General News

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28429, 8 November 1957, Page 14

General News

Incubation Period Asked by Mr R. C. Neville for an indication of the time of the completion of the new Christchurch railway station, Mr E. W. Hayton, the Railways Department District Traffic Manager, made the following reply at a council meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last evening. He believed that after an egg was laid, the chicken took three weeks to hatch The foundation stone of the station would be laid on November 19 and if members could relate the size of the chicken to that of the railway station they could work out for themselves how soon it would be completed. Tasting Panels In an effort to find out what persons liked what kinds of chocolates and sweets at what ages. confectionery companies with which he was associated employed several tasting panels, said Mr Eric D. Mackintosh, of Norwich, in ah interview in Christchurch last evening. One panel comprised 20 expert samplers of confectionery, another panel comprised 200 persons from all walks of life (including several surely lucky schoolchildren); and a third panel consisted of 2000 selected persons providing a complete cross-section of the community. Panel members were regularly sen. samples of new products, said Mr Mackintosh, and filled in supplied questionnaires in recording their opinions on the excellence, or non-excellence. of them. “By experience. we find out who aie the ‘good tasters’ and who are the ‘bad tasters’ and retain or dispense with their services accordingly,” he said. “She’ll Do” The compilers of the Oxford English dictionary are seeking words and expressions peculiar to New Zealand for inclusion in a special supplement. An example of the "New Zealand usage ’ sought is the expression “she’ll do.” Anyone interested in contributing has been invited to write to the curriculum officer of the Education Department in Wellington. Navy Visits Hokitika Two Royal New Zealand Naval motor launches, the Paea and the Mako, became the first naval vessels for almost a century to enter the port of Hokitika when they arrived for a two-day visit yesterday. In 1868 an auxiliary steamer of the Royal Navy lay off the entrance to the Hokitika river, but did not venture to cross the treacherous bar. The port has not been used for the last two and a half years by other than one or two small fishing vessels. The naval launches will leave for Greymouth tomorrow in the course of a tour of most New Zealand ports.— (P.A.) Absent-minded Not only professors are absentminded. A member of the Christchurch branch of the Library Association of New Zealand, in his haste to attend a meeting last evening, failed to lock his bicycle to the stand outside the Canterbury Public Library. He locked someone else’s. The unfortunate owner of the locked cycle waited some time for the owner of the key to return, and it was not until all the patrons of the library had departed that he made inquiries. The member who had locked the cycle left the meeting amid laughter and returned somewhat sheepishly. Lizard In Oranges A three-inch long black dia-mond-headed lizard jumped out of a case of Australian oranges when the case was Opened yesterday by Mrs L. T. Woodcock, wife of a Miramar fruiterer. Mr R E. Barwick, a Victoria University zoologist, subsequently identified the lizard as an Australian gecko The lizard was probably a youngster which had slipped unnoticed into the case of oranges during packing operations in South Australia. he said.— (P.A.) Launch Towed To Bluff Four days’ isolation on the remote Ruggedy Islands ended for two Tort Chalmers fishermen. Messrs Cornelius de Ryk and R Gazeley, when their damaged craft, the Star of the South, was towed into Bluff late last night. As the two craft—the Madora. a Bluff craft made the tow —drew into the wharves an uneventful five-hour trip ended. Ideal conditions marked the crossing. At high tide yesterday the Star of the South was pulled off the beach on which it had grounded, and the tow began an hour and a half later. The boat will be run up a slipway for repairs to rudder and propeller.— (P.A.) Phonetically “Baa.” said a witness in the Supreme Court yesterday when asked by counsel to demonstrate how he would imitate the bleating of a lamb. “How is my associate going to note that down?” asked Mr Justice Adams. The unusual piece of evidence was given during the hearing of a sheep-stealing charge against an Okuti Valley farmer. Drums Instructions for making drums out of discarded articles, ranging from boiling coppers to flower pots, are contained in an eightpage brochure available through the National Film Library. Teachers interested in this work have contributed. Most of the drums listed could be made by children at home or at school. The brochure also contains suggestions for the progressive use of drums in school work from the primer classes to form 11. Some teachers have found that imaginative use of varied drums provides more interest than the formal percussion band and that they can be widely used in the accompaniment of school music, dancing, and physical education. Refresher Courses Because of the large numbers of applications to attend South Island teachers’ refresher courses in reading and writing and in languages, it has been decided that the first should now be held at the School for the Deaf. Sumner, and the second at Canterbury Agricultural College. Lincoln. The South Island physical education course has been cancelled and a national course will now be held at Wairarapa College. All will take place in January.