General News

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 6

General News

; Mishap to Earth-moving Machine A large earth-moving machine,’ weighing 201 tons, which was unloaded from tfie overseas* ship Wairimu at Lyttelton yesterday, capsized when being towed into Norwich quay late yesterday afternoon. The machine, which is for the Christchurch Drainage Board, was mounted on a 24wheel carrier, and as it was turning into Norwich quay the carrier turned - over and came to rest against a stone a wall. The work of righting it will begin this morning. y Leak in Gas Main Found y The discovery of a major leak in a r gas main under Customs street. Auckr land, yesterday afternoon ended a f four-day search by Auckland Gas - Company engineers to find the faulty r pipe. Workmen turned off the, supply i as soon as the leak was found and will i start repairing the pipe today. Conv sumers in the area will not have their supplies interrupted. During the s search large sections of the road and - footpath were torn up, and four mains were tested. Special tools that caused 3 n l ° s P arks had to be used, because of ® the danger of an explosion. One pipe J did catch alight on Sunday morning, i and it was some time before the fire | brigade put out the fire.—(P.A.) t Wasted Talents f Sir Carl Berendsen’s recent comr ment on the “lunatic buzz” of New e Zealand bars between 5 and 6 p.m., L “when it seems as if about half of e New Zealand is noisily engaged in _ hoisting beer against time,” would have s handy for Mr H. J. E. Kane, of g The Press, when he was in Boston last year. “As visitors to America Know,” said Mr Kane, “the country 2 seems to have 1,000,000 taverns, cock- “ tail bars and cafes, from ultra-modern . to the homely ones decorated with _ college boat-race oars, moose heads, I or old-time ‘Colts,’ but nearly all have 1 radio, juke-boxes, ‘machine-games,’ and _ television, and are used as social meett ing places by men and women alike. a They also have hundreds of brands of " various types of liquor on display to _ suit the typical taste for leisurely mixed drinks with meals. At a Har- » vard square grill-room used by stu- - dents, a barman said he would be 5 interested in an offer from New Zea- ! land. His recommendation—that he ’ could mix 475 different drinks; and his j query—how he would go down.- He was unable to comprehend the tactful g suggestion that his talents might be 3 wasted, and that unless times had 3 changed a strong right arm might be ’ as useful.” 3 Eleven Sections Sold Eleven sections in Sawyers Arms ' road, Papanui, were sold at auction in ’ Christchurch last evening for a total of £4700. Ranging in size from 32 perches to an acre the sections, sold on account of Mr J. A. Sisson, realised s from £4OO to £5OO. i Bulls Flown to Sale ' Eight Jersey stud bulls from farms _> in Canterbury were flown to Palmers- > ton North yesterday morning by the ’ National Airways Corporation, for the t Manawatu National Dairy Bull sale 1 which will begin on Thursday. An- • other six bulls will be flown up today. J Little difficulty was experienced in i loading the bulls into the aircraft at ■ Harewood yesterday. Each was 3 alloted a stall and bales of hay, oats, ■ and chaff were carried for them, i According to a later report, the bulls ’ arrived safely at Palmerston North, ■ after a flight of Ihr 45min. The bulls • sent yesterday were from the farms of Messrs F. E. Martyn (Rangiora). S. - C. Skurr (Ohoka) and J. J. Hughey • (Rangiora). Messrs Martyn and Skurr 3 flew up to Palmerston North by an ‘ earlier aircraft yesterday morning so • as to be on hand when the animals i arrived. They will return after the ■ sale on Thursday. [ No Special Meeting The chainman of the Christchurch ; Transport Board (Mr F. L. Brandt) yesterday denied that the board had [ held a special meeting when it re--5 ceived a cable from Mr L. C. J. Southon, secretary of the Christchurch Tramway Workers’ Union, who is attending the Peking peace ’ conference, stating that he would be unable to report back for work until : October 30. “We can give that an I emphatic denial,” said Mr Brandt. “I j think it should be stated that the ' ? board never held any special meeting t to consider this matter,” said Mr G. D. ■ I Griffiths, who referred to a statement published in “The Press” yesterl day. j Asparagus More Plentiful More plentiful supplies of asparagus , r are now coming into the Christchurch . fruit and produce markets from j growers in New Brighton, Belfast, and Burwood. Prices in the markets yesi terday ranged from Is 8d to 2s a ■ bunch. There were no peas or new < ; potatoes from Nelson on sale yester- i day, but small supplies are expected I today. Last week peas brought Is 9d to ?s a pound and new potatoes B|d to . 9d. Good supplies of tomatoes are i being received from all the local hot- , i house- growers, and in the markets 1 i prices ranged from 5s 4d to 6s 6d a J pound. Growers are sending in more ' ■ lettuces from Horotane; Heathcote, Bowenvale, and Burwood, and prices 1 are lower than they were last week, i In the markets lettuces brought up to j 12s a dozen. Hothouse cucumbers were sold at 2s 6d to 2s 9d a pound , yesterday. ] Curate Fell Through Floor When the study floor of the vicarage 1 gaints’ Church in Auckland suddenly collapsed, the curate fell some six feet to the ground, fortu- . nately without serious injury. The mishap has hastened the parish pro- - gramme for replacing the old house J and for building a new church. Work On the new vicarage is expected to ] start next year, and an appeal is being i made to parishioners for funds. ; Overdue Books at Library - ? s for eac b overdue book be mtroduced at the Canterbury ■ Public Library as soon as forms are printed. Previously the system was to charge 3d for each week a book i was overdue. The new flat rate of , 2s 6a will be payable immediately a < book is overdue, but this may be remitted if an immediate renewal is i made or the book returned within one j week- The City Librarian (Mr R. N. OReilly) reported to the City Coiin- j cil last evening that there were many « defects in the old system. The new t one was designed not to gain revenue j by heavier fines but to encourage sys- r tematic renewal or return of books to ; improve circulation. ; Smoking Complaint e Although he said he was a confirmed 3 smoker, Mr T. M. Charters told the s Christchurch Transport Board yester- £ day that he believed the time had arrived when the board had to take a stand against smoking on its vehicles Mr Charters said the limit had been i reached when he saw two women smoking in the enclosed compartment ; of a tram. The general manager (Mr 1 J. F. Fardel!) told the board in his re- s port on his visit overseas that smoking i was prohibited in all trams, trolleybuses and buses in America, and he t had never seen this rule violated by J passengers or staff. Mr G. D. Griffiths e said that drivers smoked on Christ- i church vehicles. { teach for Air Force Officers f The New Brighton Borough Council . before its amalgamation allowed the : officers’ mess of the Royal New Zea- ; land Air Force at Wigram to erect a ‘ bach in Jellicoe Park f or the rest I periods of flying instructors. Recently “ the City Council considered develop- 1 ment of the park and questioned the need for the bach. The reserves com- i mittee reported last evening that the ; officers claimed that "the need for the ; rest house away from the station is f as great at the present time as during v the war period.” It was agreed that the bach should remain at the pleasure l of the council. J Selling Rides t Competitions are among methods used by the American passenger transport industry to sell its commodity „ —“rides.” The general manager (hit n J. F. Fardell) told the Christchurch P Transport Board in his report on his “ recent visit overseas that a “best col- e oured .shirt day” was held for vehicle r operators. On that day they could i; wear any coloured shirt they pleased. L The publie was asked to judge the best r turnout and the winning employee was given a small prize and uniform em- Q lem. For another competition a do- n mestic article was given away free to t the holder of the lucks; bus ticket. Mr f. Fardell said it was claimed that stim- n ulating public interest in this way had t increased patronage. It