General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27073, 23 June 1953, Page 8

General News

A Valuation Decided The toss of a coin decided yesterday whether a ratepayer’s property was to be valued at £6O or £59 for the purposes of the Lyttelton Borough Council’s rates. Mr W. F. Brown, counsel for a ratepayer whose objection to the new borough valuations was heard by the Lyttelton Assessment Committee, was unable to agree with Mr O. F. Baker on what the new value should be. During a recess he and Mr Baker decided to toss, and Mr Brown won. Mr Baker reported this to the chairman of the committee (Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.), whose comment was that it was satisfactory to see an agreement. “The only argument now is, who shouts?” said Mr Baker. Sitting in the Cold About 40 persons who attended a meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association last evening sat in the unheated pavilion at Wilding Park for about an hour and a half. Members of the management committee of the association, who met an hour earlier, were there for two and a half hours. Towards the close of the delegates’ meeting Mr S. Balfour, who is also a member of the management committee, asked whether

it was necessary to hold this meeting in June. There was not a great deal in the reports, the financial statement was incomplete and “it is very cold here—some of us have been here since 7 o’clock and it is getting worse all the time. If something special turned up a meeting could always be called,” he said. The president (Mr J. K. Burtt: It is. provided for in the constitution. Tram Passengers Injured Five tram passengers were taken to the casualty department of the Auckland Public Hospital after a truck ripped open the side of a tram half way down Parnell rise yesterday afternoon. A heavy truck swerved out of the way of a car that turned in front of it, and the tray of the truck smashed about 15ft of the left-hand side of the tram, which was following close behind the truck. Five rows of seats were broken off the metal hinges. No serious injury was suffered by any of the passengers, although the metal-edged tray of the truck made light work of the seats and their steel supports. Five women were taken to hospital by ambulance. They were treated for slight abrasions and sent home.—(PA.) Winter Swimming “The learners’, pool is functioning very successfully in providing the facility to teach swimming during the winter,” reported the baths committee to the City Council last evening. Between the periods of noon and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., usually no children were present and adults were permitted to use the pool for winter training, on the understanding that learners, if they attended, had priority. The baths superintendent reported that a small group of Canterbury’s promising swimmers were making good use of the opportunity. Transport Board Buses Another 23 buses identical to the 72 new ones already received were being built, said MT F. L. Brandt, chairman of the Christchurch Transport Board, yesterday, when it was reported that all vehicles ordered for the conversion of all tramway routes other than Cashmere-Papanui had been received. Mr Brandt said the estimated time of delivery was from 12 to 18 months. Property Sales

A four-roomed bungalow on a quarter of an acre of land at Walters road, north St. Albans, was sold at auction yesterday for £2OOO. The bidding began at £l5OO and rose to the selling price with £lOO bids. At another auction sale bidding for 4£ acres of land and a bach in St. John street, Woolston, offered on account of a person now living in Canada, began at £BOO. The price rose by four £lOO bids, one £5O bid, and two of £25 to £l3OO. In passing in the property at that price the auctioneer said that there was a reserve of £1350. Driving Without Due Care Driving a car with one hand while leading a bicycle alongside the car with the other hand cost a motorist a fine of 20s yesterday, when he was prosecuteH in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court for driving without due care and attention. Italian Old Masters Twenty framed reproductions of Italian old masters have been received by the Robert McDougall Art Gallery on loan from the New Zealand National Gallery. Other Medici prints will follow as part of a circulating scheme previously agreed to. The honorary curator has arranged for these 20, with the addition of eight belonging to the Canterbury Society of Arts, to fill two of the bays from which part of the British watercolour exhibition has been removed. The curator proposes to give talks on these exhibits on Sunday afternoons. The long room vacated by the main part of the British water-colours can be rehung with the loan collection from the Art Society, plus six of the acquisition to the city collection, until the arrival of the British contemporary drawings in September, the art gallery committee .reported to the City Council last evening. University Examinations The Victoria University College Council last night approved a report of a special committee that recommended that the college conduct all its own examinations, with the exception of those , for masters’ and doctors’ degrees. The report also recommended that the college take over all fees received for these examinations and make a grant to the University of New Zealand out of the fees for its maintenance expenses.—(P.A.) Referee Carried Off The referee, Mr L. Puklowski, was carried off injured after 12 minutes’ play in a Rugby match between Manawatu and Wanganui at the Palmerston North Showgrounds on Saturday. Nine minutes after the kick-off, Mr Puklowski halted play while he received attention for a leg injury caused by an accidental kick, but three minutes after play resumed the pain was so great that he was unable to continue, and St. John Ambulance men carried him off the field. Moa Bones Found At least six incomplete moa skeletons were found during the week-end at the bottom of a series of deep shafts about 10 miles from Waitomo. The discoverer was Mr John Pybus, of the Speleological Society, who has found several other sets of moa bones in the last few months. Dr. Gilbert Archey, director of the Auckland Museum, said the bones appeared to be most of the smallest of three types found in the North Island. Moa bones seemed to abound in the Waitomo district, although special equipment and knowledge were needed to get them out. “We found a young goat at the bottom of one of the holes,” said Mr Pybus. “It was very emaciated, but still alive. There was plenty 6f water down there, but no food. Unfortunately it died soon after we brought it out.” In most of the holes moa bones were found buried under the bones of all sorts of domestic and wild animals.—(P.A.) Future of Otago Museum The Otago Museum will become a charge on the ratepayers of Otago if a bill at present in draft form is carried by Parliament next session. Copies of the draft bill, which is known as the Otago Museum Trust Board Bill, have been sent to the Dunedin City Council and to borough and county councils throughout Otago. The Auckland and Christchurch Museums are rate supported. The Otago Museum is supported by endowments, by grants from the City Council and other local bodies, and by direct donations. Its income is considerably lower than that of the museums at Auckland and Christchurch.-*- (P.A.) Increased Power Cost The new price for electric power (.8d a unit against ,52d last year) cost the Christchurch Transport Board an extra £487 for the period of four weeks ended May 24, compared with the corresponding period last year. A report to the board stated that the increase would have been greater had Sumner and New Brighton trams been operating