General News

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25363, 10 December 1947, Page 6

General News

"- a - ■ Clothing Found The Snares

Clothing which had been in the castaways’ depot at The Snares for about 50 years was brought back by the scientific expedition which returned from the islands this week- The provisions in the depot had been there between 20 and 60 years. Medical stores dated back to 1896 and newspapers and carried news of 1884. Subsequent visitors had opened some of the zinc cases, but nothing had been removed. The corrugated iron of which the depot was bujlt had rusted’ through, in many places, and the party spent- an uncomfortable night in the hut when they first arrived. The stores have been written oft by the Marine Department and the party broqght back about a d&zen sufts and some woollen underwear, which were in good condition, for distribution to a relief agency. Fendalton Fire Water A quicker and more effective pumping operation of water from the running streams in Fepdaltpn for fire jets is likely. the Waimajri County Council is co-operating with tlie Christchurch Fire Poard in installing permanent sumps in the stream beds, according tp g report to the board last evening. _

Scholarship or Bursary The necessity for any special edu? cational allowance to be dislinctly defined as a scholarship or a bursary was mentioned by Mr C. Carr, M.P., at a meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College. Lincoln, yesterday morning. Otherwise, he said, confusion in making an award might arise. A scholarship implied that merit from study was the prime consideration; but bursary usually required closer consideration of the economic position of applicants. Gaol Preferred Rather than pay £lO 10s yearly in rates, an 80-year-old woman told the Assessment Court in Wellington yesterday that she would go to gaol—“gaols being frightfully comfortable these days.” She told the committee that the Valuation Department had put a value on her property at Paekakariki, where she had been living for 43 years, of £505 for rating purposes, and as a third of it had been eroded by the sea she objected to paying rates on “something that did not exist.” Decision was reserved.—(P.A.) Invercargill-LyßeHon Express Delayed The Invercargill-Lyttelton express was delayed at Balclutha for 69 minutes yesterday when the axle of the engine pulling a mixed goods tram which was being shunted to a secondary line broke over a viaduct 300 yards north of the station. When attempts made by another engine to move the train to the secondary line failed the crew of the disabled engine working in a confined space, removed coupling irons from two of the wheels, and the train was moved off the main line. The express went oh immediately and arrived in Christchurch at 8.35 P-m.

Discovery of Moa Bones After the discovery at Birdling’s’ Flat recently of two fossilised mpa bones by E. Dawson, a pupil at Christ’s College, a search for the remainder of the bones of the bird will be carried out by the of the Canterbury Museum (Dr. W. R. B. Oliver). The bones were found in some loess in a hill side and belonged to t a heavily-bult moa about 4 feet high, said Dr. Oliver yesterday. They were a comparatively recent deposit. A search for moa bones might also be carried out shortly in the Timaru district, he said. First Aid Fire Fighting Reports on first aid fire fighting equipment. Superintendent A. Morrison told the Christchurch Fire Board last evening, have been submitted to the N.Z. Express Company, Midland Motorways Services, Ltd., D.1.C.. Ltd., John Burns and Company, Ltd-, and Canterbury University Cpfiege. He also reported that three buildings were visited and one new fire escape was recommended and two other escapes were inspected to see that previous recommendations had been complied with. Big Airmail Carrying about 17661 b of mail, the largest consignment pf airmail carried from Australia to New Zealand ip one day since the service started in 1940, two Tasman Empire Airways flyingboats, the Tasman and the Australia, arrived at Auckland yesterday. Because of the heavy mgil cafgp and head winds only 23 and $5 passengers respectively were carried instead of the full complement of 30 for each. —(P.A.) Childrep apd Christmas; Traffic A warning to parents to keep their children off the streets was issued yesterday by the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr C. S. Nicholson). Until Christmas, he said, many commercial vehicles would be ■ on the roads, and as children were being kept away from the city as a. precaution against the spread of infantile paralysis, there was a tendency to let them play on the streets. There were plenty of parks and reserves where children coqld play, Mr Nicholson said. The Traffic Department’s speaker unit was used in some residential areas yester-. day to warn children of the danger of traffic, and it would be used again whenever possible. Ration Cuts Favoured

There was only one way in which New Zealand people could assist in the exceedingly difficult food position in Britain, ai}d‘ that was by a cut in their own rations. This was the view of the Wellington City Missipner (the Rev. Harry Squires) who has returned to Wellington from Britain.—(P.A.)

Water Tower for Lincoln College of Education (Mr T. H. McCombs) yesterday advised the of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, that the Cabinet had approved a grant to enable tenders to be called for the prectiop of a wpter tower for fire-fighting at thp college. Members expressed satisfaction at this decision after negotiations for several years; but decided to seek an assurance that provision would also be made for reticulation from the tower.

Rome Life for Immigrants To help Government-assisted settlers to be absorbed into the community, it is hoped .that as many as possible will be able to obtain private accommodation, said the district superintendent of Labour and Employment (Mr T- G. Fielder), to the inaugural meeting yesterday of the Wellington Immigration Welfare Committee. The allocation of any substantial number of immigrants to areas outside the four main centres was not possible at present unless accommodation ’w’as available on the job, he added.—(P.A.) Clock for Addington Post Office

A 12-inch diameter public clock will be placed above the posting boxes at the Addington Post Office to replace the old clock which was rerqoved when the post office clock tower was demolished, when the matter has been discussed with the Postmaster-Gen-eral (Mr F. Hackett). This advice has been received by the secretary of the T.^Tilleyfho^tL 365 ’ Association (Mr

Samaans’ Cost of Living “While the cost of living spirals upward in most parts of the world, it is no higher in Samoa to-day than it ever was/’ said Mr G. R. Laking, special representative of the New Zealand Government, giving evidence before the United Nations Trusteeship Council on Monday. He had been asked about the corpparative costs of living ip Samoa in 1947 ahd 1939. Re replied: “For a Samoan it is now exactly what it was before the war and in the nineteenth century, namely, the effort involved in raising enough bananas and coconuts to sustain him. If he is prepared to put in two days’ work a week in hi? plantation, he pan support himself.”—New York, December 8. U.S. Warships to Visit Auckland “Although a large tonnage of shipping is expected m the next few weeks the hoqrd will do the best it can for units of the United States Pacific Task Force 38,” said the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board (Mr J. Melling). He had advised the naval authorities at pevoqport that it was hoped that the fleet aircraft carrier U.S S. Valley Forge might berfh at a wharf, ana that four destroyers would be given adjacent berths. The warships will be at Auckland on an informal visit from January 21 to January 26.—(PA.)