General News

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27308, 26 March 1954, Page 10

General News

Talks on Meat Contract No indication was given yesterday of the result of the conference called by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) to consider Britain’s request to New Zealand to end the bulkpurchase meat contract this year. The Minister met the Meat Producers’ Board and representatives of Federated Farmers, and the chairman of the board (Mr J. D. Ormond) reported on the recent negotiations with the British .Ministry of Food. The Minister afterwards declined to comment, and said he could not indicate when a public statement would be made.— (P.A.) Whaler at Wellington The pungent smell of whale meat and whale oil drifted over Burnham wharf, Miramar, yesterday, as the 11,000-ton Japanese refrigerated whaling vessel Tenyo Maru paid a brief call on her voyage home from the Antarctic. She was escorted by five 200-ton whale chasers, which proceeded to Aotea quay to refuel while the larger vessel took on oil, water, and stores at Miramar. The ships are part of the Taiyo Gyogyo Kabushiki whaling company’s fleet from Tokyo.Besides 4000 tons of whale meat the Tenyo .Maru carried a live cargo in her refrigeration holds. It consisted of two Adelie penguins caught by a chaser in the Ross Sea.‘ Because they were not expected to survive if allowed outside the cool chambers they are being kept on the voyage in a special pen in the holds.—(P.A.) Free Passes to Cricket Asked yesterday to comment on complaints that no free passes had been issued to schoolboys in Christchurch for the match between the touring New Zealand team and a New Zealand eleven, which will start at Lancaster Park tomorrow, the chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council (Mr D. A. Colville) said that the usual privileges extended by the Canterbury Cricket Association did not apply in this match, which was under the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Cricket Council. “No radical changes have been made in the allocation of free passes as compared with previous games controlled by the council,” said Mr Colville. “The schoolboys in Christchurch have been issued with the usual passes for the Plunket Shield and Fijian matches during the current season. The match which will commence tomorrow is a national, not a provincial fixture, and, in accordance with the practice in past years, the usual pass list is suspended for these games—a procedure usually adopted by national sports bodies,” Mr Colville concluded.

£23,600 for Building A drug manufacturing firm yesterday paid £23,600 at public auction for a brick building, divided into a large factory with loading entrance, offices and showroom and having a total area of about 10,000 square feet, in Dundas street, between Colombo and Manchester streets. It is believed to be the highest figure ever paid for a Christchurch property offered at auction. Bidding for the building, which has a frontage of 65ft, opened at £17,500. of £5OO and then £lOO came quickly from all quarters of the large crowd. The building’s previous occupiers manufactured electric ranges.

Police Resignations ..J'™ , c . onst ables at the Auckland Cen,tral police station handed in their rewSr????- 5 t 0 Superintendent J. Southworth this week. Since last Christinas i., hav S e ’SJ'Sned from the force L" AV£ kland ' , The two constables had mhl. three al ? d ? even years’ service. There only about half a dozen constables left in Auckland now with more than two years’ service to their credit, work °* em are en Saged on inquiry “Sympathetic to Housewife” The policy of the Board of Trade was to be sympathetic to the housewife and to make available as far as it reasonably could all labour-saving equipment for housewives, said the £ ha ?fman of the board (Sir David bmith) in an address last night at Wellington. He said that one of the reasons the board had refused protection to a New Zealand mincer manufacturer was that maintenance of the industry against the cheaper but excellent British products would result in an unjustifiable restriction on the choice available to the New Zealand housewife.— (P.A.) Diesel Buses Travelling through the North Island to the New Zealand athletic championships at Hamilton early this month some members of the Canterbury team were ill. The manager of the team, Mr L. J. Collins, believes that fumes from the bus’s diesel engine contributed to this. In a report to the executive of the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening, Mr Collins said that should a bus be used again it would be desirable to make sure that it was powered by a petrol engine. “There’s something in that,” said a member. Deflated

An importer who was trying to prove to the Board of Trade that his product was better than one made in New Zealand became as deflated as his product, according to a story the chairman of the board (Sfr David Smith) 'old in an address last night at Wellington on the work of the board. The articles being considered were toy ballons. After much puffing and blowing it was the imported balloon that burst first. Sir David Smith said it was remarkable how much practical information the board obtained. Frequently samples of local manufactures and of imported goods were produced, and on one occasion the board had a parade of mannequins, who brightened a sombre board room with their display.—(P.A.) Membership of A.A.C.

A net increase of 2000 in the membership of the Automobile Association (Canterbury) since June 30 last year was reported by the joint secretary (Mr E. S. Palliser) to the council of the association last evening. Membership at March 25, 1954, was 31,168, Mr Palliser also gave an analysis of the 139 “resignations, deaths and transfers” in the last month. Members who transferred to other associations totalled 31, 17 members had sold their cars, 16 had died, six could not be traced, 26 had resigned for miscellaneous reasons, and 43 had been “written off.” Current subscriptions and arrears paid by the end of February this year totalled £27,442, compared with £24,992 at the same time last year. Floral Clock Site The Christchurch Beautifying Association has protested against the newly - proposed site for the floral clock in Christchurch. The association, at a meeting last evening, passed a resolution stating that, as the original sponsor of the floral clock, it strongly protested against the reversal of the decicion to place the clock by the Clarendon Hotel. It considered that the site by the Salvation Army Citadel was unworthy of such a beautiful floral feature, and that its choice was not a generous gesture to a worthy donor. “We believe there are better sites to be found in the city, and strongly recommend that the matter receive further consideration,” said the resolution. Apple Production Costs According to the Gazette, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) has declared the standard cost of production of apples" and pears for the season to be 12s 3.04 d a case, unwrapped.—(P.A.) Off-Shoots The Christchurch Tomato and Stone Fruit Growers’ Association branched out beyond its own crops at a meeting last evening. The speaker was Mr J. H. Glazebrook, lecturer in horticulture at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln. His topics, illustrated with film strips were: cucumbers under glass, early lettuce production, packing asparagus, and growing mushrooms. Tasmanian Yacht at Lyttelton The Tasmanian yacht Heemskerk arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning on her cruise of the South Island. The Heemskerk is from Hobart, and flies the pennant of the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club. From Lyttelton the yacht will go to Wellington and then to the Marlborough Sounds.