General News

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 12

General News

£2O Returned A man’s coat collected from Papanui during the C.OJLS.O. clothing drive in Christchurch three weeks ago joined a mountain of clothing Later, it was discovered by the owner of the coat that he had left £2O in one of the pockets and he made his loss known to the C.OJtS.O. officials. On Wednesday afternoon, the coat, with contents intact, was found by volunteers who have already packed 157.000 of the garments collected. “We are happy to say that the £2O has been returned to its owner,” the C.0.R.5.0. organiser in Christchurch (Mr G. H. Coley) said yesterday. With another week of packing and sorting still to be dime, the 157,000 garments and 10,000 pairs of shoes already packed make a total of 20,000 higher than the whole collection last year. Whisky Supplies Although there is a serious whisky shortage in Auckland and Wellington because of import restrictions on liquor, there are still fairly good supplies in Christchurch, according to local wine and spirit merchants. All Canterbury hotels are supplied on a quota system by merchants, and rationing in the bars is possible later. If there is no panic-buying, there is unlikely to be a serious shortage, and local merchants expect the New Zealand gin, to be manufactured in Auckland in February, to help the situation. X-Ray Figures The Health Department’s two mobile X-ray units and the static unit yesterday X-rayed 412 persons in Christchurch. The total number X-rayed during the campaign is now 32,721. Big Waves Waves up to 30ft have been reported by residents of Island and Lyall Bays, Wellington. Some claimed the waves were the highest for 50 years. The Marine Department, the Oceanographic Institute and the Meteorological Service yesterday failed to produce a reason for the waves, but the Wellington Harbour Board’s tide gauge showed big fluctuations from 8 a.m. onwards, recording rises of up to four and a half inches within 10 minutes. —(PA.)

Aimed At Locals He always found it difficult to talk to an audience which included both farmers and scientists. Professor T. W. Walker, professor of soil science at Canterbury Agricultural College, told the conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association at Tauranga yesterday. He said he did not know whether to address the bright and intelligent farmers from all parts of the country, the local farmers, the bright and intelligent young graduates in the field and laboratory, or aged administrators who were enjoying the sunshine before returning to their pen pushing. He had elected to address the local farmers for he had found from long experience that everyone else would then be able to follow what he said.—(F.O.O.R.)

An Odd Bill Treasury has just paid one of it’s oddest bills—£7s 10s annual maintenance for a castle that does not exist, and never did, says the “Daily Herald.” On paper, it is “Fillinghame Castle,” in Wales, which Chancellors of the Exchequer have been paying up ever since the Government took over the Crown accounts in 1786. The total to date is about £13,000. The money goes to Buckminster Estate, near Grantham, which acquired the “castle” from the Lincolnshire family of Dysart many years ago. The explanation is that “Fillinghame Castle” was apparently one of Charles Il's ingenious inventions to justify an annual maintenance allowance from his tight-fisted keepers of the Privy Purse.—London, Oct.