General News

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 12

General News

Town Hall Site “The council had better keep everything controversial off the agenda,” said the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) to the City Council last evening after he had undertaken that the town hall committee would report to the next meeting of the council. He had been asked by Cr. L. G. Amos what progress had been made in negotiations to obtain a site for the town halh No Speedboats Speedboating near the swimming area at The Groynes, near Belfast, on the Waimakariri river has been banned by the North Canterbury Catchment Board. One complaint made to the board was that a speedboat had been driven in among swimmers at this popular picnic place. Blood Bank Low Blood reserves at the blood bank at the Christchurch Public Hospital were running low yesterday Three hundred pints have been used in 10 days, and up to 35 on one person. On Friday, a day when blood is usually not received from donors, 106 pints were taken at Rangiora because of the shortage. In January, 1957 342 pints were used against the 613 pints used in January, 1958 and in February, 1957, 390 pints were used, against 530 pints in February, 1958. The main shortage is in the O group. Police Recruiting “Police recruiting figures for the first week of the recruiting campaign are encouraging,” said the Minister in charge of Police (Mr Connolly) yesterday. “There have been 23 firm applications to join the force, and recruiting officers report many inquiries. However, it is far too early in the campaign to make any predictions. The present level of applications will have to be maintained for some months for success.”—(P.A.) Immigrants Arrive The Dutch migrant ship Sibajak arrived at Wellington yesterday morning with 589 immigrants, of whom 117 were from the United Kingdom. Also aboard were 94 Dutch who have come to New Zealand to see their children who have migrated since the war. They will be here for about six months. The rest of the ship’s total will go to Australia.—(P.A.) Advice On Marketing Falling prices for New Zealand butter could be tackled like any other business problem, the Governor-General (Lord Cobham) said last night at the annual dinner of the Auckland* Chamber of Commerce. “You have been on a seller’s market for a long time, and now you are on a buyer’s market,” he said. His Excellency recommended a full market survey embracing advertising, production and shipping.—(P.A.) Supplies By Helicopter A helicopter from Christchurch was used during the week-end to drop supplies and equipment to the prospectors for gold operating in the Taipo valley. The take-off was from near the main Otira highway and the helicopter travelled to a site well up the rugged valley. The exact site of the prospecting has so far been a closely - guarded secret.— (F.0.0.R.) Balloon Advertising A neon-lit balloon may bob and dip above Cathedral square day and night to advertise the town hall promotion scheme. This is the hope of Mr P. B. Watts, chairman of the committee, who daw such balloons while in Japan. He told the general committee last evening that he was writing to a friend in Japan to learn more about the balloons, which are commonly used there for commercial advertising. Gravel From River The National Roads Board will take up to 6000 cubic yards of gravel from the bed of the Selwyn river in the vicinity of the Main South road. The question of the royalty to be paid will be taken up with the Roads Board by the chief engineer of the North Canterbury Catchment Board (Mr H M Reid). Dangerous Goods Raffles for motor-cars, firearms or alcohol were “definitely out,” Mr J. T. Skedden reported to the Town Hall Promotion Committee last evening. He had this information from the Internal Affairs Department. The committee has been promised a car, valued at nearly £lOOO, and was discussing how to dispose of it to the best advantage. Some game with an element of skill would be acceptable, said the chairman (Mr P. B. Watts). However, land can be raffled and the committee decided to raffle a £250 section of nearly 40 perches, at South Shore, which has been given to them. Personal Items Mr Thorkild Wegener-Clausen who has been counsellor of the Danish Embassy in Oslo, since 1955 has been appointed Charge d’Affaires of the Danish Legation at Wellington in succession to Mr M. G. I. Melchoir, who is returning to Copenhagen to take up an appointment with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Mr WegenerClausen entered the Danish Foreign Service in 1935, and has served in Hamburg. London and New York. Mr Melchoir will leave Wellington for Europe on March 31.—(P.A.) Mr R. A. Keir, who is the engineering inspector of the Department of Education, AuckInad, is being sent by the Department of External Affairs to Ceylon and Singapore to report on the progress of technical education. Later he will visit Australia, where he will investigate recent developments in the education of technicians. Mr Keir was formerly head of the engineering department of the Christchurch Technical College. He will be away from New Zealand for about four months.