General News

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27502, 9 November 1954, Page 12

General News

Brought the House Down Billy Cotton’s band brought the house down during a 8.8. C. rehearsal today. As the players swung into “Roses of Picardy,” plaster cascaded from the ceiling over the musicians and their instruments. Nobody was hurt and the rehearsal was completed in another studio? The show’s producer, Glyn Jones, said later: “The funny thing was that among the sound effects we wanted during today’s programme was the noise of a studio falling in. We never bargained for such reality.”—London, November 7. Lights Control Speeches

A traffic light system of controlling the length of speeches being used at the annual Baptist Assembly in the Auckland Tabernacle is proving most effective. Those who move motions are allowed six minutes to speak; seconders and other speakers get three. Manually controlled by a timekeeper, the traffic light flicks to green as a speaker begin to talk. With a minute to go the green changes to orange and a warning bell rings. Time brings a further buzz and a glaring red light In special circumstances, speakers may be granted an extension of time.

Moa Bones on Mount Pleasant Several fragments of a moa skeleton have been uncovered by the owner of a Mount Pleasant section on Major Hornbrook' road. While digging the pit for a septic tank he found frag-, ments of the leg bones of the Pachyornis type of moa—a heavily built bird which grew about four feet. high. Many discoveries of moa skeletons of this type have been made on Banks Peninsula, said Mr R. R. Forster, a of the staff of the Canterbury Museum. The rest of the skeleton would have been leached away under its six foot covering of the wind-blown dust which coated the Port Hills, he said.

Presentation to Cup Rider A gold-mounted whip given by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation was presented to C. H. Mackie, who rode Dormant, winner of the New Zealand Cup, at the Majestic Theatre last evening. The whip was presented to Mackie by Mr M. Dentice, who with his wife owns Dormant. A number of jockeys who rode in the race were present and had the novel experience of hearing the commentary on the race which was broadcast on Saturday afternoon. Cloud Closes Airports A low ceiling and poor visibility closed both Wellington airports yesterday. Paraparaumu did not open for traffic yesterday morning, and Auckland to Wellington flights operated from Milson airport, Palmerston North. Passengers were brought to Wellington by bus. Paraparaumu was closed.till 1.30 p.m., and Rongotai for three periods of about an hour. All Cook Strait flights were in operation, but the closing of the airport delayed some for periods of up to an hour and IQ minutes.—>(P.A.)

J. R. McKenzie Trust Deep .appreciation of the public spirited generosity of Sir John McKenzie and Lady McKenzie in enlarging the present trust from £lOO,OOO to a sum estimated to be about £1,000.000 was expressed in a resolution carried at a recent meeting of the J. R. McKenzie Trust Board. The meeting, the fir<t held since the passing of the 1954 Act, also expressed the view that Sir John McKenzie and Lady McKenzie would be long remembered among the great humanitarians of this generation.

Smoking and Lung Cancer A “Tobacco Dictionary’* just published in New York, in a section on lung cancer, says: “During the 400years history of smoking, some 300 different diseases have, from time to time, been attributed to tobacco.” Students* Hesitancy Students at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, enjoyed a half day’s holiday yesterday awarded them by the Governor-General, Sir Willoughby Norrie, who spent part of the day at the college. Speaking at the opening of the new refectory at the college, his Excellency asked how many students wished a half holiday. Only odd hands were raised, and Sir Willoughby Norrie had to ask a second time who “really” wanted a holiday before there was a general response. Cheap Cottages Three fully lined cottages, roofed with iron, were sold for removal for a total of £95, at the Ngahere dredge settlement near Blackball on Saturday. One two-bedroomed cottage, with conveniences, sold for £35. The two others were sold for £3l and £29. Eight huts, formerly occupied by single men, were also sold at prices ranging from £l3 10s to £29. A twobedroomed house at Red jacks, not for removal, realised £B2O. The sale by auction of the building, which formerly housed employees of the Ngahere dredge, drew a good attendance. Bidding was checked by a man who made a claim to ownership of part of the property offered. New Wing of Baptist College

The Dr. J. J. North Memorial Wing of the Baptist College in Victoria avenue, Auckland, was officially opened on Saturday afternoon. Using a gold key, presented to him specially for the occasion, Mr Justice North, a son of the late Dr. North, opened the door to the modern block which will accommodate 20 students. Every room in the dormitory is finished in a different pasteP colour scheme. Large windows provide plenty of light and air, beds and wardrobes are built in, and there is a neat wall table for study. Most of the rooms look out on the quiet trees on the four-acre property.

Helicopter Licence Sought An application for an air service licence to operate helicopters throughout New Zealand has been made to the Air Services Licensing Authority by a firm in Hamilton. It proposed to use helicopters for non-scheduled passenger and freight services, spraying, seed sowing, supply dropping, aerial advertising, power line inspection, cable laying, surveying, and other commercial work peculiar to helicopters. N.Z. Film Equal First The New Zealand National Film Unit production “Snows of Aorangi,” has been judged equal first with a British film at the Brussels International Tourist Film Festival. It is a 20-minute colour documentary directed and filmed in New Zealand, and it centres in the- winter sports at Mount Cook.—London, November 7. Lake Alexandrina Domain Control of the Lake Alexandrina domain in South Canterbury has passed from the Lake Alexandrina Domain Board to the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Socie’ty. The Minister of Lands (Mr E. B. Corbett) has revoked the board’s appointment, and the society now controls an area of approximately 1787 acres in the Tekapo survey district which is gazetted as a public domain under the Reserves and Domains Act, 1953.