General News

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29782, 27 March 1962, Page 12

General News

Precision Packing

In a neatly wrapped packet, the precision kind in which chemists once parcelled their prescriptions, the Lyttelton Borough Council has distributed crested spoons as a souvenir of its centennial dinner. That was on February 7 to celebrate the hundredth year of municipal government in Lyttelton. The teaspoon is decorated with the borough crest engraved: “L.B.C. Centenary, 7-2-62.’’ The Mayor. Mr J. B. Collett, admitted last evening that he wrapped the spoons for the 105 guests himself. It took several long evenings, pounds of cotton wool, typing of accompanying notes and patient wrapping. Mr Collett is a chemist. University’s Name A suggestion that a new university in Kent should be called the University of Canterbury has been dropped in deference to the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. The university council in Christchurch agreed yesterday that it would have no objection to ‘‘the University of Kent at Canterbury.” The British sponsors are keen to include the name of the old English city because of its historical associations and also because the city gave £1.000.000 for the new university.

Chinese Gooseberries

The first of the new season’s Chinese gooseberries from Tauranga were sold in Christchurch produce markets yesterday. They are selling in the shops for 3s to 3s 8d a pound. A small supply of Nelson figs was also on the markets for the first time this season at Is 6d to 2s a pound. Tree tomatoes are in good supply and there is a reasonable demand for them at 2s a pound.

Course lu English A course in English language for foreign students has been approved by the Canterbury University Council. Details have still to be settled. Reporting on the proposal yesterday, the chairman of the academic committee (Mr T. H. McCombs) said there was also a demand from foreign students for a course on how to teach English in their own countries as a second language. Fish Plentiful Fish was plentiful in Christchurch shops yesterday and good supplies are expected again today. Oysters were still very scarce and only a small supply will be on sale today. Fish prices a pound were: blue cod, 4s 6d; soles, 3s 6d; tarakihi, 3s to 3s 6d; flounders, 2s 9d; gurnard, 2s to 2s 6d; groper, 3s 2d to 3s 8d; ling, 2s 3d; and crayfish, 4s 6d.

Graduates’ Elections

The Canterbury University Council is settling by-laws for its elections as an autonomous body and is considering a change in the graduates’ electorate. Under the University of New Zealand, graduates could vote on only one district college roll. If a graduate had degrees from, say, both Auckland and Canterbury he could vote in only one college’s election. Canterbury may allow graduates to vote on any number of university election rolls, provided a degree is held from each of the institutions concerned. Promise Upheld On the back of a book he had bought, a 10-year-old boy saw the heading “Uniform With This Volume,” the “Yorkshire Post’’ reported. He did not read the list of books below it, but wrote forthwith to the publishers, complaining that he had not got a uniform with the volume. The publishers’ re-

sponse was to send him a bus conductor's cap and ticket punch.—London, March 26.

Hillary’s Record At a recent impromptu Washington dinner in his honour, Sir Edmund Hillary laid claim to yet another world record, the “Christian Science Monitor” reported, “Tm probably the most travelled tourist-class air passenger to be photographed exiting from first-class passenger cabins at the request of the airlines," Sir Edmund Hillary said. Nuclear Science The United States Ambassador (Mr A. B. Akers) will soon unveil a commemorative plaque in the new nuclear science laboratory of the University of Canterbury. The sub-critical nuclear reactor and associated equipment were given by the United States Government under its “atoms for peace” programme.