General News

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30783, 22 June 1965, Page 14

General News

Rabbit Damage Rabbits and hares were causing considerable damage in the young plantations at Chaneys and Bottle Lake, the reserves committee told the City Conncil last evening The Plains Rabbit Board was working in the area and there was no doubt that its efforts were worth while, as the population of the pests was decreasing steadily. The committee also reported that shooters were quite prevalent. Notices prohibiting shooting had been erected and every endeavour was made to apprehend the trespassers as shooting was considered to be extremely dangerous. Sunday Buses Reduced Sunday bus services had lowered the average working loss on a Sunday from £231 to £l5O, the Christchurch Transport Board was told yesterday. If the reduction stayed at that level it would amount to a reduction of £4212 a year in the work ing loss. Mr R. Jones pointed out that the board had estimated that the saving by reducing Sunday bus services would be £lO,OOO a year, but said he appreciated that different costs had arisen since then. Advertising Ban “The committee is concerned about the large number of advertising signs which now appear on city streets and footpaths and on parked vehicles, and feels that the practice should be stopped,” the by-laws committee said in its report to the City Council last evening. The council had been asked by a fish shop proprietor for permission to advertise with a sign on his delivery van parked in front of the shop. It declined the application and the Town Clerk (Mr C. S. Bowie) was instructed to advise offenders that they are committing a breach of the by-laws.

Step Forward The Christchurch Transport Board hoped to be able to have a step only lOin off the ground on its new buses, said the general manager (Mr J. F. Fardel!) yesterday. He told the board that the present buses had either 15in or 17in steps. The new buses would have the engine at the back instead of under the floor near the centre, so that the chassis would be closer to the ground. Notifiable Diseases Three notifiable diseases were reported in the Christchurch Health district last week. There was a case of infective hepatitis in the city area, one of leptospirosis in the Eyre County—the first to be notified since April, 1964 and one of pulmonary tuberculosis ; n the city area.

Red Cross Appeal Donations by post since the North Canterbury centre of the Red Cross Society held its street day appeal on June 11 have increased the total by £lOOO, to £5447, the centre president (Mrs R. I. Brake) said yesterday. The final figure will not be known for about another week. Executive TV So interested in the Vietnam war is the Christchurch executive of the Returned Services' Association that last evening members had a portable television set on hire so that. they could watch the Dominion president (Mr H Mitchell) take part in a panel discussion on Vietnam While no comment was made afterwards, the executive earlier endorsed Mr Mitchell’s statements on the issue. It was the first time that television had been used during an executive meeting.

Steel Works Labour Of the 750 men required for the labour force for the New Zealand steel works, some would probably be drawn from Canterbury’s existing metal trade groups, said the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association (Mr R. G. Pearce) last evening. In a general discussion on immigration, Mr Pearce said that New Zealand should aim at a population growth of 5 per cent and not to be satisfied with the percentage growth of other nations. “We should not be satisfied with 2| per cent,” he said.