General News

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 16

General News

“Mad, Stupid Session” “It was a mad and stupid session,” said the Leader of the Op- : position (Mr Holyoake) at a businessmen’s luncheon in Wanganui when answering a question about the conduct of members on both side§ during the last Parliamentary session. “We had fought a hard battle in November, and the Labour Party ignored certain i rules in driving the House to en- [ able the Prime Minister to go ( overseas.” he said. Mr Holyoake hoped for a better tone during the next session.—(P.A.) Local Cherries ; About 251 b oi cherries grown m the Heathcote Valley were received at a Christchurch pro- ! duce market yesterday. They were selling in the shops for 4s 3d a half lb A small quantity of tangeloes from "erikeri was 1 also available. Tangeloes, which . are a cross between the tange- . fine and the grapef uit, are not extensively grown in New Zea--1 land, and are still in the experii mental stage. They were selling t in the shops at from 2s 6d to 3s per lb. Retailers reported a good ’ demand for water melons, and ’ one in particular said he was cut- , ting at the rate of one an hour A few locally-grown hothouse french beans were selling for 7s 6d per lb. Care Of The Land “It is imperative that each generation should hand the soil over to the next generation in a better state than it received it. In our mountain soils, the record of this generation is not one to be proud of.” said Mr D. J. Raeside, a pedologist of the Soil Bureau of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, speaking about the soils of Otago to the New Zealand Grassland Association yesterday. Referring to soils of the high altitude grasslands over 3000 ft. of which there are 1.745.000 acres in Otago. Mr Raeside said that some had been damaged to the stage where it might not be economically possible to reclaim them. Repeated warnings against burning had passed unheeded by farmers and administrators alike, so that most of the mountain grasslands and soils of Otago were in poorer state today than when the first pioneers arrived.— iF.0.0.R.) Easy Gate A self-shutti ig gate, which needs only a gentle bump from a truck to open it, is being displayed at the Metropolitan Show. Made of heavy gauge netting and tubular metal can also oe opened by a on horseback but will not budge under the vigorous bumping of ■ scratchinc cow. After looking it over thoroughly yesterday and nod ding appreciatively through the salesman’s talk a farmer remarked as he left: ‘A man will forget how to walk, soon.” Not Much Help During the hearing of a car conversion trial in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon a hotel was mentioned Mr Justice McCarthy asked: ‘Where is tH«s hotel?” Mr A. D. Holland, counsel for the accused, said: It is me nearest hotel to the Court, sir His Honour commented: “That doesn’t help me much ” Plastic Bag Danger A child, playing with a plastictype bag. pulled it over its head and nearly suffocated in Oamaru on Tuesday The father of the child yesterday warned parents against allowing their children to pla; with this type of material The child, a girl aged three years and a half, v s using the ba is a hat. but pulled it over her head As the air in the bag was exhaled. moisture formed causing it ♦n Tontract and stick to the child s face, creating a vacuum. Fortunately the ’other heard the ■hild collapse and was able to ♦ear the bag from the already blue face of the child. The child had fully recovered yesterday ’ r he father in the interests of safety in the home, intends tn draw this incident to the notice c r ' c Health Department.— PA » Invariable Answer Cross-examining a witness m the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. Mr A. D Holland asked: ‘‘ls it not a fact you were very drunk?” Witness: No. Mr Justice McCarthy commented: “I have heard that question asked half a dozen times in the last fortnight. Never have I heard a witness answer ‘Yes’ ” School Holidays j Most primary schools and some ] post-primary schools in Christchurch will have a holiday todav 1 as well as tomorrow. The prim- J ary schools, which are allowed 1 three local holidays a year at the ' discretion of their committees. * nominate Thursday as a “show * day” holiday, corresponding with those observed for local shows in ( centres like Ashburton The high ’ schools have no such provision: ’ but some of them have a day m hand through starting a term on Monday instead of Tuesday. ( Tomorrow is a statutory holiday ( observed throughout the province ( in lieu of the Canterbury anni- ( versary day. which actually falls f on December 16. All public • schools will close. i