General News

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29383, 9 December 1960, Page 16

General News

“On The Mat” Pleading not guilty to charges of opening premises and selling liquor after hours, a licensee of a city hotel said under crossexamination in the Magistrate's Court yesterday that he had had his whole staff “on the mat” and none of them would admit to selling the liquor. “You did not look in the mirror did you?” asked the police prosecutor, Sergeant V. F. Townshend. Smoke From Ngauruhoe Mount Ngauruhoe may be working up to another eruption. Dense clouds of. blue smoke have been pouring from it for the last fortnight. At times the smoke has covered nearby Mount Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe’s peak has been hidden continuously by smoke. No noise has been heard at the Chateau Tongariro, but slight volcanic tremors are reported to have been recorded by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research a little more than a Week ago. Ngauruhoe last erupted in 1954, when large flows of lava cascaded over the snow-covered slopes.—(P.A.) Advantages Of Hostel The efficiency of the staff of the Christchurch Girls’ High School hostel is seen in the academic success of the resident girls, the principal, Miss R. F. C. Tyndall, said at the school break-up last night. “Nearly onequarter of the class prizes have been won by hostel girls, though they represent less than oneeighth of the total roll,” she reported. i Eighth Speech “This is my eighth prize-giving speech,” said Professor A. J. Danks at the prize-giving ceremony of Riccarton High School last evening. "When I had to give my first I decided to do some probing to find out what I should say. I asked, a lot of pupils what were the appropriate things to be said on these occasions. Not one of those I asked could remember any prizegiving speech. They Were, however, united in believing that the quality varied inversely with the length.” Busy Month > Many inquiries from Australia, from persons seeking accommodation in Christchurch during the Inter-Dominion Trotting Championships have been received by the Canterbury Public Relations Office in the last week or two. Hotels in the city are almost fully booked out for the trotting championships, which will come during a busy month. Besides the .trotting carnival, the annual floral festival will be held in February, and the Harlem Globetrotters will also visit the city. Small Town Drivers / “I think that the chief resemblance to a small town that Christchurch has now is in the way people drive their cars,” said Professor, A. J. Dalits at the prize-giving ceremony of Riccarton High School last evening. Low Temperature A temperature of plus 2 degrees Fahrenheit at McMurdo Sound on December 6 was the lowest ever recorded there in December From 10.58 a.m., to midday the thermometer at the American base on Ross Island remained at plus two degrees, a reading of 30 degress of frost. The lowest previous temperature of 4.2 degrees was recorded by Captain R. F Scott in 1902. The United States Navy’s previous record of low temperature was 7 degrees in 1957 The low temperature and winds of 41 knots cancelled all flights from the base on Tuesday Speech On Record “If you were to listen hard you would hear a dull groan all round town tonight. There must be eight prize-giving addresses in Christchurch A Christmas album of long-playing records could be made of them. They would make a good present for those to whom you would like to give that sort of present,” said Professor A. i. Danks last evening. He was speaking at the prize-giving. ceremony of Riccarton High School. Orphans’ Party A Christmas party for about 200 orphans and other children from underprivileged homes will be given in the Repertory Theatre on Saturday by the Savage Club The club has given invitations to five children’s homes in Christchurch, but is anxious not to exclude' any Any orphanage which wishes its children' to attend should tell the secretary of the club (Mr Rogers). Musical items will be given and Father Christmas will be present. School Orchestra “Before this year only three of those who are now members of the school orchestra knew anything about music,” said the headmaster of Riccarton High School (Mr A. J. Gainsford)' at the school’s prize-giving ceremony last evening. The • orchestra presented four items during the ceremony. -