SEVERE STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25054, 18 November 1944, Page 6

SEVERE STORM

THE WAIKATO DISTRICT LITTLE DAMAGE REPORTED ( 0.c.) HAMILTON, Friday A severe thunderstorm, accompanied by a strong wind, was experienced in the' Waikato district during the early hours of this morning. There were frequent lightning flashes and loud claps of thunder, with numerous heavy showers of rain. In the 24-hour period .87in of rain fell. The effect on property was not serious although isolated cases occurred of damage to electric-power supply lines and wireless aerials, A pane ot glass was blown from a Victoria Street shop window, and Grey Street Hamilton East, was temporarily blocked when a branch from a tree was Mown down. Orchardists report that little damage was done to fruit trees. Residents of Te Awamutu state that the storm was severe in their district, but little damage to property has been reported. FRANKLIN EXPERIENCE POWER SERVICES AFFECTED ( 0.c.) PUKEKOHE, Friday A severe thunderstorm swept the Franklin district between 3.30 and 4.30 o'clock this morning. The disturbance was accompanied by a heavy wind and rain. Fortunately no extensive damage resulted, although vegetable crops and orchards received a buffeting. Power services were affected as the result or fuses in transformers being blown out by lightning in several districts, ine services were soon restored. Lightning caused a break in the elec : trical power supply between Arapuni and the Penrose sub-station during a storm in the earlv hours of yesterday morning. A heavy surge in the supply shortly after 4.20 a.m. was followed ten minutes later by a complete break. J he service was restored within four minutes. POST FOR SCIENTIST DE RAIYMOND FIRTH LONDON PROFESSORSHIP The Auckland-boxn anthropologist, Dr Raymond Firth, according to a London cablegram, has been appointed to the London University chair of anthropology, tenable at the London School of Economics, He has been employed at the Admiralty since 1941, and last year was appointed .secretary to the Colonial Social Science Research Council.

Dr Firth, uho is 43, is a son of Mr and Mrs W. H. B. Firth, of Otahuhu. He was educated at the Auckland Grammar School and Auckland University College. After graduating M.A., he took up the study of anthropology at London University under Professor B. Balinowsky, and obtained a doctorate of philosophy in 1927. He spent a year in 1928-29 on the lonely island of Tikopia, in the Solomons, studying the primitive ways of the inhabitants, who are Polynesians. After a period as lecturer in anthropology and acting-professor at Sydney University. Dr. Firth in 1933, was appointed reader in social anthropology in the School of Economics, London University. In 1939-40, with his wife, a daughter of Sir Gilbert Upcott, British Comptroller and Audi-tor-General, he carried out a year's investigation of the social structure and economic organisation of the coastal inhabitants' of north-eastern Malaya. He and Mrs Firth visited New Zealand before returning to England. Dr. Firth is the author of a number of books, including "The Primitive Economics of the New Zealand Maori," "Art and Life in New Guinea," "We, the Tikopia: A Social Study of Kinship in Primitive Polynesia," "Primitive Polynesian Economy" and "The Work of the Gods in Tikopia." WRAPPING OF BREAD NO CHANGE IN SYSTEM The responsibility for the wrapping of bread normally rested upon the shopkeepers who were resellers of loaves and not on the bakers, stated a representative of the baking industry yesterday. He was commenting on suggestions recently made that, provided there was sufficient paper available, the wrapping of bread should be made compulsory. When the shortage of paper developed during the war the Minister of Supply requested the public to provide their own paper or wrapper when purchasing bread. That practice had been carried out for some considerable time, stated the representative. It would seem that until the Minister of Supply announced that there were ample supplies of paper to restore the obligation on shopkeepers to wrap the present practice must continue.

MONETARY FUND INTERNATIONAL PLAN (P A.) WELLINGTON, Friday In an address to the Economic Societv of Australia and New Zealand on the international monetary fund, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said he hoped the agreement would come before Parliament for consideration and adoption before the present session was over. ' Mr Nash stressed the importance of high levels of employment, production and income in all countries as the only effective means of ensuring an expansion of trade. He hoped New Zealand would never use the fund. The best test of the stability of the country would be its ability to operate without recourse to the fund. He saw no reason why the Dominion, with its amazing resources and few people, and its wellbalanced economy, should need to depend on the fund unless a crisis arose through no fault of its people. When explaining the relation of New Zealand's currency to the dollar, Mr Nash referred to the existing of the "absurd position" where the dollar was valued at 6s Id, New Zealand currency. The actual position was that £IOO in New Zealand currency had a far greater purchasing power than a like amount of dollars, but it was not possible to alter the values at the moment without causing unnecessary difficulties. SCENIC ROUTE INSPECTED (0.C.) HCTTTRUA, Friday During his visit to the Rotorua district this week the Minister in charge of Tourist Resorts, Mr Parry, has covered a great deal of ground in inxneoting places of interest to visitors. Mr Parrv and his party went over a former scenic route that included launch trips across Lakes Okataina and Tarawera. He expressed the opinion that the route should be restored.