General News

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28012, 5 July 1956, Page 10

General News

Museum Opossum Caught An opossum which has been making a pest of itself at the Canterbury Museum has been caught. It was captured in a new type of trap invented by Mr Dick Morris. Mr Morris first laid out apple in part of a trap to ascertain whether he was up against an opossum or a rat. and when certain that he was after an opossum he put apple in the complete fixture and caught it. Combined Appeal Although a shortage of collectors prevented the appeal being extended ' to the suburbs, the amount collected i in Christchurch yesterday for the, Cholmondeley Memorial Children’s Convalescent Home, and for the Society for the Protection of Women and Children exceeded last year’s total. The amount was £350. The organiser of the appeal (Mrs R. L. Jacobsen) last evening thanked members of the public and business firms which had given generously to the appeal, and the collectors who had volunteered their services. Oysters Scarce If available at all this week-end. oysters are likely to be scarce, according to a Christchurch retailer. He said he received a consignment last Saturday which was now sold, and the last consignment before that was a fortnight previously. “We don’t know when we will get the next lot.” he said. “There has been a lot of bad weather down there. This oyster business is a pretty ‘iffy’ sort of a game.”

Fire Chief Host at Own Fire Members of the Hokitika Volunteer Fire Brigade had the opportunity on Tuesday evening of attending to a fire at the home of their own chief fire officer. Mr C. B. Preston, in Sale street. The fire was caused by a recentlyinstalled space heater igniting the floor near the fireplace. Little damage was done. The alarm was not sounded as all members of the brigade were present at the fire station for their fortnightly Yesterday’s Frost

There was a frost of 9.9 degress at Harewood yesterday morning and one of 7.7 degrees at the Magnetic Observatory in the Botanic Gardens. Cyclists and others going off to work in the early morning were well muffled and gloved to keep out the cold. The hardest frost so far this year was on June 19 at Harewood when 10.9 degrees was recorded. On the same day the Magnetic Observatory recorded 9.2 degrees. Rail-Car Delayed The rail-car from ulie West Coast, due to arrive at Christchurch at 11.5 p.m. yesterday, broke down with an engine failure at Hokitika on the return trip from Ross. The passengers aboard were transported by bus to Greymouth and a second rail-car brought them to Christchurch. They arrived at 12.35 a.m today. There were abcut 50 passengers on the rail-car. Army Medical Courses Twenty-one men—lo soldiers and 11 airmen—passed out from the Medical Corps Depot at Burnham Military Camp yesterday after taking part in a hygiene and sanitation course. The course instructor was Captain G. U. Stanley. Happy Awakening A Melbourne gardener, Mr Alex Thomson, had two big shocks in 15 minutes today. He was knocked unconscious in an accident and came to a quarter of an hour later to find he had won first prize in a £lO,OOO lottery. A visitor found Mr Thomson lying stunned and cut on the head after falling on a concrete block. He was taken indoors and as he recovered he was called to the telephone to hear of his win.—Melbourne, July 4. Grassmere Salt Industry

This year’s harvest of salt at Lake Grassmere is equal to about one-fifth of New Zealand’s total requirements. By adopting improved methods, Dominion Salt. Ltd., in which the Government holds half the shares, was able to increase output to a record of 10.389 tons of salt. This represents savings of more than £lOO.OOO in overseas funds, and is a notable success for one of the country’s more recent industries. Mr Holland Regrets

The Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr Holland) said today that his one regret in receiving the freedom of London today was that “some of my earlier schoolboy friends couldn’t see me riding down in that coach.” Mr Holland, speaking at a civic dinner after the ceremony, added: “Anyway, probably they wouldn’t have believed it was me.”—London, July 3. Cricket Bat as Cheque

A cricket bat blade which became a cheque has been placed among the archives of the National Provincial Bank, says the “News Chronicle.” A fortnight ago Major W. K. Hedley hurriedly thrust the cricket bat into his father’s hand just before he ended his leave and caught a plane back to Germany. He had discovered he had exhausted his cheque book, so to pay an outstanding bill of £3 7s 6d. he stuck a twopenny stamp on the blade of the bat and wrote “cheque” on it. Barclays Bank met it after several conferences with the National Provincial Bank with which Major Hedley had his account. According to the Bills of Exchange Act of 1882, a bill of exchange or cheque is in order provided it is signed and made payable on demand to either the person named or the bearer. Nowhere is it laid down that it must be written on paper.— London, July 4. Navy’s New Cruiser The unusual sight of the flag of the Board of Admiralty being worn by a New Zealand ship will be seen at Devonport, England, on July 9, when the First Lord of the Admiralty (Viscount Cilcennin) will formally hand over the cruiser Royalist to the Prime Minister (Mr Holland). The flag will be worn because the Lords Commissioners of the Board will be among th© guests for the ceremony.— (P.A.) Military Training Ballot A ballot for men who will continue to serve in Canterbury with the army hospital unit —formerly the 3rd General Hospital but now a company of one army hospital for the whole of New Zealand—will be held in King Edward Barracks at 7.30 p.m. today. Sixty-three men, 21 each from the 1954. 1955 and 1956 military training intakes, are required to form the new company. The 3rd General Hospital strength was 169 men. The Early Bird A notice on the wall in a Lincolnshire workshop says: "Happy is the man who is always early—if he can stand the loneliness.” —London, July 4.