, a cinema before the war, and the operas are given in the Admiral’s Palatz, once a music halt How the public gets to and from the halls is a mystery; there is practically no transport.” In a Position to Know The biggest political news of last week was outside the House of Representatives —the polling in the Mount Albert by-election. Members of both sides of the House were naturally interested in the result, and it was easy to see what it was by watching the cheerful grin of the Chief Government Whip (Mr R. M. Macfarlane) as he moved round the Government benches carrying small slips o! paper with the result. But when ne egme to the member for Roskill (Mr E. Langstone) he found that Mr Langstone at least was previously informed. This confirmed a suspicion sometimes harboured in the House —that Mr Langstone who, because he is somewhat hard of hearing, always wears headphones in the House, sometimes listens to outside radio programmes while still sitting in his bencn. On Wednesday night, while most other members listened to a rather dull debate, Mr Langstone apparently listened in to the Mount Albert broadcasts—(F.O.P.R.) Avoiding Publicity Three Australian girls who are at present •on a 6000-mile walking tour of the North and South Islands, have persistently refused to give any indication of their itinerary. ’J’hey say that they intend to avajd publicity because it means that they are so pverwhelmed with hospitality and offers of entertainment that they cannot concentrate on all the things they want to see. The girls are Misses Patricia Smith, aged 22, Frances Bell, aged 23, and Margaret Cheatle, aged 24. They have already covered several hundred miles of their trip since they arrived at Auckland last July. They left Gisborne last week carrying 50-pound packs and bound for “somewhere in the North Island.” Polish Collector’s Letter Addressed simply “New Zealand, North Island,” with the request that the postman on duty should give the Writer’s address to postage stamp coir lectors in Hamilton, a letter-card from Poland which arrived in Hamilton recently presented the postal authorities with a problem. The writer, Henryk Haraburka, who gave his address as Wojew, Bialystok, offered to exchange stamps of his own country for New Zealand issues.