General News

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27340, 4 May 1954, Page 10

General News

Fatal Road Accidents Deaths on Ne’w Zealand roads during April, the second month of operation by plain clothes road safety officers, totalled 23, the lowest April return since 1950, and the lowest figure for any month of the present year so far, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Transport Department.— (P.A.) £2350 In Half CORSO Returns A total of £2350 had been counted when the checking of Saturday’s CORSO collection ended for the day late yesterday afternoon—and then only half of the district returns had peen received. The organisers are now certain that last year’s collection of £4OOO will be exceeded, and believe that this year’s goal of £5OOO may be passed. The youth groups of the churches, which did most of the collecting, reported generous giving, and local counts throughout the metropolitan area show that contributions were up by about 15 per cent, on last year. Some questions had been asked about clothing for CORSO. The secretary (Mr G. H. Coley) said that these gifts would be welcomed all the year round at the Y.M.C.A., but a clothing drive would probably be made later.

8.8. C. Audience Research Less listening to sound radio and a' substantial increase in the viewing of television programmes is shown in the first release of 8.8. C. audience research figures based on daily questioning of 2800 persons. The average level of evening listening among the whole adult population of Britain during the January-March quarter this year was 18.4 per cent. Last year it was 20.9 per cent. “This decline is due in part, but not entirely, s to the increase in number of television sets for, as people become viewers, they tend to reduce the listening. But the number of people viewing has also risen. The average level of evening viewing for the whole adult population during the first quarter or last year was 8.1 per cent. This year it is 11.5 per cent—-an increase which is to a very large extent a reflection of the rise in the number of television sets.”—London, May 3.

Post Office Boxes “It seems ridiculous to build a post office without private boxes,” said Cr. E. J. Bradshaw when Cr. C. E. Trippner expressed the view at a meeting last evening of the Riccarton Borough Council that the expectation of businessmen that boxes would be provided in the new post office would not be realised. It was decided to ask the Businessmen’s Association to make representations to the Post and Telegraph Department. Posthumous Award For Engineering Mr John Hammond Briggs, of Tauranga, was one of the most promising students of civil engineering at Canterbury University College. Had he not been killed in the Tangiwai railway disaster, he would have received the bachelor of engineering degree at the college capping ceremony this afternoon. Degrees are not conferred posthumously but, by a dispensation of the Senate of the University of New Zealand, the Pro-chancellor (Mr L. J. Wild) will present a certificate of qualification to Mr Hammond’s parents at a private ceremony this afternoon.

Farewell to Arms at 77 Gunner D. G. Saunders, the oldest soldier in the 'New Zealand Army—he will be 78 on October s—said farewell to arms last week. On Thursday night he performed his last duty—a lonely watch on Army installations at North Head. Bullet-scarred on his right leg and near his right eye, he wears six ribbons from three wars— South Africa and the First and Second World Wars. For some time Gunner Saunders guarded the Army property on Rangitoto Island, where he cooked for himself and kept a garden. But some months ago the Army closed down the watch. Gunner Saunders then took over guard at North Head, living at Narrow Neck camp and spending his spare time playing bowls at Devonport.

Signs on Roadways Steps were being taken to stop the writing of signs on roads, said the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. E. J. Bradshaw) at a meeting last evening of the Riccarton Borough Council. “Our officers are dn the job,” he said, reporting that some person or persons were painting on the roadway the slogan “Ban the H Bomb.” “We are obliged to point out that these paintings can be distracting to drivers, and if the offender is caught he will be prosecuted. Signs are also being painted over the place derogatory to the present administration.” Roll Call Problems The 1000 officers taking part in the United States Army’s huge logistic! manoeuvres at Fort Picket, Virginia, this week, have no problem at all compared with the man who calls the roll. Working side by side in the paperwork Army exercises are LieutenantColonel Nick Koutsogiannopoulos, of the Greek Army, and Major Prasarn Prasassarakitch and Captain Rien Disthabanchong, of the Siamese Army. They are among 124 officers representing 29 foreign countries who are taking Sart in the exercises..—New York, lay 2. Franchise for Today’s Graduates New graduates of Canterbury University College usually have to wait a year before they can vote in the elections of representatives of the district court of convocation (graduates) for the college council. Nearly 200 of those to be capped this afternoon will qualify to vote in the elections this month because the rolls this year will not close until next Monday. Microfilm Reader for Museum A donation of £lO towards the cost of a microfilm reading machine for the Canterbury Museum was made by the council of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Early Settlers’ Association at its meeting yesterday. The association feels that the machine will be of great value to students doing research work on the settlement of Canterbury. Resolution on Niue Islanders Although a few abstained from voting more than 20 members of the Canterbury branch of the Association of University Teachers passed without ■ dissent a motion “strongly supporting . representations that have been made ■ asking the Government to extend t clemency to the three Niue IslanderM l at present under sentence of death. Agricultural Museum » A Dominion Agricultural and Edu- » cational Museum, which, it is thought, will be only the third purely agri- . cultural museum in the world, is to be founded in Hamilton. The other known institutions are the Hungarian Agricultural Museum, Budapest, and ’ the Fouad Agricultural Museum. > Cairo. Displays will be arranged ‘ under three' headings. First, there ' will be a comprehensive exhibition on > the history of agriculture and the t present state of agricultural knows ledge. The rise of agriculture will j be traced from the beginning of culti- ! vation to the present day. and a series t of displays will survey all its branches. . Second, a large part will concern f agriculture in New Zealond. On the s lines of the educational museum at Haslemere, in England, the third part will extend to illustrate the history or . man and the natural sciences of the 11 world.

Petrel Goes Home The southern ocean diving petrel found on Palmer Head. Wellington, on •Thursday night set off for.its Antarctic home on Saturday morning. “We released the petrel about 10.15, taking moving photographs of its wing action as we did so,” said the director of ths Dominion Museum, Dr. R. A. Falla. The bird, set free at Breaker Bay. near where it was found, paddled about in the water for a short time and then took off southward, he said. “As we had thought, it .was uninjured and had apparently just lost its bearings, probably in a light fog when it struck the unfamiliar high ground at Palmer Head," added Dr. Falla.