General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25551, 20 July 1948, Page 4

General News

Unloading of Ship Stops Gangs employed in two holds of the sugar ship Broompark at Chelsea were put off last night when uneven discharge threatened the ship’s stability. The holds were the only sections of the ship working and the Broompark is now completely idle. Two of her holds have been isolated until the Mountpark tribunal has announced its findings and general unloading will not be resumed until they have been determined. The Broompark became involved in the hatch dispute on June 30 when unionists were dismissed from two holds for refusing to move the hatches by hand. These holds have not been worked since and the incident has been placed on the order of reference for the tribunal. When normal waterfront work was resumed on Friday the gangs were allotted to the two unaffected holds and the output since then has been sufficient to affect the Brocmpark’s trim. Discharge was stopped to avoid unnecessary hull stresses. Both holds contain sugar.— (P.A.) Work During Holidays Many inquiries for work during the school holidays have already been received by the girls’ senior vocational guidance officer in Christchurch (Miss C. Robinson). At present there seems to be little prospect of placing the girls in the type of work they want. Only four so far have had wo’rk found for them. Some are keen to do office work; others want to work in factories; but not many factories or offices are now interested in employing girls for two or three weeks only. Domestic work is about the only avenue open to ■ them and not many applicants have been found to be interested in this. Some, however, have asked for employment minding children.

Heavy Frosts in Canterbury Fairlie. with 19 degrees, and Timaru, with 11.8 degrees, yesterday recorded the heaviest frosts so far this winter. A frost of 10.9 degrees was recorded at Christchurch—the third heaviest this month. At Wigram the frost was 11 degrees. The frost was accompanied by a very high humidity of 93 per cent., and at 9.30 a.m. the air temperature was still at freezing point. At Temuka a frost of 17 degrees was recorded. and at Ashburton there were 12.1 degrees of frost, the heaviest since June 15. At Waimate 15.8 degrees were recorded. Yesterday’s frost was the fifteenth recorded in Christchurch this month, of which the heaviest was one of 11.7 degrees on July 12. Record Wool Proceeds

Proceeds from the sale of all wool during the 1947-48 season in Dunedin amounted to the record figure of £3,879,755. The 111,259 bales sold included 104,029 bales of greasy wool, the average price for which was 29.14 d a pound and £39 5s 3d a bale. These high figures are believed to be the best obtained in New Zealand, the wool offered at other centres not being comparable with the high quality lots sold in Dunedin. The New Zealand record price of 66d a pound for greasy was paid on the second day (April 19) of the double auction this year, the last sale of the season in Dunedin.— (P.A.) * Rugby Referee’s Decision Reversed A protest by the Poneke Club, Wellington, against a referee’s awarding a try in a third grade-match after the ball had touched him in the field of play was upheld by the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union yesterday. The decision of the union’s appeal committee was that the referee’s decision was contrary to law 30. which states that if a ball or player with the ball touches the referee in the field of play a scrummage shall be awarded at that place. In this case the referee admitted that the ball touched him but awarded the try as it would certainly have been scored whether the ball touched him or not. —(P.A.)

Discrimination in Deer Culling Evidence in support of their claims that the department’s cullers should cull more discriminately, will be put before the Assistant Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs (Mr A. G. Harper) and the controller of the Wild Life Division (Major G. F. Yerex) by members of the Deerstalkers’ Association at a conference in Invercargill this week. The association has received numerous letters from stalkers expressing concern about the department’s policy and stating that in some areas culling had gone too far. “Mr Parry will not be satisfied until he exterminates every living animal which provides anything like sport to the New Zealand hunter,” stated one letter.

Warship’s Parts in New Vessel Part of the veteran warship Philomel will be preserved in a new motorship, the Coromel, that is almost ready to be launched at Coromandel. The hull of the old cruiser now lies in Coromandel Harbour, and not far away timber, steel and fittings from her nave been going into the making of a small cargo and passenger ship that will shortly begin a regular service between Auckland and Coromandel. The Philomel was sold to the Strongman Shipping Company, of Coromandel, at the end of 1946. She had served the Navy well for 56 years, first as a cruiser, then for 20 years as a training centre for hundreds of New Zealand seamen, and finally, through ttie Second World War, as an administrative and depot ship. She was towed to Coromandel to be broken up. Staying in Parliament A forthright reply to his critics was given by the Minister of Works, Mr R. Semple, during his address in the Civic Theatre, Auckland. “I have been in Parliament for 20 years and I have gone back each time with an increased majority,” said Mr Semple. “I will stay there until I choose to get out.” Later in his address the Minister said he had tried, to use Longfellow’s words, “to leave footprints in the sands of time,” and he thought he could say he had done his duty. Careers Talks Careers talks arranged by the Vocational Guidance Centre for boys and girls of all post primary schools in Christchurch are proving popular this year. The talks which are given by authorities on the occupations concerned are held on Tuesday afternoons after school hours. About 10 talks are given during the year. So far subjects dealt with this year have included library work, primary and post primary school teaching, careers in the public service, and careers in science. Subjects on which lectures are still to be given are office work, engineering trades, nursing, and careers for the child with artistic ability. Industrial films will be shown this afternoon by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. Christchurch Power Rationing

It may be possible to grant further small concessions in power rationing for water heaters and shop lighting in Christchurch as a result of satisfactory storage conditions. * The electricity emergency committee of the City Councill will meet this morning to consider the matter. Photography and Advertising “Photography is one of the best ways of advertising,” said the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) opening the exhibition of the fifth New Zealand International Salon of Photography, at the D.I.C. yesterday. “It is at present being used to let people overseas know what this country is like, by way of illustrated booklets. I am very interested in advertising New Zealand—particularly the South Island—and I wish the society every success.” Kiwi Concert Party The Kiwi Concert Party, at present playing in Australia, recently lost two of its cast, Dick Marcroft, who returned to New Zealand for health reasons a few months ago, and Bill Bain, a female impersonator who is at present in New Zealand before leaving for England to seek employment. To fill Bain’s place alongside Wally Prictor. the company recently called in Phil Jay, formerly a female impersonator with the company, who had been touring Australia in musical comedy for J. C. Williamson, Ltd. On a Saturday night, he played the part of an old men in “White Horse Inn” in Perth, and the next Monday walked on to the stage as a sophisticated young woman. Notifiable Diseases There were no deaths from notifiable diseases in the Canterbury-West Coast health district last week. Notifications were: scarlet fever 10, tuberculosis 3, puerperal sepsis 1. tetanus 1.