General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25446, 18 March 1948, Page 4

General News

Cowan a Total Loss The* Lyttelton trawler Cowan, wrecked in Starvation Bay, off Port Levy, on March 9, is now presumed to be a total loss. The Cowan lies on the bottom at a depth of about seven fathoms, and wreckage, including the top of the wheelhouse, has come ashore. It had been proposed that salvage would be attempted by the crane ship Rapaki, but this is now considered impracticable. Starvation Bay was visited yesterday by representatives of the Lyttelton Harbour Board and of Lloyd’s. Captain G. Mouncer (master of the Cowan) and a Harbour Board diver (Mr V. Nelson). Mr Nelson was not able to make a descent.

Ram Fair Concluded in Darkness With the use of torches and matches auctioneers endeavoured to continue the sale of sheep at the Ashburton ram fair after darkness last evening. It was too dark to induce the sheep to run along the races into the Selling ring so the rams were offered in the pens. Although 33 pens were put up in this way, purchasers could not view the sheep, and pen after pen was offered without any bids being received. Only six lots were sold. “Rushed Legislation” The. introduction of “rushed legislation” in the dying stages of Parliamentary sessions was condemned by delegates at the conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce in Dunedin yesterday. The conference adopted a motion “deploring the Government practice •of introducing imSortant and contentious legislation tte in the session, since the effect is to produce acts of Parliament which have not received sufficient consideration.” Mr Stronach Paterson, Wellington, said the congestion at the end of sessions was due as much to the lateness of the Budget as anything else. In Britain, he said, the Budget closed on April 3, to be delivered on April 6.—(P.A.)

Board’s Standing Orders The secretary (Mr H. S. Feast, Town Clerk of Christchurch) was authorised at yesterday’s meeting of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board to draft standing orders for the board for submission at its next meeting. Mr Feast had said the board had at present no standing orders, and that discussion at the meeting on the procedure to be followed in the election of a chairman had shown the need for them.

New Sailing Ship for Author Mr Alan Villiers, Australian-born author and former owner-master of the full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad, intends to ouy another sailing Vessel in which he will visit Australia to write a book on the nation’s maritime history. Villiers, who* is now on a lecture tour of the United States, has already been seven times around Cape Horn in sailing ships. The Joseph Conrad, m which he sailed around the world in 1935, is now a Sea Scout training ship at Mystic, Connecticut.

Bright Meteor Seen An observer at St. Bede's College reported seeing an unusually bright meteor in the southern sky at 9.55 o’clock last evening. The meteor was a very bright white in colour, and about 15 degrees in length. It lasted in the sky for about two seconds before disappearing due south. > Seddon Railway Wreck Inquiry The board of inquiry appointed to take- evidence on the Seddon railway wreck on February 25 will hold its opening* meeting at Wellington on March 30.—<P.A.) Melbourne Steamer Service Members-cf the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce are being asked, in a questionary from the chamber, for their views on the reintroduction of a regular steamer service between Bluff and Melbourne. In a letter with the questionary, the president of the chamber (Mr J. R. Dench) says: "With the present congestion of shipping and freight at the North Island ports, it will be seen that an alternative route would considerably relieve the freight position, and by bringing passengers tb the South Island from Australia and oversea, it will have the required effect of increasing the tourist traffic to the South Island.’’ Mr Dench adds that the question was originally raised by the South Island Publicity Association, which has secured the chamber’s co-operation in ascertaining what support would be given the suggested service. , Tasman Flying-Boats The overheating of engines of the Tasman-class flying-boats of Tasman Empire Airways is expected to he overcome by modifications designed after three weeks’ research and experiment. This was announced at Auckland yesterday by the -general manager of the company (Mr G. N. aoberts), who said it was hoped the reraft would resume operations in April, one at a time at fortnightly intervals. Modifications had taken much longer than was expected, but the company would sacrifice anything in the interests of technical perfection. The company felt now that the trouble had been overcome.— (P.A.) New Ships for Union Company

Mr J. N, Greenland, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, who is on a visit to London, said that the company was copsidering ordering from British shipyards two or three 6000-ton cargo ships for the Australia and New Zealand service, in addition to those already built or building. The company might also order a fruit-carry-ing vessel accommodating 100 firstclass passengers for the run between New Zealand and Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.—London, March 17. Goodwill of Milk Rounds “That seems a terrible price,” commented Miss Mary McLean at yesterday’s meeting of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board, when the board was discussing an application for approval of the sale of a suburban milk round. The application stated that the price for the goodwill of the round was £lO a gallon of milk supplied to consumers. The chairman (Mr J. N. Clarke) said the goodwills had been sold for ds much as £l2 a gallon. Mr H. S. S. Kyle said a maximum Of £lO a gallon had been fixed for goodwills, and this price was fairly general throughout the Dominion; Mr R. G. Brown contended that the zoning of milk deliveries had been responsible for the increased charges for goodwills; before the introduction of zoning, goodwills had been sold for as little as £3 a -gallon. The board approved the application for the sale of the round. Six other transfers of milk rounds were also approved.

Making Fun of the Government When he was asked why he did not stop people on the wifeless making fun of the Government, the British Home Secretary (Mr Chuter Ede) replied: “They do not even say anything as funny as what I think myself? He added: “When we cannot enjoy healthy laughter about ourselves and our acquaintances, we have become very advanced cases of mental disease. One of the brightest hopes of democracy is that it can tolerate a sense of humour, whereas dictatorships cannot. I sometimes wonder what would happen to Tommy Handley if he tried that kind of thinfe behind the Iron Curtain.”—London, March 17.-

Too Many Apprentices There are more* youths seeking ap-. prenticeships in trades in the Grey district at present than there are vacancies. Some industries are employing a greater percentage of apprentices than is usual in other parts of the Dominion, as there are more than 200 apprentices in the district Hurricane Damage The mission house at Tonga in the central New Hebrides was so severely damaged in a hurricane on Sunday that it will have to be rebuilt, according to advice received by the Rev. D. N. Macdiarmid, director of Presbyterian Missions, from the Rev. R. W. Murray. Roofs were blown away from churches and schools and many native houses were destroyed. Winds of 97 miles an hour were experienced when the centre of the cyclone passed New Caledonia early on Sunday afternoon. The barometric pressure was 28.6in.—*(P.A.)