General News

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31657, 18 April 1968, Page 8

General News

Prosecution A decision by the Takapuna Town Clerk to prosecute surfboard riders at Takapuna and Milford beaches on charges of surfing outside their lanes, and creating danger to swimmers, has been confirmed by a meeting,of the Takapuna City Council. The Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) told the council that the confiscation of surfboards was a power taken only sparingly by the Government, and would be a last resort if supported by a large body of public opinion when all other remedies had failed. Mr Scott said the possibility of stricter legislation was not ruled out. Numismatic Event Britain will take her first cautious step into decimal coinage next Tuesday, when the new 5d and lOd pieces will be on issue from banks and will immediately become legal tender. The full changeover to decimal cAinage from the present shillings and pence system is not due until February, 1971. The first of the new denominations will be equivalent to, and interchangeable with, the present Is and 2s pieces. Under the new system the pound will be split into 100 pennies.— London, April 17. No New Projects Because of devaluation and rising prices, the Save the Children Fund needed this year an extra $350,000 to maintain existing services, said its director-general (Sir Colin Thomlev), in Auckland yesterday. "But,” he said, “we are not depressed in Britain over the present situation." The fund was not undertaking any new projects. In fact, it was planning a phased withdrawal from some countries. It had never been the policy of the organisation to provide permanent child care services. It preferred to pioneer and train local people in all aspects of care.— (P.A.) Kit-Set Furniture In testing two comparable items —a three-drawer divan and a cabinet with drawer—in four brands of pinus kitset furniture, the Consumers’ Institute found none was as good as a qualified cabinetmaker’s work, "though they weren’t too bad.” This would have been all right if prices were substantially cheaper, says the institute’s magazine, “Consumer.” Instructions for assembling the furniture, it says, range from quite good to quite useless. Caroline Bay Now that the Caroline Bay Association’s community centre project has been completed, other projects submitted in a plan for improvements several years ago are being considered. Some of the proposals included a marine land, the beautification of the main entrances to the bay, a children's playground with unusual playing devices, a coloured fountain, bowling pin alley and the extension of the stadium seating in front of the sound shell. Other proposals are that an illuminated sign ’-e erected near the sound shell as a form of permanent decoration and an overhead bridge be constructed from Stafford Street to the bay.— (F.0.0.R.) Unexpected Catch A 'fish landed on Monday from the upper Waiau River, in Southland, by a 10-year-old boy, is said to be the biggest in years from the locality. Yesterday it was identified as a quinnat salmon. Believed to be the first big quin- • nat taken from Southland ' waters, it was identified in Winton by the chief ranger for the Southland Acclimatisation Society (Mr R. R. Sutton 1 and another ranger, Mr R. Bowden.