General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26986, 11 March 1953, Page 8

General News

Preventing Lipstick Stains An inventor has produced a gadget which may be turned out in thousands by factories soon. It is a plastic rim to clip over cups used in cafes as an anti-lipstick device. It can be carried in the pocket of a handbag. Women’s lipstick would remain on the clip and not be smeared on the cups.—London, March 10. Harvesting Delays Lectures Diploma course students at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, were delayed two weeks in starting lectures because of late harvesting. The Director (Dr. M. M. Burns) said both staff and students had willingly accepted the need for increased pressure to cover the full course in the time available. The Board of Governors expressed appreciation yesterday. Bezoar Mystery

Why does a Japanese firm wish to import cow bezoar from New Zealand, and what use will be made of it? These questions are not answered in a trade inqtfiry received by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. The firm, which has its head office in Yokohama, and branches in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya, only expressed the wish to be put in touch with exporters of cow bezoar. It has been advised that there are no exporters of cow bezoar in New Zealand. Bezoar is not widely known in the Dominion. In the dictionary it is described as a concretion found in the stomach and intestines of ruminants and some other animals. It is often formed by lime or magnesium phosphate about some foreign substance, and sometimes consists entirely of hair or vegetable fibre. The Oriental bezoar obtained from the wild goat of Persia and various antelopes has supposed medicinal value. Hypnotised Boxer Wins Bout

George Adams, a 17-year-old welterweight boxer, who trained regularly under hypnosis, last week forecast a third-round win for his next fight. He won a bout at Great Yarmouth last night—in the third round. Adams began the hypnotic treatment six weeks ago because he felt he was losing confidence in himself and in his ringcraft. He was put under the influence for the last time yesterday. —London, March 10. Tanker for Liquid Oxygen Probably the biggest vacuum container in the Dominion left Gracefield, Lower Hutt, at 2.30 p.m. yesterday on its maiden trip to Napier. The container is a new mobile tanker, which will be used to transport liquid oxygen to Napier from Lower Hutt. Until now, hundreds of steel cylinders of oxygen gas have been transported every week from a Lower Hutt factory to Napier, where the gas is used by industries, mainly in oxy-acetylene welding. One tanker-load of liquid oxygen is equivalent to 250 steel cylinders of oxygen gas. Large quantities of oxygen can now be transported in a comparatively small container and converted back to gaseous oxygen at the Napier factory. The tanker holds a little more than two tons of liquid oxygen at a temperature of minus 361.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The tank’s exterior copper covering remains at the normal atmospheric temperature.—(P.A.) Lincoln Dormitory and Refectory The Prime Minister (Mr Holland) will be invited to open the big new dormitory building and lay the foundation stone for the associated refectory building at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, early in May. It was desired to occupy the dormitory at the start of the second term on May 19, said the Director (Dr. M. M. Burns) yesterday. B«ds and mattresses, tables and floor coverings had still to be installed. The Board of Governors agreed that as the former Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) had laid the dormitory foundation stone. Mr Holland should be asked to perform the latest ceremony. ’ Power Generation at Maraetai The raising of Lake Maraetai to a 150-foot head to enable the new hydroelectric station to produce 75,000 kilowatts of power will be completed about 10 a.m. today. At 7 p.m. yesterday the water level at the base of the dam was 573 feet above sea level, and only seven feet from the objective. For most of yesterday morning the station was generating 50.000 kilowatts. The output dropped a little at 2 p.m., but three and a half hours later instructions were given to open the new machine gates fully, and the output soared to nearly 70,000 kilowatts, a new record for. the station. Below Mangakino the once narrow river has stretched out into a vast expanse of water, probably half a mile across at the widest point.— (P.A.)

Water Shortage at Dunedin The use of hoses and the automatic flushing of conveniences in Dunedin are prohibited by a decision of the water committee of the Dunedin City Council. This restriction has been imposed a month later this year than it was last year. In the last month the water stored in the city reservoirs has fallen steadily. The total storage yesterday was 131,036,000 gallons. When full the reservoirs hold 150,000,000 gallons. Recent daily losses in storage have been about 1,500,000 gallons.— (P.A.) Agricultural Members of Senate Mr W. H. Gillespie, M.P., chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College. Lincoln intends to seek better agricultural college representation on the Senate of University of New Zealand. His own position as a country member meant rlternating with another man from Timaru, he said. The director of the college should have ex officio membership of the Senate. Mr Gillespie said that general business was the only opportunity to raise the matter at the last Senate meeting, and as this came late he gave notice of his proposals for the next meeting. - Auckland Railway Electrification Two British consultant engineering firms, which are to advise on the electrification of the Auckland suburban railway system under a £20,000,000 modernisation programme announced last year, were named last night by the Minister of Railways (Mr W. S. Goosman). Sir William Halcrow and Partners are to be consultants for the civil engineering work, and Messrs Merz and McLellen will be consultants for the electrification. Mr Goosman said that Sir William Halcrow and Partners v/ould advise principally on the sitting of the proposed underground city stations, and Messrs Merz and McLellen would take full responsibility for the design of the electrification system. Messrs Merz and McLellen are at present engaged on consultative work for the Atiamuri power scheme.—(P.A.) Theatre in New Zealand “There is material for theatre in New Zealand just as exciting 33 your wonderful scenery,” said Mr Keith Michell, a member of the Shakespe<e Memorial Theatre Company, when speaking at a meeting arranged by the Canterbury and West Coast branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society yesterday morning. The theatre was a reflection of the country and the time, he added, and in New Zealand there was a great deal of material of historical and natural interest for playwrights and actors to work on. Mr Michell commended Mr Richard Campion’s venture in forming the Nev/ Zealand Players and hoped it would get the encouragement and support necessary to establish a permanent theatre in New Zealand. Canterbury College Fire The cause of the fire at Canterbury University College last month is still “unknown,” according to a report by Deputy-Superintendent L. L. Osmond to the Christchurch Fire Board last evening. Calls attended'in February by the brigade, with figures for February, 1952, in parenthesis, were:— fires, 21 (34); chimney fires, 4 (2); hedge, grass and rubbish fires, 14 (26). False alarms answered were:— automatic, 16 (10); justifiable, 10 (9), malicious, 1 (3). Opening of Soccer Season

Tommy Trinder, z the English comedian, who is a director of the Fulham Club in England, is expected to open the Canterbury Football Association’s season by kicking off in the match at English Park on April 11. This was announced by the president of the association (Mr M. A. Gordon) at the’ annual meeting of the association last evening.