Ice-breaker open

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33110, 28 December 1972, Page 8

Ice-breaker open

An “open house” will be held in the United States Coast Guard ice-breaker Burton Island on Saturday. The ship will be open to the public from 12.30 p.m. until 4.30 p.m. In a letter to “The Press,” the commanding officer of the ice-breaker, Captain G. R. Schmidt, said that the open house would be held to show the appreciation of the ship’s company for the hospitality extended by the people of Christchurch and Lyttelton. “The response t.o vour notice concerning the ‘Dine-a-sailor’ programme was a steady stream of invitations that did not stop until everyone on liberty had been accommodated,” said Captain Schmidt. “The reputation of friendliness of New Zealanders has been upheld in the finest manner,” he said.

Captain Schmidt said that as well as the open house on Saturday afternoon, the crew and officers wopld entertain on board a group of disadvantaged children. If the weather permitted, there would be a demonstration of helicopter operations from the ice-breaker during the afternoon.

seems the probable explanation) or whether they just didn’t like ginger and had no use for the irksome functions of a towel is open to question, but the fact remains that this is a highly respectable suburb, and though the episode could no doubt be ascribed to a “childish prank” it is, in my opinion rather lamentable. — Yours, etc.,

I. S. TREW. December 23, 1972.