General News

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29388, 15 December 1960, Page 16

General News

Chathams Flights A survey flight will be made to the Chatham Islands on Monday. Providing the alighting area at Whanga Lagoon is then cleared by the Civil Aviation Administration, three passenger flights from Wellington to the islands will be made by Royal New Zealand Air Force Sunderlands next week.—(P.A.). Big Earthquake An earthquake was recorded by the seismological observatory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Wellington at 7.40 pun.. New Zealand standard time, on Tuesday. The earthquake originated about 1000 miles from Wellington, between the Auckland Islands and Macquarie Island. Its magnitude was 7J to 8, an indication that its size near the point of origin was large. It was comparable with the Napier earthquake. It produced exceptionally large surface waves, which indicate a shallow focus. There was a similar earthquake in the same area in 1943.—(P.A.) Varied Cargo Machinery, mice, and mosquitoes were among freight carried by Tasman Empire Airways during the last week. The machinery, an engine, weighed 21271 b, and was one of the biggest pieces of cargo ever carried. It came into New Zealand. Outward bound was the livestock. Twelve adult mice, four male and, eight female, went to Upsala, Sweden, for cancer research. They were sent by the University of Otago. ’Hie 50 live mosquitoes went to Miami, Florida, from Victoria University, of Wellington. No reason for their journey was given.—(P.A.) Junior Chamber Appeal Less than £2O has so far been received by the Christchurch Junior Chamber in its Christmas appeal to raise funds for the annual children’s shopping expedition to be held in a Christchurch shop this morning. The organiser of the campaign (Mr J. L. Drummond) said yesterday afternoon that this was still nearly £l5 ’ short of the amount needed to carry out the shopping tour. From more than 400 motorists who were saved from paying parking fines by members of the Junior Chamber last week, only 35 had forwarded any donation to the organising committee, he said.

Sea-Going Trout A brown trout tagged at the Selwyn river on June 9 and transferred to the Ashley river had been recovered north of Kaikoura at Waipapa Bay on November 9, said Dr. D. McK. Dickson (president) at the council meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society last evening. It was caught at sea and reported to the Marine Department as a kahawai. Nurses Still Needed No full-time nurses have yet been appointed to Canterbury country hospitals as a result of the recent urgent appeal by the chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, Dr. L. C. L. Averill, and only one full-time permanent appointment of a "qualified nursing sister has been made at the Cashmere Sanatorium. Part-time trained help has been secured at one country hospital and at Cashmere, however, while there has been a good response to Dr. Averill’s appeal for nursing aids at Cashmere. The board will consider the position when it meets on Wednesday. Second Attempt The National Roads Board having rejec.ted a suggestion that it contribute towards the cost of the elevated roadway to be built at Lyttelton, the Harbour Board yesterday decided to apply to the Railways Department for a contribution. Rural Outlook The powers of observation of country folk and their interest m what is going on round them were demonstrated by several farmers, farmers’ wives and their children giving evidence during a trial in the Supreme Court yesterday. “I heard a car going down the roaff and being a nosey joker I went to have a look,” one farmer said, amidst laughter. Asked how she could “tell a man by his shape,” a farmer’s wife replied: "He was standing by our lucerne patch and I had the binoculars on him for several minutes.” (Laughter). Another farmer’s wife said she looked out the kitchen window and saw a man running down the road. ... “I saw him, through a gap in the fence, bend down,” she added. A third farmer’s wife, asked how she heard about the money going from the house replied: “My sister-in-law telephoned to ask me if I had heard. I said I hadn’t and she told me all about it.” Cherries Cheaper There were greater quantities of cherries on sale in the produce markets yesterday with a resulting slight drop in price. Good quality local fruit brought from 20s to 40s a case, the difference in price being caused by further supplies arriving as the fruit which arrived earlier was being auctioned. The first of -he peaches from the south arrived yesterday and were sold from 18s to 28s for a 161 b case. Locally grown black currants are now on sale in shops at 2s 9d and good strawberries were 3s 6d a punnet. £500,000 Loan Application for sanction to raise a loan of £500,000 for the carrying out of works incidental ‘o the construction of a breakwater and retaining wall was ipproved by the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday. The proposed loan will have a term of 35 years, interest being 4 7-8 oer cent. Fish Supplies Fish continued to be in good supply in Christchurch yesterday The market is expected to be reasonably well supplied today Ling fillets sold for 2s 6d a pound, groper fillets were 4s to 4s 6d a cound. and boneless tarakihi was 3s 6d a pound. Kingfish fillets cost 2s 6d to 3s a pound, gurnard fillets were 2s. and crayfish were available at 4s a pound.