NEWS of the DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23207, 20 March 1950, Page 4

NEWS of the DAY

Rongotai Airport: Cost £2,800,000

The £2,800,000 Rongotai airport will be one of the world’s most central to the city it serves. Its completion will be the biggest single boost passenger flying in New Zealand could receive. Even as an ill-situated grass field. Rongotai before the war was handling passenger traffic heavy enough to place it among the busiest airports in the Empire. The airstrip will bo able to cope with an aircraft movement, one landing or take off, every three minutes throughout the day or night in any weather. Long Way Round One parcel dispatched from a firm in Glasgow to another firm in Hamilton will travel many thousands of miles before it reaches its destination. From a rubber-stamp making establishment in Glascow a parcel was addressed to “The Advertiser,” Hamilton, the intention being that the parcel would travel 12 miles that day. However, a postal official was apparently, more familiar with Hamilton. New Zealand —a mere 12.000 miles away than the Hamilton right at his back door, and the parcel duly arrived at the Waikato Times Office. It is now on its way back to the other Hamilton.

Behind the Iron Curtain Business behind the Iron Curtain is quite straightforward, provided one keeps well away from politics, states .a Swedish businessman,Mr. L. Jacoby, now visiting the Dominion. Terms are usually barter, with the balance payable in dollars. The Iron Curtain countries are good payers. “Business is impersonal there, but treaties are working as well as any other treaties,” savs Mr. Jacobv. Travel is normal. hotels a little grey, but in Warsaw particularly great efforts are being made to restore war damage. When he visited Warsaw in August, 1945, there were only about 20 habitable houses in a city about the size of the entire population of New Zealand. Now about a quarter of the city is rebuilt.

Smallest Dictionary, A copy of the “smallest dictionary in the world,” which has been given publicity from Wellington and Ashburton recently, is in the possession of a Greymouth resident. It is in a perfect state of preservation and is contained in a small metal case, one side of which holds a small reading glass. The minute book was printed in Glasgow. On the back cover is the name of a well-known brand of English soap. P.A.

Fairer System of Rating The hospital rating system was undemocratic and investigations were being made to see if the value could be levied on the capital value of all property, said the clerk, Mr. W. J. O’Connell. at the latest meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council. Mr. O’Connell said the intention was to lew general rates on the unimproved values and the hospital rates on the imnroved values, if that was possible. It would be awkward to manage, but it would be much fairer. More Efficient Propellers Arrangements have been made for Mr. Athel Burns, the Wellington ship designer, to start on special research and experimental design concerning ship’s propellors. Designs of the experimental propellers will be sent to Great Britain, where they will be moulded out of bronze and shipped to New Zealand. The Northern Company believes that it can considerably inprove its services by equipping its ships with propellers especially designed to increase speed, and thus reduce the time of their voyages.

Baron Who Worked as Labourer A baron who inherited a fortune with his title in 1946 died in Sydney where he worked as a labourer. He was Lord John Lawrence May. aged 45, who went to Australia in 1935 shortly after his father was made a baron for work as chairman of the British Import Duties Advisory Committee. Lord May lived quietly in a small suburban hotel and worked double shifts at the Australian Glass Works. Born in London, he married in 1929 and a son was born in 1931.