General News

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25734, 21 February 1949, Page 6

General News

< Scientist’s Good Investment One of the scientists attending the Pacific Science Congress did not use scientific methods in picking a winner at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday, but in the seventh race he backed Pirouette for a win and the horse paid more than £5O. The scientist then backed the winner and a placed horse in the last race. He was Major W. S. Barney, a meteorologist with the United States forces in Japan. Major Barney said he had enjoyed the meeting very much, though he was not much of a gambler. “I put my last £1 on Pirouette because it was number one in the race,” he said. His profit for the dqy was more than £7O. Takahe to be Televised The takahe and those who rediscovered the colony near Lake Te Anau last November may soon appear on a television programme from the 8.8. C. Dr. G. B. Orbell has been asked by the corporation to provide a film which will later be televised. It will be ready within the next two weeks. Capital Punishment Referendum A request to the New Zealand Federation of Labour to urge a referendum at the General Election on whether capital punishment should be reintroduced has been made by the New Zealand Saddlers’. Canvas Workers’, Riggers’, and Related Trades’ Union. The union also described the Legislative Council as “that costly, useless ornament” and asked the Government to put into practice the proposal of the Labour Party to abolish the Upper House. —(P.A.) ’ Horsemeat Wanted Because of the present value of old horses, horsemeat for feeding the hunt’s hounds was becoming scarce, reported the Master Qf the South Canterbury Hunt (Mr H. H. Elworthy) to the annual meeting held in Timaru recently. He appealed to members in outlying districts to provide horsemeat. Mr W. D. Orbell said that at one stage last year his truck travelled 200 miles for horsemeat to carry the hounds over a “lean” period. Mr C. L. Orbell said that the hunt had to compete against a firm of buyers in Christchurch for supplies. Old Regiment Loses Identity

The Taranaki Regiment, the first territorial unit in the British Empire to go into battle, loses its identity as a separate unit under the new organisation of the New Zealand military forces and will be amalgamated with the Wellington-West Coast Regiment under the name of the WellingtonWest Coast and Taranaki Regiment. It was at the Battle of Waieka on March 28, 1860. that the Taranaki Regiment received its baptism of fire. There has been a company from Taranaki in the Wellington Battalion of the main bodies of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces to both world wars. On both of these occasions the Taranaki Regiment provided the commanding officer for the Wellington Battalion—Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Malone in 1914 and Lieutenant-Colonel F. S. Varnham, M.C., in 1939. Dominion Federation of Liberals Because of registration difficulties, the new liberal organisation has assumed the name Dominion Federation of Liberals. The New Zealand Liberal Party, incorporated, had been in existence for some time in Auckland and maintained its right to the use of that title, it was stated. The federation had dissociated the former Auckland branch from the federation, pending steps to form a new branch at Auckland.—(P.A.) Footwear Industry

The statistics for the footwear industry for 1946-47 showed that substantial progress . had been made during the year, states the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. The 1945-46 record of employment of 4660 was surpassed by 307 and that increase and an increase of 11 in the number of establishments reflected the increasing decentralisation of the industry. The output of all types of footwear rose by 8 per cent. In addition to the increased employment, the issuing of a new award giving higher wage rates caused the total salaries and wages to rise by £219,348 or 17.4 per cent, to £1,478.064. The cost of materials rose by £141,226 or 7.6 per cent, and the value of products by £456.162 or 12.8 per cent. As a result added value rose by £314,936 or 18.5 per cent. Termites in Australian Poles A species of Australian termite, has been found in a shipment of 2000 power poles landed at Napier by the Kopua from Grafton and Coff’s Harbour for the Post and Telegraph Department and the Hawke’s Bay Power Board. State Forest Service experts discovered the termites in small cracks in the poles. One pole was burnt as a precaution. Some of the insects were sent to Rotorua for further identification. Part of the consignment is for distribution through the North Island, including New Plymouth,. Palmerston North, and Gisborne.-—(P.A.) Preparation for Empire Games A start is expected to be made this week with the preparation of Eden Park for the British Empire Games, which will be held in Auckland early next year. Two fences between the grounds in the park will be removed and a path between No. 1 and No. 2 grounds will be dug up and the area sown in grass. This section will be fenced off with wire-netting to protect it during the football season. The work will be done by men from the City Council’s parks department, under the supervision of the greenkeeper at the park. All Blacks in Race A special feature of interest in the 100 yards event of the Waikato track and field championships at Taumarunui on Saturday was the meeting between the two All Black wing threequarters P. Henderson (Wanganui) who was competing by invitation, and J. K. McLean (Thames). Henderson easily headed McLean by about three yards and, in spite of his bad start, dead-heated with the champion, C. Parker, in the fast time of lOsec. Neither Henderson nor McLean was up to the class of the field in the 220 yards, «nd both finished out of a place. Parker won the event in 21.9 sec, a provincial record.—(P.A.) Native Thrush Seen in 1912 Learning of the search to be made this week in a Taranaki State reserve for the New Zealand native thrush, now thought to be extinct, Mr M. H. Burrell, of Auckland, wrote to the “Auckland Star” to say that he saw a pair of thrushes in a bush area south of Opotiki in 1912. Mr Burrell was engaged as a survey cadet at the time and his party saw the birds every morning at sunrise. He says that the area was gazetted a scenic reserve and is probably still just as it was in 1912. Strange Messages from Ship A series of frantic, fragmentary messages, one of which said, “They are trying to kill me,” flashed across the Atlantic from the American 10,000ton Liberty ship William Phips, sent a United States destroyer hurrying out from Gibraltar in search of the ship. The ship had passed through the Straits of Gibraltar early in the morning for Galveston, Texas, from Naples, and the signals from her suggested that there might be mutiny aboard. They said: “Got Pierce radio operator . . . Locked in radio . . . Trying to kill me . . Help . . . Smoking me out . . . Please get a bearing.” Later in the day, however, the William Phips put into Gibraltar and landed her radio operator, who was taken to hospital suffering from a nervous breakdown. —Gibraltar, February 19.

Steer Warded Off with Umbrella A resident of New Plymouth who was attacked by a steer at his home recently successfully warded ojf the beast with an umbrella. The man, Mr E. T. Petty, of Peace avenue, New Plymouth, saw the steer, which had strayed from a mob, approaching his front gate. He seized an umbrella and hurried outside to shut the gate. When the steer saw him if. charged. Mrs Petty screamed, but Mr Petty stood his ground and began opening and shutting his umbrella. The steer stopped short, turned, and made off. He had been told about this trick with an umbrella when c small boy, Mr Petty said.