General News

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29292, 25 August 1960, Page 14

General News

New Petrol Here

The first of the 83 octane petrol to arrive at Lyttelton was discharged yesterday from the tanker Jaraconda. The Jaraconda, formerly the Bonita, has a million gallons of petrol for Lyttelton and Bluff. This is the vessel’s third visit to Lyttelton. She is commanded by Captain G Erdmann. Cheaper Fares Auckland travel agents said yesterday that keener competition by shipping lines had led to one shipping company reducing it’s off-season fares to Britain by £35 for the tourist class minimum, and by £45 on one-class minimum rates. The cheapest fare to Britain will be £B5 tourist class and £lOO one-class for accommodation in six-berth cabins.—(P.A.) Matter Of Tactics “It would be bad tactics on our part to ask for higher speed limits, and, at the same time, take Ministers of the Crown to task for exceeding 50-miles an hour speed limit when they are on Government business,” said Mr W. L. Young at a meeting of the North Island Motor Union in Wellington yesterday. The meeting rejected a Manawatu motion that the part of the Transport Act allowing Government members engaged on urgent Government business to exceed the speed limit be revoked—(P.A.) Oranges On Sale A consignment of North Island oranges was offered for sale in the produce markets yesterday, selling from 44s to 51s a case. Winter Cole pears were available at 35s a case and New Zealand grapefruit at 26s a case. Celery sold at 16s a case and onions at up to 25s a sugar bag. Rhubarb from the Cheviot district was on sale in some city shops at 2s a bunch. Repairs To Bridge The Ohau bridge on the Pukaki-Omarama highway will be closed for redecking between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m .and 4 p.m. from Monday to Saturday for about two months. The redecking began earlier this week. Highly Successful Fifty-four out of 56 nurses employed by the North Canterbury Hospital Board were successful in the recent State final examinations for nurses. Seven gained honours and two partial passes. In State final examinations for nurse aids at Burwood Hospital, all 12 candidates were successful, one gaining honours. In the final examinations for maternity nurses, all nine candidates from Essex Hospital were successful. The board yesterday extended congratulations to the candidates and tutors. Television Hypnosis

Sociologically, television had a somewhat hypnotic effect of telling people not how to think, but what to think, said Mr B. T. Withers in a lecture on television last evening. Speaking in the subdued lighting of an engineering lecture room, and surrounded by a battery of flickering blue television screens, Mr Withers said: “If you have somebody on television telling you something all the time. I feel rather seriously that you are being taught not how to think, but what to think.”

A “Quiet” Hospital

Comments from those who were used to other institutions was that Princess Margaret Hospital appeared “quiet and only halfactive.” said Mr T. McGuigan senior administrative officer, in his annual report to the North Canterbury- Hospital Board yesterday. “I cannot' see anything wrong with that,” said Mr McGuigan. “A hospital should be quiet and one of the features of Princess Margaret Hospital is that it operates quietly and efficiently. That ts in itself a tribute to those who planned it to those who today work

Secret Scraps “We have a rule in our office that rubbish must be torn into a thousand pieces,” said Mr D. G Porter at a meeting of the Wellington public relations advisory committee. “If we don’t we can get a chain of confidential documents spread In the streets.” he said. The committee was discussing the possibility of an antilitter campaign in Wellington.

Australian Exchange The Education Department intends to arrange up to six teacher exchanges between New Zealand ,Y. arious Australian States for the 1961 school year. Applicant' must be between the ages of 25 and 45 years and have five years’ teaching service. Those selected will have their full New Zealand • .Pa’d: but be responsible fm- their own travelling expenses They will be free from New Zealand tax for the period, but required to pay Australian tax.

Sluggish Pet A magnificent slug, fully six inches long, is the unusual pet of a 12-year-old Dun-din schoolboy, Brian Ward. The slug was found on the front doorstep about six months ago, and Brian named it George. “Mum is always asking me to feed him to the birds or to try to lose him. but I think he is nice, said Briar During the time he has had his pet, Brian i s^, fed what he calls his “tiger slug” on a staole diet of cabbage, so that now the slug is fat, well-fed and in a single movement can stretch from 3in to 6in Antarctic Work “It has teen suggested that New Zealanders are inclined to underrate their achievements in the Antarctic,” said the chairman kJ Canterbury branch of the ~e . w „ Ze^ and Antarctic Society , <Mr H ’’ F Griffiths) at a meeting , “Actually New Zealand is doing a great job of work in the fields of surveying and mapping, geology and meteorology,” he said. Name For Cub Chimo. an Eskimo word of welcome. has been chosen as the name for the 14-weeks-old polar bear cub at the Auckland zoo It was submitted bv Suella Mary &STI4M ged ' nd was ChoSe " from 1486 entries.—(P_A.)