General News

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27896, 18 February 1956, Page 8

General News

Misunderstanding The publishers of the “Little Oxford Dictionary” have agreed to alter the entry explaining the abbreviation 8.8. C. because a member of the staff of the British Broadcasting Corporaiton has pointed out that as it at present appears, 4t reads, “British Broadcasting Corporation: a poison gas.” It was suggested to the publishers that though the entry has given great joy to many members of the 8.8. C. staff, this was perhaps not what the editor intended. In future the entry will read: “8.8,C.: British Broadcasting Corporation; BromoBenzyl Cyanjde (a poison gas).”— London, Feb. 17. Reason for Smoking Mr Bernard Gunn, one of the New Zealand observers with the United States Antarctic expedition, offered a cigarette yesterday—in the presence of his wife, who had come up from Dunedin to meet him. “Oh, smoking? We’ll soon stop that,” she said. But Mr Gunn had some excuse for smoking. Two days after he and the two other New Zealanders reached the end of the Ferrar Glacier on their survey trip, they were still waiting for the helicopter to pick them up, and had to go on to half rations. “I smoked to stop thinking about food.” he said. On the third day they were picked up. They were lucky, because the weather closed in again, and it was a week before the skies cleared. Ossie Pickworth Wins £lO,OOO The professional golfer, Ossie Pickworth. four times open champion of Australia, today won £lO.OO first prize in a lottery. Pickworth took a ticket. “We Five.” for himself, his wife, and three children. He said: “Now I can go to England for the Canada Cup.”— Melbourne, Feb. 17. “Sort of Funny” Senator Norris Cotton (Republican, New Hampshire) said today that he. has received a fan letter from a high school girl who wants to collect photographs of Senators instead of film stars. “All my friends are saving pictures of movie stars, and I want to be different, so please send me photos, of 12 Senators,” she wrote. “Please pick carefully. Even the best are sort of funny looking.”—Washington, Feb. 16. Spraying of Aircraft The Department of Agriculture has only recently found a spray which will kill insect pests in overseas aircraft without staining or damaging cargo or luggage. This is the reason, it says, why the three-year-old regulations are just now being enforced. Mr T. L. Nottage, horticultural superintendent in Auckland, said yesterday that the spray prevented the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, and was effective against other insect and animal pests.—(P.A.) Composers’ Royalties Ten years ago Australian and New Zealand composers received less than £BOO a year in royalties on the performance of their music, but the amount was about £20,000 last year, said Mr T. S. Woodbridge, of Sydney, general manager of the Australasian Performing Rights Association, in Wellington yesterday. Mr Woodbridge is in New Zealand for discussions with the Government on copyright matters. He said that one of the reasons for the increased use of Australian and New Zealand music was the fact that Australia’s Broadcasting Act now provided that stations had to play Australian and New Zealand music for not less than 21 per cent, of their music time.—(P.A.) Power Breakdown

The whole of the South Island, with the exception of Christchurch and Dunedin, was affected when a flashover of insulators caused a fire at the top of a power pole near Washdyke about 1.30 a.m. yesterday. The fire caused a break in one of the main lines, and the subsequent short-circuit in the system opened the breaker switches at Dunedin. Lake Waitaki. and Hororata. The damage was repaired by employees of the State Hydro-electric Department. Timaru, arid power was restored after about half an hour. — (P.A.) Fishing Rivers

The condition of the fishing rivers at noon yesterday, according to advice received by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, was as follows: Hurunui. Selwyn, Waimakariri. and Waiau, clear and fishable; Ashley, clear but dry in places; Halswell. clear, small amount of weed (catchment board operations have been carried on during the week); Lower Rakaia, slightly discoloured, but fishable; Upper Rakaia. normal and discoloured. The weather at Lake Coleridge was calm and cloudy; at Highbank, calm, with light rain.