General News

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30178, 9 July 1963, Page 12

General News

Four Stumps, Sir! There will be four stumps each end when an M.C.C sub-committee considering law changes holds a working session at Lord’s on Thursday The committee wants to study the effect of widening the wicket by two inches. About 20 leading present-day cricketers have accepted invitations to play an experimental match A possible change in the l.b.w. law will also be considered—Loudon, July 8. Rate Increase A meeting ot the Henderson Borough Council last night confirmed its decision to increase rates by 52.1 per cent tb Is s|d on unimproved values, This followed a special meeting five days earlier when 400 ratepayers recorded a vote of noconfidence in the council. — (P.A.) Little Sunshine There have been only five hours of sunshine in Christchurch this month and the sun has hardly been seen at all for the last six days The light, but persistent, rain which fell from early on Wednesday morning amounted to 1.58 in by 9 a.m. yesterday This is also the total for the month Temperatures reached a maximum of 50deg between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at both Harewood and the Botanic Gardens yesterday

Hospital Call System

An electronic call system has been introduced at the Christchurch Hospital Nearly 30 staff members are on the system Each carries a receiver which buzzes when the telephone operator presses the appropriate button: the person called then calls the operator through the nearest telephone The range of the system includes the hospital and the Hospital Board office but not the nurses’ homes. A similar system has been operating for some time at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Photogenic A Hawaiian travel manager arrived in the Monterey yesterday to photograph sheep. He is Mr L. McKinnas, who is escorting a group of American amateur photographers. “Sheep are the most photogenic subjects,” he said. “I don’t know why, but people go crazy over pictures of sheep.” Sheep country in the United States was generally inaccessible, and then the scenic settings could not compare with those New Zealand had to offer.—(PA.)

Parrot In Coffin Mrs Eliza Akers, of Peter End, Norfolk, directed in her will published last week that her parrot should be killed and buried with, her in her coffin, the “Guardian” reported. Mrs Akers, who died in February, left £2127 net —most of it to Our Dumb Friends League.—LondonJuly 8. Metric Teaspoon Millilitres replace teaspoons in the metric medicine system. which will replace the old apothecary system as f. om November An Auckland plastics firm has produced suitable measures in collaboration with the Health Department and the School of Pharmacy. The “teaspoon," notoriously variable, is replaced by a spoon carrying five millilitres (“smil”) of liquid. Provision for larger amounts is made through a 40mil graduated plastic measure.

-New Shops On the average, a new shop is being opened every day in the Christchurch area, says the latest issue of S.A.F.E., the official- journal of the Snop Assistants’ Federation This rapid rate of development never fails to amaze us." said Canterbury district organisers of the Shop Assistants’ Union, Messrs N. Wills an<j B Alderdice. So many new shops were sipringing up. said Mr Alderddce. that it was an Impossible task to check all new Christchurch suburban shops quarterly Port Labour Short Labour was short at Lyttelton yesterday and two vessels, the Pateke and River City were idle. At 8 a.m. 220 men were required to fill vacancies on the waterfront. The Holmlea. Ashbank and Rangitoto were short-manned and crew members of .the latter two vessels reinforced available labour. According to the secretary of the Port Employers’ Association (Mr W F. Sillars) the position may not improve noticeably until later this week. Magistrate’s Warning

The court had lately been besieged by requests for suppression of names. the recently-appointed magistrate to Christchurch. Mr K H J Headifen. said in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. He said that he intended to suppress names only in exceptional cases. Freedom Fighter A baby seal, the size of a cattle dog and covered with soft fur, made a determined effort for his liberty over the week-end, and won. A 15-year-old boy, Michael Bjerring, noticed an object on the rocks while walking with his father on the beach below their farm at Wheritoe. between Waihi and Mangnmata. When he approached it a young seal scrambled off a ledge of rock and began to make its way towards the sea. Michael picked it up, intending to fondle it, but the little animal immediately retaliated, fastening its sharp teeth in the boy’s clothing He quickly released the sea! which scampered down to rhe water and cruised away There was no sign of any other seals, which are rarely seen in this area.—(P.A.)

The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.—John Vance Cheney.