General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26971, 21 February 1953, Page 6

General News

Traffic Lights Fail There was a surprising lack of dis- : cord at the busiest intersection in Christchurch when the traffic light system at the bottleneck broke ’down a few minutes after 10 o’clock last evening. All sets of lights ceased to function after reaching the red position, and almost as soon as the fault occurred a constable had stationed himself on point duty. His signals, made without white gauntlets, were hard to see, but aboht 10.30 p.m. a traffic inspector took over. Perfect Excuse Mr R. C. • Drummond, a member of the Westland Hospital Board, applied for three months’ leave of absence at a meeting of the board on Thursday evening. Mr Drummond had a perfect excuse. Because of an accident he will be a patient in the hospital for at least three months.—(F.O.O.R.) Mistaken Identity The February 2 issue of “Lifd” magazine published a large photograph of notable persons present on the official stand in Washington for President Eisenhower’s inauguration on January 20. It was accompanied by a “key” sketch identifying the 127 persons. One so identified was the New Zealand. Ambassador (Mr L. K. Munro). In this week’s issue one correspondent asked: “Where is the Soviet Ambassador?” The editor signed a footnote saying: “The Soviet Ambassador (Mr Georgi Zaroubin) was (misidentified as New Zealand’s Ambassador (Mr Leslie Munro).”— : New York, February 20. Lighting of Crossings Adequate lighting of pedestrian crossings, urged by the South Island , Motor Union, is being investigated by the Commissioner of Transport (Mr • G. L. Laurenson). He has told the ■ union that ’‘zebra”-type crossings, ( which were readily recognised, had been recommended to local authorities.

K Force Inoculations More than 700 K Force men have been temporarily nursing stiff arms after one of the periodical “needle” campaigns conduced by the Medical Corps in the 16th New Zealand Field Regiment. A small medical team worked for five days, and about 750 men were given an average of two injections, including both inoculations and vaccinations. To hasten the work the medical team worked on a chain system under which there was one man on documentation, a second swabbing the arms, a third giving the needle, and a fourth on vaccination. In charge of the work was the regimental medical officer (Lieutenant R. Cantwell, Auckland).—Korea, February 19. “Hot Petrol” Mystery A further attempt will be made next week to solve Auckland’s “hot petrol’’ mystery—the unexplained heating of petrol stored in underground tanks at the Mount St. John Garage, Epsom. Under the supervision of Mr J. Healey, Government vulcanologist at Rotorua, an expert well-driller, Mr G. H. Gilberd, of Pukekohe, will begin boring into the volcanic crust under the floor of the garage. The intention is to determine the extent to which soil temperature varies with depth, and to

temperature varies with depth, and to find out if possible the origin of the heat. For three weeks last September, experts from the Geological Survey of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research bored through basalt, but the investigation was halted when a drill was broken and became embedded in hard rock about 100 feet down.—(P.A.) Explosions Heard at New Brighton Residents of South Brighton were puzzled last evening by a series of deep explosions apparently out at sea. As a result of inquiries made by “The Press,” it was learned that Army engineers at present taking a training course at Godley Head were responsible for the explosions during night practice. , * Names of Dutch Flood Victims A list of persons known to have been drowned in the floods in Holland has been received by Mr D. J. Everse, secretary of the Dutch Relief Fund in Christchurch. It has been given to the Christchurch centre of the Red Cross Society for inspection by persons interested. Inventions and Ideas

Two hundred inventions and gadgets ranging from a heated draining board which obviates wiping-up to an ac-cident-proof deck chair are on show at an exhibition of modern inventions and new ideas at Westminster. There is a device for pressing trousers while they are hanging up, a beach seat which turns into an umbrella and an ironing board attached to a chair so that a housewife can iron while sitting. There is a wool-winder with which a ball of wool can be wound by turning a handle, an automatic eggboiler, a breadboard on which bread can be sliced to any thickness and a device for recording telephone messages in a subscriber’s absence. There is an invention to put handles on cups, an improved ring to control bulls and a crank lever for lifting jammed lids off milk churns. There is also a new

variation of the game of chess played on a six-cornered board with three of almost everything—Bishops, castles and knights—all in different colours, and capable of moving in 12 different directions. At the moment, its inventor is the only man who can play the game.—London, February 20. Oystermen’s Dispute A meeting arranged for yesterday between Bluff oystermen and merchants was postponed until Moruday because of the absence of Mr W. Clark, president of the Oystermen’s Association. Mr Clark was unavoidably delayed in the North Island. The meeting had been arranged in an effort to end the pay dispute which has immobilised the oyster fleet since the start of the present season. The boats will not put to sea before Tuesday at the earliest.—(P.A.) Waitaki Bridge Equipment costing £36,000 for foundation work on the new Waitaki bridge has arrived in New Zealand. The Main Highways Board believes that the cost will be saved by its efficiency. The South Island Motor Union was informed last evening that Sl . te _ i nvesti S a tions were almost completed and plans were being advanced. Manual Training Centres

More than 4000 pupils were-enrolled ~ or . the four Christchurch manual I training centres, and they were now - nJ difficulties with accommodation, said , u D n? da le. chairman of the a Canterbury Education Board’s manual . a nd technical committee, at a meeting of the board yesterday. The Educai tion Department had approved the pur- » chase of a site at New Brighton for a . single unit manual training centre, he reported, and a grant of £2362 had , oeen approved to provide woodwork r and cookery equipment for" the tem- • porary Riccarton centre. 1 Stop Signs on Side Roads ■ ~ Halt ’ instead of the more common stop was recommended by the South Island Motor Union for the new compulsory stop signs on side roads entering busy mam routes into eities. The Commissioner of Transport (Mr G L Laurenson) has replied that signs had already been made (they are already up along Riccarton road) and that a change would not be considered. Mr Laurenson said it was considered that publicity and enforcement would be more effective than any difference in wording. The new restrictions would be widely publicised. Prevention of Hydatids Because of the “alarming increase’’ of hydatids, the Dominion Council of the Federation of Country Women’s Institutes, at a meeting in New Plymouth on Thursday, decided to urge the Government to make the dosing of all town and country dogs compulsory. The council will also ask the Government in the meantime to subsidise the cost of compulsory schemes instituted by local bodies.— (P.A.) The Fishing Rivers The condition of the Canterbury fishing rivers, according to advice received by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society at noon yesterday, was as follows: Selwyn Halswell, Waimakariri, clear and fishable: Hurunui and Rakaia, discoloured but clearing; Ashley, discoloured; Waiau, unfishable; Upper Rakaia, normal but ' discoloured. The weather at Lake Coleridge was calm, with light cloud, ’< and at^ Hlghbank was calm » nd I