General News

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27709, 13 July 1955, Page 12

General News

“Dr. Livingstone, I Presume’’ Ujiji. the Tanganyika village in which the historic meeting between the British missionary. Dr. David Livingstone and the American journalist, Henry Morton Stanley, took place in 1871, was today linked to the outside world by telephone. Ujiji has a population of more than 11,000 Africans. — Dar-es-Salaam, July 11. Express Delayed The express train from Invercargill arrived 52 minutes late at Christchurch last evening because of a mishap at Invercargill. It left Dunedin an hour and a half late, and arrived at Christchurch at 8.18 p.m. Passengers for the steamer express to Wellington who did not take the earlier steamer train had a long wait at the station, but the luggage from the Invercargill train was rapidly discharged by the station staff, and the train left for Lyttelton at 8.25 p.m. The Maori left Lyttelton at 9.20 p.m.

Expensive Sleep Mr Frederick Osborne, a Milwaukee merchant, has sued the Waldorf-As-toria Hotel in New York for 500,000 dollars, because, he claims, he missed a profitable deal when servants at the hotel failed to wake him one morning. In papers filed in the State Supreme Court, Mr Osborne said he left specific instructions on May 6, during a sixweeks’ stay at the hotel, that he be awakened at 9 a.m. He was not called, missed the appointment, and suffered a substantial financial loss, he added. —New York, July 11. Smoke—No Fire “There was smoke near my place the other Sunday but no fire. The fire brigade came along and couldn’t find anything but a woman with a box of matches in her hand trying to light some rubbish.” This story was told to the Christchurch Fire Board last evening by Mr J. E. Jones. The chairman (Mr N. R. Forbes) had inquired whether prosecution automatically followed breaches of the by-laws on rubbish fires when the brigade was called out. The Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) said the brigade had no power, but made recommendations to the police. Medically Unfit Federico Faggioni, a former cobbler, celebrated his 100th birthday at Trissino, near Vicenza, in Northern Italy, today—Bo years after being rejected for military service because of weak health.—Vicenza. July 11. Kiwi Leaves Raou] Island H.M.N.Z.S. Kiwi made a routine report to Naval Headquarters in Wellington at 2.30 p.m. yesterday that she had left Raoul Island after embarking Mr C. Vickers, of Wellington, who needs urgent medical attention in New Zealand. The Kiwi will probably reach Auckland on Friday. Mr Vickers was the cook at the meteorological station on the island.— (P.A.) Price Control What controls prices—bureaucracy or free competition? This question is asked in an article in the “New Zealand Manufacturer” discussing the recent reductions in the price of tea. Early in the year when the price of tea in New Zealand rose sharply, the Price Control Division, to “protect” the public, fixed the maximum price at 9s a pound. On May 30, a tea packer in New Zealand reduced the price of his tea by Is to 8s a pound. Other packers were forced by this competition to follo v suit. “The result is that the public is now able to buy tea at Is a pound under the maximum level approved by the so-called price controllers. The answer,” says the article, “is that where free competition exists, prices are controlled by competition and consumer reaction—not by the price controllers.”

Tunnel Road Bill Endorsed The Christchurch Fire Board last evening endorsed the Tunnel Road Bill and approved the-steps taken by the Tunnel Road Promotion Committee for its introduction in Parliament. Appeal for the Aged 1 Constituent bodies of the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council need not fear that their organisations would suffer individually because of the Rotary Club’s community appeal for the aged, said the president of the club (Mr F. C. Penfold) at a meeting of the council last evening. “I feel that the appeal will call attention to the work being done for the aged for a long time and I would like representatives of constituent bodies to know that they will be well looked after,” he said. Anonymous Gift o.’ £796 The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr L. M. Wright) yesterdav received in his mail an unregistered paper parcel containing £796 10s in banknotes. A note in the parcel read: “This is a donation to the cancer fund from our family.” There was no name. The notes smelt fusty, as if they had been hoarded. The parcel bore stamps to the correct amount, but there was nothing on it to indicate the value of its contents. — (P.A.) School Leaving Age A remit proposing the amendment of the school leaving age to a regulation requiring the completion of two years of secondary schooling is to be submitted to the annual conference of the Technical Education Association. This was agreed upon by the board of managers of the Greymouth Technical High School, at its monthly meeting. At an earlier meeting members discussed difficulties arising out of pupils leaving school upon reaching the age of 15 years.—(F.O.O.R.) Burnside Memorial Highway Loans

The Christchurch local bodies contributing to the Burnside memorial highway project have now all lodged applications with the Local Government Loans Board for sanction of loans totalling £135,000. When the board’s decision is announced, the Memorial Highway Committee will meet to discuss compensation for the land required in road widening. The Flying Soup Bone

A few days ago a soup bone descended on the roof of a hothouA belonging to a market gardener in Holland. The bone shattered one of the panes of glass and annoyed the gardener. After due consideration he wrote to the management of K.L.M. Royal Dutch Airlines drawing attention to the danger of soup bones flying through the air and landing with some force on hothouses and people’s heads. With the letter he sent the soup bone, carefully packed in wood-wool. K.L.M. hastened to reply that on both technical and legal grounds it was quite impossible for the soup bone to have fallen from any of its aircraft. Nothing further has been heard from the market gardener. Battle of Britain Sunday Battle of Britain Sunday this year will be on September 18. Wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 18 New Zealand centres on September 18. and also ip Suva. The R.N.Z.A.F. will be represented at the Suva ceremony by members of its No. 5 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron and staff stationed at its Lauthala Bay base. Divine services will be held in most New Zealand centres to mark Battle of Britain Sunday.—(P.A.) ' . Baked Icecream Dozens of shoppers in Upper Hutt were surprised recently when they saw the proprietor of a milk bar fulfil a promise and bake icecream. It was said to be the first time in New Zealand that icecream had been baked and sold to the public. although baked icecream as a dessert had often been served in private homes and Wellington hotels. The milk bar proprietor, a former assistant hotel chef, explained that a fierce oven—about 500 degrees Fahrenheit —was needed to bake icecream. A serving of icecream was placed on a sponge base, covered with a meringue mixture, and placed in the fierce oven for up to two minutes. The meringue would harden and prevent the icecream from melting. Parking Meters Damaged

The tough plastic windows of five parking meters in Mercer street, Wellington, were smashed by vandals during the week-end. The plastic is nearly a quarter of an inch thick, is very strong, and must have been broken with a hammer or an iron bar. This is the second outbreak of this kind, 19 meters being damaged about a fortnight ago. In that case the vandals used a wrench to force the handles round, shearing them off.— (P.A.)