Reporter's Diary

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

340 MA

Wizard in court THE WIZARD of Christchurch (or lan Brackenbury Channell, as he is called on the summons) is to appear in the No. 6 Magistrate’s Court this morning to answer a charge that he “did neglect or refuse to fill in and supply the particulars requested in the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwelling personal questionnaire.” The summons does not call him a wizard, but it gives his occupation as “prophet” and his date of birth as “00/00/00” The Wizard plans to make a personal appearance, but he says he does not intend to harangue the court. Instead, he has employed the

services of a lawyer, who will be paid in the Wizard’s own heavenly credits, drawn on the “Bank of Heaven” — righteous tender, he says, for spiritual debts. Whether the Wizard’s credits will be acceptable tender in the event of a fine is more doubtful. The maximum penalty on conviction is $250. The Wizard is not treating the prosecution lightly. He says it involves the divine right of monarchs. Astronaut race FROM a field of 600, Britain yesterday named five persons striving tc become one of the first European astronauts. Their names go to Europe’s space agency, (E.S.A.), along with candidates from 11 other countries in the agency. Three will be chosen for training in the United States for the first joint American-European manned space mission in July, 1980, but only one European will make the trip. Among the unsuccessful candidates were a boy aged nine and a woman aged 76 who said she just wanted to do something useful. The final 100 applicants, including two women in a women’s entry of 30, underwent psychological and other tests based on advice from U.S. space experts. Some tests take place later in West Germany. Britain’s Industry Department, which advertised for applicants emphasised that discrimination had no part in excluding women from the final five. “In fact, we were disappointed not to find a suitable woman,” a department spokesman said. Tap tax

HOW MANY water taps have you got in your house? More than half of the people in the world have none at all, and as this has been declared International Water Year by the United Nations, Corso wants New Zealand householders to levy a "tap tax” on themselves. The organisation has committed itself to raising $26,000 towards a U.N.I.C.E.F. nutrition and irrigation project in Bangladesh, where surface water is badly polluted, the scheme will provide clean water from tube wells, and to raise the money, Corso wants people to count up their taps and pay up 50c for each one. For our place that would be $5.50 counting the garden taps.

‘SmeWy’ ad. HOMESICK Australians living in the United States are flocking to get copies of the latest edition of Qantas Airline’s tour book. It gives them a nostalgic whiff of the essence of the Australian bush. On the back cover is a closeup photograph of a gum tree branch. When it is scratched with a thumbnail it exudes the distinctive aroma of eucalyptus leaves. The expatriates are also rumoured to be using the scented covers to stoke their barbecue fires, and so produce smoke that is redolent of home. Wrong effect AUCKLAND’S Labour mayoral candidate, Mr J. P. Anderton, has a captive audience for his earl y-m o r n i n g electioneering — but some of them have been escaping. At 6.30 a.m. each day Mr Anderton starts the rounds of bus stops in different parts of Auckland, and gives the waiting commuters his election spiel from a van’s loud-hailer. But he will have to rewrite his introductory remarks. “Hello, I’m Jim Anderton, the Labour Party mayoral candidate,” he begins. But when a reporter followed him round one morning this week, he only got as far as the word “Labour” before the Pacific Islanders in the bus queue disappeared down the street at a fast trot. They thought he was from the Labour Department — the department

which deals with illegal immigrants. More Square tiles JUST to make you feel at home at New Brighton, the City Council has chosen the same paving tiles as those in Cathedral Square for tiling the 2100 square metres of pedestrian surface in Seaview Mall. Mr George Fenton, the City Architect, says they will be slightly different in size, now that the tiles have gone metric, but they will be the same reddish-brown colour and the same shape. Exactly the same tiles will also be put down round the Bridge of Remembrance now that it has become a refuge from vehicular traffic. The City Council has called tenders for laying the tiles, which come from a factory at Plimmerton. Ao denial CANTERBURY Children’s i Theatre’s production of ’ “The Hare and the Tortoise” is getting a big audience response for what could be claimed as the only cross-country race to be held indoors. Parents as well as children have been heard ‘ cheering loudly as the persevering tortoise comes lumbering up the aisle at i the Repertory Theatre. But i the limelight was stolen at I a recent performance by a i little girl who could not contain herself when the Fisherman “caught” a | brassiere. “My Mum’s wearing one of those ” she shrieked. —Garw Arthur