NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26550, 27 August 1947, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Rumour Scotched Wishful thinking may have caused the birth of a rumour in Auckland yesterday, but hoots of laughter heralded its death in Dunedin last night. The Daily Times was informed last night of a rumour in Auckland that a certain well-known businessman in Dunedin had offered to pay the fares of the touring Otago Rugby football team to travel to Auckland for a return match against the. Auckland representatives, the gate receipts to be ear-marked for the Food for Britain* campaign. An inquiry made of the man allegedly concerned brought a roar of laughter and the retort: “ I haven’t even got enough money to pay my own fare to Auckland.” He denied all knowledge of any such arrangement, and said he was equally certain that no namesake of his in Dunedin had made an offer along the lines suggested.

Imports of Washing Machines No provision for imports of washing machines was made in the import licensing schedule for 1948, but the Customs Department has now decided to consider applications from regular importers for licences to import washing machines from Britain. These applications, however, must be supported by definite evidence that a specified number of machines is available for reasonably prompt shipment. Vandalism in Kaikorai

A new and annoying form of vandalism is being practised in the Kaikorai district, where severar residents have found that their letter boxes have been torn from front gates and fences and. in some cases, have been thrown into neighbourig properties. As those who apparently gain some peculiar kind of satisfaction from these activities have operated over a wide area it has-been suggested That residents throughout the district should maintain a, watch in the hope of detecting the source of the trouble. The Artistic Mind Artists are popularly supposed to live in an amiable state of mental forgetfulness, but a suggestion that this condition had spread to “ nonworking ” members of the Otago Art Society was given by two incidents at the society’s annual meeting last evening. First, it, was reported that the minutes of the previous annual meeting had been left at home, and later an intimation was given that some member had sent along a subscription, but had neglected to state who it was from.

Record Shipment of Cars One thousand three hundred British cars- and tractors —believed to constitute a record number to be booked for the Dominion in one vessel—are included in the cargo now on its way to New Zealand in the Shaw Savill and Albion Company’s newest ship. Athenic, which left Tilbury on Tier maiden voyage on August 1. She is due at Auckland on September 1. amounting to about 6000 tons, includes such diversified items as Bailey bridging, machinery, cement, cigarettes, seeds, clothing, boots and shoes, glass, matches and salt. The Athenic is expected to call at. Port Chalmers. 4

Municipal Organ Recital Mr Charles F. Collins, guest organist, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday evening, when the following programme will be presented:—Fantasia and Fugue in G minor (Bach); Minuet in D (Stanley, arr. Harry Wall); Sarabanda and Giga (Zipoli, arr. Harry Wall), Chorale Improvisation. “Now Thank We All Our God” (Karg-Elert); Chorale in A minor (Cesar Franck); Meditation No. 1 (Guilmant); Toccata (Gigout). Mr Collins will be assisted by Miss Mona Ross, who will contribute four songs—“At Night” (Rachmaninoff). “Black Roses” (Sibelius). “O, That It Were S 6?” and “Love Went A-rid-ing” (Frank Bridge). There will be no charge for admission.

Great Britain’s Past “All nations of the past which have risen to the top have finally toppled over and done down except one.” said the Rev. J. F. Feron, speaking on the subject “This Britain of Ours” at a luncheon meeting of the Canterbury Chapter of the New Zealand Institute of Secretaries. Britain had remained a leading world empire longer than the others and was the only one not to obey the rule of eventual degeneration. The belief that Britons came from savages was entirely wrong, and leading ethnologists and other experts to-day were agreed that Great Britain's culture in the early days was superior to that of both Greece and Rome. Her heritage was the purest of all races on the earth.

Operation for Deafness An operation for the type of deafness known as otosclerosis, due to blockage ‘in the middle ear as a ' result of infection or a bony overgrowth, is described by Dr A. Wardale, of Dunedin, in the journal of the New Zealand League for the Hard of Hearing. In this type of deafness there is a 75 per cent, chance that the operation will lead to a substantial improvement, while the scar is so small as to be almost unseen. In some cases the improvement is not permanent and in a few months the hearing may slowly become worse again and may return to the condition before operation. Those people who gain no improvement from the operation lose nothing because the operation is always done on the deafer ear and the patient’s better ear remains as it was. Types of Accident Collisions with cyclists predominated in traffic accidents in Christchurch during 1946, states the annual report of the Transport Department. In Auckland and Wellington, collisions with pedestrians were the most common. There was a considerable increase in Invercargill in the number of collisions between two motor vehicles, and betwen motor vehicles and cyclists. These two types of accidents were very numerous in Hamilton as well, which centre had the worst record for the year, with moie than 34 accidents for every 10,000 people. On the same basis, the two best cities were Dunedin (17.03) and Palmerston North (17.4). For rings, watches and jewelleiy, t,y Peter Dick, jewellers. 30 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advt. .