Reporter's Diary

Press, 22 August 1977, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Demerit award

THE WEST COAST Sawmillers’ Association’s big advertising campaign did not go unnoticed by Ecology Action of Otago. It has given the association an “environmental demerit award” for its contribution to "environmental degradation.” Its propaganda was a striking example, says the citation, of the “flagrant use of h a 1 f-truths, unsubstantiated arguments, pseudoscientific data, and emotive nonsense.” The citation says these tactics were designed to mislead the people of New Zealand about the state, of “our pitifully small remnants of lowland native forest” which comprise most of the area the association would like to clear-fell; the real causes of the sawmilling industry’s problems; the West Coast’s requirements for farm land and exotic forestry; and the viability of selection logging of the terrace podocarp forests of South Westland, as opposed to complete destruction by clear-felling. Lofty view “THE TIMES” printed letters from readers on Saturday criticising it for dismissing Elvis Presley as an indifferent singer of mediocre songs and a totally uninteresting person. A letter from Tim Rice, of London said: “This is simply not true. I would be interested to know which popular singers you consider to be superior to Presley in these categories. Or are you unwilling to admit that any popular singers have any merit whatsoever?” The original comment by “The Times” was in an editorial which also said Presley was a phenomenon of considerable social significance. Another reader, R. G. Short, of London, wrote that “The Times’” implication that Presley’s huge popularity was somehow in spite of his music, rather than because of it, was an untrue and unfair sneer. “People did not buy Presley’s records to annoy their parents — they bought them because they derived enormous pleasure from listening to his magnificent and unique artistic performances,” he said. Betty Hurstfield, of London, recalled in another letter that she began teaching in a big London school in 1956 when Elvis Presley’s talent burst upon the world. “1 shall never forget the elderly senior mistress coming into the staff room one morning and saying sternly, ‘I must speak to a boy called Elvis Presley because he has carved his name on every desk in the school’.”

On a contrasting note, a letter from Owen Jaques, of Truro, Cornwall, criticised President Carter for paying tribute to Presley, who had caused many parents distress and was himself followed by many imitators, “Socially significant true, but for good or evil?” “The Times” made no comment on the four letters.

/n critical mood

THIS IS the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) as he would like others to see him. The picture appeared in “The Press” last Tuesday, accompanying a report of Mr RoWling speaking to the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. He liked it so much that he intends to use it for publicity purposes in future. Mr Rowling was being critical of New Zealand industry’s productivity record when the picture was taken. Time is up AS Ronald Biggs passes the time away sunning himself in Rio de Janeiro, a fellow “great train robber,” Charles Wilson, is learning a new trade — making jewellery. He is being transferred from Long Lartin top-security prison, near Evesham. Worcester, to Coldingley Prison at Bisley, Surrey, to prepare for his release. Coldingley was Britain’s first “business behind bars” industrial jail where prisoners are given training to help them hold down a job outside. Wilson, a former Cockney boilermaker, is now an accomplished artist and could make a living selling his works. While in Long Lartin, he studied French and mastered the language. His latest interest is jewellery making and design. Wilson was sentenced to 30 years jail after the great train robbery at Cheddington, Buckinghamshire. He later escaped from Winson Green prison, Birmingham, and was at large for three years and a half until he was tracked down and caught at a remote timber camp in Canada. Of the 15 rrain robbers, Bruce Reynolds, who was also sen-

tenced to 30 years, is still in prison and may also be considered for parole soon. Of the others, Ronald Edwards has been running a flower stall at Waterloo Station and James Hussey made an unsuccessful step into the restaurant business. The racing driver, Roy James, returned to his old profession as a silversmith after failing to find a sponsor for a come-back to top class racing. Bread for 50 CURIOSITY eventually got the better of the Bryndwr grocer, and he had to ask one of his regular customers just why he regularly bought groceries for two people but bread for 50. The customer was buying a dozen or even two dozen loaves of bread a day — and they were all going into toast. Mr Cliff Dale was testing a new kind of toaster for his electrical goods firm. Instead of the customary electro-mecha-nical or clockwork timers, his new toaster timed the toast to turn electronically with a transistorised solidstate system. It is claimed to be more stable under constant use, and completely unaffected by accumulations of crumbs. It has been patented in New Zealand and overseas. Tiger abroad TWO POLICE officers on patrol in the north-east part of Tasmania have reported a sighting of the elusive Tasmanian tiger. The reported sighting was made on Friday by Senior Constable M. Banfield and Constable J. Wilson. The. policemen said they were driving between Gladstone and Derby when they rounded a corner and saw the animal. It is believed to be almost extinct. Constable Wilson said he had spent many years in the bush and had no doubt that it was a Tasmanian tiger he saw. Unconfirmed sightings of the animal are reported occasionally, but it has been many years since any documented proof of "the animal’s existence has been presented. , Invasion welcome THE DUTCH hope for a peaceful invasion of tourists as a result of the world-wide publicity for the film, "A Bridge Too Far”, now showing in Christchurch. They are preparing for a big influx of visitors to the battlefields of Arnhem — the Rhine River Bridge which was the key objective of the wartime airborne invasion — and Nijmegen. Among the special attractions are boat trips on the Rhine, the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeck, and the bridge at Nijmegen which appears in the film. —Garry Arthur