Reporter's Diary

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Child safety THE PROTECTION of children from electrical hazards is the message of a small, brightly coloured leaflet householders will receive with their next electricity accounts. A leaflet is produced each year by the Accident Compensation Committee and the Electrical Safety Committee. The theme this year, “Save a Young Life Each Day,” has been chosen to mark the International Year of the Child. The pamphlet emphasises the responsibility of parents to make their children aware of the dangers of electricity, and indicates some of the risks a young child can face. Early drivers ARE BECOMING earlier. Mr E. J. Pycroft, of Woolston, had a driver’s licence issued on January 30. 1914, numbered 211. He got it driving for Wardell’S — a 10 h.p. Wolseley van, with an air-cooled horizontal engine, chain driven, cranked at the side, torque rod and Stepney wheels. He had to go up’ part of Hackthorne Road, through Struthers Lane, and then to the ramp into the City Council’s destructor, going halfway up and reversing down. Mr Pycroft later drove an electric van for Wardell’s, and when he became a tram conductor, his licence allowed him to drive a special Sunday bus between “New Brighton and the cemetery.” Mr R. T. Hosking, of Rangiora, recalls that his father ob-

tained his driver's licence in 1925. It allowed him to drive only on the flat. Another licence was necessary to drive on the hills. Mr R. Lane, of Middleton Road, obtained, a licence on August 4, 1925 — his fifteenth birthday. It was for the flat only. Soon afterwards, he said, it became compulsory to have a full licence. Mr H. Taylor, of Opawa, says that his employer,- the late Mr Gordon Lucas, had a motor-cycle licence before 1920. The traffic officer, Mr Macintosh, stood on the footpath outside the Chamber of Commerce building (then the council office) and told Mr Lucas to ride up the approach of the Worcester Street bridge, turn round, and come back. Presto! A driver’s licence. Moon shots TO MARK the tenth anniversary' of Man’s first lunar landing, the Canterbury' Public Library will present a film and slide show. The slides are the property of Mr L. B. Galbraith, of Christchurch, who will provide a commentary on them. Four short films on space exploration will be shown. The presentation will be in the children’s room at the library, at midday next Wednesday, and it will be repeated at I p.m. on Friday, July 20. An exhibition of photographs and posters depicting the moon landing will be on display in the foyer from July 16 to July 20.

Brevity THE FEDERATION of Labour, in its application for a minimum wage order, has already achieved a notable advance. In a pamphlet for distribution to members, a statement by the president (Mr W. J. knox) included this: “In any economy, every worker makes an important contribution, no matter what task s/he is performing.” This at once puts him on side with those who deplore a waste of words, and with the Human Rights Commission. Exit A FIRST-AID course was held at Blackball a few days ago, a reader reports. The topic of car accidents arose. “What if everyone just stands round and stares?” a trainee asked. The reply: “Well, look for the best-dressed person, ask for his coat or jacket, rip the lining from beneath it, and I bet you won’t have anyone standing around.” Give a dog . . . A DUNEDIN man and some student friends had a successful climbing trip at Arthur’s Pass, recently — successful save for one incident. Before leaving Dunedin he thought he should get some antifreeze liquid for his car. His local garage did not have it in a litre container, and the young attendant fetched it from a drum “out the back.” On the way home they stopped at a roadside garage for petrol. The driver asked the attendant to check the oil and water, too. Moments later the attendant was deep in in-

dignation, and foam. The Dunedin garage lad had put in detergent. But nothing would persuade the victim that it was not just another student prank. Mementoes “EDWARD AND Mrs Simpson” ended on television last evening but interest in the story of the abdication continues. Miss Jessie Mould, of Akaroa, says she has a 1936 Church of England prayer book in which the Communion service prayer for the Monarch is for “Thy servant Edward our King.” A North Canterbury reader mentions that the Rangiora Post Office was built about that time and that “E VIII R ” is to be found inset in the foyer floor, and in white lettering in iron lattice-work above the main entrance. Home grown YOUNG AVON anglers might approve of an advertisement from the Roselands shopping centre in Sydney. It is promoting a scheme to raise trout in swimming pools during the winter. It will provide fingerling 10cm trout and advises clients to keep their pools free of chlorine for two days, then toss in the trout, feed them. and wait four months until they are ready to eat. New version THE STORY of ChickenLicken, who was bemused by a falling acorn, is still popular with the tots. A reader suggests it should now be re-written, so that Chicken-Licken can tell Chicken-Licken can tell the king that Skylab is falling on her head. —Felicity Price