General News

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28992, 5 September 1959, Page 12

General News

Towing Feat Recalled

A ship which performed one of the longest towing feats in history; is at present in Lyttelton. She is; the Federal Steam Navigation Company's 11.063-ton motor-ship ■ Cambridge. It was under another; name, however, that the Cam-' bridge performed the tow. She was then the Palana. In 1948 she' towed the crippled 4972-ton motor-' ship Fernmoor 2300 miles across ] the Pacific to Auckland. The tow took 23 days. The Cambridge was built in 1937 as the Sussex, the present being her third name. Captain H. R. M. Smith is in command of the Cambridge. Whitebait Prices High Prices for the first of the season's whitebait were still high at the Christchurch fish market yesterday. Seventy-seven pounds of whitebait was on sale, selling from 16s 4d to 18s Id a pound. Most of the supply was from the West Coast, with a little from local rivers. “Care Not To Offend” The yardstick used by the Broadcasting Service in determining which words and expressions are permissible and which are not was sought from the service's director (Mr J. H. E. Schroder) at a writers’ meeting in Wellington. The questioner used ■as an example the much-quoted ; remark of Peter Jones, an All Black: ‘T'm absolutely .”

Such words, he said, did at times come into New Zealand speech, and to attempt to write truly of New Zealand characters without anything more than “damn” did not ring true. Mr Schroder said that beside broadminded persons such as his audience, there were thousands of others who did not approve of such expressions, and for that reason the service took great care not to offend. Mobile X-Ray Unit The Health Department’s 'mobile X-ray unit was attended by 203 persons while it was in the Woolston area yesterday. The number of persons who attended the unit for the week was 988. On Monday the unit will be at the corner of Burlington street and" Gasson street from 9.30 a.m, to 11 a.m., at the corner of King street and Montrose street from 11.45 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the corner of Huxley street and Roger street from 1.45 p.m. to 3 p.m., and at the corner of Malcolm avenue and Birdwood avenue from 3.45 p.m. to 4.15 p.m. Penny Rental The St. John Ambulance Association at Auckland has rented its original premises in Rutland street for Id a.year since 1912. The general manager of the association (Mr S. E. Langstone) said at' a meeting that the property was i offered for lease in 1912. “The ■ condition was that the purchasers! should build an ambulance sta- i tion on the site.” he said. “Our offer was the only one—for Id.; And that has been our annual 1 rent ever since.” Tax On Grant

The £5OO travel grant made to; New Zealand authors by the State Literary Fund is subject to income tax. according to Pro- ! fessor lan Gordon, chairman of; the fund's advisory committee. He told the writers’ conference in Wellington that the Inland Revenue Department held that the scholarship was in fact a contract for work and it was subject to tax. If anything could be done to alter that he would (be happy to know of it. Professor iGordon said he did not think the .grant was sufficient. It did not ‘enable the holders to do a great deal.

Selling I “The commercial community [looks on commercial travellers as 'shock troops. The future of New ; Zealand depends on the selling {overseas of our products. Too] [long have we depended on the | bureaucrats in Wellington, too[ .much have we depended on overseas agencies, too little have we depended on the commercial [travellers, the men with the [ability to sell.” These remarks by the president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (Mr 'J. Roy Smith) were loudly applauded by his audience at the [association day anniversary social of the Canterbury Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association last evening. Busy Day Last Monday was the busiest; day the Railways Department! had had at Lyttelton for many ] years, and was possibly a record.' according to a spokesman of the I waggon supply section of the de- I partment. Cargo from ships filled ' 750 to 800 waggons, each of which carried about eight to 12 tons ' Phosphate from the Vingrom— ‘ | 2712 tons—constituted most of the' | cargo, this being about 700 tons I ■ more thah the average amount j I unloaded in a day. The phosphate] ; was taken to the fertiliser works at Hornby.