General News

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31041, 22 April 1966, Page 10

General News

Water Levels An artesian well was drilled at the Canterbury Museum in March, 1894. It is by the Maori canoe in the Pacific hall. Water-level records have been maintained since then. In 1960 an automatic instrument was installed by the Geological Survey, and now it will become part of museum displays. Graphs will be placed beside the recorder in the garden court to show how artesian water levels rise at night and in the week-end when other wells are not being pumped. Israeli Banana Boat The Israeli motor vessel Har Ramon is due at Cashin Quay tomorrow morning with nearly 36,000 cartons of Ecuadorean bananas for local discharge. Operated by El-Yam Ltd., and registered in Haifa, the Har Ramon is a single screw, German-built vessel of 6415 tons gross. Roads Board Visit The National Roads Board would visit Christchurch from May 25 to May 27 and would inspect roads in the area, a meeting of the No. 14 District Roads Council was told yesterday. The board would also meet the council during its visit. The inspection would include the Porter's Pass-Coleridge area, Banks Peninsula, the new northern outlet, the route of the proposed southern outlet, the Main North road to Waipara, and city avenues. Dark Patches Dark patches on the Ferrymead reserve, revealed by aerial photography, were recently investigated as possible evidence of Maori building sites. Mr R. J. Scarlett, of the Canterbury Museum, found scattered evidence of Maori occupation but no hearths or house posts. He believes Maori occupation was confined to preparing red ochre (kokowai) from the natural deposits of red volcanic rock immediately east of Ferrymead. Fine, Calm Day The weather in Christchurch yesterday was calm and sunny, the maximum temperature of 69 degrees being recorded at Harewood at 3 p.m. A light north-east wind blew during the afternoon. At 6 a.m. at Harewood the temperature was 43 degrees, and it had risen to 50 degrees by 9 a.m. At noon, 66 degrees was recorded. The temperature at the Botanic Gardens at 3 p.m. was also 69 degrees. A temperature of 67 degrees was shown on the Government Life building gauge at 4.30 p.m. “Dying Art” When ‘ the Canterbury Museum Trust Board yesterday approved the appointment of a third preparator, the director of the Museum (Dr. R. S. Duff) said this trainee would help to catch up on the nine years of work ahead (on present staffing) in completing new displays in existing buildings so that there would be no delay in dressing the hundredth-anni-versary wing planned for about 1970. He would also learn taxidermy, “a dying art which must be preserved for our public,” said Dr. Duff.