General News

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27591, 23 February 1955, Page 12

General News

Baking: of Bread Wellington bakers are unanimous that high-quality bread cannot be made from the soft wheat that is imported into New Zealand. Yesterday they were asked to comment on a statement made at Auckland by a visiting bakery expert that it was not the soft wheat that was responsible for New Zealand’s bad bread but rather the method of production. One baker said that for the manufacture of biscuits and cakes the soft wheat obtainable in New Zealand was ideal, but it was not ideal for the manufacture of bread.—(P.A.) Saturday Trade Opposed Hardware merchants throughout New Zealand are not in favour of Saturday trading. The combined executives of seven of the eight guilds concerned (of which the New Zealand Hardware Merchants’ Guild and the New Zealand Plumbers’ Merchants’ Guild are the main ones) carried a motion to this effect at the opening of the guilds’ conference in Christchurch on Monday. Enrolment of Students General enrolment of students for Canterbury University College will be taken tomorrow and on Friday between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. By special arrangement enrolment of second-year Training College students will take place today from 9.45 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Meat Production Meat production for the 1954-55 season might be 15,000 tons higher than the record figure of 602.000 tons for 1951-52, said the Minister of Agricul- j ture (Mr K. J. Holyoake). Last; season s estimated total was 590,000 i tons. Mr Holyoake was announcing early provisional estimates made by the Extension Division of the Department of Agriculture. ‘‘The main reasons for believing that such an increase in meat production is probable are the large increases recently in both sheep and cattle numbers and the effects of the dry summer, which has caused a considerable reduction in the stock feed available and in the number of stock which farmers are likely to be able to carry through the winter,” said the Minister.—(P.A.) Liner Delayed by Engine Trouble The liner Rangitane had engine trouble on her latest voyage from London. She arrived at Wellington on Monday night a day late because of engine trouble. The manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company (Mr F. W. Spite) said yesterday that it was necessary to stop the main engines periodically to make good faults in the piston cooling system for which replacements were not available.—(P.A.) New St. Martins School Approval has been given to the erection of a new four-roomed school at St. Martins, according to a telegram from the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) received by Mr H. R. Lake, M.P. Auckland Prison Security The fence of the Auckland prison needs “a few adjustments” to make it more escape proof, but there is “nothing seriously wrong.” This is the finding of Major H. W. Jacka, chief Army Engineer, Northern Military District, who inspected the prison fence yesterday. The Army inspection was requested by the Minister of Justice (Mr J. R. Marshall) after the escape through the fence last week of Leo Sylvester Han nap, a murderer. The Minister will decide what action is necessary when he has received the Army report and others he has called for. Major Jacka declined yesterday to say what adjustments to the fence were necessary.—(P.A.) “Bob-a-Job Week” The Boys Scouts’ Association will holds its annual “Bob-a-Job Week” from March 5 to March 12. The census of scouts, cubs and rovers in Canterbury is expected this year to be c 4500, and if each earns more than 5s the province should earn about £l2OO. “Be Prepared,” the monthly magazine of the association, says that the week is the time the organisation “shows to the public that we are prepared to do jobs to assist oursehes financially and not rely on charity.” Second Ruapehu Chair-Lift Work on a second chair-lift for the northern ski-ing slopes of Mount Ruapehu is to start almost immediately. Four Swiss engineers who are to supervise its construction arrived by air last night at Whenuapai, and they expect to have the lift working in time for part, if not all. of the coming ski-ing season. The lift, which will oe 1600 yards long, is estimated to cost about £25,000, and will be nearly three times as long as the present one. It will have a vertical rise of about 2000 ft, and will go from the foot of the Staircase to the Knoll, a feature a little below the end of the glacier. It will have 130 chairs, compared with 60 on the present lift, and will carry about 300 persons an hour.—(P.A.) Old People’s Housing Conclusions drawn by students at Victoria University College in a survey of old people in Auckland were described by the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board (Mr J. Grierson) as “not worth the paper they are written on.” The survey, which makes statistical comparisons in the mode of life of old people in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, was released last week by the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Hanan), and was discussed briefly by the Auckland Hospital Board. The board decided to thank the School of Social Science at Victoria University College for its interest, and to inform the Director-General of Health (Dr. J. Cairney) that it did not think the survey would be of any value in helping the board to solve the problem of housing old people.—(P.A.) Memorial Highway

The Riccarton Borough Council last evening approved the recommendation of its finance committee to accept resoonsibility for £5516 as its share of the proposed loan for the Burnside Road Memorial Highway.