General News

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28896, 16 May 1959, Page 12

General News

“Gateway” To N.Z. Nearly twice as many visitors to New Zealand during the last year used Auckland as their gateway to the country than those who arrived at any other port, according to figures produced by the research section of the Tourist Department. Auckland served two-thirds of the visitors who arrived by air. and nearly threefifths of the arrivals by sea.— (P.A.) Poor Value The alpine garden, bvrilt at a cost of £5B. was the worst value the Arthur’s Pass National Park Board had received, said Professor L. W. McCaskill at yesterday’s meeting of the . board. “Where did the £5B come in?” jhe asked. "Give me £5B and I’ll [do the job all over again.’’ i Produce Markets After an improvement last [week. increased supplies of most (varieties of vegetables have not (met with the ready demand anticipated at the Christchurch produce markets this week. Silver 'beet was practically unsellable at Is a case, and large quantities had to be dumped. Heavy supplies of washed carrots and parsl nips sold from 4s to 8s a sugar- • bag. Lettuces dropped considerably. and were selling for 12s a (dozen Best quality hothouse (tomatoes realised 3s per lb. Newj Zealand marmalade grapefruit! .sold for £1 to 34s a case, and ’the last consignment of Motueka-] (grown water melons sold for 8d I per lb I Seamen’s Roll Of Honour The names of at least 69 New (Zealand seamen who died in the j Second World War are included [ in the merchant navy and fishing | fleet roll of honour presented to ! the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) j yesterday. The presentation was ! made by the United Kingdom i High Commissioner. Sir George i Mallaby, at a brief but impressive ceremony in the Prime Minister’s i office. The roll of honour com-] prises three leather-bound volumes! compiled by the United Kingdom; Ministry of Transport and Civil: Aviation. It contains the names ( of more than 30,000 merchant sea-| men and fishermen who died serving in British merchant or fishing! boats or in foreign ships chartered: by the United Kingdom Govern-] ment.—(P.A.) New Hotel At Wyndham ! Plans for a new hotel at Wynd-! ham are virtually complete. Once 1 the money for the hotel’s con-| struction is assured, work will be-; gin within a few weeks, according] to the chairman of the Mataura i ; Licensing Trust. Mr A. L. Dola-] (more. The new hotel would accom-i ! modate eight guests, and there 1 would be provision for extensions' so that at least 16 people could ; stay there. After the Wyndham ; Hotel, the next trust project (would be undertaken at Mataura, i There was no great demand fori accommodation in Mataura, but a] ! large bar was required. Mountain Birdlife Sixteen pairs of paradise ducks] were counted recently on the I Waimakariri river and a pair of blue mountain ducks on Lake] Misery. Reporting on birdlife ini the Arthur’s Pass national park to yesterday’s annual meeting of the board, the chairman (Mr T W Preston) said introduced birds ipredominated in the township area | but small native birds such as (tom tits, grey warblers and oc- | casional pied fantails were seen! ; there. Muttonbird Ashore A muttonbird. apparentlvl I blown ashore in recent gales, has! been found on a farm in the 1 Kailua Valley. Mr E. G Turbot - .! assistant director of the Canter-, bury Museum, said yesterday that the owner of the farm. Mr S., E Patten, caught the bird on I Sunday and released it from the' breakwater at Sumner It was: apparently unharmed by its stay ashore and swam strongly away.