NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26290, 23 October 1946, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Dunedin’* Town Hall “It is the best Town Hall that I have seen in the world.” was a comment made by Mr Georges Thill, the French tenor who is visiting Dunedin at present, after he had inspected the Main Town Hall. “It is a huge, magnificent hall, well heated, and with •comfortable seating. Dunedin people should be very proud of it. Town halls are usually cold, bare stables, and the seats arb usually hard and squeaky.” Three Large Eggs A fine performance in egg laying was-registered by a two-year-old hen belonging to Mrs L. Watkins, of Morrinsville, last week. During three days the hen laid three eggs weighing an average of 7 l-3oz. The respective weights were 6\oz, 7loz, and Bioz. The last egg was 4in long and over in diameter, and completely dwarfed a normal-sized egg, 2in long and If in in diameter, which was placed beside it. Smothered by Cat The three-weeks-old son of Mr and Mrs K. P. Robinson, of Shannon, was found dead in his bassinet a few days ago, having been smothered by a cat. Mrs Robinson had put the baby to sleep and left the bedroom. On returning an hour and a-half later she found that the cat had curled itself up in the bassinet and smothered thd baby. The cat must have entered the room through an open window.

Municipal Organ Recital The city organist, Dr V. E. Galway, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday evening, when the following programme wili be presented:—Overture to "Athaliah” (Handel); Choral Prelude, “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee ” (Bach); Fugue in E flat major, the “St. Ann” (Bach); Romance in G major (Beethoven); Minuet in E flat major (Mozart); Three Improvisations —(1) On Suspensions, (2) On Sevenths, (3) On the Modes (Edgar Moy); “Prayer and Cradle Song” (Guilmant); Toccata in’F major (Widor). There will be no charge for admission.

Kites Over Canterbury An instruction Issued this week by Mr J. M. Buckeridge, acting controller of civil aviation, warning pilots that until further notice kites will be flown periodically in the area between Ashburton and the sea coast at heights up to 2500 feet draws attention to the fact that meteorological tests of world-wide importance have now been commenced in Canterbury. The kites, which will be used to determine air speeds, will represent a possible hazard to aircraft if due caution is not exercised. They are of the standard army type, about 12 feet across. An important feature of the meteorological investigations undertaken in Canterbury is to determine the relationship between weather and high-frequency wireless transmission.

“ Family ” Aircraft A light “family” aircraft will soon be on the New Zealand market at a retail price of less than £2OOO, stated Mr N E. Higgs, an aircraft executive, who has returned to Wellington after several months in Britain investigating latest aviation trends. He said that the first aircraft of the type for New Zealand would be landed in Auckland for demonstration. One English company, he said, had a “family” aircraft in full production, and 90 per cent, had to be exported. Some purchasers of the “ family ” aircraft • were young colonials being demobilised from the services. A number of them had flown to their homes in their newly-acquired machines. Recently two • young men flew to their civilian posts in Ceylon in one of the aircraft which thev had purchased. Golfers’ Apparel, Variety of weather during the first three days of the New Zealand women’s golf championships gave the ..competitors an opportunity to air golfing apparel of every conceivable description. The opening day, Thursday, was a mild spring day, and many of the women favoured light, summer costumes, as well as the wearing of eye shades. Next day conditions were very different, and as the players teed up and drove off the first hole they presented a novel spectacle. Convention had gone by the board, and more than one woman was seen striding purposefully along the fairways in the pouring" rain wearing a camouflaged helmet, a portion of a ground sheet, or some other item of erstwhile military equipment. Others relied on several thicknesses of jerseys to keep the rain out. Cessation of the rain on Saturday gave the golfers a chance to return to more ordinary clothing, but there was still a cold wind, and the sky was mostly overcast. Survey of Grocery Lines A mixture of good and bad news for housewives comes from the master grocers’ conference in Wellington last week. An increase in the bacon ration of about 25 per cent, will be made in December and extending to February. Of the 50,000 cases of tinned fruit promised for release, only 20,000 cases will be available this year for all New Zealand. The remainder will be distributed in January and February. In making this information available, the president of the South Canterbury Master Grocers’ Association (Mr C. D. Gibson), who attended the conference, said that the prospects were not as bright as was expected. It was thought that more sugar would have been made available for the holiday period, but the present stocks would not allow that to be done. There was a chance that the position might improve in the meantime and the ration increased before the festive season. Failing everything else, bacon and eggs should be plentiful. He advised housewives to preserve eggs now for winter. Among the foodstuffs available would be sultanas, raisins, mixed fruits cherryettes, peel and a little uineapple to be released in December. In that month, too, sheep tongues would be on sale. The drawing of " Mum’s Big Moment ” Art Union is to take place at the Board Room. 2nd Floor, Wellington Commercial Travellers’ Association Building, Customhouse quay. Wellington, this morning, commencing at 9.30 a.m. For rings, watches, and jewellery try Peter Dick, jewellers. 59 Princes street. Dtiredin. —Advt