General News

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27309, 27 March 1954, Page 6

General News

Symptoms of Drunkenness A special committee of the British Medical Association, formed to draw up a formula for helping doctors to recognise drunkenness, today warned that, apart from odour of the breath, there is no single symptom or sign of drunkenness which is not also found in some illness. The report defined alcoholic intoxication—for the purpose of evidence in law suits—as a condition in which the subject has lost control of his faculties to such an extent that he is unable safely to execute the occupation in which he is engaged at a material time.—London, March 26. His First Salmon Fishing below the Waitaki bridge recently, Neville Goodsir, aged 10, hooked, landed and half-dragged, halfcarried home a 161 b salmon on his back. When landing the fish, singlehanded, he broke his rod. So firmly was it hooked that he could not remove the barbs. With the salmon head over his shoulder and the tail dragging on the ground he struggled happily to his home several hundred yards away through gorse, thistles, and long grass. It was his first salmon. Harmonium Wheeled to Sunday School When St. Paul’s branch Sunday School in Colombo street south (now St. David’s) was started in 1876, the harmonium was taken to Sydenham from the church every Saturday flight in a wheelbarrow. This is recorded in a booklet commemorating the ninetieth anniversay of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church. Vapour Trails Over Nelson

Four Vampire jet aircraft on a flight from Ohakea created excitement m Nelson city and townships in the district about 11.18 yesterday morning when they left long, white condensation trails which remained visible for more than 10 minutes. Flying at 35,000 feet, the aircraft were just visible to the naked eye. Hundreds of persons flocked into the streets, and there was a rush to office windows to view the phenomenon. Officials at the Air Force station at Ohakea explained later that the Vampires were on a flight from Ohakea to Puponga (at -the base of Farewell Spit), and to Kaikoura, before returning to Ohakea. They were away from the station for an hour at 35,000 feet. The temperature would be minus 58 degrees centigrade, and in those atmospheric conditions the aircraft would make vapour trails.— (P.A.) Anniversary of Mine Disaster The fifty-eighth anniversary of the Brunner mine explosion, the wotst mining disaster in the history of the West Coast, fell yesterday. All the men at work on that day—67 in alllost their lives. The Brunner mine no longer exists, only a chimney stack and remnants of a few buildings on the north bank of the Grey river, east of the Taylorville traffic bridge, remaining to indicate the tragic spot.— (F.0.0.R.) Trucks Queue Up for Loading Drivers slept in their trucks outside the works of the New Zealand Farmers’ Fertiliser Company at New Plymouth yesterday to secure priority places to load fertiliser. Restricted loading hqurs imposed /it the works this week have led to trucks waiting leng hours in a queue to meet the present phenomenal demand for fertiliser by Taranaki farmers. Last Monday loading hours were from 8 am. to noon. Trucks queued up long before loading began every day this week, but yesterday was the worst day. The loading hours were restricted in an attempt to ensure that farmers who received their supplies by rail did not suffer as the result ol the increased demand for fertiliser deliveries by road. Next week the allocation and rotation of orders will be decided by merchants, and drivers will resume their normal hours. At 5 a.m. yesterday there was a queue of 39 trucks. Some had arrived about 9 pm. on Thursday.—(P.A.) Three-year-old Swimmer A diminutive competitor in a junior 20 yards race this week at the Napier Municipal Baths caused some amusement among officials and spectators. He was three-year-old Allan Christie, son of Mr and Mrs B. Christie. He learned to swim when he was little over two and a half. Allan has been awarded his beginner’s swimming certificate and is regarded as a promising young performer. His mother, formerly Miss jean Greig, df Hastings, was Hawke’s Bay backstroke champion.

, Waitangi Celebrations The Minister of Lands Mr E. B. Corbett) is to discuss with the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald) a suggestion that a standing invitation be extended to the Royal Australian Navy to attend the annual celebrations at Waitangi on February 6 each year. On this date in 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, and commemorative celebrations are held annually. The suggestion for Australian participation was made at the annual meeting of the Waitangi National Trust at Government House. Wellington.—(P.A.) Power Cut at Lyttelton To enable the State Hydro-electric Department to make line alterations, power will be cut off in the whole of Lyttelton tomorrow from 1 p.m. till 4 p.m. Lamplighter at 2s 6d a Week In 1867, when the light at the minister’s platform in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church proved rather deficient, the Deacons’ Court replaced the two candles with kerosene lamps on brackets. They agreed to accept the services of a Mr Tracy at 2s 6d a week “to light up the church of Sabbath nights when necessary and clean the lamps on Saturday mornings,” says a booklet published to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, which will he observed early next month. Varied Neckwear An assortment of neckwear was displayed by the members of the New Zealand cricket team on their arrival by air from Melbourne yesterday. The New Zealand Cricket Council’s official tie —a black tie with a small pattern formed by silver fern leafs—was worn by some of the players, and the semi-official “South African tour” tie was also in evidence. Broad .diagonal stripes of black and silver, with thin gold and green stripes appear on this tie. Some members of the touring party wore ties acquired as souvenirs. E. W. Dempster wore a Johannesburg Wanderers’ tie. which features bright stripes. The New Zealand Press Association special correspondent with the team, Mr R. T. Brittenden, wore an Old Edwardians tie—the tie designed for old boys of the King Edward School, a well-known Johannesburg cricketing school, Although several members of the team possess one, the “Duck Club” tie was not worn by any players on arrival. A green tie with a yellow duck on it, this tie had to be worn by a player for 24 hours after he achieved the “distinction” of being dismissed before scoring. Bowenvale Playground Appreciation of the Heathcote County Council’s work in erecting swings and a sandpit on the children’s glayground at Bowenvale avenue, ashmere, was expressed by the Bowenvale Residents’ Association in a letter read at a meeting of the council last evening. “The number of children using the playground is steadily increasing ana parents of these children are grateful that the

children have somewhere to play off the public streets," the letter said.

Merinos Flown To Napier With a consignment of 70 stud Merino ewes a Bristol Freighter made a 510-naile flight from Oamaru to Napier on Thursday. This was the longest and largest airlift for stud sheep in New Zealand. The aircraft left Oamaru shortly after midday and landed at 3.30 p.m. The freighter was chartered through a Hastings stock firm on behalf ,of three farmers at Ngamatea, to whom the Merinos were delivered from the airport by truck. The Fishing Rivers All the rivers in North Canterbury were clear and fishable according to a report issued by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society and the Canterbury Anglers’ Club at 5 p.m. yesterday. In Mid-Canterbury the Ashburton river was clear and fishable and the lower Rangitata was slightly discoloured, although fishable. At Highbank the upper Rakaia was normal and clear, but the Highbank race was slightly discoloured. The weather forecast was for north-west winds and rain in the ranges.