General News

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25878, 10 August 1949, Page 6

General News

Missed the Investiture After completing his term of duty as a pilot in the Berlin air lift. Flight Lieutenant D. J. Phillips, of Weedons, left Germany last month to return ’to New Zealand, hoping to be in .Christchurch for yesterday’s investiture, when he was to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. He arrived home this week, after his 12.000-mile journey, but was unable to attend the investiture because »of an indisposition. The Wild Artichoke A warning about the consequences of the accidental introduction into New Zealand of the wild artichoke was given by Mr N. H. Hayman, a Waimate district farmer, on his return recently from a tour of Australia. The artichoke was a distinct menace to Australian farmers, he said. It smothered all growth with the exception of trees. The wild artichoke resembles a Scotch thistle with a head like a wild parsnip.—(F.0.0.R.) Buildings Inspected Of 26 buildings in Christchurch visited in July by officers of the Christchurch Fire Brigade and the City Council, every one required work to bring it up to the requirements of the egress code. The buildings included a number of private hotels and several large buildings in the city. During the month a start was made by the Fire Brigade on the annual inspection of public buildings. Forty-three visits were made during the month to theatres, and a few minor infringements of the regulations were rectified at the time of inspection. Profits From Cricket Tests The “News Chronicle” says that a net profit of £50.C00 may be returned in the four cricket tests against New Zealand. Nearly all reserved accommodation for the fourth test has already been sold and only a few seats are left for the last day. Allowing for about £2OOO in entertainment tax and about £2OOO lor expenses, tne test at the Oval should alone return a profit of at least £ 12,000.—London, August 9.

Swimmers for Centennial Games Replies have been received from associations in France and America to letters sent from the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association inviting swimmers from those countries to take part in the Canterbury Centennial Games. Announcing this at a meeting of the centre last evening, the secretary, Miss D. Brown, said that both countries asked for further information about the financial possibilities of the tour. Letters have also been sent to associations in Canada. Great Britain, Holland, Denmark, and Australia. Seals Seals, in common with whales, oysters, spongers, and the common varieties of fish, are embraced by the Marine Department’s regulations, which provide for a fine not exceeding £lOO if a seal which comes ashore is “molested or in any way interfered with.” Seals which come ashore are the responsibility of the Marine Department, whether they are injured or not, and the District Inspector of Fisheries (Mr F. Bennington) took part in the capture of the crab-eating seal at the Estuary yesterday. Mr Bennington said that it was his department’s responsibility to have stray seals either looked after, or “disposed of.” Under the Fisheries Act, the Minister of Marine may give permission in writing for any person to have a seal in his possession for exhibition, or for scientific or other purposes.

Timber Treatment The State Forest Service will shortly be operating a new type of pressure treatment plant for treating exotic timbers. Speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Commissioner of Forests (Mr C. F. Skinner) said the key part equipment would come from the United States. Various types of treatment were being used in New Zealand and, by up-to-date pressure treatment, exotics would yield timber that compared well with indigenous trees, Mr Skinner added.—(P.A.) First Whitebait

The first half pound of whitebait to reach the Christchurch fish market this season was sold at 9s 3d, after competitive bidding by retailers on August 2. the .lay after the season opehed. Since then small parcels have been received, some from local rivers, and some from the* West Coast. Whitebait are not subject to price control. They have been on sale in Christchurch shops at up to 10s & pound in the last few days. Good sized shoals of whitebait have been seen by trawlers off shore on the West Coast, and some have beer* taken in the Karamea and Little Wanganui rivers. Cement for Auckland Streets Prompt action followed the entry of the Minister of Works (Mr R. Semple) into an argument between the Auckland City Council and the Building Controller over the use of cement for work in five streets in the city. On Monday the council was told that Mr Semple would investigate the controller’s ruling that work must be deferred for three months. Yesterday the local office of the controller advised the City Engineer (Mr A. J. Dickson) that work on four of the streets might proceed. The cement required for the kerbing and channelling of these .streets amounts to 95 tons.. The offioe said application for the use of 96 tons of cement for the reformation of Crummer road. Grey Lynn, would be further investigated.—(P.A.) No Surplus Population New Zealand may not expect immigrants from Sweden, for Sweden herself has since the war absorbed 200,000 foreigners and has more than full employment, according to the acting-con-sul for Sweden (Mr O. G. Bjurstrom), who returned to Wellington last night after spending a few days in Christchurch. The flow of immigrants from Sweden had stopped about 50 years ago, said’ Mr Bjurstrom, before which Sweden was a predominantly agricultural and a rather poor country. The development of industry had since been so great that every available person had been absorbed.

Removal of Petrol Tax The removal of the 4d a gallon war tax imposed on petrol in 1939 will be sought by the South Island Motor Union in representations to the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) before he brings down the Budget. The approach will be .made bv the union’s liaison officer in Wellington .Mr Rocke O’Shea). This decision was made last evening by the executive of the union after considering a recommendation from the Automobile Association (Southland) that either the whole of motor taxation be spent on the roads or pressure be exercised to have the 4d a gallon tax removed. Administration of Waipoua Uneasiness had teen expressed over the administration of the Waipoua kauri forest but. if the forest were set aside as a national park, there would be no one better fitted to administer it than trained foresters, said the Commissioner of Forests (Mr C. F. Skinner) replying to the debate on the Forests Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday. The men working in the Waipoua forest were keener on its preservation than 90 per cent, of those who signed a petitiorPubout it.—(P.A.) New York’s Buildings So high were the buildings in New York that some streets never got any sunshine, said Mr G. Lowis. who has just returned to Christchurch from a tour of England tnd the United States. Throughout the day a blue haze of petroi fumes hangs over such streets, giving anybody spending any time at street level violent headaches. Flats on the lops of buildings in these streets, because they were clear of the fumes, were very highly priced, he added. Swedish Legations When Mr Arfwedson arrives at the end of this month to become charge d’affaires and head of the Swedish Legation in New Zealand, the establishment of a chain of Swedish legations in British Commonwealth countries will have been completed. During and since the war it has become the policy of the Swedish Government to maintain direct diplomatic relations with Commonwealth countries as separate entities. From a commercial point of view the policy had been of great benefit, said the acting-consul for Sweden (Mr O. G. Bjurstrom) in Christchurch yesterday. Until 1946 there was no direct Swedish representative in New Zealand, there being honorary consuls under the Swedish consul-general in Sydney.