General News

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30808, 21 July 1965, Page 16

General News

Rocking Chairs If a chair weighted with 10 stone can be rocked 25,000 times in Sweden it is an excellent “work chair.” If it tolerates only 1000 to 10,000 rockings then it is recommended only as a bedroom chair. Dr. W. B. Sutch, the former Secretary of Industries and Commerce, gave these examples of Swedish timber and furniture research in an address to the New Zealand Timber Development Association last evening. For TV Programme In order to provide a feature for the children’s television programme "Get Together” produced by CHTV3, a sound-on-film camera was fastened to a fire tender which made a run through Christchurch yesterday afternoon. A commentary on the run will be provided for the programme, which is shown on Friday night, Mr B. McDermott, the “Our Man” in the particular feature. The “Our Man” spot in the programme handles the requests sent in by young drivers. Fire Inquiry An investigation by police and firemen into the cause of a mystery fire that destroyed a classroom at St. Mary’s primary school, Blenheim, on Sunday is proceeding. So far the cause has not been discovered and the police have handed details of the fire to detectives.—F.O.O.R. Nine-Degree Frost After a nine-degree frost at Harewood, and an eightdegree frost in the Botanic Gardens yesterday morning, the weather remained cold and dull. A light southerly wind changed to a cold southwesterly in the early afternoon. The temperature at Harewood at 9 a.m. was 31 degrees, rising to a maximum of 48 degrees at noon. By 3 p.m. it had dropped to 45 degrees, when the temperature at the Botanic Gardens was 46 degrees. The Government Life Building’s temperature gauge registered 48 degrees at 4.15 p.m. Two Weather Ships The Royal New Zealand Navy will not provide a weather picket ship for the United States Navy Antarctic support force during the coming operational season. Because of this the United States Navy has nominated two ships for the role—the U.S.S. Calcoterra and the U.S.S. J. J. Gary. Both these vessels should arrive in New Zealand waters in September. The exact dates of arrival are not known; neither is the port from which they will operate, although in the past it has been Dunedin. Keystone Rugby “The Rugby on television is getting so bad they have to speed it up,” said the secretary of the Canterbury Football Association (Mr N R. Dixon) at a management committee meeting last evening. “They look like a lot of Keystone Cops running around the field. You can quote me." Identified New Zealand’s 161st artillery battery at Bien Hoa is marked by a large sign saying: “161 Field Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery.” The sign was flown out to the battery’s camp with the first detachment of the battery’s main group which arrived at the air base on Thursday evening. So far, it appears t<> be the only sign of its kind on the base. The Americans of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade and the infantry of the Ist Royal Australian Regiment—which flank the New Zealanders’ camp—have little identification.— Bien Hoa, July 20. Nothing To Horrify I A suggested change in Arainui High School rules about i the length of girls’ hair I would be discussed in com[mittee, the board of governors decided at its meeting last evening. “Do you have any trouble with the length of the boys’ hair?” the chairman (Mrs P. A. Bennett) asked the headmaster (Mr W. J. A. Brittenden). “There are many whom I would not call perfect, but in this day and age they are not bad,” said Mr Brittenden. “There is nothing that would horrify you.” Last Trip The last of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Loch-class frigates, H.M.N.Z.S. Rotoiti, will bow out in style in Auckland on July 29. She will steam down the harbour escorted by four Navy fisheries patrol and volunteer reserve motor launches, her 110-foot paying-off pennant floating in the wind. After a commission lasting seven years the Rotoiti should have a pennant more than 1000 feet long, but the Navy has decided that 110 feet is long i enough.