Reporter's Diary

Press, 21 December 1976, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Slipped disc AS EXPECTED, someone has written in in a derisive vein about one of the Accident Compensation Commissioners being off work, and getting compensation for a slipped disc. “I cannot be convinced that lifting a ball-point pen or a telephone receiver caused the mishap.” writes C. A. Brears. "and would respectfully suggest that in future Accident Compensation : staff should seek assistance [ when removing any screeds of trivia from their office I desks. Prevention is better : than cure.” The writer notes that a slipped disc is a common complaint for : people engaged in manual labour, and wonders how many claims for slipped discs are declined bv the i commission. The Christ- : church office of the commisI sion confirmed yesterday I that it does entertain claims [ for slipped discs, which [ need not be the result of [ accidents at work. But : they mav arise from a spe- ! cific incident, backed up by medical certificates, and [ not be the breakdown of long-standing back condi- [ tions. Each case is judged [ on its merits. \<> Christmas \ash PROEESSOR Keith Sin- [ clair’s biography of Sir ’ Walter Nash has sold out, and a second edition is now [ with the bookbinders in l Christchurch. But the sec- [ ond batch — 2500 copies ) — will not be ready for the [ Christmas rush. “We’ve i given up all hope of get- [ ting them into the bookshops for Christmas,” said a spokesman for Oxford : University Press yesterday. I nheralded carols A CHRISTCHURCH [ woman who answered her : telephone on Sundav even- ! ing was assailed by the sound of a small choir [ singing carols at her. The singers went straight into ' "Silent Night” and with- ’ out drawing breath be- ] tween songs, completed a whole quartet of carols. At the end of the serenade a voice said: “Merry Christmas Sister Moore.” The : listener thanked them very

heartily. “That was very nice indeed.” she said, “but I'm afraid you’ve got the wrong number.” Baiikritpts' “bombs' WHAT kind of car does your average bankrupt drive? Probably an “old bomb,” according to the Official Assignee (Mr I. A. Hansen). This year, for the first time, Mr Hansen’s office has kept a list of vehicles seized from bankrupts and companies in liquidation. The average vehicle was almost 17 years old and had about 114.000 miles on the clock. Half of the cars brought less than $175 each. Mr Hansen said his office had known for a long time that .upkeep of old cars had been a prime cause of bankruptcy for people who had not been in business before. Most of the cars he saw had no warrants of fitness and were uninsured, and were, he said, “physical and financial menaces to the community.” Two late-model vehicles were left out of the calculations. Both were seized from one bankrupt, and one sold for $9400. Candidates Eleven candidates have been accepted for audition for the New Zealand Drama School early next year. They are Anthony Burns (Wanganui), Laurence Couchman (Palmerston North), Janet Fisher (Christchurch), James Hayward (Christchurch), Vivienne Laube (Dunedin), John McDavitt (Wellington), Mark Prain (Dunedin), Eva-Lyn Radich (Wellington), Mary Regan (New Plymouth), Ashley Sumner (Dunedin), and ’ Christine Young (Hamilton). Splitting hairs THE NEW dress code of the Perry Local School District, in Stark County, Ohio — which prohibited male students from growing facial hair — disdiscriminated against boys, ruled the United States Department of Health. Education and Welfare. Now the code evens things up by prohibiting girls from growing beards and moustaches.

Ont of the wood PAT KELLY, a West Coast toymaker has obviously had a lot of fun designing and making the wide range of wooden toys on display at the Capricorn Gallery in Gloucester Street. He has aiso spent many hours constructing the more elaborate ones, such as the Lunar Probe shown in the picture. It is in two parts — a stiltlegged landing craft which opens to let a lunar vehicle roll out and across a bridge to a lift. Winding the handle of the lift lowers the little vehicle to the lunar surface. The price $375. Another expen-

sive one is a motor-cyclist called Speed Tripper t ($112.50) who gives hand ' signals when his handle- ; bars are turned. However, ; prices for Mr Kelly’s 73 i different toy designs start i from as low as $3.75 for r “assorted choppers.” t I Indispensable s QUITE clearly, representa- > tive cricket cannot be played in the absence of i R. T. Brittenden, the cricket writer of “The Press.” i He has reported every re- ; presentative match since i: World War 11. but he was > unavailable for the first s time on Sunday, the third day of the Canterbury v.

Otago match at Lancaster Park. On Sundav' the rains came, and the match was abandoned, so his “average” is undiminished. —Garry Arthur