GENERAL NEWS Sirens Wailed In Post Office At Wellington

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 October 1948, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS Sirens Wailed In Post Office At Wellington

- Members of the public,- in the G.P.O. buildings in Wellington this, morning were startled to hear the sirens’ wailing and before they had time to recover fr°m their initial surprise they, together'with the 840 Post Office employees, were>in the street. The evacuation, .which was carried out within.four minutes, was- a preliminarytest for the establishment of the standard emergency procedure in the General Post Office and was highly successful.—(P.A.) \

Overseas Mails Surface mails for the United Kingdom arid Europe will close at Greymouth on Friday, October 22, and Friday, November 5, both at 5:30 p.m. Air mails for England close on Mondays, Wednesdays arid Fridays.

School Re-opens Closed for almost a fortnight fob lowing the admission to hospital of a pupil suffering from poliomyelitis, the Greymouth; Technical High School re-opened yesterday. The pupil concerned, though still in hospital, is reported to be progressing well and is only a mild case.

Trucker Injured Struck by a wire rppe .which flew up, Robert Collins, aged 23, single, a trucker, received head injuries while at his work in the Blackball mine this afternoon. He was attended by Dr.W. R. Stewart, of Brunner, and was later admitted to the Grey Hospital.

Test of Vibrator The vibrator, which was to have been given a test on coal hoppers on the Greymouth wharf last Friday in order to show whether it would be suitable for use on loading operations to prevent coal jamming in trucks,, has now been taken to Westport. No suitable coal could be found for a satisfactory trial at Greymouth and the machine’will now be tested at Westport, either today or tomorrow. A report on the test will be forwarded to the local authorities.

Painting of School The improvement of Greymouth premises and institutions in time for the Royal visit'to ithe town next March will be an expensive undertaking, judging by Ine cost to the Greymouth Technical High Schools Board of Governors for painting the exterior of the school. The board last evening accepted, subject to approval by the Education Department, a tender for this worse from a Christchurch firm, whose price Was £570. The school, which will provide the immediate background for the official reception to the Royal visitors, will be spray painted over concrete and plaster and hand-painted over woodwork and fittings.

Price of Gold The reduction from £ll. an ounce to £9 in the price paid by jewellers for fine gold would make some difference to the cost of manufactured articles, but it would vary considerably with the type of article, said an Auckland manufacturing jeweller. With some gold articles, the manufacturing cost was much greater than the cost of the metal, said the jeweller. In articles such as fancy brooches and fancy mounts, the manufacturing charge might be 75 per cent, of the total cost, and thus the alteration in the price of gold would not make a great difference. The cost of the gold in gem rings was a negligible part of the whole. The gold in some simple articles, however, accounted for most of the cost, and the difference might be noticed there.

Monday night conversation in Greymouth home. Husband: “There’s a good picture on tonight, what iibout coming? But I suppose you’re too tired—it’s wash day.” Wife:.“No— l’ve turned over a new leaf —I’ve sent all my washing to the Westland Latindry. I’m tired of being tired on wash day.” What a wise decision. Washday fatigue gets you. And it’s not worth it when cur service costs so little. Phone, 136. Depot, Sam Me Ara.—Advt..