General News

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 16

General News

Puzzle For Police A lifebelt from the Holmglen was picked up in Otago harbour yesterday morning. The police puzzled over its appearance so many miles from where the vessel foundered and sank, until it was learned that the belt had been tossed to the occupants of a capsized yacht when the Holmglen was last in Dunedin. The lifebelt had been in the water for a fortnight.—(P.A.) “Riotous Urbanites” Introducing a lighter note to his discussion of the serious problem of providing housing for New Zealand’s growing population. Mr H. C. Holden, at the economists’ conference in Wellington yesterday asked why city dwellers’ gardens produced less food than country dwellers’. “An analysis of census returns indicates that the home gardens of New Zealand produced 23.3 per cent of the vegetable requirements of the country, while in the 15 urban areas the home gardens produced only 20 ner cent, of the requirements of these areas. Whether this indicates that the urbanites are less energetic or spend more time in riotous living than their country cousins is a question which could well be the subject of a more interesting study than this.”—(F.O.O.R.)

Bug-Damaged Wheat It was known only too well that flour from bug-damaged wheat could not be used for breadmaking and the opportunity had arisen to find out the effects of bug-wheat damage on pastrycooking lines, said a report by the director (Mr E. W. Hullett) to the Wheat Research Committee yesterday. Trials with a severely damaged flour showed no effects with scones, short pastry and ’sponge cake. * Produce Markets All varieties of fruit and vegetables were available in large quantities at Christchurch produce markets yesterday. Cherries from Central Otago are becoming more plentiful and were selling at 2s 6d to 3s 6d a pound. Strawberries sold at 2s 3d to 3s 9d a punnet and grapefruit, the last of the season, rose from 22s to 37s a case. Tree From Norway The people of Lillehammer, Norway (population, 7000) have sent a Christmas tree, complete with decorations and lights, to the people of Whakatane The tree, a 10ft spruce, is in the refrigeration room of the Tamerlane which is due in Auckland on December 7. The tree was cut in Norway about six weeks ago. —(P.A.) Globemasters Leave The last of the United States Air Force Globemaster transport planes left Christchurch yesterday to return to base in South Carolina at the end of the 1959 Antarctic aerial resupply operations. Chairman’s Honorarium An honorarium of £5OO a year for its ehairman was approved by the Paparua County Council at its annual meeting last evening. This sum is the maximum allowed by law. Mr J. H. Weaver was re-elected to office as county chairman. Submarine’s Visit A submarine is to help the Navy observe the next anniversary of the Treaty-of Waitangi, the Navy Department announced yesterday. She is H.M.S. Andrew, a streamlined A-class submarine normally based at Sydney: She will visit New Zealand in February to exercise in the Hauraki Gulf with ships x)f the Royal New Zealand Navy and aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Andrew will arrive at Waitangi on February 5 and join the naval force which will take part in the ceremony marking the treaty anniversary. She will subsequently begin a series pf exercises which will conclude in mid-March with her return to Australia.—(P.A.)

N.Z. Newspapers The standard of New Zealand newspapers has impressed Mr Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, an Austrian free-lance journalist and novelist who is at present visiting Christchurch. “They are serious and informative.” he said. “Even the country town newspapers make a good impression.” This was a refreshing change after most of the British newspapers, which were hardly more than “scandal-mongering sheets." Mr Kuehnelt-Leddihn said that he noticed some of the leading city newspapers in New Zealand carried advertisements on their front pages, similar to “The Times” in London. “I like that. I think it shows restraint,” he said. “You are not out just to catch the reader's eye with headlines.” Mr Kuehnelt-Led-dihn’s only fault to find was that New Zealand newspapers did not carry enough special articles from free-lance journalists and other contributors.

“Mystery Sounds” Prize

Identifying genuine sounds such as lyre birds drumming, a kettle singing and the boom of thunder from simulated reproductions and writing suitable slogans won five Australian couples a fortnight’s holiday in New Zealand. The winners arrived at Whenuapai last night on the first T.E.A.L. Electra flight from Australia. Mrs A. W. Stening, of Mitcham, Victoria, was the winner of the contest in her State. She correctly identified the seven “mystery sounds,” and after submitting a slogan informed her husband that they were off on a two-weeks’ trip to New Zealand. The quiz winners will leave on Thursday on a tour of North Island resorts and will also tour the South Island. They return to Sydney from Christchurch on December 13.—(P.A.)

Mobile X-Ray Unit The Health Department’s mobile X-ray unit handled 145 persons in the Hornby-Islington district yesterday. Today the unit will be at comer of Wilsons road and Water- ■ 100 road from 8.45 a.m. to 11 a m,, the corner of Aurora street and Manurere street from 11.45 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and at the Wycola shopping centre from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.