Reporter's Diary

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 3

Reporter's Diary

Uti-Ainerican eagles WHAT with American Bicentennial Week and Mr Muldoon’s efforts to Americanise our foreign policy, some citizens are finding an American influence in everything. Christchurch people" visiting the Hinemutu Church at Rotorua saw another New Zealand tourist point to the church lectern and say to a friend. “Oh look — the American eagle.” There’s nothing American about lectern eagles. The Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. Michael Underhill) says the eagle tradition is linked to Ezekiel’s vision of four flying creatures — one with the face of man, one with the face of a lion, one with the face of a calf, and one with the face of a flying eagle. These signs were ascribed to the four writers of the Gospels, the flying eagle being attached to St John. His Gospel begins, “In the beginning was the word . . .” and as “the word” refers to the Bible, St John’s eagle is used to support the book in churches. Teachiag cas ts ONCE upon a time all a teacher needed was a piece of chalk and a leather strap, and it was amazing how much he could drum into children. Today’s teachers are equipped with things called “film and resource material” and “audio-vis-ual aids," and they cost

the taxpayer plenty. The Minister of Education (Mr Gandar) told Wellington principals this week that his department spent about. 51.16 m on film and resource production for schools in the last two years. And that did not include the provision of audio-visual equipment. Last year primary and secondary schools were provided with 2000 overhead projectors and 1150 cassette tape-recorders. Mr Gandar did not place a value on these, but they would cost about $218,000. The death business THE WORLD spent about $lB billion a year on military research and ‘the development of more and more devastating means of destruction, said the International Peace Research Institute in a report issued in Stockholm this week. This was threatening to undermine international laws of war initiated for the benefit of the civil population. It gave an account of the problems posed for the legal profession by such questionable weapons as napalm, high velocity guns, splinter bombs, and nuclear, biological. and chemical weapons — all classified as forbidden according to the laws of war. “Considering these laws of war, one of the most urgent tasks must be to prohibit all mas s-destruction weapons, especially nuclear weapons, as soon as possible,” the report said.

But the institute also found that laws of war were being softened by new military doctrines, citing as an example the bombing of civilians during the Vietnam War under the pretext of “national security.” Such doctrines were completely contrary to basic principles of traditional international humanitary laws, and were causing severe problem for jurists, politicians, and citizens, the report said. Panto, contest

THE Manawatu Theatre Society is looking for an original pantomime script for presentation in Palmerston North just before Christmas. It is offering $lOO and the prospect of having the work performed to whoever comes up with the best script. Although it should be in the traditional form, the new pantomime must have “commercial potential and wide entertainment value” rather than high artistic merit alone. Pantomime is very popular in Palmerston North, says the society. This will be the fifth year in succession that it has presented one. Pantomime playwrights should get their entries to Box 555. Palmerston North by June 30. Okarito meeting THE Native Forests Action Council will hold its annual meeting at Franz Josef Glacier this Easter to draw public attention to the “threatened beauty” of nearby Okarito, nesting ground of the rare white heron. Among those in-

vited to speak at the meeting are the Minister of the Environment (Mr V. S. Young) and the Mayor of Auckland (Sir Dove-Myer Robinson). Those who attend will visit logging areas, the lagoon and lakes, and observe Okarito from various viewpoints. The council does not sound very confident about stopping the logging of the Okarito forest. “See it now before it’s logged,” it urges members in its registration form for the annual meeting. Air easements PEOPLE who live under aircraft flight paths will be interested to know that the Los Angeles Department of Airports has just agreed to pay out $20.9m to five school districts near the Los Angeles Internationa! Airport in damages for alleged aircraft noise. The settlement was negotiated after the school districts complained of property damage arising from the noise of aircraft coming and going. The school districts must use the monev to modify school buildings to reduce noise. In return, the Department of Airports has been granted easements for use of air space over the schools. Sated “THE ‘Messiah’ has been the saviour of our choir, and that probably goes for the Harmonic Society, too.” said Mr J. R. Allison, treasurer of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society, when presenting the balance-sheet to its annual meeting.