General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25389, 12 January 1948, Page 6

General News

Underhand Service in Tennis Final When Miss M. L. Kerr (Otago) met Miss E. G. Attwood (Auckland) in the final of the women’s singles at the New Zealand lawn tennis championships at Auckland on Saturday, she lost nine of her 11 service games. Because of the uncertainty of her service, Miss Kerr served underhand on several occasions, but the gain in accuracy was offset by the speed with which Miss Attwood dealt with the shots. Miss Attwood won the match, 6-2, 8-6.

Mount Cook Road Repaired Repairs to the Mount Cook road, which was washed out by heavy rain during Christmas, have been made by the Public Works Department, and the road to the Hermitage is now clear. Work has also been done on the road

to the Ball Hut, and a bulldozer will finish the repairs this week. Fish Market Reopens Fishermen supplying the Christchurch fish trade will put to sea today after an enforced holiday of three weeks, as the retail shops have been closed since Christmas Day. A few boats have gone out during that period to supply hotels and cafes with fresh fish, but in the main the fishermen have had to lie up. The market will open again to-day, but fishermen expect that there will be a glut tomorrow. Minor Flooding in Library

Shortly after the torrential rain began in Christchurch about 8 o’clock on Saturday evening, water began to trickle down the wall between the re-

ference department and the circulating department at the Canterbury Public Library and within a few minutes it had increased to a steady stream. Members of the htaff, assisted by subscribers in the circulating department, quickly began to remove the books from shelves along the wall and, although seme were thoroughly soaked, large numbers were removed before they were seriously damaged. When the rain began to ease about an hour later there was nearly an inch of

water on parts of the floor of the circulating department. Jehovah’s Witnesses Banned The Taranaki Agricultural Society has decided that under no conditions will the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ organisation be allowed space at its show. This followed a request by the New Plymouth Returned Services’ Association executive after the South Taranaki Returned Services’ Association had protested against the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ stall at the Egmont Agricultural and Pastoral Show at Hawera. Early Newspaper Noting a paragraph in “The Press” describing the finding by a soldier in Japan of a first issue of the “Otago Daily Times” dated November 15, 1861, a Christchurch woman, Mrs W. Bruce, of Hazeldean road, recalled that -she had a similar copy among some old family papers. Tracing the 13 years development of Otago, a leading article sets out the newspaper’s aim of “aspiring to be.the historical mirror of all that occurs in Otago.” The times were stirring ones. The only news story contained in the single leaf of that first issue begins: “The gold escort arrived last night with 35,100 ounces of gold and seven prisoners. . . . The cortege as it dashed up Princes street (the horses seemed to know it was their last effort) had quite an imposing appearance, notwithstanding the heavy rain that was falling at the time.” The leading article claimed that the newspaper was the first to be published daily in New Zealand. Definition of a Harvester

“Can anybody give us the definition of a harvester?* asked the chairman of the Timaru-St. Andrews branch of Federated Farmers (Mr V. W. Wilson) at a meeting in Timaru. Mr Wilson was commenting on the Agricultural Workers’ Extension Order. 1947, which provides for different rates of pay for harvesters and other workers. A member suggested that thinning turnips might be considered by the Labour Department as harvesting. The acting-secretary (Mr H. M. Scott) was instructed to apply to the department for a definition or a harvester. Landing at Heard Island All the heavy stores, including a bulldozer which was the first piece of heavy equipment ashore, have been landed from the ship which took the Australian national Antarctic research expedition to Heard Island, 2500 miles south-west of Fremantle, according to information received by the Australian Minister for External Affairs . (Dr. H. V. Evatt). Although only 22 hours of calm weather was experienced in 18 consecutive days, most of the stores were brought ashore undamaged. Fifty tons of lighter stores were transferred from the off-shore anchorage and put ashore by small beaching craft manoeuvred by hand through the surf and finally hauled to the beach by the bulldozer. More than 200 oil drums were floated ashore and heavy cases were brought in by lighters. “Ephemeral Prosperity” A warning that New Zealand, and, in fact, the whole of the British Empire, should not regard the present period of ephemeral prosperity as permanent, but should endeavour to consolidate progress on more permanent foundations, was issued by Sir George Aylwen, a member of one of London’s oldest stockbroking firms, in an interview at Greymouth. He also referred to the amount of pastoral land undeveloped or comparatively undeveloped in the Dominion. The drift of population to the cities, he said, was to be deplored. It appeared that many of the immigrants arriving under the post-war schemes were being allowed to remain in the cities. Industrial Research The present year holds a fair measure of promise for industrial research in New Zealand. The Manufacturers’ Research Committee, which consists of six representatives of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation and four from the New Zealand Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, pursued an active policy in 1947 of helping industry with its scientific problems and establishing research associations which are subsidised by the State. Experts are in some cases hard to find, and one £lOOO-a-year post is not filled. Tlie Fertiliser Manufacturers’ Research Association is seeking a director, and the association is negotiating for a former United States military camo at Auckland for research uses. The Pottery and Ceramic Research Association’s new laboratories are being built near the Dominion Laboratory in Wellington. The Leather Research Association is still seeking a director. The Research Institute of Laundrymen, DryCleaners and Dyers has now been formed, and is also seeking a director. —(P.S.S.)