General News

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29334, 13 October 1960, Page 14

General News

Fire Escape Missing The Christchurch East School has lost its fire escape, Mrs M. A. Rae told the Canterbury School Committees’ Association last evening, during a brief discussion on fire egress from schools. At the request of the school committee, a fire escape had been erected at the school by the Education Board—“but unfortunately during painting operations it disappeared and we are still trying to trace it,” said Mrs Rae. “Well, we wish you luek, Mrs Rae,” said the chairman. Marked Exhibits In a criminal charge in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday a large number of marked banknotes was produced and identified by a bank clerk, so that all 26 letters in the alphabet had been used up in marking them as exhibits. A later witness in the case, a totalisator agency board clerk, then produced several doubles tickets which she said .had been purchased by the accused to cover all doubles at race meetings in New Zealand on a certain date. As they were produced, the exhibits were marked “AA,” “BB,” “CC,” and so on. There was a mild stir among counsel and others in Court when the last exhibit was marked as exhibit "GG.” Windy Weather North-west winds gusting up to gale force blew in Christchurch yesterday. The maximum gust was 53 m.p.h. at 10.5 a.m. The next in strength was 43 m.p.h. at 1.10 p.m. and 40 m.p.h. at 2.5 p.m, Between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. wind speeds averaged 30 m.p.h., with a gradual decrease to only an occasional strong gust during the afternoon. Maximum temperature at the meteorological office at Harewood was 68.2 degrees about 4 p.m. Labour From Overseas Prosperity on the other side of the world .was no reason for New Zealanders to believe it was impossible to get immigrants to come to this country, Mr J. K. Dobson, of Christchurch, told the Manufacturers’ Federation convention in Auckland yesterday. “I advertised overseas for labour,” he said, “and there was no lack of starters, skilled and unskilled.” —(P.A.) Winds At Rongotai Strong winds interrupted ajr services to Wellington airport yesterday. Soon after 7 p.m. two DC3’s were diverted to Paraparaumu. All Bristol Freighters were ordered to use Paraparaumu. Viscounts were not affected.—(P.A.) Maternity Leave Four members of the Canterbury School Committees’ Association will go to the United Service Hotel at 9 a.m. next Monday —as a deputation to the Minister of Education (Mr Skoglund)—to press the association’s claims for a revision of the regulations governing maternity leave for women teachers. The association envisages the appointment of a permanent class teacher when a woman goes on maternity leave, instead of a succession of relieving teachers, which is the practical effect of the present regulation, with the woman teacher being offered an equivalent' position when she returns from leave. Safety Exhibition The industrial safety exhibition being staged by the Departments of Labour and Health will open in the Woolston R.S.A. Hall at midday today, and can be seen there until 9 a.m. tomorrow. ' ne present location should enable many factory workers in the Woolston area to see the exhibition. Films will be shown tonight and tomorrow evening. Admission is free. Early Strawberries Six cases of strawberries containing eight punnets each arrived from Oratia, near Auckland at a Christchurch produce market yesterday. They will be sold today. Although very early they are not the first of the season. The coconuts from Samoa were sold yesterday at 49s a sack, each sack containing 70 coconuts. Asparagus is now well into season and sold at about 2s 6d a bunch in shops yesterday. Broad beans from Waimate sold at Is 5d per lb in the markets.