General News

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26506, 22 August 1951, Page 6

General News

N.Z. Documentary Film New Zealand has one documentary film showing this week at the fifth International Film Festival at Edinburgh. It is a humorous film “How to Drown/’ made by the New Zealand National Film Unit for the New Zealand Anti-Drowning Council. It lasts 10 minutes.—London, August 21. Record Power Consumption Power consumption in the South Island last week reached an all-time record level, the amount consumed being 20,840,980 units. The peak load of 197,200 kilowats was reached on August 14, the day of the snowstorm in Christchurch, The amount of water drawn from storage was 7,340,000 units, leaving 74,570,000 units still in storage. In the Municipal Electricity Department’s area, consumption last week was high, but the total of 4,856,800 units was not a record. Final figures for the peak load, which, was reached at midday on the day of the snowstorm, have not been compiled, but the total, although high, will not be a record.

Tory Channel Whalers With a total catch of 111 whales, the Tory channel whalers have ceased operations for this year. This is about a week earlier than last year, when the catch was 79. The record was 139 whales in 1949. The longest whale caught this year measured 50ft. The weight average is a ton to the foot, and the oil yield from an average whale is 1584 gallons.—(P.A.) Progress Report

Before Mr J. R. Marshall, National Party candidate for Mount Victoria, opened an election* address in the Rugby Street Hall last evening the chairman (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon) commented on the “poor attendance. ’ it was perhaps a sign of the times that people would rather stay at home ana hear Mr Sullivan’s address from Dunedin, he said. Mr Marshall, who was speaking' on behalf of the Prime Minister (Mr Holland), interrupted his speech to give a report of Mr Sullivan’s meeting, handed to him by a member of the audience. It said: ‘’l’ve just been listening in to Mr Sullivan. He’s getting a rough time, but seems to be holding his own, despite e deafening roar.” There was applause and some ironic comment from a small group at the back. “Poor old Sully,’ said one man.

N.Z. Orange Supply New Zealand’s orange supply from Christmas to April next year is threatened. It is believed that five months’ supply for New Zealand was destroyed in the hurricane which swept Jamaica on Friday. This was said yesterday by Fruit Distributors, Ltd. The company had contracted for a record five months’ supply, almost double last year's supply, which was to arrive in New Zealand before Christmas, and had been making arrangements for shipping. The company had concentrated on importing Jamaican oranges because of light crops and high prices in Australia. There were a few Australian oranges coming into New Zealand but not enough to meet the demand, and there would be a general shortage all this month and in September.—(P.A.) “The Pleasure Garden” A meeting of the art advisory committee of the City Council—Messrs Archibald F. Nicoll, Richard Wallwork, Colin Lovell-Smith, Russell Clark, and Heathcote Helmore—will be held tomorrow to consider the renewed otter of “The Pleasure Garden”—the painting by Frances Hodgkins—as a gift for the Robert McDougall Art Gallery from subscribers who bought the work for Christchurch. If the City Council does not accept the painting it will be- sold to the Auckland Art Gallery. "The Pleasure Garden" has been obtained tor further examination by the art advisory committee, which will make a report to the council’s library and art gallery committee. The recommendation of the library and art gallery committee will be considered by the City Council at its next meeting, on September 3. Property Auctions

Two properties which were offered for sale by public auction in Christchurch yesterday were passed in when the reserve prices were not met. A six-roomed bungalow, about 15 to 20 years old, at 42 Aorangi road, Brytidwr, brought a bid of £2400 before it was passed in. A six-roomed house on 55 perches of land at 85 Barrington street, which is about 35 years old, was passed in at £2750. Phonetic Colleges Phonetic colleges, where foreign students at the University of France are taught French when they begin studying at the university, were described by Dr. R. A. Barrell, who returned to Christchurch yesterday after two years and a half in France. “The students are graded into classes according to. their knowledge of the language. From then on the pronunciation of every French word is corrected until the students are word perfect These colleges are invaluable to the foreign student, as oral work is one of the most important parts of the final examination," Dr. Barrell , said.

Truck’s Big Mileage A Waitemata Power Board truck, 12 years old, is still in daily use after completing 273,000 miles. “This is equivalent to 10 times round the earth,” said the board’s chairman, Mr E. Aldridge. This mileage, with some other big ones, was read to the board on Monday to illustrate its need for new vehicles. Pig Iron in Demand Because of the scarcity of pig iron, a Christchurch foundry has arranged with the Lyttelton Harbour Board to take more than 100 tons of the iron that was removed from the gate of the graving dock, in which it had been used as ballast for more than 60 years. The ballast was discharged so that the gate could be floated on to the patent slip for repairs. As part of the deal, the foundry will replace the iron, weight for weight, with inferior metal cast in handy-sized ingots. Deaths at Auckland Zoe The three lion cubs -born at the Auckland zoo at the beginning of last week have died, and a lioness, whose first litter was attended Dy complications, died on Monday evening. The cubs had to be taken to the laboratory when their mother would not take any notice of them. After a few days they refused the artificial feeding, and died on successive days. Their mother, formerly in Wirth’s circus, is well. One of the six emu chicks also has died. Four of the others are progressing satisfactorily, but the fifth is weak.—(P.A.)