General News

Press, Volume C, Issue 29555, 3 July 1961, Page 10

General News

Auckland Rainfall Auckland missed breaking its 100-yeer-old June rainfall record by a mere j44in. The city bed .42in in the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on Saturday, lifting. the June figure to 10.81 in against the 1861 record of ILJSin. At Oriatia. where the Waitakere ranges influence rainfell, 14.67 in was recorded for the month by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The city fall was the highest in June for 72 years.—(P. A.) No Toheroas Hundreds of persons who went to Waitarere beach near Levin for the opening of the toheroa season on Saturday came away disappointed. The tides were wrong, and the seas recently had been too rough.—(PA.) Excursion To Pass Conditions were ideal at Arthur’s Pass yesterday, when a large number of persons visited the area on two excursion trains from Christchurch. There was two or three inches of snow right down to the railway line, and the weather was fine and sunny. The behaviour of travellers was reported to be good. The first train arrived back at Christchurch at 6.50 p.m. and the second soon after 7.30 p.m. Hungry People ‘Tf all the underfed people in the world were placed in a line at a distance of two feet from each other, the line would stretch round the world 25 times—and this line is increasing at the rate of 20 miles a day,” said the Rev. A. A. Brash at a meeting to discuss the problems of South-east Asia, on Saturday. Mr Brash quoted these figures from a book called “To Plough With Hope.” written by Donald Faris. Bookmakers Gaoled Five bookmakers were given gaol sentences and fines totalling £3530 were imposed on 33 others last year. Five others who appeared in court on charges of bookmaking had the charge dismissed, says the annual report of the Police Department, tabled in the House of Representatives. Waimakariri Bar Bad bar conditions at the mouth of the Waimakariri river caused the 215-ton motor vessel Toa (Captain C. M. Anderson), which was bound from Wellington to Kaiapoi, to call at Lyttelton yesterday morning. It will wait there until bar conditions improve. Church In The Snow About 40 members of the student group in the Durham Street Methodist Church spent the week-end at Arthur’s Pass, The party, led by Mr H. Woodhams, stayed at the Stead hut. and engaged in various winter pastimes. Yesterday morning its members held a service in the Arthur’s Pass chapel, and in the afternoon one of them, Mr M. Sim. conducted the 20minute service held regularly on Sundays when an excursion train runs. South Pacific Gaines The Fiji Government has approved grants of £15,600 to provide adequate facilities for the proposed South Pacific Games. Representatives of nine territories met at the South Pacific Commission’s headquarters at Noumea to discuss the holding of regional sports gatherings in the Pacific. The hope was expressed that the first games could be held in Suva in 1963. The Fiji Government’s grant included £BOOO for a new grandstand and £5900 for constructing an area for basketball. boxing. and tennis. Pakistan Post A New Zealand diplomatic post will be established in Pakistan as soon as circumstances permit. This Js in accordance with the Government’s intention to develop close relations with Commonwealth countries, says the annual report of the Department of External Affairs, tabled in the House of Repre. sentatives . . Liquid Assets The Wairarapa Hockey Association “cashed in” on a £2OO insurance against rain for the match against the Indian Wanderers at Masterton. The stipulated 10 points fell between 11 am. and 1 p.m., but the rain held off for the remainder of the afternoon, apart from slight showers which did not deter an attendance of nearly 3000. Cook Islands Co-ops There are now 59 co-opera-tive societies in the Cook Islands. In the last year their membershin increased from 1603 to 5728, savings from £ 19,093 to £34.790 and assets by £ 10,000 to more than £41.000. according to the South Pacific Commission's newsletter. The societies issued 402 loans to members. Apart from agricultural loans, house-building was the most important loan activity.