General News

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28606, 7 June 1958, Page 12

General News

School For Matrimony “I am getting sick of this hunting for staff and then seeing them married to other membert of the I staff,” said the headmaster of the Christchurch West High School (Mr C. A. Noble). He was commenting at a board meeting on a woman teacher who had been a member of the staff for 16 years, leaving to marry a male 1 member who had been teaching at the school for .21 years. Derby Winner Refused Sir Victor Sassoon, owner of the Derby winner, Hard Ridden, yesterday offered to lend the colt to the Queen for the trooping of the colour ceremony later this month, London newspapers reported. The Queen replied, according to Sir Victor Sassoon: “Oh no, I’d be terrified to' ride a Derby winner.” According to the “News Chronicle” she told him that the defeat of her own horse had not upset her. “I am only upset if I have a good horse which loses. But Miner’s Lamp is not a good horse. If you have a favourite and it loses, that is terrible.” The “Daily Herald” reported that the Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, backed Miner’s Lamp. “I think I should,” he was reported having said. “I am the Queen’s first Minister.”—London, June 5.

Airlift Of 150 Voices Sixty members of the Christchurch Harmonic Society flew to Auckland yesterday on a special National Airways Corporation Viscount charter flight. Others travelled by ordinary flights. The choir is to give the last two concerts of the Auckland Festival — this evening with the National Orchestra and tomorrow afternoon. This airlift of more than 300 persons—about 150 to and from Christchurch—is the largest N.A.C. undertaking yet for any single organisation. The society has paid for the fares with money raised by the sale of potatoes, cakes and other produce. Laminated Arch A new type of building construction, involving laminated radiata pine and plywood, has been successfully tested in Auckland. After being weighted for 24 hours with lead ingots to a total weight of more than five tons, a 40ft portal arch in this type of construction showed no sign of distress. The test load was equal to three times the normal service load. The designers say the arch is lighter and stronger than a steel equivalent. There are eight laminations of radiata pine and three layers of radiata pine plywood. The method is used" overseas.—(P.A.) British Abstract Art The exhibition of British abstract painting brought to New Zealand by the Auckland City Art Gallery has been offered to the MeDougall Art Gallery but it will not be known whether it has been accepted until the City Council meets on June 16. The director of the Auckland gallery has strongly criticised the Dunedin Art Gallery and the National Art Gallery in Wellington for refusing offers of the loan of the exhibition. The exhibition has \beerv arranged for the Auckland gallery by Mr Rex Nan Kivell, of the Redfern Gallery, London. It includes paintings by many of the major figures in contemporary British painting. Among them are Alan Davie, William Gear, Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon, Victor Pasmore and Bryan Wynter.

Rocky Creek Bridge Open The Rocky Creek bridge on the Arthur’s Pass route to the West Coast was officially declared open to motor traffic late yesterday morning, according to the Automobile The bridge was repaired temporarily on Mon- , day and motorists were using it at their own risk during the week. Happier Blackbirds Blackbirds and thrushes are much happier and better fed in cages than free, according to Mr A. Clark, secretary of the Auckland Cage Bird Society. Mr Clark was speaking of two blackbirds at the society’s annual show yesterday. “Why, in a cage the birds will live up to 14 years,” he said. “Free blackbirds -can’t expect more than a few months.” And very few of them lasted more than two years, he added? They had to run the gamut of cats, hawks, and small boys with catapults and airguns.—(P.A.) Poisoning By Plane Rabbit poisoning on unleased portions of the .North Canterbury Catchment Board’s Waimakariri reserves is to be done by aeroplane. It was stated at the board’s meeting yesterday that the job had previously been done by hand but labour costs now made it more economical to have it done by aeroplane. No Coal At Newcastle Tuia hvdro-electric station workers who soend their lives producing power for tens of thousands of homes will dance by the light of hurricane lamps tonight. The occasion is the station staff’s annual ball. This Waikaremoana village is blacked out at 11.30 p.m. “This is too early to finish a ball,’’ the organising committee has ruled. “We will dance until 3 am., with the aid of huricane lamps.’’—(P.A.) Competition When the North Canterbury Catchment Board called tenders for four motor-vehicles jt received the largest number since its formation. It was a sign of the keen competition for such vehicles, said Professor G. Jobberns, chairman -of the finance committee, reporting to the meeting of the board yesterday. Man-Eating Sharks Big sharks of the white pointer species, a savage man-eating type, are again frequenting Tory Channel. They are attracted by the discharge from the whaling factory, located just inside the entrance, and already the whalers have harpooned one 12ft 4in specimen Its liver was sold at a good price by the men who caught it. Two Prisoners Escape (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 6. Two prisoners escaped from the National Park Prison farm at Ohakune at 9.40 tonight. They are Clive John Cavanagh and Roy Eric Lowe.