General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26987, 12 March 1953, Page 8

General News

Going Down Mrs Gloria Teich was about to step into her car yesterday when she saw it was slowly sinking into the ground. By the time police had answered her call, the car roof was level with the street. Water from a broken main had undermined the street and caused a .subsidence.—New York, March 11. Feeding the Multitude A member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association asked at a committee meeting yesterday if it would be possible to have a cup of tea provided after the annual meeting, and the -secretary (Mr M. E. Lyons) said something of the sort would be pro* vided this year. “But I don’t know what will happen if the 3650 members of the association turn up,” he said. The chairman (Mr M. E. Jenkins): Get out the five loaves and two fishes. Heron Air Service The National Airways Corporation announced yesterday afternoon that, if the weather permitted, the Heron aircraft service to Nelson and Blenheim would be ready to operate from Rongotai on Monday.■—(P.A.) He Sells Sea Shells New Zealand may be able to sell sea shells for dollars in the United States. Mr Frank Myers, of St. Petersburg, Florida, is an importer of sea shells from all parts of the world. He has written to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce asking to be put in touch with firms or individuals who sell sea shells in Christchurch. Mr Myers has been advised that there is no sea shell export market in Christchurch. Trial for Air Race

New Zealand’s crew for the Eng-land-Christchurch air race will fly its first long-distance trial on March 22. The men will pilot a Hastings—the race entry—to Britain carrying regular Air Force personnel for the Coronation march. On the return trip the crew will survey the route it favours for the race—the actual race schedule has not been announced. One call for the Hastings will oe at Cocos Island. —(P.A.) Station Property Passed In “Onepunga,” a station property of 4632 acres on the northern slopes of Mount Grey, Amberley, was passed in at auction in Christchurch yesterday at £3 10s an acre. Bidding started at £3. The property was said to be capable of carrying 3000 sheep and 100 head of cattle. University and Communism “Popular beliefs” that the -university is a hotbed of Communism were denied by Dr. G. A. Currie, ViceChancellor of the University of New Zealand, addressing the Hastings branch of the English Speaking Union. He said that except for a small minority which drew attention by shouting its convictions, students took a middle-of-the-road course and were more interested in learning their professions than they were in politics. Dr. Currie added that the university could not be very much better than the community from which it sprang. He said he admired the New Zealand university student—he compared favourably with his contemporaries overseas.—(P.A.) Notornis Colour Film Screening The Canterbury Museum expedition’s film of the notornis colonies, discovered over a wider area early this year, has come through processing satisfactprily. The Director of the Museum (Dr. Roger Duff) announced last evening that 1000 ft of film in natural colour was available, and would be screened for the first time at a public meeting sponsored by the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. During the evening there would be popular lectures on the notornis. Reduced Circumstances

Thirteen barefoot fat women, swathed in curtains, reported to the police in Tarvisio, in Northern Italy, that a couple who promised them slimming treatment had stolen their clothes and jewels and made off over the Austrian frontier. The women said they had been told to strip and wait for a doctor, who would take off 101 b excess flesh in a few hours. After waiting some time, they found that their clothes and their jewels had disappeared. The police in the Klagenfurt area of Austria were today looking for the tricksters. —Rome. March 11. Steers for Rodeo Farmers in North Canterbury have lent about 100 steers for the steer riding championships which will be part of the programme of the rodeo at the Addington Show Grounds on Saturday in aid of the Canterbury International Air Race Council’s funds. Free transport to Christchurch for the steers has been provided by North Canterbury transport firms. There will be three chainpionships, the first for riders under 17, the second for riders, of Canterbury Province, and the third a South Island open event. Auckland State Housing “There are enough serviced building sites in Auckland for the present State housing programme and the 500 precut houses to be erected here,” said the Minister of Works (Mr W. S. Goosman) in Auckland yesterday, replying to a charge by the president of the Auckland Master Builders’ Association (Mr F. G. Rabone) that the normal State housing programme would have to be reduced to provide serviced sites for the precut houses. “We have 4000 building sites here in Auckland, but we won’t be able to use many of them for years because they are not serviced,” he added. “It is to see what the Government can do to help local bodies to increase the serviced areas that I am in Auckland.”—(P.A.) Mount Ngauruhoe Active Mount Ngauruhoe sent huge columns of black and dirty-white smoke high into a cloudless sky yesterday. Big clouds of smoke were emitted at an average rate of one an hour. There was an absence of noise and rumblings, and it is thought that the activity is deep-seated. A strong wind at a high level flattened the tops of the smoke columns. The smoke was heavily laden with ash, and as the plumes drifted, the ash could be seen to fall from the smoke like heavy rain. Cloud closed in on the mountain last night, and prevented further observation from the Chateau Tongariro.— (P.A.) Lioness Mauls Trainer

Ken Hill, a wild animal trainer who keeps several lions in winter quarters at this farm near Sincoe, Ontario, lost his left arm at the elbow early today after being mauled by a lioness. The lioness had attacked Hill and two other persons on previous occasions. She mauled Hill’s arm when he reached into her cage and the arm was later amputated. Police impounded the lioness and another from the same cage.—Ottawa, March 11. Oyster Dispute There are renewed hopes that the Bluff oystermen’s dispute, which is well into its fourth week, will be settled soon. After a period during which each side seemed to be waiting for the other to make the first move, a conference was held yesterday at which arrangements are believed to have been made for a meeting of representatives of the merchants and the oystermen to be held tomorrow afternoon with a view to arriving at a settlement. —(P.A.) No New Zealand Snakes New Zealand’s fauna are apparently not well known in Switzerland. A firm in Zurich, which imports reptiles and amphibians, wishes to import fron. the Dominion poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, lizards, tree frogs and other frogs, turtles and tortoises. In a trade inquiry to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce” the firm has asked to be put in touch with a dealer or the zoological institute of a university that knows of field collectors of reptiles and amphibians. The flrm has been advised that there are no snakes, turtles or tortoises in New Zealand, and there there is no export market for lizards and frogs. Record Chathams Air Car~o A record air cargo—two tons 3cwt 911 b—left Wellington in the flyingboat Aranui for the Chatham Islands yesterday. Of this total just over a ton and a half was made up of oranges and other fruit. As usual, a large consignment of sausages—just over a pound a head of the islands’ population—was taken. Other items included motoF spares. There were 32 passengers. The Aranui arrived at Wellington from Auckland at 5.33 a.m. and left for the Chatham Islands at 7.54 a.m. The incoming Ararangi arrived from Sydney at 7.17 a.m. after a fast crossing with the aid of a tail wind, but' because of the Chatham Islands flight she was unable to berth in the Evans Bay pontoon until the Aranui had left.—(P.A.)