NEWS of the DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23043, 6 September 1949, Page 4

NEWS of the DAY

Four-man Mine

In three years, over 25,000 tons of coal have been produced by four men operating an open-cast mine in the Mangakara Valley, six miles from Ohura, near Taumarunui. They are tapping the eastern fringe of the Mokau coalfield, which is estimated to contain 1,000,000,000 tons of coal, and they believe that the valley will one day be the gateway to vast resources.

Duke's Test Tic The Duke of Edinburgh has a new tie. The New Zealand cricketers have presented it to him. It is their touring tie-black, with the silver fern leaf of New Zealand upon it. The Duke of Edinburgh has accepted it as this year's president of the M.C.C., a job which he is not treating as a formal honour, for he has presided over several meetings recently. Me is also watching all the cricket he can, and saw two of the tests, at Manchester and the Oval.

Milk-tankers Replace Cans Milk for the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company's factory at Waitoa is being collected by two 1500-gallon motor-tankers. This system, replacing the method of collecting milk in cans, is being tried for the first time in New Zealand, and the company proposes io build up a fleet of 60 tankers, serving the factories at Waitoa, Waharoa, To Awamutu and Matangi. It is expected that the tankers will cfl'ect big savings in transport and man-power in handling milk cans at the factory.

Concrete Stale Houses Several Stale houses of entirely concrete construction should be completed at Shirley by the end of the month, said the district officer of the Housing Construction Department in Christchurch, Mr. H. Sherbrook. The houses, built by a contractor who had developed suitable boxing, had come through all tests with flying colours, and with their long life, low maintenance costs and earthquake resisting qualities, they appeared to have great possibilities, but the pity of it was that the shortage of cement limited the extent of their construction, said Mr. Sherbrook.

The Modern Youth

An old and infirm man climbed on to a Karori tram one day last week. Schoolchildren remained seated while he staggered uncertainly. Finally, ire approached one young hopeful. "I’ll give you sixpence for your seat.” he said. “Okay," said the youth, extending a hand for the coin and preparing to rise. Piper For Hastings

A notable acquisition to pipe band circles in Hawke’s Bay will occur next month, when Pipe-Major J. A. Mac Gee is scheduled to arrive in Hastings and will join the Hastings Scots’ Society’s Pipe Band. PipeMajor Mac Gee, who hails from Largs, Aryshire, Scotland, was among the five best pipers in Scotland, and was chosen to play for dancers in the world championship contests which was held in Edinburgh this month.

Stallion Nearly Adrift Live cargo worth 12,000gns. was threatened with damage or death on the deck of the Hertford, four days out from ’Wellington. The English stallion Dogger Bank, bought bv Mr. D. C. Alexander, Wanganui, was being carried in a deck stall which was badly damaged by a wave in rough weather. Onlv quick work by the ship’s carpenter, with the complications of flying hooves and a heaving deck, saved the horse from injury. Temporary repairs were made to the stall in these difficulties and Dogger Bank showed no ill effects from his experience.

■COOO Highest Offer A 1037 Buick 11 special sedan—in sound mechanical order, tyres and body in showroom condition, according to the advertisement—was not sold when offered for auction in Wellington. The highest, bid was £250 below the reserve price of £BSO. Stated to have done about 08.000 miles during its 12 years’ of life, the car was inspected by a number of interested persons and about a dozen attended the auction. The auctioneer had a difficult task to get an opening bid, but finally was offered £4OO, Two other bids, ot £SOO and £OOO. were received, but there the bidding stopped.