General News

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 12

General News

Gin And One

Mr A. S. Gilbey, managing director of Gilbey's, Ltd . London, celebrated the introduction of New Zealandmade gin in New Zealand in a novel manner on the Shirley links yesterday. He holed in one at the 130 yd 13th hole with a No. 8 iron. Mr Gilbey was unable to celebrate his success in the customary manner as New Zealand gin will not be available until today, and he got off lightly when he returned to the clubhouse as only three players were still there. Playing with Mr Gilbey were Messrs C. H. Taylor, F. S. Taylor and J. Wilcox, New Manager manager for his company. Mr Gilbey, who plays off six, is a member of ffie Sunningdale Golf Club in England.

How Many Saw Snell?

How many spectators saw P. G. Snell break the world 800 metres and 880 yards record at Lancaster Park on Saturday? Channel 3 estimated the attendance at 35,000. The radio’s estimate was 25,000. A Christchurch sports paper said 30,000. The president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association (Mr E. Lunn) said about 15,000. The secretary of the Victory Park Board (Mr K. N. McGillivray), who has had many years experience in dealing with large crowds at Lancaster Park, said last evening that the official attendance was about 13,000. Many of the crowd arrived only for Snell’s race. At 2.30 p.m. Mr McGillivray estimated the attendance at 10.000. Other persons who have seen large crowds at Lancaster Park gave varied estimates from 12,000 to 18.000.

Good Fishing The visiting American athletes, J. Bork and E. Cunliffe enthusiastically praised New Zealand’s fishing facilities when Cunliffe caught a particularly fine 171 b salmon at the Rakaia Gorge forks yesterday morning. Standing without concern in the cold river water wearing shorts and a sweat shirt Cunliffe was cheered by a group of anglers when he landed the salmon. The catch particularly delighted Cunliffe. bystanders said, because it was a pound heavier than the fish Bork had landed the day before. Both Americans have made fishing their main relaxation from athletics during their visit to New Zealand. About 24 fine fish were taken in the area yesterday, the largest of which was 201 b. Clergy Scarcer Clergy in Britain are getting older and scarcer, according to a report to be presented to the Church Assembly this month by the Dean of St. Paul’s. A hundred years ago there were 16,000 clergy in England ministering a population of 17,000,000. Today there are 1800 ministering to 43.000-.000. In 1851 only 22 per cent, of them were over 55. In 1952, the date of the last check, exactly half the clergy had so much to do they tended to concentrate on “stopping wheels from stopping." The report suggests that the position could be remedied by the training of the laity to help, going into partnership with clergy of other denominations in the same area and by overcoming the prejudice against women in the ministry.—London. February 3 M.P.’s Entertained A Singapore night club singer, Ruby Wall, serenaded visiting New Zealand M.P.’s with “Now Is The Hour” at Singapore’s Cathay Hotel last week. The members, headed by the Minister of Housing. Mr Rae, were attending a Chinese dinner with members of the New Zealand Commissioner’s staff and their wives. Miss Wah sang several numbers specially for the New Zealand visitors. Mr Rae commented: “Quite a girl."—(P.A.)

Maoris Come South

Maori migration to the South Island is moving at the rate of 220 persons a year, the Minister for Maori Affairs (Mr Hanan) said at the opening of the Maori carpentry training centre at Weedons on Saturday. This, he said, was a seventh of the total yearly drift of Maoris into urban areas. “The stage will soon be reached, if it has not already been reached, when North Island Maoris resident in the South Island outnumber indigenous South Island Maoris,” he said. The South Island contains about 4 per cent, of the Maori population of 165,000. “I appeal to the people of the South Island generally to welcome, plan and providefor this Maori migration,” said Mr Hanan.