General News

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28129, 19 November 1956, Page 10

General News

High Tide Delays Election

An unusually high tide at Tokerau Beach held up the counting of votes on Saturday in the Mangonui county. North Auckland. The sea, lapping the sand hills, cut communication between a polling booth and the beach post office, and the result of the voting could not be given to the returning at Kaitaia until the water receded. The beach is the highway in this part of the county. Polling at Tokerau Beach was vitai to the outcome of the contest in the Awanui and Mangonui ridings, as well as to the local contest for the Bay of Islands Electric Power Board. —(P.A.)

Olympic Flame Starts Fire The Olympic flame today set fire to an Army truck. A spent torch thrown into the leading truck of the convoy following the relay ignited three spare torches, and a big blaze started. Army men threw the burning torches onto the roadway and smothered the fire in the truck. The flame reached Newcastle, 104 miles north of Sydney, this morning. It will pass through Sydney on its way south tonight.—Sydney, Nov. 18. R.N.Z.N. Memorial A stained glass window commemorating the close comradeship between the Royal New Zealand and Royal Australian Navies in two world wars was dedicated in the Memorial Chapel of the Flinders Naval Depot this morning. The window is also a memorial to New Zealand Naval men who lost their lives in the two wars. At the same time, it is a token of appreciation for the training given to New Zealand Naval personnel in Australia during 20 years. The ceremony was attended by the Second Naval Member of the New Zealand Naval Board, Commodore C. H. Campbell, who flew to Australia fo* the occasion.—Melbourne, November 18 Broadcast by Mr Watts In his first broadcast talk since his return from recent discussions in London and New York, the Minister of Finance (Mr J. T. Watts), at 6.50 p.m. today, will give some of his impressions of overseas conditions, and will explain also the reasons why the Government is raising its current £5,000.000 loan.—(P.A.)

Expedition’s Stores Sold

Some hundreds of tons of stores that were intended for use by the New Zealand Antarctic expedition were auctioned recently in Wellington. The goods, damaged by salt water, had been uploaded from H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour. They included large quantities of flour, sugar and tinned foodstuffs, as well as tools and mechanical equipment. All the goods offered were sold. Ten waterlogged mattresses sold for £l2 each. Sugar went at 6d per lb. Tinned meats and foodstuffs sold at an average of Is 5d a tin and 50 cases of coffee sold at 4s per lb. Cocoa sold at the same price. A 3J h.p. outboard motor —it had been submerged in water in the Endeavour's hold—sold for £33. Peas fetched from Is to Is 6d a tin.

Buoys Lost Rough seas during the week have caused the loss of two cylindrical buoys belonging to the New Brighton Surf Life-saving Club. The buoys broke loose from their moorings and drifted away from the club's beach area. Replacements of this type of buoy are difficult to obtain, and the club would be grateful if any person finding them would notify it. Duke’s Midget Camera The Duke of Edinburgh has a “secret” camera to photograph people and places he is seeing on his informal toUr of the South Pacific. The silver camera is matchbox size and fits in the palm of the hand. Its high quality lens with great depth of focus yields good enlargements from Bmm film. The Duke has been using the camera while moving about the Australian putback towns and farms. The Duke stopped his car in Alice Springs today to give some advice to blushing amateur photographer. Miss Ruby Hunt, aged 28, of Bamown, Victoria. Miss Hunt was trying to aim her box camera through the window of the Royal car as it travelled down Rocky Hill. The Duke learned out of the window. “That’s not it,” he said. ‘‘Try holding it the other way round and come up a bit closer.” Miss Hunt got her picture and the Duke's car continued.—Alice Springs, November 18.

Boys’ Budgerigar Friends Two t budgerigars. Archie and Danny, who refused to be photographed. are the constant companions of Keith Jordan, aged 11, who has been a poliomyelitis patient in the Waikato Hospital since last February. Keith, who is the son of Mr and Mrs D. C. Jordan, of Hamilton, now spends nine hours a day in an iron lung. Archie and Danny never leave him. Keith’s first physiotherapist. Miss M. E. Young, now of Rotorua, suggested the birds for his amusement and help. She and other nurses went to Cambridge and bought Archie for him. An Englishman’s Drink

Sir Stanley Rous, tall, jovial secretary of the English Football Association told a joke against himself when talking with members of the Canterbury Football Association at Harewood airport. Sir Stanley Rous made reference to his knowledge of the French language, remarking that it was based on te. t book French. In a French hotel, he ordered a drink and was surprised to find he had been given a whisky and soda. His wife whose French was much better than his, explained that no doubt the waiter couldn’t understand him and after looking at him had decided that a whisky and- soda should suit. N.Z. Television Problems

The two main problems facing the introduction of television in New Zealand were the mountainous country and the very high cost of programmes, said Professor I. A. Gordon, professor of English at Victoria University College at the annual conference in Wellington of the Association of New Zealand Advertisers. Professor Gordon recently toured the United States and Great Britain to make a special study of television. He said that the mountains and high hills of New Zea- -- nd would possibly medn that at least four transmitting stations would be needed. Television waves travelled in straight lines and obstructions of any kind interfered with reception. Building Materials by Air

Materials for three wood and by plane on Friday in the rugged by plane yesterday in the ruuged Urekera bush country. 60 miles from Rotorua. The work was carried out for the New Zealand Forest Service from a Beaver aircraft piloted by Mr W, J. Pentecost. The huts 'will be used by the Wide-life Division's deercullers. Except for some sheet iron and wire netting, all the materials for the huts were pre-cut. Attached to parachutes 24ft in diameter, the packages were dropped at Mount Manuoha. at Mount Whakatakaa. and at the headwaters of the Te Hoe river. The three sites are within about nine miles of each other. The huts will be assembled by the deer-cullers. Eventually others will be built throughout the Urewera Country for the use of trampers and private hunters as well as for Forest Service men.— (P.A.) £2OOO From Tourists The Tourist and Publicity Department estimates that more than 6000 dollars (about £2000) was spent in Wellington on Thursday during the 14-hour stay of the visiting cruise ship Mariposa. This figure represents money spent on shore excursions and ; souvenirs bought in Wellington, and: on berthage charge and provisions for the ship.