General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 8

General News

Not Cricket Few of the many thousands of Wellington supporters at Athletic Park, Wellington, for the Ranfurly Shield match on Saturday, expected . their team to lose, especially by such a large margin. As Canterbury’s score began to mount, hopes that Wellington would rally began to give way to. doubts and finally, in the second half, to despair. At last, one enthusiastic supporter expressed the wishes of many of his fellows as the Canterbury players swept across the line for another try. “Why don’t they declare?” he asked with some feeling. Channel Crossed in Kayak Richard Temple, a 23-year-old Londoner, today crossed the English Channel in a 14ft canvas kayak. He made the crossing from St. Margaret’s Bay to Calais in 4J hours through rough seas, after having been turned back on Friday by bad weather. His kayak is powered by an outboard motor, fitted inboard.—London, September 19. Big Excavator for N.Z. A 144-ton excavator, the biggest ever supplied to New Zealand by a British firm, was shipped today in 49 packages. The excavator will be used by a private firm in quarries and for harbour improvement work. The only two of comparable size in New Zealand at present are of United States manufacture.—London, September 19.

Rugby Fans at Races and Chess Progress scores in the Ranfurly Shield match at Wellington were broadcast over the course speakers at the New Brighton Trotting ' Club’s meeting on Saturday, and many racegoers brought portable sets to the course. Great enthusiasm was shown by the large crowd as the Canterbury team went further and further into the lead, and .there was cheering and clapping when the final score was announced. Progress scores were also announced at other sports functions in Christchurch. The hushed atmosphere of the Canterbury Chess Club’s rooms —where a telegraphic match with the Auckland Chess Club was in progress —was broken by the rejoicing of the players when the final score was announced. To Dance Before the Queen Miss • Laurel Watts, of Sydenham, has been selected by the Dominion council of the Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand to perform the Reel o’Tulloch before the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Carisbrook on January 26. Miss Watts will be one of a team of four to perform the dance. The other members are Misses C. Elvy (Wellington), M. Laurensen (Wellington) and P. Reid (Dimedin). Prophecy Mr Winston McCarthy, well-known throughout New Zealand for his Rugby commentaries over the air 1 , introduced a note of humour into the Ranfurly Shield match during half-time at ■ Athletic Park on Saturday, when he made two announcements which could have been prophetic. At the conclusion • of the game, he said, he wanted the , public to join with the band and sing ’ “The Maori Farewell.” After the , laughter around the field had died down he continued his announcement ’ to the effect that the pipe band would : lead the crowd in the singing of “Will Ye No Come Back Again.” General Wage Hearing

The Southland Trades Council, at its monthly meeting on Saturday evening, approved a motion protesting against delays in the sitting of the Arbitration Court to hear the application for a general wage increase, and supporting the request by the New Zealand Federation of Labour that any wage increase granted be made retrospective to August 14, 1953. It was announced in Wellington on Saturday that the New Zealand Public Service Association intended to make submissions to the Arbitration Court during the general wage hearing.—(P.A.) Film Evening for Air Race A capacity house at the Century Theatre, St. Albans, last evening helped to raise funds for the Canterbury International Air Race. The film evening was made possible by the offer of Christchurch Theatrettes, Ltd., to provide the theatre, and by L. J. Kerridge, Ltd.’s offer of the film. “The Way to the Stars.” The services of management and staff were also provided free of charge. The president of the Air Race Council (Mr H. D. Christie) thanked all those who had made the evening possible. Australian Opera Company The question of tax remissions in New Zealand for the National Opera Company of Australia, which would tour the Dominion next year, had received much publicity, and its importance had been much exaggerated, said Mrs C. T., Lorenz, who arrived in Wellington from Sydney on Saturday to prepare for the tour. Mrs Lorenz founded the company, and it is now an important and accepted part of the Australian theatre. Mrs Lorenz said the governing council of the company would be pleasantly surprised if it made a profit in New Zealand. The question of •income tax, therefore, hardly arose. “We will be very happy if we cover our expenses,” she said. Bringing a company of about 65 to New Zealand and returning it to Australia by air, together with scenery and other freight, would cost at least £5OOO before the company even began its tour. The Australian party would include the principals and some of the chorus and orchestra. Sub-principals and perhaps half the chorus and orchestra would be recruited in New Zealand. The company would arrive in Wellington on February 28, said Mrs Lorenz.—(P.A.) Paper from Sugar Cane Waste

New Zealand’s paper industry would have nothing to fear from possible competition from the use of bagasse, or sugar cane waste, for making newsprint, said the Director of Forestry (Mr A- R. Entrican), commenting on an American report that a House of Representatives sub-committee said that sugar cane waste met all the requirements for making newsprint and was the most promising solution to recurring world shortages of that type of paper. Mr Entrican said that sugar cane waste would most likely be used in the production of fine papers, which were produced with chemical pulp. Newsprint, as produced under orthodox methods in Canada, Scandinavian countries, or in New Zealand with 80 per cent, wood pulp and about 15 to 20 per cent, chemical pulp, would have nothing to fear from the new process. —(PA.)