General News

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 12

General News

Haunted A strange wailing brought silence to the University of Canterbury’s geography lecture room last evening. Dr. R. S. Duff, addressing a meeting of the university’s Maori club, stopped in midsentence. No-one knew what to do. Eventually Dr. Duff found a switch under the desk. The wail ended with a click. Dr. Duff continued his lecture from in front of the desk. The noise was heard only once again, when it started in a moan and trailed off. Confidence Courses “Confidence courses," on modified Army lines, will soon be Introduced for both girls and boys at the Aranui High School. Equipment will include walls to scale, balance rails, stepping stones, rope swings, jumps, and gear for other activities. Ti.e tests will be planned gradually to increase the confidence and skill of pupils to levels appropriate to their age and strength. Airport Police

Although the police have long had an office at Christchurch airport the Commissioner of Police has announced that they are now to have a proper police station. There will also be a residence for the officer in charge. Reporting this news, the airport’s news sheet for March says that the commissioner is “ever cognisant of our growing airport and the value of the property contained therein.” Quinces Cheap Quinces, from Nelson and Christchurch, are the cheapest they have been for many years. They were offered at 14s a bushel case in Christchurch fruit and produce markets yesterday, but met with only a fair demand. Stone fruit is becoming short as the season is closing and yesterday nectarines sold from 14s to 25s a case. In The Wrong Pen Sheep are not so easy to educate as they used to be The Horotiu works of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company are reported to be short of Judas, or leader, sheep. This is because some of the leaders entered the wrong pen and ended up prematurely as mutton. More leaders are being trained to take their place University Floodlit The first section of the permanent floodlighting of the buildings of the University of Canterbury in the city was switched on last evening Three floodlights are situated on ’he lawn about 14ft

out from the stone building in Worcester street. About 50 yards of the building to the east of the clock tower is illuminated at present. Burkes Creek Mine As a result of the subsidence at Burkes Creek State coalmine last Friday, when miners were forced to leave the working face by an inrush of mud and slurry, a meeting was held yesterday between mine deputies and the management. The 'district manager (Mr P Peattie) said a plan of retreat from the area had been arranged and the life of the mine was reduced by several months However, the mine should produce at least until the end of this year. He also said there was no likelihood of a reduction of employment.— <F.O OR) Service Medals Long service and good conduct medals will be presented to 14 members of the Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at a . . cere moriy at Burnham Military Camp tomorrow morning. They will be presented by the commander of the Southern Military District (Brigadier A. H. Andrews) Coast Gold Mining Important decisions confirming the occupancy of the battery site of the Big River gold mine and Blackwater Mines. Ltd., at Waiuta, are set down for hearing at the Warden's Court at Reefton on April 19 With work proceeding on a new gold mine at Maruia and at a battery site at. Crushington. there is an increasing interest in the gold-mining industry in the district.—(F O OR)

Lottery Win Seven coal mine workers near Newcastle today won £30.000 for nothing. They held a consolation ticket in today’s jackpot lottery received when they were one off a prize in the last opera house lottery. The ticket is in the name of Mr Merv Rals’on. of Wangi, near New. castle, who is a shuttle car driver at the Awaba State coal mine, where the men work.—Newcastle. March 21. Adze Found A stone adze, similar to a type commonly found in Hawaii, has been recovered from a terraced Maori pa named Pukeiti, near Mangere It is believed to be a tool for dressing timber once used by people of the moa-hunter period of Maori culture Very few adzes of this type have been found in the Auckland province.—Auckland March 21.