General News

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27500, 6 November 1954, Page 6

General News

No Heckling When thanking the Mayor of church (Mr.. R. M. Macfarlane, MJP.> for finding the time in such a busy life to give a civic welcome yester-: day, to the annual conference of the Methodist Church of New Zealand (file Rev. C. O. HMilwood) said jocularly: “At least we cari say there: will be no heckling *here ” No sooner had he spoken when a door at the Durham ■Street Methodist Church, where the function was held, slammed with k loud, resounding bang. A gust of wind, it is. believed, caused the disturbance. Smoking and Bronchitis Smoking brings on'bronchitis more than all other causes combined, said an article in the “British Medical Journal” today. It also told doctors that “smoker’s cough” added to the risks of putting a person under an anaesthetic for an operation. When an operation is planned, the article: said, doctors should make heavy smokers cut down well in advance.— London, November 4. Control of Whitebaiters “Rafferty rules more or less prevail and the committee is very much concerned about the protection of the banks.” said Mr E. J. Stalker, the chairman of the drainage and rivers control committee, presenting a recommendation to yesterday’s meeting of the North Canterbury Catchment Board that the possibility of a suitable by-law to cover the control of whitebaiters on the banks of .rivers be investigated by the board’s solicitors. The recommendation was adopted. Three Accidents in Two Weeks An 11-year-old boy from Cobden, Gene Morresey, has beifa involved in three accidents in the last two weeks. A fortnight, ago he was knocked down by a car and last week was hit on the head by a stone which caused a gash requiring several stitches. This week he was in a canoe which capsized in a deep pool on the Cobden side of the Grey river. Unable to swim, he was rescued by. his companion, Vincent Kay, of Cobden, aged 12. Vincent Kay, who swam his first strokes during a learn-to-swim week at the end of last sum■mer. managed to get ashore and seeing Gene Morresey clinging to the overturned canoe, swam back and rescued him. '

No Stop Signs in Heathcote “Generally Heathcote County Is very clear of accidents caused by failure to yield the right of way and it does not seem that the introduction of stop signs is warranted at the present time,” said the Transport Department, replying to representations from the Heathcote County Council for stop signs at five points in the county. Naval Housewives One of the signals sent from H.M.N.Z.S. Black Prince to H.M.N.Z.S. Tasman while the cruiser was on passage from Auckland (“routine unclassified 021140 M”) ran as follows: “Request you arrange for a sewing machine mechanic to visit ship at 1300 sth November to service model 45K1 machine with following main defects: (A) no drive; (B) thread repeatedly breaking; (C) faulty timing.” The wife of the resident naval officer at Lyttelton (Lieutenant-Commander G. M. Holden) had the trouble diagnosed before the Black Prince reached port—incorrect tension. The sewing machine is one of two on the cruiser. It is used for sewing canvas. The other, a smaller model, is used for mending flags. The ship’s company use needle and thread for their own repairs. Generators for Sale

The Victoria State Electricity Commision is selling three surplus 1850 kilowatt diesel electric generator sets worth a total of £236,000. A Wellington firm has drawn the notice of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association to their availability and the matter will be referred # to the association’s power and fuel committee. The firm gives as a reason for notifying the association “your association’s interest in the power situation.” Tussock Grassland Tussock grassland research will be discussed at a conference in January at Kurow of the North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland Catchment Boards. The North Canterbury board yesterday approved the action of its chairman (Mr R. M. D. Johnson) in calling the conference and •appointed Mr Johnson, Mr J. M. Pickering, and the soil conservation officer (Mr R. D. Dick) to represent it. Professor L. W. McCaskill will be invited to attend with officers of the Soil Conservation Council. Military Training Schedule Military training recruits for 1955 will assemble on January 6 for the first intake of the year and the fifteenth since the compulsory scheme began. They will disperse on March 22. The second intake will train from March 31 till June 14, the third from June 23 till September 6, and the final intake for the year from September 15 till November 29. University students in the first intake may be dispersed on March 18 to enable them to attend university lectures on March 21.—(P.A.) Fishing Rivers According to advice received by the north Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, the condition of the fishing rivers at noon yesterday was: Hurunui, unfishable; Lower Rakaia and Ashley, discoloured but clearing; Waimakariri and Waiau, very dirty; Selwyn and Halswell, clear and fishable; Upper Rakaia, above normal and discoloured, weather at Highbank, calm and light cloud; and at Lake Coleridge, calm and overcast.