General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25516, 9 June 1948, Page 4

General News

An Affair of Honour The Consul-General of the Dominican Republic in Ottawa, Mr Julio Ricart, has challenged Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, the Argentine Ambassador to Canada, to a duel. Mr Ricart explained that he had made some pleasantry about dogs, and Mrs Rodriguez had made what he thought was an offensive answer. A few days later the Argentine Ambassador did not invite him to a party. “It meant a double offence, one to me personally and one to my country.” he said. “I therefore have called upon the Argentine Ambassador to answer me on the field of honour.” Mr Ricart added that he had not yet received a reply from Dr. Rodriguez, but the duel would probably take place in the Argentine Embassy, “because technically we would be outside Canada.”—Ottawa, June 7. Inspection of Sprigs

There had been one or two bad accidents recently because of sprigs not complying with the rules, said Mr A. T. F. Stokes at a meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union last evening. Next Saturday the referees would march the teams on to the field in all grades and make an inspection of sprigs before allowing the games to start. If there were any doubtful sprigs players would be sent to the sideline. It appeared, remarked Mr Stokes, that the association did not have the full cooperation of coaches. The action of the referees’ association was endorsed. Waterside Workers’ Wages A case for a substantial wage increase for waterside workers has been prepared by national officers of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union and will be considered at a meeting of the national executive of the union at Wellington to-day. The case will involve a claim for up t 6 Is an hour increase in wages. It will be based on a reduction in the margin between the basic wage rates of New Zealand watersiders who receive 3s 8d an hour, and of Australians, whose rate is quoted at 4s 9d an hour.— (P.A.) Political Compliments After explaining to an audience at Sumner last evening that he had learnt as a yachtsman to “take it green over the bows,” Mr R. M. Algie, M.P., said that at a meeting on the previous evening. he had- been called “an unmitigated liar” by one of his hearers. "I have been long enough in politics,” he added, “to take anything of that nature as a compliment, or at least as a term of endearment.” Collected in Notes

An Invercargill investor supported County Antrim to return him more than £2OOO when the horse won the All Aged Stakes at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting on Monday. It was reported later in the day that the lucky investor would not accept a cheque from the totalisator manager, but preferred to collect his winnings in notes after the meeting. Although not a record, the amount is one of the largest to be collected by an individual investor from a totalisator in New Zealand. Trees Planted at 3060 Feet Poplar cuttings and Lawsoniana trees wepe planted as an experiment by members of the Erewhon branch of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club in the Havelock Valley at a height of about 3000 feet last week-end. The party was visiting a hut by the Eric stream and planted the trees near the •hut. “It will be interesting to note the result of this experiment,” said a member of the parly in Ashburton yesterday. “Although the valley is ringed on three sides by main divide peaks, at one time totara forests were very much in evidence. Fire, followed by erosion, has reduced these valuable trees to very small and sheltered areas.” Sharp Frosts in South The heaviest frost so far this winter —lO degrees—was recorded at the Timaru public gardens yesterday morning. The previous highest recording was slightly more than nine degrees. A frost of 15 degrees was reported at Waimate. and one of 10.9 degrees —also the heaviest of the year—was recorded at Ashburton. In Christchurch yesterday the frost was only 4 degrees. No South Island League Tour

There will be no tour of southern centres by the New Zealand Rugby League team on its return from Australia. This was decided unanimously at a meeting of the New Zealand Rugby League last evening. The managers of the team advised that the best team would not be available for any extension of the tour to include games in the South Island. The team will play Auckland on June 19. — (P.A.) Mr Boswell’s Motto The motto of the New Zealand Minister to Moscow (Mr C. W. Boswell) should be “Cover me with a mantle of silence,” said Mr R. M. Algie, M.P., at a political meeting in Sumner last evening. Mr Algie said Mr Boswell, at a recent meeting of the Parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, had told how people outside Russia could learn more about the country than he who was inside it. He had enumerated Russian’ leaders whom he had met, and, after this, the Leader cf the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) had said: “You have told us about the fellows you are friendly with; now tell us about the Leader of the Opposition—what sort of a chap is he in Russia?” Mr Boswell had looked non-plussed, but the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) had sought to restore the situation by laughing harder than anyone else. In Russia, added Mr Algie, there was no Opposition, and no possibility of one except through bloody revolution. Further Earth Tremors Although it is more than a fortnight since the earthquakes which originated at Waiau, Hanmer Springs is still get-\ ting tremors. On Thursday there were several small shakes and on Monday there Were ’ six lurther tremors. The heaviest one, at 4.15 a.m., woke most of the residents and visitors. No damage was reported. Tuberculosis Cases Ten new cases of tuberculosis in Canterbury were reported in the week ended yesterday. There was one death from pulmonary tuberculosis. Canterbury also had one case of hydatids and four of scarlet fever. There were four cases of scarlet fever on the West Coast. Sfci-ing on Mount Hutt

Four Ashburton men, Messrs I. Childs. I. Kermode, A. R. White, and A. W. White, climbed to the southeast basin of Mount Hutt on Saturday, and. it is believed, used the basin for ski-ing for the first time. Tire climb of 4700 feet took five hours. At the crest of the ridge (6200 feet) the men found the snow ideal for skiing—two inches of powder snow on a firm under-surface. Skis have previously been used on a small patch of snow on the Hutt ridge above McLennan’s bush, and also on the same ridge near the summit, which was too icy. rocky and steep for a further trial. The south-east basin of Mount Hutt is the basin prominent in the view of that range from Ashburton, and appears to be the first to hold snow in the winter and the last to lose it. The Pudding Hill stream drains the' basin. The slope has varying grades and room to suit all skiers and its main disadvantage is that there is not direct and easy access. Poliomyelitis Cases Two cases of poliomyelitis, the first in the Taranaki Health District for nearly a fortnight, were reported yesterday. They were a man, aged 25. at Hawera, and a girl, aged eight, at New Plymouth.— (P.A.) Contributions to Children’s Appeal Contributions to the United Nations appeal for children, made by Christchurch donors, amounted to nearly £llOO yesterday. Since the appeal began. £18,311 has been collected. Yesterday’s contributions were made up as follows: —Chief Post Office, £ll7 10s; Christchurch City Council, £431 2s 6d; by mail, £531 17s 3d.

Two Holes-in-One in a Year Playing in a trophy match at Westport on Monday, Mrs F. Woodward holed her tee shot at the 140-yard sixth hole. This was the second hole in one that Mrs Woodward has played in the last year, the first being at the short thirteenth.