General News

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29021, 9 October 1959, Page 10

General News

Big Baby

A baby girl weighing 131 b 12oz was born to Mr and Mrs R. T. Wickstead, of Henderson, Auckland, yesterday. “The doctor told me it was absolutely remarkable,” said Mr Wickstead. “I wouldn’t believe it at first —I even tested the scales with my hand.”—(P.A.) Shipping Control H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus, in Christchurch, will be a headquarters for plotting British merchant shipping movements next week. The activity will be part of a Commonwealth Navy exercise covering a wide area of the Pacific. Two officers will visit ships at Lyttelton on Monday to give instructions to masters and explain manoeuvres, according to the Parliamentary reporter of '‘The Press.” They are the naval control of shipping officer (Lieutenant G. J. Tedd, R.N.Z.N.) and his assistant (Lieutenant A. N. Smith, R.N.Z.N.V.R.). The object of the exercise is to practise control of shipping as would be required in war time. Endowment Scheme A recommendation by the Harbours Association’s executive to be considered at the conference at Timaru this month is that boards subsidise any endowment scheme up to a maximum of 5s a week for each employee, the scheme to apply only to those employees who do not participate in the superannuation scheme. Tour Petition The first petition form to be completed and returned to the New Zealand Citizens’ All Black Tour Association was received yesterday from Jerusalem, said Mr David Stone, the association’s national petition director, last night. “Perhaps it is of some significance that this first petition, with 25 signatures, should come from this tiny settlement on the Wanganui river.”—(P.A.) House Demolition An old house in Sydenham will be demolished by members of the Christchurch North Round Table No. 4 and the proceeds from the sale of the timber, window frames and other items will go to the Christchurch Sheltered Workshops Association. The house has been given to the organisation by an oil company. Members will start their demolition work at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Mobile X-ray Unit The Health Department’s mobile X-ray unit was attended by 236 persons in the Spreydon area yesterday. Today the unit will be at the corner of Lincoln road and Hoon Hay road from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Air Crew Training Thirty members of an R.N.Z.A.F. air crew training course are due back at Wigram today after bging out in the field since September 29. Operating from the West Melton rifle range area the men have been training at aerodrome defence techniques and undergoing survival and escape procedures. Health Stamp Drive The annual house-to-house drive in the Lyttelton and Sumner areas for the sale of health stamps will be conducted tomorrow by boy scouts from Sumner, and Lyttelton sea scouts. Each scout engaged in the house canvass will sell envelopes containing six 4d, and six 3d health stamps. The cost of each envelope will be 3s 6d. The Sumner scouts will carry out their canvass in the Redcliffs, Mount Pleasant, Heathcote, and Sumner areas. All scouts engaged in the work will be in uniform.

“Excess” Licences

The Government has decided that 1958 “excess” import licences are no longer to be deducted from an applicant’s licence entitlement except in the case of built-up motor-vehicles and “out of line importation.” This information is contained in a Customs Department memorandum circulated yesterday.—(P.A.)