General News

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27224, 16 December 1953, Page 10

General News

Notice to Subscribers Subscribers to “The Press” who intend to be away from their homes during the Christmas and New Year holidays are asked to notify “The Press"' office immediately of _ any alteration they require in the delivery 3f their newspaper. Further information is advertised on page 1 todayinstructions about deliveries will not be received during the holiday period when the main office of “The Press will be closed. “Single-Sex’’ Schools ‘Tt is amazing how many parents have approached me in an effort to get their daughters entered for Christchurch Giris’ High School. They wart them to go to Christchurch or Avonside or a private school, but not a co-educational school * said the chairman of the Christchurch Girls’ Higa School Board <Mr A. E Caddick) at a meeting last evening of the Christchurch Post-Primary Schools Boaro. A member: They have a prejudice against cc-educaticnal schools. Mr Cacdick: It may be a prejudice, but until you change it you have to PFT* vide single-sex schools. Mr Caddicx was discussins the school roll, the present figure of 630 being, m his opinion, about 130 above the optimum. Age Benefits Januarv IS is the day fixed for the pavment’of the January instalment of social security age benefits, but that dav. a Tuesday, has been declared a public holiday in Christchurcr. for the visit of the Queen- Approval ha 3 given for all paying offices in North Canterbury to pay age oenefi.s on Monday, January 18. Old Specimen of Notornis One of the oldest the notornis was unpacked m Wellington yesterday- “It V abiv good condition, said Dr. iy-. f*FaHs. director of tne Dominion Museum, “and they have made a great ■ job of the recent reconstruction m i London.” The bird was the second oi !two specimens of the notornis sold .c M- Mantell by Maoris m 134 S I and 1850. and later given oy h-m tothe British Museum of Natural History «■ South Kensington. Now it given back to New Zealand. • B -A.) Statistics on Statistician The first test match between Zealand and South Africa at Durbar will be remembered as tne two huiri: redth test match in which Mr w <“Ferrie~> Ferguson has „ act ed ascorer. He has scored in 9* . tes *sn England, 65 in Australia. 14 m Isea ; Zealand, and 26 in South Africa. r ex 'eluding the present match. —Duroan : December 15. High Quality Margarine ' During his stay in England a Christchurch businessman. Mr G. B Hunter, was amazed when told that tn( “bread and butter” he was eating wa in fact bread and margarine. Recount ing the incident in an interview, Mi Hunter said that, when he knew it wa margarine he was eating, he tasted i more critically, but was still unable b distinguish it from butter. With thi impending derationing of butter anc margarine, and the possibility Cx re duced subsidies in Britain, this forcioli ; proof of the quality of modern mar garine had seemed to him an importan consideration for New Zealand dair; ; ’ producers.

Linwood High School Colours The proposed colours .for the new 1 i T .inwood High School —Dottie green, red and silver grey—are likely to be objected to by the Waimate High : School, which has adopted these colours* The Linwood Schools Board of ‘ Managers was told last evening by the * headmaster ‘Mr B. H. Wakelin > that [Waimate intended to object to Linwood’s application for registration Oi - these colours. He did not think, in •view of the distance between the two? ’schools, that there was any danger of! I confusion between the un ifonns. The board, which has net yet applied for registration of its colours, decided toj ; take no action in the meantime. . Traffic Courtesy in Britain . When attempting to pull out from I the kerb of one of London’s busiest thoroughfares, a motorist from Christchurch was agreeably surprised to ? find that before six cars in the continuous stream of traffic had passed him. a vehicle pulled up and beckoned him ,on to the roadway. This incident in jhis driving experience was related by •Mr G. R. Hunter, a Christchurch busi- ; nessman, in an interview, to illus1 trate the courtesy of British drivers; I which had impressed him while in! I England. Their road manners made ■ I the enormous task of controlling the! !volume of traffic much easier, said Mr: i Hunter. Another sidelight on motor-j I ing mentioned by Mr Hunter was the sign, "major road ahead,” a i warning which enabled motorists to : slow down in plenty of time when apI preaching a major road, for vehicles on a major road under the English ' code, have the right of way.

Farming in New Zealand Speaking to farmers on Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Mr J. S. Morrey. of Staffordshire, who visited New Zealand last year as a member of the dele- , gation from the Milk Marketing Board of England and W T ales. said that the farming he had seen in New Zealand, the conditions under which the farmers worked, and the wonderful grass- ! lands that there were in the country had been beyond his wildest dreams, and had left him shaken. Valuation Rolls . Addressograph machines are now ’ being used by the Valuation DepartI meet for the compiling of valuation k rolls. Land values are revised each five years, and past practice has been t first to type a series of field sheets for [ the guidance of valuers, and second to type new assessments to form the re- : vised valuation rolls. This will now i be eliminated and addressograph plates will comprise the rolls. New changes ! of ownership are merely recorded by . quick amendment to the plates. Since the new scheme has been in operation • in the South Island, a staff reduction of eight officers has been possible, an annual saving of £4OOO. Conversion • of the North Island records to the mechanised system is in progress. New Brighton Sewers Priorities in letting sewer contracts . in New Brighton, after the laying of the trunk sewers, was decided last evening by the Christchurch Drainage Board. The priority will be in the central business area. Ferraris to Race Again Mr Enzo Ferrari, who said last August that his racing cars would no longer compete under his name, has reversed his decision. An announcement in Modena said: “We shall do our best to compete with Europe’s strongest car manufacturers, and shall direct

.our efforts to the most important events of the coming racing season.” Last year Ferraris won 90 of 92 races in which they were entered.—London, December 15. Damage by Stones A claim for damages amounting to £29 Is 3d by Mr A. P. Vernier, of 328 Aranui road, Aranui. from stones thrown against his shop front and window by passing traffic will not be accepted by the Christchurch Drainage Board. The finance committee reported to the board last evening that when the tramlines were removed in Pages road there was a lapse of time before the board’s contractor for the rising main was able to begin work. In the meantime, this’ section of the road remained unsealed, and loose metal was disturbed by traffic and thrown with considerable force against the shop front and window.