General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25496, 17 May 1948, Page 6

General News

Kangi Leaves Sydney The New Zealand yacht Rangi, which had been in Sydney for three months, undergoing repairs after a battering received in the trans-Tasmaig yacht race, left to-day on her return to Auckland. The repairs cost hundreds of pounds.—Sydney,- May 16.

Soil Conservation “Other countries look on conservation and the better use of land as the key to their agricultural programmes,” said Mr L. B. Thomson, director of the Canadian farm rehabilitation programme, in a national broadcast last evening. Exporting countries, for instance Canada and the ' Argentine, were recognising that efficient production was essential for the placing of products on a world market at a reasonable cost to the consumer. Food was essential to allay the fear of want. “For the first time in history this was recognised by the United Nations conference in 1944, when the Food and Agricultural Organisation was set up,” said Mr Thomson. Coupon Forgeries Suspected Darker than the official type of token and with the printing slightly blurred, four-gallon petrol coupons, believed by some petrol retailers to be forgeries, are being investigated in the Grey district, and some have already been forwarded to Wellington' for examination. Little coupon forgery was detected in the district during the war rationing period, but some garage proprietors believe that, if their suspicions are confirmed the issiie of false coupons is now being carried out on a fairly wide scale. Some retailers believe that the difference in colouring and the blurred printing are just manufacturing faults, pointing out that the coupons are* mass-produced and that there was bound to be some variation in colour. Some four-gallon tokens produced by one retailer showed three obvious variations in the shades of pink used, and smudging of the crown symbol on the coupons is noticeable on others. Inter-Island Golf “In view of the possibility of a New Zealand team being sent to Australia I would like to see a North versus South Island match played, preferably at Shirley,” said Mr A. R. Blank, captain of the Canterbury golf team, at a welcome extended to the Otago team at the Christchurch Golf Club’s Jinks yesterday. Mr Blank said there seemed to be an idea that all the good golfers lived in the North Island, but the golf played at Shirley would not be excelled in any part of New Zealand. If his suggestions were acted upon a great opportunity would* be offered the selectors to pick a truly representative team, and Shirley was the place for a proper test. Allocation of I.C.F.

The Government has received the following cable from the New Zealand Consul-General’s office in New York: “The public of New Zealand can have absolute assurance that all money spent by the International Children’s Fund will result in food, medical supplies, or medical attention being made available to children, or in a few cases to expectant or nursing mothers.” This assurance was given to the Consul-General after consultation with representatives cf the United Nations Organisation.—(F.O.O.R.) New Zealand Production New Zealand had made remarkable progress in food production over the last 30 years, but along with this pro-, gress the question of conserving the soil on the cultivated plains and the higher grasslands had become a national problem, said Mr L. B. Thomson, director of the Canadian farm rehabilitation programme, in a national broadcast last evening. The grassland economy on the better land of New Zealand was an outstanding example to the rest of the world, and great credit was due to the agricultural scientist, and to the judgment of the farmer who had applied scientist’s knowledge. The marginal lands of run and hill country did not give such a rosy picture, for the same attention had not been given to their improvement, said Mr Thomson. Snow Cave as Shelter

An account of the use of a snow cave instead of a tent bivouac in climbing Mount Aspiring was given by Mr P. S. Powell to the Otago section of the New Zealand Alpine Club. On the expedition to Mount Aspiring, Otago’s highest mountain, Mr Powell told how his party spent nine comfortable nights in their snow cave. A blizzard which raged for three days did not disturb them at all. The average temperature in the cave was about 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and while the alpine cookers were going it rose to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sailors and Licensing Laftvs Charges of having liquor in their possession near a dance hall which were brought against two English naval ratings were dismissed under a section of the Justices of the Peace Act by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in Auckland recently, when it was explained that the sailors recently arrived from England and were not conversant with New Zealand licensing laws. After the magistrate had expressed doubt that anydne in New Zealand was conversant with all the licensing laws, he suggested to a naval officer that orders explaining the laws be promulgated for the benefit of ratings from England.

Co-operative Store The first four shops at the Orakei cooperative store, the largest of its kind in New Zealand, will be ready for occupation on July 1. The others will be completed by December. The block is being built for the Housing Construction Department and will be let to the Orakei Consumers’ Co-operative Society, which was formed by Orakei residents in 1946. The shops, which will be opened in July, will be a meat department, fish shop, women’s hairdressing saloon, and a dairy. A manager’s flat will occupy the end of the wing. A feature of the main wing will be an American-style self-service store, where customers will be able to choose from a variety of goods, ranging from groceries to radio sets. Payment for most goods will be made as customers leave the shop. A draper’s shop and delicatessen will complete this wing, which will be finished in December,

and staff quarters and stock storage space will be sited at the junction of the two wings. A bus shelter and public telephones will be included in facilities in the building. Rose Growers’ “Fallacies” The commonly-held belief that roses thrive in clay soil is described by Mr Bertram Park, in "The City Beautiful,” the journal of the Christchurch Horticultural Society, as . a fallacy. “Oak trees may grow in clay, but roses will not,” says Mr Park in his article; “they are not really fond of very -heavy loam over clay subsoil, excepting perhaps the wild briars. The best soi? for roses is a medium loam over a well-drained subsoil.” Other “fallacies” mentioned in the article are the practice of putting manure on the rose beds in the autumn to protect the plants during the winter, putting quantities of manure at the bottom of the beds when making them up, preparing deep beds, and applying too much lime. “Bird-proof” Windscreen When Britain’s giant airliner Brabazon I takes off from Filton aerodrome on its maiden flight, the test pilot will be looking through a windscreen proofed against bird penetration. The windscreen, perfected after years of painstaking research, comprises several layers of different types of glass and a three-quarter inch perspex panel with a small air gap for “demisting,” by the circulation of hot air. It is so tough that a bird flying into it just after the take-off may break it. but the bird will not crash through into the control cabin.

Collection of Outstanding Photographs More than 200 prints which were accepted by the jury of selection from the 800 sent in from all over the world for the premiere showing in Hamilton of the Fifth International Salon of Photography form an outstanding collection of photographs. The display, which is conducted under the tules and regulations of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, and the Photographic Society of America for the first time in this country,, is proof of the wisdom and foresight of the Waikato Photographic Society in arranging that this, its first exhibition, should be properly constituted and conducted. The salon will be exhibited in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin.