General News

Press, Volume C, Issue 29671, 15 November 1961, Page 14

General News

“Fine Orchestra” The composer, Igor Stravinsky, got a big surprise when he rehearsed the National Orchestra in Auckland yesterday. “It is a very good orchestra, a very sincere orchestra. This is not just compliments. I did not expect to find an orchestra as good as this away oat in New Zealand,** he said afterwards. “Now I am only sorry that I am not travelling further with it than. Wellington.” . Raising his glass. the 7»-year-old composer said: “Eere’s ■ to your excellent orchestra.” ■ —(PA.) 1 Postal Appeal A letter delivered to the : Brighouse (Yorkshire) fire ball last night sent six firemen scrambling tor their engine and racing to the suburban home of a 75-year-old widow. The letter said that Mrs Winnie Hanson had smelled burning and seen smoke coining from the wall of her living room. When firemen arrived, they discovered a faulty brick in the chimney, but in spite of the delay in arriving on the scene there was no damage. 1 Explaining her unorthodox method of summoning fire . brigade aid, Mrs Hanson said there was a post box just across tbe street, so she i “dropped the brigade a let- . ter.”—Brighouse, Nov. 14.

Health Stamps The 1961 health stamps would be withdrawn at the end of the month, so that persons wishing to buy them —whether for Christmas cards or general purposes—would have to hurry to make sure of getting them, the Chief Postmaster (Mr C. J. C. Simpson) said yesterday. After a brief shortage of the 3d plus Id at the Chief Post Office, fresh supplies had been secured and there seemed little risk of running out, he added. He had been disappointed at the relatively small sales last month, and urged the public to support the stamps so that last year’s total of £18,676 might be exceeded. Up to the end of October, sales were £17,920. Quail Liberated Another lot of Californian quail had been liberated in South Canterbury, and if the introduction of the partridge succeeded—79 were set free at Pleasant Point—sportsmen would have a fine game bird in the years ahead, said the present of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society (Mr F. J. Robinson) in his report to the annual meeting this week.

Scott Base Supplies Most of the supplies for Scott Base were unloaded from the inter-island steamer express Maori at Lyttelton, yesterday, 179 cases being taken from the ship for storage in the United States Navy’s holding store at the port to await shipment to the Antarctic next month. Most of the supplies consisted of dry foodstuffs, general supplies, and ancillary equipment. A considerable quantity of fresh food is being held on order in Christchurch ready for shipping space to become available. Normally the resupplying of Scott Base is done from Wellington.

Jammed Machines Stamp machines at the Chief Post Office were often jammed because buyers did not know how to get their stamps out, the Deputy-Chief Postmaster (Mr J. W. Lincoln) said yesterday. The new 3d machines had a press button which had to be pushed after the money was inserted: but in spite of a large notice giving the necessary instructions some persons still put in their money, waited unavailably for the stamp, cursed the machine, and went away without their stamp, said Mr Lincoln. When someone else put money in before the previous coin was cleared, the machine often jammed. The new machines had been in use at the chief office for about a year, and were soon to be introduced generally into new offices or where existing machines had to be replaced.

University Entrance Candidates accredited for the university entrance examination have been informed in the last week. Those who will sit the examination will begin their tests on Tuesday, November 28, and continue until Wednesday, December 6 Oamaru Potatoes Heavy supplies of- Oamaru potatoes were selling for up to 18s a case in city markets yesterday, while Nelson potatoes were bringing between 15s to 18s a sugar-sack. Salad vegetables were selling well, with lettuces up to 10s a dozen, spring onions up to 7s a dozen bunches, radishes up to 7s 6d a dozen bunches and Golden Acre cabbages bringing up to 16s a case. Best local tomatoes sold for up to 3s 9d a pound, and cases of cucumbers were up to 14s, with bundles up to 6s 6d. Strawberries were up to 3s 6d a punnet and cherries were selling for up to 5s a pound.

Conference Of Chefs A national conference of the Academy of Chefs will be held in Wellington next, March. This was decided at a meeting of the Auckland branch. The academy—membership of which is restricted to chefs in charge of fourrtar and five-star hotels—has 30 members throughout New Zealand, seven of them in Auckland city and 16 in the 4 uckland province.—(PA.) Laziness "Physical laziness is the first sign of intelligence," the managing director of Foed Motors (N.Z.), Ltd. (Mr B. 1? Jamieson) told a gathering of employees at an anniversary dinner m Wellington recently. “It was a Lazy Irishman who first conceived tbe idea of the steam shovel. He put a lot of men out of work, but it was progress,” said Mr Jamieson.