Parachute Jumping

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23331, 25 October 1937, Page 6

Parachute Jumping

An exhibition of parachute jumping was given at the Taieri aerodrome yesterday afternoon by Mr G. W. Sellars, the parachutist making two jumps, one from a height of 1500 feet and the other from 2500 feet. With a fresh north-easterly breeze blowing, it was necessary for Mr Sellars to leave the plane when it was over in (he direction of Whare Flat, but on each occasion he judged the wind well, and landed in the centre of the aerodrome. His feat was watched by a large crowd of spectators.

Hospital Extension In connection with the Hospital Board’s proposal to have a portion of Cumberland street closed for extension purposes, Mr A. F. Quelch informs us that there would be no difficulty with pipes for sewerage, water, and gas in that part of the street, as the City Council would retain all rights of access. The acquiring of the Dunedin Bowling Club’s green and other properties at that end of the block h' I'’ 1 '’ not been considered by the Hospital Board, but should Cumberland street be close a suitable entrance to the bowling green could be provided.

New Cargo Vessel The new 6000-ton cargo steamer for which an order was placed by the Union Steam Ship Comapny last week with the firm of Hawthorne, Leslie, and Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne, is to be named Waipori, and her port of registry is to be Dunedin. The vessel, which will have a speed of 13 knots, will be placed on the Newcastle-Sydney and South Island cargo service.

Opening of Bowling Clubs Three city and two country bowling clubs held their official opening functions on Saturday afternoon, when, although the weather was not as pleasant as it might have been, there were large attendances of players and visitors on the greens. Members of the Executive of the Dunedin Bowling Centre were present on the greens, and conveyed to the clubs that body’s best wishes for a successful season. The president of the centre (Mr T. Smith) was in attendance at the Kaikorai green, Mr J. Forster visited Anderson’s Bay, Mr W. J. Thompson was present at the function held by the Otago Club, and Messrs J. H. Hinton and C. Tyrrell, respectively, represented the centre at Waikouaiti *and Outram. The only club affiliated to the centre which has not yet opened its season is Portobello, and this club will hold its opening function next Saturday, prior to the start of the interclub championship games. Motorists’ Trial

.Fifteen cars and nine motor cycles left the Otago Automobile Association’s rooms between 1.30 and 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon on the first stage of the association’s annual Labour Day trial, which is being held this year over a longer route than usual. Running to a schedule, which included a number of official checks as well as several secret ones, the competitors were to stay at Timaru on Saturday night and yesterday were to travel to Mount Cook, where the night was to be spent at the Hermitage. They will leave the Hermitage this morning on the final leg of the trial, which will bring them back to Dunedin by way of Kurow and Omarama.

Stopping the Drift “The drift of New Zealand University graduates overseas to take up appointments has often been the subject of adverse comment,” remarks the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. “It is, therefore, encouraging to observe that the effort to stem the drift is meeting with some success, in that the services of a number of New Zealand graduates who had migrated overseas have been secured for the depart* ment. and that, too, there are two exRhodes scholars on the staff. Another pleasing feature is the increasing opportunity which is being given to women graduates to obtain scientific appointments.” v • Lockheed Electra Airliner

On its first flight to the South Island, the Kuaka, one of the three Lockheed Electra airliners which are being operated by Union Airways, Ltd., in the Auckland-Wellington service, arrived at North Taieri at 1.25 p.m. on Saturday, after a fast passage of an hour and 20 minutes from Christchurch. The visit of the liner was arranged by Union Airways to allow residents of the South Island to inspect an aeroplane which is of a type different from any machine previously seen south of Wellington. and, temporarily, the Kuaka took up the flying schedule of a DHB6 plane which would normally have been on the Blenheim-Dunedin route. The big airliner, which brought nine passengers, was under the charge of the company's chief pilot, Commander B. A. Blyth, who had Mr K. A. Brownjohn with him as co-pilot, and during Saturday afternoon a large number of visitors took the opportunity of viewing it. The Kuaka left on the return journey at 8.15 yesterday morning.

Blood Pressure Useful Few health complaints have their uses, on one condition, blood pressure, in one case, proved very useful, according to a statement by Mr C. Meachen (secretary of the Wellington branch of the National Blood Transfusion Service), speaking at a meeting hold in Christchurch last week to form a similar branch in Christchurch. Mr Meachen said that until recently the oldest donor on the Wellington service roll was a man of 65. Every three months that man had suffered from blood pressure, and his medical man took off a pint of blood and poured it down the sink. But when the transfusion service came into being great use was made of that three-monthly pint of blood.

Careers Teachers Needed “ The work we do in the next, year or so will be of decisive importance.” said Dr H. Eield, professor of education at Canterbury University College, referring to vocational guidance at a meeting of the Boys’ Employment Committee. The new basis of vocational guidance, with Government recognition, was being discussed. Dr Field was emphatic that “the principle of guidance ” had to be extended beyond specialised activities, through all the schools. The work could not be carried on successfully without support from careers teachers in the schools; without these, the guidance officers could not cope with it.

City Police Court In the City Police Court on Saturday, John O’Sullivan, a statutory first offender, appeared before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., on a charge of drunkenness, and was fined 12s 6d, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment.

Defence of the Empire “The British Empire has land and sea frontiers,” said Mr F. Waite, M.L.C., speaking at a Main Body reunion in Wellington. “We need an army and a navy. Without a navy we could have no mutual support or the protection of overseas trade. Tennyson said: ‘The fleet of England is her all in all, and in her fleet her fate.’ That is as true today as when it was first written. The defence of New Zealand is not a local defence; it is wrapped up in an Empire defence. New Zealand is isolated —cut off from the rest of the world—and has a very small population. In many ways we in New Zealand are still* dependent for our defence—for our very existence —on the Old Country. With the coming of man’s conquest of the air a third branch of the service has grown up—the Air Force. The development of air power is very important, but those of us who have served in more than one branch of the service know that air power is complementary to land and sea power. We must be careful that no one service is exalted over the others. We who served in 1914-18 should express an opinion on these matters, for we are the people of experience, but we are still young enough to be in touch with the present.”

The National Building Society will hold its twelfth annual meeting in the Automobile Association rooms, Moray place, to-morrow night. During the evening £3200 will be disposed of—£Boo by ballot and sale in No. 1 group, £BOO by sale in No. 2, and £BOO by ballot in No. 3.

Eye Strain.—For eye comfort or better vision consult Stunner and Watson Ltd., opticians 2 Octagon. Dunedin Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359. Advt.

For rings, watches, and jewellery try Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians, 59 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt