General News

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25739, 26 February 1949, Page 6

General News

New Task for Miners Forty employees of the Blackwater Gold Mine at Waiuta. near Reefton. whose work has been affected by a shaft accident, will be given twd weeks’ work in eradicating ragwort in the Blackwater area. The Blackwater Mines company approached the Inangahua County Council and the council recommended that the men be given this work. No torn is Exhibit at Museum In the last few weeks thousands of persons have visited the Canterbury Museum to see the specimen of the notornis. So great was the interest in the exhibit that permission has been obtained from the Otago Museum to retain the specimen for a further month. Messages for Fairlie When Miss B. Hearnden, of London, former editor of the “Countrywoman.” addressed the Fairlie Women's Institute in the course of her New Zealand tour she played a gramophone record made by British women as a message of thanks for New Zealand's gifts of food and fat. As the record included messages to the women of Fairlie. Miss Hearnden said she would give it to the institute as soon as her. New Zealand tour was over. “Anzac” Children The first Australian citizen to be registered under the recent Nationality and Citizenship Act was registered yesterday at the office of the Australian High Commissioner in Wellington. She was Margaret Forbes Kuskie. daughter of the official secretary, Mr Bernard Kuskie. and Mrs Kuskie, and she was born earlier in the week. As her sister Heather was born before the passing of the new act in the Commonwealth , she is a New Zealand citizen and can only claim Australian citizenship on entry into Australia. "We will have to call them Anzacs” commented Mr Kuskie “and I don’t think any argument is likely to arise as to the respective merits of Kiwis and Aussies."—(P.A.) Lewis Pass Road Still Closed

The Lewis Pass road, which was closed for traffic on Wednesday by flood and by slips on the Canterbury side is still closed. A large slip between the top of Lewis Pass and Hanmer road crossing has blocked the road. Cars from the West Coast are able tq travel as far as Maruia Springs. 39 miles beyond Reefton. The Arthurs Pass road is now open. The surface is still rough, but an improvement is expected by Monday. Eire and Northern Ireland “Let each part of Ireland do its utmost to prove worthy of the authority with which it has been entrusted, to manage its own affairs, to develop its own ideals and to work out its destiny. That is all we ask. Let the position rest where it is.” In these words Sir John Milne Barbour, a former Minister of Finance in Northern Ireland, speaking at a civic welcome at Wellington yesterday, summed up his views on the existing situation in Eire and Northern Ireland. Eire, he said, had decided to dissolve the last link with the Sovereign and Northern Ireland had made its decision, “which has shown to the world that we honour our British citizenship.” Sir John Barbour will leave to-day on his return to Northern Ireland.—(P.A.) Potato Growers Complain A strong protest would be made to the Marketing Division against the short payment made under the contract system, it was decided at a meeting of potato growers, convened by the Waimate Potato Growers’ Association, yesterday, as the result of complaints of underpayment for the surplus potatoes taken over last October by the Government. The resolution also recommended that growers write individually to the department, making application for the amounts due to them.

Airborne Survey Equipment Airborne magnetic survey equipment ordered by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for survey operations in connexion * with the proposed scheme to utilise power from geothermal sources in the Rotorua district, is expected to arrive in New Zealand shortly, the Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research (Mr T. H. McCombs) said yesterday. The Minister said it was confidently anticipated that the use of the equipment would enable an accurate map to be made of the location of hot rocks beneath the surface of the earth in a shorter time and also more accurately than would be the case if a magnetic survey was conducted on the earth’s surface. Mr McCombs added that preliminary work in the area by geologists and volcanologists was continuing, while the opportunity had been taken during tfie Pacific Science Congress for an informal exchange of views with overseas scientists.— (P.A.) Grant to Timaru Band

Advice of the approval of a grant of £250 to the Timaru Municipal Band under the provisions of the Physical Welfare and Recreation Act. 1937. has been received by Mr Clyde Carr. M.P., from the Minister. of Internal Affairs 'Mr W. E. Parry). American’s Interest in N.Z. Erosion In informal discussions on soil conservation with the chairman of the South Canterbury Catchment Board (Dr. P. R. Woodhouse) and Mr W. H. Hall (a member of the board), Dr. E. G. Holt, a member of the United States Soil Conservation Service, said that while with his limited experience in New Zealand he did not feel qualified to suggest remedies for combating gerious erosion problems, he thought that there should be a thorough scientific investigation into possible plant successions on different types of hill country. In an interview yesterday. Dr. Woodhouse said that Dr. Holt was particularly interested in native scab weed and the work it was doing in reclothing eroded areas and acting as a seed bed for the establishment of forage plants. Harewood as Overseas Terminal

The opinion that if all South Islanders concentrated on having Harewood declared an overseas air terminal greater progress would be made in this direction, is contained in a letter which the chairman of the Ha re wood Overseas Air Terminal Committee (Mr J. R. Dench) has sent to the Timaru City Council. “I have adopted as a principle that anything which brings about the extension of existing air services must benefit all centres through the creation of the need for ground facilities in line with the development taking place,” says the letter. “Thus the use of Harewood as an overseas air terminal must bring much closer the day when Timaru assumes importance as an air terminal until, finally, it becomes another terminal for aircraft from overseas. On the other hand it seems clear that the authorities are likely to grasp at any difference octween us to delay action over Harewpod ” The Fishing Rivers According to advice received from the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, the condition of the fishing rivers at noon yesterday was as follows:—Hurunui and Rakaia. unfishable; Waimakariri. discoloured but clearing: Ashley, Selwyn and Halswell. fishable. Organiser for Centennial No decision has yet been made about the appointment of an organiser for the centenary celebrations in Christchurch. So far 16 applications have been received for the position, and five of the applicants have been interviewed. To-day’s Sports Fixtures The Canterbury amateur athletic championships, at Lancaster Park, a tennis match between New- South Wales, and New Zealand at Wilding Park, and the 100 miles New Zealand motor-car road championship at the. R.N.Z.A.F. station, Wigram. will provide sporting enthusiasts with a wide range of entertainment to-day. The ninth round of the Canterbury Cricket Association’s senior grade competition will be played between Old Boys and St. Albans at Hagley No. 1. Riccarton and Sydenham on Hagley No. 3. West Christchurch and Old Collegians at Elmwood and East Christchurch and Lancaster Park at Lancaster Park. The Christchurch Bowling Centre's championship pairs games will be continued and the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club will hold its annual regatta at Lyttelton.