Reporter’s diary

Press, 26 November 1981, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Interpretation T

“HOW IS this for doublespeak?” a reader has asked with reference to The Financial Services Regulations 1979, Amendment No. 1, which was passed by Order-in-Council in June this year. Paragraph two of the amendment, under the heading, “Interpretation,” reads as follows: “regulation 2 (1) of the principal regulations is hereby amended by revoking the definition of the term ‘specified financial service’ and substituting the following definition: ‘Specified financial service means a financial service of a kind declared, by these regulations, to be a specified financial service for the purpose of these regulations’.” In camera

WHILE Television New Zealand is worrying whether it is giving exactly equal time to each of the three main political parties during this trying pre-election time, spare a thought for Zambian television which has problems of a far greater magnitude. It says it has only three reels of unused, film left and cannot afford any more until

the end of January. The Zambia News Agency, ZANA, reported recently that, until the Government’s budget was released, the television service would restrict its film coverage to presidential functions. A senior official of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked the Government and ruling party leaders not to feel offended if their presence at other events goes unrecorded. Imagine the blissful peace and quiet if that were to happen here. Very good news DURING a small private lecture on Christian doctrine at a home in Christchurch on Monday afternoon, a remarkable coincidence occurred, a reader reports. The lecture was on “Good News,” and the tutor, one of the parents of the several children present, had just asked the question, “What would be good news?” At that very moment, the telephone rang, and one of the girls present went to answer it. She came back into the room with some very good news — the caller

had been an announcer on one of the local radio stations and she had just managed to win herself $lOOO by knowing the right response to his question. The tutor’s question had been answered, so the lesson came 'to an abrupt halt. Besides, everyone was much too excited to pay any more attention. Under cover

THE SALE of home-made Christmas puddings and various other fund-raising activities has enabled the Soroptimist International Christchurch Club to raise a total of $l7OO for the Riding for the Disabled Association. The money will be used by the association towards the cost of putting a covering roof over the riding arena so that riding will be continue when it is raining. Fly bottles NEW ZEALAND cream bottles make excellent containers for studying the habits of fruit flies, Californian researchers have discovered. Although cream bottles are not designed for

such purposes, they have been found to be ideal viewing containers for scientific study of the fruit fly. The bottles have wide necks, clear glass, and durability which is necessary to sustain the shock of sterilisation. Glass manufacturers in the United States are not interested in producing .the cream bottles for a relatively small market of up to 100,000 bottles a year, so New Zealand manufacturers have been approached for help. A sample shipment of 3000 bottes was sent to the University of Canada recently by New Zealand Glass, and it is expected that American universities will also take them in future. Relocation THE GREYMOUTH Borough 1 Council was discussing a list of properties which the His ; toric Places Trust considered should be preserved. One of the items listed was the railway station. “The quicker they piill it down the better," said Cr N. R. Tvrdeic. “You mean relocate it?” asked the Mayor (Dr B. M. Dallas). “Yes,” said Cr Tvrdeic, “in the river.".