NEWS of the DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 4 September 1950, Page 4

NEWS of the DAY

Maoris’ Part In Centennial Final preparations are in hand for the Maoris’ part in the Canterbury centennial celebrations. Like many other committees the Maoris aim to make their celebrations self-supporting so that a small surplus may be handed over as the Maori contribution to the centennial memorial. Built In 49 Weeks The average length of time under construction of the State rental houses handed over last financial year was 49 weeks. Twenty per cent, of the houses were built by Rehabilitation trainees, who do not work as quickly as experienced tradesmen. Big Building Scheme Modern facilities costing £200,000 are planned by the Auckland Central Mission. The building scheme includes the completion of Astley House, Mt. Albert, as a home for elderly people, Wesley Convalescent Hospital at Mt. Eden, and a modern mission block to replace the present building in Airedale Street, City.—P.A. Napier-Gisborne Highway Freedom from major flood damage enabled good progress to be made with the maintenance and improvement of roads in the Napier district during the past year, says the Ministry of Works report. The extension of sealed surfaces on State highways was given high priority Between Napier and Gisborne an aggregate of 24j miles of new dustless sealing was completed, while a total of 291 miles was given maintenance sealing. Equipment Named After Heroes In one gas works in France it was interesting to see that pieces of new equipment has been named after heroes of the resistance movement who were shot during the war for sabotage, said Mr. Eric F. Gorman, engineer to the Christchurch Gas Company, who has : returned after an extensive tour. He was shown one large coke bunker, commanding n view of the factory, which had large searchlights built bv the Germans to supervise the works and cover it. with machine guns. Price of Watch Repairs Watch repair prices were discussed iat the conference of the New Zealand Horological Institute, in Christchurch, and after a full discussion it was decided to have a national price list rather than district price lists. The training of apprentices was discussed at some | length, and a scheme was drafted and | will be sent to the Commissioner of I Apprentices for approval. It is pro--1 posed to set up an apprentices’ training school in the four main centres, with compulsory attendance at the school one or two nights a week. The instructors will be provided by the institute. Eviction Case in Napier

An application to the Magistrate’s Court. Napier, for a stay in the execution of a warrant for eviction having failed eviction from a house in Napier was affected last week. Their departure will allow a 70-year-old woman, said to have suffered extreme hardship through the occupants' refusal to relinquish the house, to regain possession of her home. Apart from a case in 1949 which had extraordinary circumstances, this is the first eviction in Napier for some years. The decision of Mr. L. G. 11. Sinclair, S.M., was the culmination of protracted legal proceedings.

School Milk Cost £17,366. More than 11,000 school children in the New Plymouth health district which comprises all Taranaki, receive half a pint of pasteurised milk each day under the milk-in-schools scheme operated by the Department of Health. Over 625 gallons of pasteurised milk are supplied daily, and the .cost of the scheme in the district for nine months last year was oer £17,366. Cerebral Palsy Centre

The opinion that the Rotorua centre for cerebral palsy work could be started immediately with the experienced specialists already in the country was expressed at the New Zealand Crippled Children Society field officers’ conference in Wellington by Miss N. McLeod. She considered that the scheme was being made complicated"State House Sections Balloted. First of the Hawke’s Bay sections formerly acquired by the Crown for State housing purposes and now placed on the market following the recent Government decision were balloted for before the commissioner of Crown lands in Napier last week. One section offered in Hastings drew 11 applications and was obtained by Mr. G. A. Bulliv'ant, King Street, Hastings, for £250.

Dirty Windscreens Dangerous “It is not generally known that it is an offence to drive a car with a windscreen that is not clear.’’ said the senior patrol officer, Mr. P. Lunn, prosecuting for the Christchurch City Council when a motorist was charged with this offence in the Magistrate’s Court. ‘This also can serve as a warning to those who have so many badges, etcetera, on their windscreens, that they cannot see out,” said Mr. Lunn. Sixty Convictions

With over GO convictions, nearly all for dishonesty, between 1919 and 1949, Robert Bruce McKinlay, aged 51 labourer, admitted the theft of a bicycle in the Magistrate’s Court in Dunedin. "It is amazing to me that the Prisons Board should have let him out after eight months with his list,” said Mr. J. D. Willis, S.M., in sending McKinlay to gaol for three months’ hard labour. The magistrate was referring to McKinlay’s recent release. —P.A. Erosion Check at Tongoio Greater soil protection, reduced erosion and a check on rabbit infestation have resulted from Ministry of Works operations on the department’s 450acre farm at Tancoio. The report of the activities of the department during the last year, which states this, adds that the farm has now been taken over as a full working unit. Further work in subdivision, fencing, seeding, water supply and tree planting had been undertaken, and 220 bullocks were grazed during the year, the report says.

One Chance in 20,000,000 The accidental use of the wrong key slunved a New Plymouth businessman that the key to the front door of his home could open the door of his office, and that his office key would fit the kevholc in his front door. The keys are of'a well-known type- Each such key and its associate lock arc designed differently by making slight but complex variations in such parts as keywavs, tumblers, pins and serrations. According to a recognised authority on keys, what has happened at New Plymouth is the mathematical chance of one in 20,000,000.