General News

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27733, 10 August 1955, Page 12

General News

Mixed Bathing in Spain The Cardinal Primate of Spain, in I a pastoral letter, has warned Spaniards against the moral dangers of mixed • bathing at beaches, swimming pools. :ancj rivers, reports the San Sebastian ; correspondent of “The Times.’’ “He [ urges separation of the sexes on [thousands of Spanish families who i are now jointly enjoying bathes [throughout sun-drenched Spain.” says[the correspondent. “Here at San Se- ; bastian the police patrol in elegant [special beach uniforms, wearing white • shoes, and carrying walking sticks.”— •London. August 8. Seal Still in Avon The young fur seal which arrived in the Avon river at the week-end was «till swimming lethargically from (the Medway'street-River road weir [to Dallington terrace and back yester■day. It responded to a sustained ■ whistle from the bank by swimming i steadily towards the whistler until [distracted by a piece of bread landing in the water. Its only other accomplishment seems to be its ability to scratch its nose with a very bored right flipper while demonstrating an' aquatic version of the western roll. The Inspector of Fisheries or the [Marine Department (Mr F. Bennington) said that the sea! on’- halfgrown and was suffering fr-.m e : fher some transitory internal trouble or had taken “a gulp too many of Avon water.” Self Service A young man approaches ihe manager of a suburban branch bank in Buffalo last night and inquired about a personal loan. The manager dir-jef-ed the youth 1o one of the e’erks. “Never mind. I’ll get it myself/ the customer replied Ten minutes later the man held up the bank and escaped with 11.000 dollars.—New York. August 9. Record in Blood Gifts A record Jay was achieved when the Blood Transfusion Service's mobile unit visited Canterbury Agricultural Co’le;e. Lincoln, last month, andt mk blond from 77 students and 26 district residents. Another 60 students, who were away on field trips, have volunteered as donors for another visit. Market for Milk Powder

“Within the next 15 months, we should be able to sell more milk powder than all the factories in the Dominion can produce,” said the chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Products Marketing Commission, Mr W. Marshall, at Ruawai. Mr Marshall was speaking at the opening of the Ruawai Co-operative Dairy Company. Ltd.’s new £332,000 butter and milkpowder factory. The ceremony was performed by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr S. W. Smith). Mr Marshall said that for the immediate future of milk powder the position was a good deal brighter. Only a Headache A “million to one chance” is how doctors describe the escape of a young African, who was shot through the back of the head by a revolver bullet, which emerged above his eyes without doing more thaq giving him a headache, the Pretoria correspondent of “The Times” reported today. Doctors said the bullet passed between the lobes of the brain as it “breathed.” The native walked some distance after being shot and made a statement to the police in hospital. I’e also identified his assailant. Yesterday he was progressing Well, the correspondent said.—London, August 9. 1902 Car for Museum One of Wellington’s first cars, a 53-year-old baby Peugeot, has been given to the Dominion Museum by descendants of its original owner,'Mr R. M. Green, a Wellington chemist. To preserve its ageing tyres, it was transported yesterday from Newtown to the museum. Bought in 1902 in England for £195, it had cost, with freight and other charges. £245 landed in New Zealand. It was used regularly by Mr Green until 192.3. It last ran under its own power in 1937 in a parade of old vehicles in aid of the King George V Memorial Fund.—(P.A.) Beer Containers A suggestion that breweries should be made to market beer in cans or plastic containers, instead of bottles, will be made to the Government by the Whakatane Borough Council. The proposal is aimed at reducing the number of broken bottles err New Zealand streets, beaches, picnic •‘rounds, and recreation reserves. The“ council decided to make the suggestion after considering a letter from the Kaitaia Progressive Society, which is sponsoring a petition to Parliament about the broken bottle menace.—(P.A.) Plumbing Charges A man in Parliament Buildings who is closely connected with the drive to build houses throughout the country was given concrete evidence on maintenance costs when he received a bill from his plumber this week. The plumber, with business premises a mile ,and a half away from the administrator’s home, was called to attend to a leaking hot water pipe to the bath. His -bill read: one threequarter inch brass barrel nipple, 2s Id; labour and mileage £2 6s Bdtotal, £2 8s 9d.—(F.0.P.R.) Generals' Driver In the last nine years the New Zealand Army has had four Chiefs of the General Staff, including MajorGeneral W. G. Gentry, who will retire on Sunday. The four generals, however, have had only one official driver —Sergeant L. E. Jacobs, of the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps. He has driven generals more than 200,000 miles in the last nine years, free of accident. Sergeant Jacobs is only the second soldier to drive a Chief of General Staff in New Zealand, most of the driving previously being done by Public Service chauffeurs. Sergeant Jacobs, who is drum-major and plays the double bass in the Hutt Civic Band, is 51. and has been driving for 33 years. He was a taxi driver for some time, and estimates he has driven about 500,000 miles. Record Amount for Missions New Zealand Anglicans contributed £62.473 for missions for the year ended June 30, 1955, and set another record. The budget total was £44,426 compared with £40.557 last year, and exceeded the quota fixed by the Board of Missions by £9426. For the first time Wellington contributed the largest diocesan total, £lO,lBl, or £1389 more than last year. Christchurch contributed £10,041. compared with £9504 last year, and Auckland contributed £BOB7, or £lOB7 more than last year. Dunedin’s contribution was £4470, last year's figure being £4069. For the new mission ship Southern Cross, £15,551 was contributed. Transport Rate Confirmed The Christchurch Transport Board held a special meeting on Monday to confirm its general- and special rates. The chairman Mr C. C. Holland) said the formality of confirmation was required before the local bodies concerned could make their collections. The general rate on capital value is 0216605 d in the £, and the special rate .23251264. They are levied over the whole tramway district and collected by the City Council, the Riccarton Borough Council, and the Waimairi, Paparua, Heathcote, and Halswell ' County Councils. Whaling Season Ended The men manning the coast look-out for the Tory Channel whalers came down from their hill on Sunday after a day of fruitless peering into Cook strait, and the season was declared closed with a catch of 112 whales, against last season’s 180. Rough seas and poor visibility in Cook strait have greatly hampered whaling activities this season. The head of the whaling station (Mr G. T. Perano) thinks that whales began their ' migration northwards earlier this year because of an earlier winter in the Antarctic.—(P.A.) Disabled Servicemen Praised Mr Charles Inch, of Rakaia, recently stayed with the editor of the “Hoosier Farmer” in Indianapolis, United States (Mr Glenn W. Sample) and presented him with a hand-woven rug made by disabled servicemen in Christchurch. Mr Sample has written ’to the 'Christchurch Returned Ser- | vices’ Association expressing apprecia;tion of the workmanship. He also re- ' that when he brought a party of 33 Hoosier farmers to Canterbury [last February, most of them bought pleSsim; souvenirs of New Zealand imade by disabled servicemen.