General News

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28972, 13 August 1959, Page 14

General News

None Qualified

“No civil servant or Government member would stand in Court and give evidence on the Government’s import licensing policy,” Mr R. W. Edgley said during the hearing of the mower dispute in the Supreme Court yesterday. His remark was prompted by Mr R.‘ A. Young's objection to evidence on the availability of import licences, on the grounds that the witness was not qualified to give an opinion on the topic.

Harbour Bridge Traffic

An engraved silver cocktail tray worth £lO will be presented by the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority to the driver of the millionth vehicle to cross the bridge. The millionth vehicle is expected next Monday or Tuesday. To midnight on Tuesday 928,030 vehicles had been checked through the toll gates since the bridge opened 74 days ago. The authority yesterday decided to install two more toll booths.—(P.A.)

Shearing Championship

The title of “New Zealand Shearing Championship” will be given to the blade shearing section of the shearing competitions to be conducted at the Christchurch Show this year. The winner will receive a cash prize of £2O. This was agreed when the general committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association met yesterday. Heats of both blade and machine competitions will be held on Thursday morhing, with the finals on People’s Day, Friday. The competitions will be staged in the sheep-selling ring, which accommodates about 400, and the public will be charged 2s 6d admission.

Teachers’ Insurance The whole question of insurance cover for teachers transporting pupils in private cars, and related matters, are under review by the Education Department, the Canterbury School Committees’ Association was informed by its Dominion federation last evening Mr S. J. Irwin said he thought the department might accept extra responsibilities in such cases

Moving Parade at Show

A moving parade of livestock, instead of the customary line-up parade, will be held at the Christ church show this year, the general committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association decided yesterday Horses and cattle would enter the ring simultaneously by different gates, and the whoie parade would be speeded up, so that the ring would become “a mass of moving stock,” and create an impressive spectacle, said Mr T. C. Grigg. Everybody round the ring would have something to look at. "And the pipe band, which is often the bugbear of grand parade organisation, will be well away from the animals while it is playing,” added Mr Grigg.

Mobile X-ray Unit The Health Department’s mobile chest X-ray unit was attended by 200 persons while it was in the Linwood area yesterday. Today the unit will be at the corner of Linwood avenue and McGregors road from 9 am to 10 a.m., and the corner of Linwood avenue and Buckleys road from 10.45 a.m. to 4.15 p.m.

Australian Oranges Five* and a half thousand cases of Australian oranges for Christchurch will arrive at Lyttelton today in the Koranui from Wellington, and will be on sale tomorrow or Monday. The last shipment of Australian oranges was about a fortnight ago. A Presbytery First , An historic occasion and “no ordinary formality’’ occurred at last evening’s meeting of the Presbytery of Christchurch, when Mrs K. E. Moore, of St. Aidan’s Church, Mairehau, was presented to the Moderator (the Rev. L. K. Warren). Mrs Moore is the first woman elder on the Christchurch Presbytery Early Tomatoes The first of the new season's hothouse tomatoes appeared oa the Christchurch fruit and produce markets yesterday. The tomatoes, grown locally, were selling at 6s to 7s a pound. The prices of North Island tree tomatoes and Chinese gooseberries has risen from 25s to 35s a case during the last two days. The flush of the season is over.

Hoon Hay Parish Formerly part of St. James’ Presbyterian parish at Spreydon, Hoon Hay is now to be established as a separate parish by a motion approved by the Presbytery of Christchurch at its meeting last evening. The formation of the new parish will cater for the needs of some 240 families. The appointment of the Rev. R. J. Griffiths as the interim moderator was approved. N.S.W. Liquor Laws The secretary of the United Licensed Victuallers’ Association (Mr C. H Suisted) returned to Wellington yesterday from a holiday in New South Wales with a fine impression of the drinking customs and facilities of that state. He said that late closing of hotels had proved very acceptable to the New South Wales public, and he was sure they would vote in favour of it again if necessary. Late closing had not increased convictions for drunkenness—he had sought out the figures, he said.—(P.A.) Sod Hut for Sale Nobody in Christchurch apparently wants to buy a sod hut. The Canterbury Horticultural Society is still seeking a purchaser for the model sod hut, a feature of the society’s floral show in Hagley Park earlier this year. Anybody who wants to buy it may communicate with the secretary (Mr J. Fraser). Another aftermath of flower shows is the lost property awaiting claimants in Mr Fraser's office—one red watering can, shaped like a swan, one red plastic bucket, one hand basket, and one pair of child's red shoes.