General News

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30448, 23 May 1964, Page 12

General News

North Island Power Power consumption In the North Island jumped to a record peak on Thursday evening, when the demand rose to within 4 per cent of the total installed generating capacity of the island. Colder nights—and higher peaks that will strain the power resources of the island —are forecast by Electricity Department authorities. The North Island power demand on Thursday night was 1,371,600 kilowatts— 57,000 kilowatts more than the highest peak last winter and 36,300 kilowatts more than the previous record on Wednesday. It is about 60,000 kilowatts below the total installed generating capacity. -(PA.) Overtime The relative peace of the Lincoln College fanners’ conference was broken shortly before the end of yesterday morning’s session by the ringing of an alarm clock. The lecturer at the time was the superintendent of the Winchmore irrigation research station, Mr W. R. Lobb, who was talking about automatic irrigation systems. The clock, set to indicate that he should be ending his address, was part of an irrigation device. Alarm elocks are an integral part of a system used to release automatically metal gates and canvas sheet to form dams in irrigation races. The clock had been set up with a metal gate on the lecture platform. Barber Again Queenstown again has a men’s hairdresser. Mr C. G. Sheed, who heard of Queenstown’s lack when the previous barber went out of business, began work today. He is from the Gore area. Business on his first day in Queenstown had been “good and busy,” Mr Sheed said. For the last few weeks Queenstown men have had to patronise a retired hairdresser in Queenstown, or travel to Frankton or Cromwell.— (P.A.) Urban Birds A remarkable number of birds still breed in central London, and a host of rarer birds appear while on passage or migration, according to an official survey just completed in the Royal parks. Last year 134 species were identified compared ' with 128 the previous year. There was no sign of a nightingale closer to Berkeley square than Kew Gardens.—(London, May 22.) Dogs Controlled A former member of the Devonport Borough Council, Mr W. E. Barlow, appealed to the council not to approve a by-law that dogs on Devonport streets must be on a leash. If a property had no fence, he said, the dog would have to be chained up all day and that was cruel.. Children playing might take their dog off the leash and there were plenty of vindictive people who would report a breach of the by-law, Mr Barlow said. The council approved the by-law. Sheffield Flood Reference in “The Press” in 1864 to the flood in Sheffield, England, in March, 1864, When a reservoir burst its embankment and the water swept away bridges, mills, houses, and everything else in its course, drowning about 250 persons, prompted Mr R. G. Bell, of Christchurch, to look out a -hina plate that has, been in his family for about 100 years. Mr Bell, who came to New Zealand from Sheffield as a young man, was given the plate by his mother,-who had received it from her mother. The plate records the “Sheffield flood of March 12, 1864,” and the words “the bridge at Hillsbro.’ All destroyed except one arch.” It shows men and women digging banks and putting in sandbags.