General News

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27573, 2 February 1955, Page 12

General News

Painting- Hung in Court A portrait of the late Mr Justice Northcroft, painted by Elizabeth Wallwork, has been hung in’ the Supreme Court by the Canterbury District Law Society. The painting, which was in position for the opening of the session of the Supreme Court yesterday, shows the judge in full bottomed wig and scarlet robes. Compensation for Loss of Licence The Licensing Control Commission has granted Robert Nichol Roper, licensee-owner of the Crown Hotel, Burnett’s Face, £3OO compensation for the cancellation of the licence and £2O costs. A claim of £l5OO was made by Mr Roper. The commission’s decision stated that the business had been conducted at a loss for several years and, on the figures given, there was no goodwill attached to the licence. It stated that the Burnett’s Face area now comprised only half a dozen occupied houses and the settlement bore a dilapidated, almost derelict appearance.—(F.O.O.R.) Friends in the Audience When Keith Michell, who has the leading role of Thomas Mendip in the New Zealand Players’ production of “The Lady’s Not for Burning,” appeared on the stage at the Theatre Royal last evening he had some special friends in the audience —fellow-coun-trymen from South Australia. They were farmers and their wives who are at present making a tour of New Zealand, and arrived from Wellington yesterday morning. Mr Michell was born in Roseworthy, South Australia. Three Navy Craft Scrapped Three small ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy have been bought for scrapping by a Penrose scrap metal merchant. They are the fleet tug Toia. and the wooden minesweepers Rimu and Hinau. The Rimu and the Hinau were built in New Zealand during the Second World War. To be available for further service, both would need extensive and expensive refitting, and the Government Stores Board decided to sell them. Now 35 years old, the Toia had only limited usefulness to the Navy. She did not warrant the continued heavy maintenance that was found necessary.—(P.A.) Rubber Bowling Green

Interest is apparently being taken in England in the use of rubber for surfacing bowling greens. Last year, the British Rubber Development Board inquired, through its New Zealand representative (Mr D. M. Wilson, of Lower Hutt) about the methods used by tne Lyttelton Bowling Club, which claims to have pioneered the use of for outdoor bowling greens in New Zealand. The club gave a detailed description of the material and method used, and this was sent to the board in London. Tomorrow, Mr Wilson will inspect the Lyttelton Club’s green, and will have photographs taken for dispatch to the board in London.

Modern Minesweeper’s Visit On a goodwill visit to represent Australia at the Waitangi Treaty celebrations ne?tt week-end, the minesweeper H.M.A.S. Cootamunara slipped almost unnoticed into the Devonport Naval Base yesterday morning. The ship is equipped with the latest types of minesweeping gear, which New Zealand naval and dockyard experts will study. It is likely that the type of equipment used in the Cootamundra will be fitted to one or more of the four Bathurst Class minesweepers now in reserve at Devonport. One is scheduled to be refitted and modernised this year, and may be commissioned. The Cootamundra’s captain (Lieutenant-Commander T. Patch) is one of the few Royal Navy officers serving with the Australian Navy.— (P.A.) Danger in River Fishing An angler fishing at the mouth ’of the Waitaki river had a narrow escape from drowning recently. He was fishing from a narrow shingle spit between the river and the sea when a wave broke over him and washed him into the river. Three other anglers formed a. chain and brought him to the bank. There have been many similar accidents at the same place in recent years, as the level of the river is subject to sudden fluctuations with the release of water at the hydroelectric station. Last year a youth was washed off his feet into the river, but a following wave brought him within reach of his companions before the strong current of the stream could catch him. Food and Engine Part Replaced Replacement of an engine part and some of the food for the passengers’ lunch delayed the departure of the Tasman Empire Airways DC-6 aircraft from Harewood for Sydney yesterday. The aircraft, which arrived from Melbourne at 7.30 a.m. with 53 passengers, left with 46 passengers at 1.10 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. As a result of the delay while the engine part was being fitted and the hot weather some of the food placed in the aircraft’s galley seemed to be affected, and rather than risk it being spoiled in flight, the aircraft was held at the terminal until a fresh supply was obtained from Christchurch. Negative Quantity “You are probably of the opinion that our prospects are chiefly characterised by their absence,” said the General Manager of the State Hydroelectric Department (Mr A. E. Davenport) in opening his address to a conference of South Island electric power supply authorities in Christchurch yesterday. “I hope to give you such facts as to enable you to translate into everyday language the figures you get each week. These figures have worried you, as they have worried me. Like you, . I am no prophet. We do not know what is to come. So if we are wise we will take cognisance of present conditions, what is likely to happen, and make provision accordingly. Therein lies our plain duty. If the path we have to tread is a rough one, at least we can watch how we place our feet.” Unadorned “No wedgies. No earrings or necklaces.” So reads the second line of the “conditions of play” for the New Zealand women’s bowling tournament, which began in Wellington yesterday. The ban on jewellery is imposed for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Jewellery is regarded as detracting from the appearance of the welluniformed woman bowler, while the tendency for necklaces to break and scatter pearls or other gems upon the green provides another reason why they are better left at home. Greenkeepers have a natural prejudice against their mower blades collecting precious stones.