NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22916, 7 April 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Food Parcels For Britain The Dominion Monarch, carrying 12,432 food parcels weighing 121,0811 b., which left Wellington on February 26, arrived in the United Kingdom on April 2. This shipment comprises parcels posted in the southern half of the North Island and also the Gisborne and- Nelson districts from February 18 to 25. For Soldier Settlement A total area of 2.000,000 acres has yet to be obtained in order to complete the final rehabilitation of the remaining ex-servicemen in the Dominion, who are waiting for farms. This was revealed in Waioawa at a meeting of exservicemen graded for settlement in the Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, and Gisborne land districts.

Coaster Resold The coaster Kaikorai, which was recently sold to the Hwah Lee Steamship Company, of Shanghai, by the Union Company, has been resold to the Purple Star Shipping Company, of China. The transaction is not yet completed. but the resale was made before the Chinese crew which arrived at Wellington last week left by air from Hong Kong. The Kaikorai will trade around the coast of China. “Just Deathtraps”

If every father would ride his child’s bicycle down a hill, though it would mean many accidents to fathers, it would result in fewer accidents to children, said Mr. C. Hood, road', traffic instructor of schools, in Nelson, recently. “Parents should see that their children’s bicycles are given a periodic inspection, M said Mr. Hood. “I found that at present many machines are just deathtraps. The number of bad brakes is disturbing, while' 1 many children are riding bicycles that are too big for them to control.”

£IO,OOO Refused For Irish Greyhound An offer of £IO.OOO was refused for a greyhound just before the war, said the noted British canine authority, Mr. Leo C. Wilson, in an interview on his arrival at Wellington from Britain. Mr. Wilson, who has come to judge the Wellington and Hutt Valley combined kennel clubs show, was illustrating, tha prominent position occupied by greyhound racing in Britain’s sporting life. “Actually, the owner was foolish to refuse the offer which was made the day the animal arrived in the country from Ireland,” he added. “The dog didn’t make good in British racing.” City Beautiful

To stimulate the pride of householders in the appearance of their streets, a competition is to be held over the next few months in Christchurch for the 12 most beautiful streets and the 12 most improved'streets In the city. The Christchurch City Council had made a grant to a sub-committee of its expansion and development committee for the competition, and it is expected that residents will form committees to consider the best ways ol improving their streets. One of the objects of the competition is to make Christchurch as attractive aa possible for the centennial year.

Russia’s Big Share of Oil Although at present she has only 500 producing rigs as against 2000 in the United States, Russia could control onequarter of the world’s oil supplies when her resources were fully exploited, according to Mr. A. H. Thomas, personnel manager of the Vacuum Oil Company, Limited, addressing Hastings Rotarians. In addition to vast reserves untouched in the frozen wastes, Russia also could command control of the 9,000,000 tons annually of her satellites, Rumania, Hungary, Poland, and Esthonia, At Kuku Russia produced 38,000,000 tons. Mr. Thomas said that there were 2000 tankers in the world, while the huge tankers each of 26,000 tons were being built in the United States. They would be able to carry 8,000,000 gallons of oil each.

Road Signs From Old Planes Non-breakable, non-rusting road signs are being made by a Marton firm from an aluminium alloy taken from old aircraft. A Transport Department official, said it was hopec the signs would be strong enough tc withstand the work of vandals who by their wanton destruction, addec to motoring hazards. In the past large numbers of road signs had been made of steel. Now that steel was m shorl supply very few signs had been made for a considerable period till the firir had experimented with the new alloy which was sand-cast’’and embossed Sufficient supplies of the aluminum alloy were available to supply Nev\ Zaalend’s road sign needs for manj years. SUU Keen to Fly.

Although he has been in nine crashe; Mr. T. Clark, Auckland, is still keen ti go in the air. Mr. Clark s accidents in none of which he was puo., oc curred as follows: Twice in Englani in 1941 the engines of the plane it which he was training cut out and hi crashed: a plane in which he was trav elling hit the sea at Gibraltar: fou times in the Middle East his plane were shot down by enemy flak, hi Wellington collided with another plan' over England: his aircraft over-rai an English airfield in a fog and crasnec Even or, the ground Mr. Clark was no safe. In 1945 he was buried aLer V2 rocket explosion. That gave hir his only rest spell in hospital— for quiet rest.” And now Mr. Clark ha applied to Empire Airway for a steward's job.”