NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 69, 14 December 1935, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Art Union Drawn The Wellington Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association art union, for the provision of Christmas cheer for children, was drawn yesterday. ’The three prizes were watercolour paintings by Mr. Nugent Welch. The first, entitled “Sandon Links,” was won by ticket 12,547, "Haigh,” Box 1493; the second, “Palliser Bay,” by ticket 16687, not filled in by the buyer ; the third, “Storm: Wellington Harbour,” by ticket .11095. held by F. Jennings. care T. and W. Young Ltd., Wellington.

Sunday Band Performances. The Wellington Artillery Band will give a performance at Newtown Park and the Wellington Boys’ InstituteBand will play at Seatoun Park tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock.

Not a Receipt Stamp. An incorrect suggestion has been made that the 2d. “Health” stamp can be used as a receipt stamp, but the legal position is that, under the Finance Act, 1929, it is specifically stated that this stamp may only be used for payment of postage. For this purpose it Is available for transmission of correspondence addressed to any part of the world.

Telegraphic Congratulation Kush. The Post Office, shortly to be busy telegraphing Christmas greetings delivered on attractive forms, had an advance experience of the coming rush when its system of congratulatory telegrams carrying the message with illustrations of a loving cup and clasped hands, suddenly became extremely popular and suitable for a big national occasion. These congratulatory messages are normally utilised by the public nt the rate of about 1200 a week, but in the period of seven working days immediately following the general election on November 27, the number of congratulatory telegrams reached 4544. Auckland district headed the list with 1277, Wellington following with 737, Dunedin with 418. and Christchurch 336. Autogiros For Ministers?

A believer in the future of the autogiro flying machine in New Zealand is Flying Officer D. W. Morrish, of Whangarei, who is at present visiting Wellington, and who returned to New Zealand recently after completing a period of service in the Royal Air Force. His training included an autogiro course, these machines having been introduced into the R.A.F. for experimental purposes. “Autogiros would be ideal for use by, say, Cabinet Ministers who were carrying out tours of visit and inspection in various parts of the country,” he remarked to “Tin? Dominion” yesterday. "There are parts of this country I would not care to fly over regularly except in an autogiro.” Mr. Morrish said he believed that the latest type of autogiro, besides landing without a forward run, took off with a bound, which meant that they were useable in the roughtest country.

R.A.F. Parachutes Always Open. A frequent mistake made in accounts of fatal flying accidents is represented by the phrase, "the parachute failed to open,” Flying Officer D. W. Morrish, of Whangarei, told "The Dominion” yesterday. Flying Officer Morrish returned to New Zealand recently after completing a period of service with the Royal Air Force. “Parachutes, in the Air Force at any rate, are now 100 per cent, efficient,” he said. "In the great majority of cases what happens is not that the parachute fails to open but that it does not have time to open properly before the user has reached the ground.” R.A.F. training, he added, did not include parachute work except in a special branch. Parachutes were always carried and there was no known case of failure to jump in an emergency.

An Air Record. The claim made from Blenheim that in flying from Christchurch to Blenheim in one hour 12 minutes the Union Airways air-liner on Tuesday broke the record for an aeroplane flight between the two centres is not correct, the record at present being one hour five minutes established by a Royal New Zealand Air Force Gloster Grebe, flown by Squadron Leader J. L. Findlay. It Is highly likely, however, that, such is their power and speed, the Union Airways air-liners will reduce even this time in test flights if an attempt to do so is made. In the light of present-day performances it is Interesting to recall that, when attempts were being made to establish flying on a commercial basis in New Zealand, Captain Euan Dickson took one hour 55 minutes to fly from Christchurch to Kaikoura, and one hour 30 minutes from Kaikoura to Blenheim in an Avro machine of the Canterbury Aviation Co. on August 25, 1920. The time has been cut from over three hours to nearly one hour.