General News

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26118, 22 May 1950, Page 6

General News

Dustcart in Royal Procession A petition will be sent to the Queen if the local council by May 23 does not reinstate a Bebington (.Cheshire) dustman who was dismissed for joining his bright orange dustcart to the Royal procession when Her Majesty went to launch the Ark Royal at Birkenhead on May 3. The dustman acknowledged the cheers of the crowd as he drove for more than a mile behind the Queen through the town. Three other dustmen who were with him have been suspended for a week without pay.—London, May 20. £6 a Week to £5OOO a Year Mr H. G. Conde, whose appointment as New South Wales electricity commissioner was ' announced last week, was a station operator at the King’s Wharf power station, Auckland, about 25. years ago. He has kept in touch with fellow workers of those days, who have watched with interest his rise from his £6-a-week job at King’s Wharf to his present post with a salary of £5OO0 —two and a-half times as much as earned by the general manager of the New Zealand State Hydroelectric Department; exchange being taken into account. In his new position Mr Conde, with four part-time members of the commission, will coordinate the generation of electricity in New South Wales, take over some of the bulk services, and negotiate to acquire others. Eager to Please An amusing story of a young Japanese boy and a missionary was told by the Bishop of Kobe (the Most Rev. Michael Yashiro) at a Centennial Church Congress youth meeting on Saturday evening. Asked by the missionary if he had read the Bible, the boy, not wishing to disappoint him. replied that he had read 32 chapters .of St. Mark. “I am sorry, but St. Mark has only 16 chapters,” said the missionary. The lad was his father, who became the first Christian in his family and later a priest, said Bishop Yashiro. Old Man Struck by Hearse Struck by a hearse at the corner of Dixon and Bannister streets, Masterton, a 97-year-old man was later admitted to the Masterton Hospital. He was Mr David Sutherland, a retired farmer, 25 Miriam street. Masterton. His left leg was broken and his head cut. The driver of the hearse was David Lindsey, aged 16, of Cornwall street. Masterton. Mr Sutherland’s condition is reported as satisfactory. Money Stolen from Church Boxes Money in locked collection boxes at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Te Aroha, was stolen recently. The poor box, which stood inside the church, and the box for Sunday school funds, which was in the porch, were both smashed open. A lever had been used to force the locks and considerable strength must have been used. It is not known how much was in the boxes. Price of Radio Sets A prediction that prices of radio sets would increase after the removal of price control had been completely unfounded, said Mr W. J. Blackwell, president of the New Zealand Radio Manufacturers' Federation, on Friday. The New Zealand radio manufacturing industry during price control had proved by its economic, efficient operations and intensive though friendly competition that price control was completely unnecessary. Consequently, the price control on the radio and electronic industry was revoked last November. It was one of the first major industries to be decontrolled. Since the revocation of control radio prices in general had remained stable and in many cases had shown downward trends. Efficiency and strong competition would safeguard against rising prices, said Mr Blackwell. 13,000-ton Freighter at Auckland One of the largest freighters in the United Kingdom food trade, the Blue Star Line's 13.17?-ton motor-ship Melbourne Star berthed at Auckland on Saturday on her first visit. The motor-ship, which is commanded bv Captain F. M. Riley. D. 5.0.. will load a two-thirds cargo of produce at Auckland for Britain, and will complete loading at Wellington.— (P.A..) Fitness of Recruits Twenty per cent, of the 800 youths who were among the first to register for compulsory military training in the Auckland area have been found permanently or temporarily unfit. This is a smaller number of rejects than the original estimate of 25 per cent, which the medical authorities had described as ‘‘extraordinarily good.” Eighteen per cent, of the failures fell into the permanently unfit group, and 2 per cent, were temporarily unfit. The largest single delect in the physical condition of the recruits found by the medical boards was vision. Honorary Rangers A list of 23 members of the Auckland Junior Chamber of Commerce who have volunteered to act as orary rangers has been approved bv the City Council’s Parks Committee. Their names will be added to a list of persons willing to undertake similar duties. This list is held by the Council’s director of parks and reserves (Mr J. A. McPherson). The acting-chair-man of the committee. Mr F. G. Lintott, said that the appointment of the volunteers as honorary rangers would be made within the next mdnth. They would be issued with warrants of authority as rangers, and it was hoped their appointment would serve as a check against vandalism in the city’s parks and reserves. Wellington Bus Traffic Wellington suburban services of the railway road buses increased from 4.400.000 passenger journeys and 1.900.000 vehicle miles in 1939 to 14.700.000 passenger -journeys and 3.900.000 vehicle miles last "financial year. Eighty per cent, of passenger journeys last financial year were handled by Hutt Valley internal services. These figures were given to the Transport Charges Committee on Friday by Mr R. V. Fredric, district manager in charge of railway road services.— (P.S.S.) CORSO China Appeal The Dominion ■ secretary and treasurer for CORSO iMr C. W. Morrison) reported yesterday that donations received so far at the Dominion headquarters of CORSO for the China appeal now aggregated £3120. Included in this amount was a total of £557 received direct from donors living in and near Christchurch. Tuataras Wanted for Zoo Permission to acquire tuataras and other New Zealand fauna for the Auckland Zoo and to display them there is to be sought from the Department of Internal Affairs by the Auckland City Council. TJie Mayor. Mr J. A. C. Allum, said that persons saw photographs of the rarer types of fauna, but the general public had no opportunity to see ’what existed in their own country. The zoo wished to acquire two or three tuataras. Mr Allum said. The tuatara was unique to New Zealand, but was seen only by a few persons in specially privileged circumstances. The display of two of the reptiles at the zoo last month had aroused great public interest and many thousands of persons had visited the zoo while they were on exhibition. Many had come for the specific purpose of seeing the tuataras. Car Registration Car registration stickers, which have been very colourful for several years, take a note of austerity and simplicity this year. The form will remain the same but the background for the black lettering is to be plain white. Reregistration starts on June 1.