General News

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26397, 16 April 1951, Page 6

General News

£4551 for CORSO The record sum of £4ssl—with returns from five townships and late donations still to be added—was collected on behalf of CORSO in- the Wellington •district on Saturday. Lower Hutt provided £1027, an amount unprecedented in that city’s collections for any appeal and more than twice what it raised last year for CORSO. Last year the district appeal yielded £3700, with late donations coming in for a fortnight. Wellington itself contributed £3030. The total so far this year is £3133.—(P. A.) Oyster Season The 1951 oyster season promises to be one of the best on record, says an Otago report. The v eather has been excellent and the quantity of oysters caught so far is, much greater than that last year, which was one of the worst seasons for a long time. The oysters have been of good size, At present the fleet is operating on the beds near Ruapuke Island, in Foveaux Strait. These beds are closest to Bluff and contain the best oysters. Wool for Rusiia Russia has taken only relatively small quantities of wool from New Zealand. Australia, and South Africa, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing (Mr K. J. Holyoake). Mr Holyoake has told the Napier Chamber of Commerce that Russia’s purchases amounted to between 5 per cent, and 6 per cent, of the total wool exports. The quantities, he said, were a mere drop in the bucket, and had not increased noticeably in the last two years. Television Policy Only preliminary steps have so far been taken towards the introducing of television into New Zealand. It was officially stated in Wellington last week that factors such as the expense of installation, programme operation, the supply of sets, and the standards of transmission would all be very carefully considered before the question was brought before the Government for decision. There would be no hasty action. This explanation of television policy was given in reply to comments made in Dunedin by Mr E. H. Scott, founder of an American firm that makes radio and television apparatus. Mr Scott described television as an expensive novelty, and he considered it was ridiculous to contemplate i‘s establishment in New Zealand in present conditions. He did not regard it as a practical proposition. Scheelite Prices Prices for scheelite have reached levels comparable with those of wool. During the last war the price of scheelite. from which tungsten is made for the hardening of steel, rose to £BOO a ton, but because it is an almost unknown mineral in New Zealand there was little increase in the numbers engaged in its mining. Some time ago the price rose to £2300 a ton. Scheelite mining in New Zealand is centred at Glenorchy, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, It is said that men are being paid uo to £3 10s a day to work in the mines. Blue Moon Butterfly Found

A splendid specimen of the Blue Moon butterfly was found on Tuesday at Westport by Miss Joyce Mitchell. This butterfly, which is much larger than any of the New Zealand species, is rare in the Dominion. It was anparently blown over from Australia during the recent stormy preiod. The butterfly has a wing span of four inches.—(F.O.O.R.) Hut on Ruapehu After two summers of hard work ffy members, the most ambitious club mountain hut yet planned in New Zealand is beginning to take shaoe at 5800 feet on Mount Ruapehu. This is the Ruapehu Ski Club’s 50-bunk war memorial lodge, which when competed will provide a standard of com'ort not hitherto attained in high-level snowfield accommodation in this country. Members spent last year clearing the site. This summer materials have been transported from the end of the mountain road. An aerial ropeway was erected to assist in this work. Ball Taken from Hippopotamus The prompt action of a zoo keeper. Mr B. Buckley, in taking a tennis ball out of the mouth of the hippopotamus, Nada the Lily, at Auckland zoo last week probably saved the animal’s life. The keeper made a motion as if to feed the hippopotamus and when she opened her mouth he swept out the ball with his hand. Nada seized the ball in her mouth after it had been dropped in her pool by a visitor to the zoo. Mr R. W. Roach, director of the zoo, said later: It was really a courageous act. although Mr Buckley would be the last to admit it. It serves to show how vigilant the zoo staff has to be in protecting valuable animals.” Children’s Nurses

A plan to recruit girls in the 16-17 age group as children’s nurses and give them elementary training until they become eligible for full training in general nursing at 18 was put before the Auckland Hospital Board recently. Its object is to eliminate recruiting losses through girls who leave school too young to go nursing, enter other jobs and stay in them. The proposal was made by Dr. T. G. Fox, a pediatrician and formerly junior medical specialist on the staff of the Auckland hospital. He suggested the girls should spend two years as children’s nurses, then sit an elementary examination for a certificate or medal issued either bv the board or the State. The board referred the proposal to its officers for a report.