Reporter's diary

Press, 21 April 1982, Page 2

Reporter's diary

Valuable rubbish

A TATTY old cigarette case that looks like a “bit of rubbish” could be: one of-the" highlights of an antique auction in Christchurch-in July. The once silver-plated case which is now “shockingly worn” contains the signatures of the four men who flew on the Southern Cross when it made the first trans-Tasman flight in 1928. Squadron Leader C. E. Kingsford Smith, flight Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm, Mr H. A. Litchfield (navigator) and Mr T. H. Me William (radio operator) signed the cigarette case at a complimentary luncheon given in honour of the intrepid aviators shortly after they touched down at sockburn Aerodrome. Mr C. F. Hart, a director of McCrostie’s Fine Art Auctions, said the case has no value except for containing the signatures of the four airmen. The Southern Cross made its epic crossing of the Tasman Sea on Monday, September 10, and\Tuesday, September 11, 1928. The plane left the Richmond Aerodrome in New South Wales about 7 p.m. (New Zealand time) and touched down in Christchurch just over 14 • hours later.

Weckless weviewer CERTAIN consonants lie in wait for the tongues of those who are afflicted with speech impediments, and the sufferers no doubt try to choose words that avoid-them. Not so Robert Monteith, who reviewed ?Jbn Cleary’s latest book, “The Golden Sabre,” on the national radio programme this week. Mr Monteith appears to have the same trouble with the letter “r” as the leader of Britain’s new Social Democratic Party, who is popularly

known as “Woy” Jenkins. But Mr Monteith made it clear that “r” bolds no terror for •him—he praised Cleary’s ■book ■'*: as a “wollicking, wecommended womp.” Bottoms up A YOUNG . Tennessee law student was caught with his pants down when he fell from a bus returning from a distillery near Nashville. The student, who was attempting to press his bare buttocks against a window, used too much force and the window popped put,' spilling the cheeky prankster on to the road. Eric Finkelman suffered a broken hand and a minor head injury during the stunt known as “mooning” or a “pressed ham.” A traffic officer, who attended the accident, said it was one of the strangest cases he had been involved in during his 23 years in the force.

March 31, 19 .. . ? IS THERE no end ot the wrangles over Richard Pearse? The claim that the Waitohi (South Canterbury) man flew before the Wright brothers has enjoyed a popular revival this year, but it seems’ that the year of his achievement is clouded with confusion. Yesterday “The Press” carried a photograph of a plaque erected at Timaru airport; it gave the date as 1904. Mr John Taylor, editor of Jane’s aeronautical annual, said on television that the feat occurred in 1902, and Mr Gordon Ogilvie, Pearse’s biographer,' plumps for 1903. On one detail, however, they are all in agreement:- March 31 was definitely the day,. . .

. . . two’s' company AND while on aviaton matters, Air New Zealand could

be said to be striking at the roots of matrimonial stability with its advertisement on “twogether fares” in yesterday’s issue. The scheme provides for a 50 per cent fare reduction for two people travelling to and from the same destination by Friendship aircraft on certain days, and the advertisement gives examples of couples who qualify. “Husbands and wives, friends, LOVERS, or just good mates,” it says. Tut, tut. Is our airline intent on giving discreet affairs a lift? Practical steps WHILE the. much-vaunted talks between the Government and the Federation of Labour over a wage-tax trade-off continue, the Canterbury branch of the Engineers’ Union has taken a practical step on the same issue. It has produced,. with the co-operation of its auditors, 10,000 copies of a booklet specially written to help union members fill in their tax returns this year. The branch secretary, Mr R. J. todd, said the idea arose at meetings last year discussing the metal trades award, members expressed concern at the high level of personal income tax. Paper war BRITISH journalists on the Royal Navy task force bound for the Falkland Islands possess accreditation documents that were in existence before the end of the Second World War. The British Ministry of defence was so unprepared for handling press applications for facilities on board the task force that journalists had to fill in accreditation. papers dated 1944 and were issued with passes printed in Arabic for the 1956 Suez Canal crisis.