Dominion News

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 February 1950, Page 7

Dominion News

Polar Bears For Auckland Zoo Two young Polar bears to fill the vacant pit at the Auckland zoo are expected to arrive in a few months from Antwerp. It is intended to pay for them with wallaroos, keas, emus and Paradise duck.—(P.A.) Remission Of Death Duties The Minister of Stamp Duties (Mr C. M. Bowden) said at Wellington last evening that the Cabinet had decided to remit the death duty on the estates of victims of Ballantyne’s fire. —(P.A.) Horses May Be Flown To America Five yearling racehorses bought by an American breeder at Trentham in January will probably be flown to California. Their buyer, Mr George Covert, who left Auckland by air for the United States yesterday plans to return about October With a chartered cargo plane to fly the horses back. This would cost about £5OO a horse, but he thinks it would be worth it. He predicts that New Zealand will see many more American buyers at the next yearling sales. Prices are cheap compared with American prices, but the yearlings are better. He thinks New Zealand’s best horses would do well in America, where the trend is toward distance races, but where horses with staying power are lacking.—(P.A.) ■

Operations On Blue Babies One hundred and forty-nine cases of congenial heart disease have been examined at the cardio-surgical clinic at Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, since the clinic was opened 18 months ago. Thirty-eight of the cases were blue babies. Of 29 who were operated on, only one died, and the others are now apparently leading normal lives. A report on the work of the clinic was presented to the British Medical Association conference at Wellington by Mr Douglas Robb, the Auckland surgeon who went to America two years ago to study the blue baby technique developed there by Drs Blalock and Taussig. He said that of the 149 cases examined, more than 100 had come from Auckland and its envii ons, 10 from Wellington, and only 13 from the whole of the South Island. It was suggested in discussion on the report that perhaps the clinic’s work was not sufficiently known.—(P.A.)

Racing Decision Criticised “Mid-week race days were abandoned during the war for the sole reason that they withdrew workers from production and caused a material loss in output,” said the chairman of the Aid to Britain National Council (Mr F. P. Walsh), referring to the announcement by the Minister , of Internal Affairs (Mr W. A. Bodkin) that mid-week race days had been granted to Wellington and Christchurch. Mr Walsh said this was a “grave disservice” to the people in New Zealand and their kin overseas. Mr Len George, immediate past president of the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation, said: “Racing is a sport, and should be kept to the usual sporting days, otherwise there is a danger of absenteeism in manufacturing concerns and to a lesser degree in the retail trades.” Mr George said he was giving his personal opinion, and not necessarily that of the federation.— (P.A.)