Reporter’s Diary

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 2

Reporter’s Diary

Christmas fare STAGGERING under a load of heavy parcels, a young woman boarded a bus at Dyers Pass Road yesterday. Putting down the heaviest of them, she breathed a sigh of relief. As she put her fare in the driver’s money tray she laughed, and, looking a little embarrassed, said, “I’m sorry the coins are stuck together, but I got them out of the Christmas pudding.” Dryly, the driver remarked, “That’s ail right—but what are you going to do come next Christmas?” <4n extra FROM the pages of “Enzedair,” the house magazine of Air New Zealand, comes this cautionary tale of an American couple who had just boarded one of the airline’s DCB aircraft at Sydney for the trip to Auckland. She glanced out the window and suddenly tensed. Then she asked: “How many engines does this ’plane have?” He replied with lofty condescension: “It has four of course.” She: “Then why are there three under one wing?” He: “Don’t be stupid.” She (getting distraught): “But there are, there are.” He: “Calm down. you’re seeing things.” She: “Then have a look.” He sighed, leaned across to the window, and indeed there were three engines under the wing. Just then the public address system broke in mercifully and the captain announced that the flight was ferrying a spare engine to Auckland on the wing pod fitted close to the fuselage. Whereupon the DCB started up four of its five engines and left for Auckland. Back in ’33 THE FIRST white man to enter the Chimbu area of

Papua New Guinea’s highlands was on hand yesterday to declare officially provincial government for Chimbu. Mr Jim Taylor was a young patrol officer who, in 1933, led an expedition including the gold - prospecting Leahy brothers from the Eastern Highlands into the previously unknown Chimbu valleys, which proved to be the most densely populated in Papua New Guinea. Mr Taylor had been invited to officiate at yesterday’s ceremony by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Mr Michael Somare. Chimbu is the seventh provincial government set up in the State. Saddled A PUKEKOHE man feels that records of New Zealand’s efforts in World War I pay too little attention to the innocent “members” of the armed forces, the horses which were sent overseas with the troops. To redress the balance, Mr Bamey Lucas has begun a book on the subject, and his researches show that 3817 horses left with the Main Body for Egypt, and that of these 78 died at sea and became shark fodder. He is gathering anecdotes about their trials and tribulations, and records also that at the second battle of Gaza more than 100 horses in the New Zealand lines were killed, and more than 300 wounded. 11l wind CONTINUING bad weather in some parts of the United States paid off for a western Massachusetts woman who bought a car with SUS6I — and 1834 snowballs. The Cartelli Pontiac Company put out a promotional discount offer to drum up business during a

snowstorm yesterday by offering a $1 discount for each snowball brought to the showroom. Mrs Martha Paquette, of South Hadley, her husband, three children and some neighbours spent four hours making snowballs then took them to the showroom. After the exchange, Mrs Paquette picked out a second-hand 1969 two-door Pontiac Catalina. The car was priced at SUS 1895 (SNZI799), but Mrs Paquette said she was not up to making any more snowballs, so she paid the remainder in cash. Faith THE ONE man seen carrying an umbrella in Christchurch yesterday was praying for rain. He is a long-range weather forecaster who had predicted, six weeks ago, rain in Christchurch on February 24. Child labour CHILDREN as young as nine have been found working in a Sydney confectionary factory. The factory owner, Mr W. Pulownik, aged 74, was fined $B5O after pleading guilty to two charges of employing under-age labour and one charge of having an improperly protected machine. The charges arose after a visit by a factory inspector who found 12 children between nine and 13 working on the production of chocolate. All worked after school and were given less than award pay. None of them was covered by workers’ compensation. On the run THE DECEMBER issue of an American magazine, “Runner’s World,” which has just gone on sale in Christchurch, contains such illuminating articles as “Racing to stay ahead of swine flu” and “Running away from school”. It would seem there is no problem so great that one cannot run away from it.