General News

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25589, 2 September 1948, Page 4

General News

Mosquito Helps Professor Ferrets helping Auckland electricians to lay wires in narrow conduits, a week or two ago, and white mice being conscripted from Auckland University College for the same sort of job 20 years ago . . . these wonders, recently reported, have not much impressed the technicians of Canterbury University College. There,' it seems, a professor who needed to thread a very fine and delicate filament through a glass tube of small diameter harnessed a mosquito and had no trouble at all. Cycling Without Lights Two cyclists who went through Hagley Park in the dark last evening learned, without police assistance, that cycling without a light does not pay. Iney met, and were both stunned, in head-on collision. Two other cyclists, who arrived shortly afterwards, found them both unconscious besides their bicycles on the track. Revived with cold water, they admitted that “it served them right,” and departed, one pushing a bicycle with a buckled wheel. Flying-Boat Being “Boiled Down” The old flying-boat Awarua, which carried thousands of passengers across the Tasman, is now lying outside an aluminium factory at Onehunga. It is being “boiled down” into aluminium ingots for use in commercial castings. The owners estimate that about five tons of aluminium will be available.—(P.A.) The 40-Hour Week “Is the Returned Services’ Association going to stand indefinitely for the 40-hour week, which is to most people a 38-hour week and to all Government departments a 37-hour week?” asked Major-General Sir Howard Kippenberger, Dominion president of the association, when he spoke to a social gathering of members of the Christchurch association last evening. General Kippenberger was referring to the need for more houses in New Zealand. “If we do. we can take the consequences, and one will be a shortage of houses,” he added. Asparagus on Sale A few bunches of .the new season’s asparagus are already, on the market. There will not be any quantity for sale for at least another fortnight. One grower who supplies the market with 300 bunches a day during the height of the season has so far nad only one bunch to offer. The asparagus now on sale ranges in price from 4s to 6s for a bunch weighing about 11b. This is considered too dear for shops to risk carrying any great stocks, even if they were available. These early supplies come from South Brighton and St. Martins. Air Race Inquiry From Algeria An aero club pilot in Algeria has advised the secretary of the Canterbury International Air Race Council (Mr A. B. W. George) that he wishes to compete in the handicap section of the race from England to Harewood which the cquncil is planning for 1953. He is Mr Daniel Robert-Bancharelle, of the Mascara Aero Club, near Oran. His club is affiliated to the Algerian Aeronautical Federation. Mr RobertBancharelle’s letter is the first foreign inquiry about the race. He has asked for information about the course of the race, the regulations, and other requirements. Port Chalmers Hotel Boycott Since midday on June 28, members of the Port Chalmers branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union have boycotted hotels at Port Chalmers and the adjacent one at Careys Bay. A rumour that Port Chalmers watersiders were meeting to consider forming a club was officially denied last night. The hotels are understood to be receiving assistance. The boycott began when the Port Chalmers hotels and the one at Careys Bay discontinued the practice of “shouting.” Four hotels in Dunedin continue to “shout” ! for regular customers.—(P.A.) Shipping Fares All fares and freights paid in New Zealand currency would remain unaltered, said the Christchurch manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd. (Mr W. A. Smith) commenting on a cabled report which said that the company had increased by 25 per cent, its freight and passenger rates payable in Australia for transport to New Zealand. The increase reported was in line with the decision of the air line companies announced earlier in the week, and was effective immediately, said Mr Smith.

Ownership of Wanganui River The ownership of the Wanganui river is the point at issue in one of the most interesting Jaw suits in New Zealand history. Claims on behalf of Maori tribes on the river resulted yesterday in the extremely rare appearance of 4he Attorney-General (Mr H. G. R. Mason) as advocate for the Crown at a hearing before the Chief Justice (Sir Humphrey O’Leary) in chambers to decide a preliminary point. When the claims eome to hearing. the issue will be argued whether the Maoris are entitled to true ownership of the river and riverbed, which would mean that all use of the river in any way would be subject to the permission and approval of the tribes concerned. One section of the Maori claims has already been dealt with by a judge of the Maori Land Court and the Maori Appellate Court, and a second section remains to be heard.— (P.A.)

Radio on Fishing Boats Six trawlers at Timaru are now equipped with radio, ZCI sets, acquired through the War Assets Realisation Board, and it is hoped that they will be officially on the air at the end of this week, by which time the Post and Telegraph Department will have made a suitable wavelength available for them on the marine frequency. The equipment had an unexpected test last week when the Puss Moth aircraft went missing in the district. The Harbourmaster at Timaru (Captain F. J. Cullan) obtained permission for the seals on the sets to be broken, and in a short time Mr T. Forrest, who operates the coast station at Timaru, was in communication with boats as far afield as north of Ashburton and south of Waimate asking them to join in a search of the coastline. The base station in Timaru was also able to pick up messages from patrolling aircraft.

School of Forestry The Canterbury Progress League decided last evening to continue its efforts to have the Schotol of Forestry re-established at Canterbury University College. The hope was expressed that the decision of the New Zealand University Senate to establish the school at Auckland would be rescinded and that the question of the site of the school would be reopened. Reports on the league’s recent deputation to the Senate and a statement by the secretary, Mr P. R. Climie, were received and referred back to the league’s committee dealing with the matter. R.S.A. and Conscription He did not favour a referendum by members of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association on compulsory military service, said MajorGeneral Sir Howard Kippenberger, Dominion president of the association, speaking in Christchurch last evening. “I would be against a referendum by members precisely as I would be against a referendum by the people of the country,” he said, after he had explained that democracy provided for election of representatives, and the decisions of those representatives must in the meantime stand for everyone. “He Didn’t Speak English” Children’s reactions to an Irish accent were described at a meeting yesterday of the Church of England Men’s Luncheon Club by Canon A. H. Jack-.' son, a missionary /from South India, whose original home was in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Since his arrival in New Zealand, said Canon Jacksen, he had addressed a children’s gathering on missionary work. Before he spoke, some children had an argument whether he would address them in English or. “Indian.” Possibly because of his strong Irish accent, one of the children was heard afterwards to say to another child: “I was right. He didn’t speak English; he spoke Indian.” New Pacific Air Routes Two new air routes, from Vancouver to Sydney, and Vancouver to Hong Kong, are to be commenced next year by the Canadian Pacific Air Lines. A branch service from Fiji will connect New Zealand with the through SydneyVancouver service. Four pressurised four-engine Canadair 4 aircraft will be used on the services. They will carry 40 passengers, and three tons of cargo or mail .