Highway Bridge Closed

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 12

Highway Bridge Closed

The main Rotorua-Tauranga highway was closed to all traffic yesterday afternoon when a bridge over the Kaituna river at the outlet of Lake Rotoiti became unsafe.' A 25-ton carry-all scoop struck the truss at one end of the bridge, and then hit the other side. The bridge sank several inches at its eastern end. It was immediately closest to traffic. There are two other routes* from Rotorua to Tauranga.— (PA.)

Flavoured Milk for Schools Chocolate-flavoured milk- for school children was advocated by Mr S. K. Siddells at, a meeting of the Wellington Education Board. He said that the milk served to children in the Wairarapa was not very palatable compared with the pasteurised milk of Wellington. Consequently, the flavouring of milk for children in the Wairarapa district would, with a bigger consumption, be worth the extra cost.

U.S. Vicar for Taumarunui A priest of the Episcopal dhurch of America, the Rev. David J. Coughlin, ■of Honolulu, has been appointed vicar of the parochial district of Taumarunui. During the war Mr Coughlin served with the United States Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant-' commander. After his ordination he was a chaplain in the Marine Corps. Disinfecting Payment If the Post and Telegraph Department is required to clean and disinfect any clothing contained in a parcel to comply with health regulations the sender of the parcel will in future be charged 3s. This is contained in an order in council in the latest Gazette. Wellington Hotel to Close

The Empire Hotel, in Willis street, Wellington, will close on April 30. One of Wellington’s oldest and biggest hotels, it will be converted into a block of offices. A company, Empire Buildings, Limited, has been formed to take over the building. Mr B. T. O’Connell, general manager of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., which owns the Empire, said that the hotel’s licence would be allowed to lapse. With accommodation for nearly 80 guests, the three-storey # hotel is about 40.000 square feet in size. When converted it Should provide office space for up to 20 businesses. The hotel was opened in 1865 and has since been renovated and enlarged.