General News

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27914, 10 March 1956, Page 8

General News

Ice Navigation Provisional arrangements have been made for a Royal Navy officer to supervise the New Zealand captain of the Dominion Antarctic expedition's ship in ic.e next summer. No officer of trie Royal New Zealand Navy, which will be responsible for manning the ship, is sufficiently qualified to command a vessel in ice. which requires l speciaT'techniques. The Royal Navy officer is Captain H. Kirkwood, officer commanding H.M.S. Terror, the naval barracks at Singapore. Captain Kirkwood first served in the Antarctic in the research ship Discovery H between 1933 and 1938. After war service in destroyers, he commanded the research ship John Biscoe. Air Crew Cadet Wins Brevet Prize The Otago Brevet Club’s trophy for the best all-round cadet in No. 22 combined aircrew course held at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station. Wigram, was won by Cadet Pilot D. J. Zwartz, of Nelson. The station’s commanding officer (Group Captain F. R. Dix) made the presentation of the trophy at a review of a ceremonial parade by the course flight yesterday afternoon. TEAL Flights at Easter

Normal trans-Tasman flights will be operated between Christchurch and Sydney and Christchurch and Melbourne during the Easter holiday period. To meet a heavy demand for traffic the airline is providing an extra flight on Wednesday. March 28. on the Sydney route. Flights to Melbourne on Thursday. March 29, to Sydney, on Good Friday, March 30. and on Easter Monday are on the airline’s normal schedule. Speech Preparation “I don’t mind making a speech explaining Government policy on a financial matter, but so far as I am concerned to make a speech of even 15 or 20 minutes duration involves me, if I am to do the job to my own satisfaction, in at least a day of careful preparation,” said the PostmasterGeneral <Mr T. P. Shand), addressing the New Zealand Master Builders' Federation conference yesterday on the “credit squeeze.” “I don’t get somebody else to write my speeches. I try to avoid making statements about which I am not prepared to be questioned: in other words, in deciding to make a statement, I don’t merely check that it is true, but I endeavour to familiarise myself with the whole argument surrounding the statement,’’ said Mr Shand. —(F.0.0.R.) Antarctic Appeal Canvassing of business firms and organisations for donations was proceeding satisfactorily, said the chairman (Mr W. A. Breach), reporting progress of the Christchurch Ross Sea Committee’s efforts to raise funds for the New Zealand expedition to the Antarctic yesterday. Mr Breach reported that the appeal was showing “very encouraging results.” The committee received a report from its organiser (Mr Gordon King) on arrangements made for a polar exhibition in Christchurch from March 21 to March 31. Mr Breach and members of the committee will be at Christchurch airport on Tuesday to see the arrival of some of the expedition’s Husky dogs. Travel and Holiday Association The belief that the New Zealand Travel and Holiday Association was making good progress on the job it had been given by the Government, was expressed by Mr J. A. Harley (Nelson) at a meeting of the South Island Local Bodies’ Association yesterday. The letter recently circulated by the South Island Publicity Association was unfortunate and had done a lot of harm, he said. The {Travel Association did not want to stifle the Publicity Association, and he was satisfied that an arrangement would be reached between them. Condition of Beaches The Canterbury Surf Life-Saving Association reports that beach conditions last evening were as follows: Waimairi. North Beach, New Brighton, and South Brighton, good surfing conditions. slight drift to south, bathing in patrolled area recommended: Sumner, moderate surf, risky bathing near Cave Rock, bathing recommended in patrolled area; Taylor’s Mistake, moderate surf, bathing recommended in patrolled area. The Fishing Rivers The condition of the fishing rivers at noon yesterday, according to advice received by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, was as follows: Ashley, Halswell. Hurunui. Selwyn, Waimakariri, Waiau and Lower Rakaia, clear and fishable; Upper Rakaia, normal and clear. The weather at Lake Coleridge was calm and clear; at Highbank it was clear with a light north-west wind.