General News

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31585, 24 January 1968, Page 12

General News

Australian Mail There was still no indication yesterday Of when the accumulation of Australian air mail at the Chief Post Office in Christchurch will be moved. The Deputy Chief Postmaster (Mr C. V. Jury) said that the only change in the situation was the weight of mail. This had now increased to 7541 b of letters, packets and parcels. X-rays Again After being out of action since last August, a mass X-ray unit run by the Health Department began operation in Manchester Street yesterday. It will be available to the public until Friday, when it will resume the programme in industry. However, a unit will be available at 174 A Manchester Street each Friday, from 9 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. and from 12.30 till 4 p.m. Flight Off The world flight which the veteran American pilot, Mr Max Conrad, was to make has been cancelled. Mr Conrad was to land his Piper Aztec light aircraft at Christchurch next Monday after having flown across the Antarctic. The Canterbury Aero Club received a telegram from Wellington yesterday advising that the flight was off and expressing regret for any inconvenience. This was also done last year when Mr Conrad’s first attempt was called off. Fire On Rail-car Fire broke out in a motor on the front car of a doubleunit rail-car from Christchurch about two miles east of Greymouth at 3 p.m. yesterday. The fire was quickly put out, the passengers from the front unit moved into the second unit, and both units continued the journey to Greyipouth. A spokesman for the Railways Department said that no structural damage was caused, the fire being confined to one motor, and the mishap would cause no disruption.—(F.O.O.R.) Toadstools In Car Three toadstools, about 3in high, were found recently s y a Rotorua motorist growing inside his car. Their roots were in the underfelt beneath the carpet in the front passenger compartment, and the toadstools were about 18in from the edge of the front seat in plain view. The motorist said he had cleaned the car about three weeks before and had taken all the mats out. The underfelt must have become damp and the air inside the car become hot with all the windows up, providing ideal growing conditions for toadstools, he said. Blood And Toil The Navy frigate H.M.N.Z.S. Waikato, now serving in the Far East, left the people of Singapore a special New Year gift.. Thirty members of the ship’s company each gave a pint of blood to the Singapore Transfusion Unit. Work parties from the Waikato have also been helping with the building of an Outward Bound school.— (P-A.)