NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26915, 29 October 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Praise for Queenstown “ Queenstown, when it becomes more widely known, will become the tourist resort ‘ par excellence ’ of the future," said Mr J. W. Stewart, of Appin, Scotland, in a recent interview. Its climate he likened to the Riviera, and its ski slopes were comparable with the best in Canada or Switzerland. Among New Zealand towns, Timaru has appealed to Mr Stewart most of all. “ Its residential districts fire charming after the dinginess of the Old Country, and make me feel like buying one of the properties,” he said. State Housing Area The Works Department of the City Council has approved the subdivision of an area of land near the St. Clair golf links, fronting Earl’s road. Hillhead road, and Lockerbie street, for which application was made by the Department of Housing Construction. Maryhill Tram Line A new rope is to be installed on the Maryhill tramline within the next few weeks. This will be reported by the Transport Committee to the meeting of the City Council on Monday night. The committee adds that it is advisable that orders should be placed now for another rope, and authority has been given for tenders to be called. Secondary Hospital Ministerial approval of the preparation of the site and the erection of foundations and the first floor of the new secondary hospital at Wakari was received by the Otago Hospital Board at its monthly meeting last night. The chairman. Dr A. S. Moody, said" the contract was all ready to be signed and the work could go forward .without delay. Boundary Alteration Thgj. Works Committee of the City Council advises in a report to be submitted to the council at its meeting on Monday night that the proposed alteration of the city boundary at Leith Valley has been given provisional approval by the Local Government Commission, and if na objections are received by the commission within one month of the public notification of the scheme it will be approved as final. Tram Breakdown A stoppage of about half an hour in the ’ tram service from the city to Anderson’s Bay was caused a f ew minutes before 5 p.m. yesterday by a break in the overhead wires. The stoppage occurred at one of the peak loading periods of the day in the vicinity of the City Gasworks. Although no alternative transport was immediately available, repair work received instant attention from the Transport Department. Company Bay Home The new nurses’ home at the Conipany Bay Mission for aged and infirm women, which has been in course of construction over the past six or eight months, will be officially opened on November 4. The Rev. L. B. Neale, inviting members of the Otago Hospital Board to attend the opening, indicated in a letter received by the board at its meeting last night, that the Minister of Health, Miss Howard, has been invited to perform the ceremony. Aid for Cancer Campaign A decision to contribute 10s each to the cancer campaign was made by a mass meetings of members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and of the Railway Tradesmen s Association at the Otahuhu workshops on Wednesday. The meeting agreed that the amount should be 1 raised by four weekly contributions of 2s 6d each. As the workshops employ about 1200 men it is expected that the cancer campaign will benefit very substantially as a result of the decision. Treatment of Paralysis The specialised training of hospital massage staffs for the treatment of poliomyelitis cases is to be undertaken in Wellington and the hospital there is making facilities available for this purpose. The Otago Hospital Board received a letter at its meeting last night from the Director-general of Health containing his information. On the suggestion of the chairman, Dr A. S Moody, it was decided that Miss L. Roberts and 1 Miss B. Service, acting head of the physiotherapy department, select those whom the board should send to Wellington to undergo this course of training.

Students’ Health Scheme After experience in the last year, the Student Health Committee at Canterbury University College has recommended to the college council that negotiations with the Health Department on the institution of a regular health scheme for students be continued. The committee considers that the department should offer financial assistance. In 1949 an assistant physical education officer (preferably, but not necessarily, a woman) will be appointed. The council recorded appreciation of the services given by the medical board which examined students. Interest in Racing The interest New Zealanders took in racing, which he described as “ one of the greatest industries,” was mentioned by Mr A. R. Blank at a meeting in Christchurch when he supported a protest by sports bodies at the continuation of Saturday racing. “As a school teacher, some years ago I was concerned about racing,” he said. “ I went along before the Grand National meeting and said to my Form II: ‘ Hands up those who -have a winner for Saturday.’ I got a rude awakening when every boy and girl in the class held up his or her hand. Almost the same result applied to Form I." Killing Willows v The spraying and frilling of willows with weed-killing hormone is. being carried out on tne Opawa River at Blenheim: In a report to the Wairau River Board the engineer explained that the method of frilling was to cut a thin ring of bark and then to injec the hormone. Frilling was more expensive from the point of view of labour, but was cheaper for materials. Spraying cost less for labour, but more chemical was used. “ The effect of the treatment has been remarkable,” said the report. “ Trees are dead six months after spraying, and already the leaves of two trees near the Nelson street bridge, which have been treated, are quite black.” All the trees treated should be dead by the winter. Farming Methods English methods of farming hart made a wonderful improvement since 1935, the year of his last visit to that, country, and the farmers were doing a magnificent job in meeting the present situation, said Mr Noel McGregor, of Mount Linton, Southland, when he returned to Invercargill after a six months’ world trip studying farming and mining methods. "While we in New Zealand have reached a very high standard of efficiency in farming, we could also learn things from the English farmers for thoroughness. Some of their modern machinery is equal to any in the world, and there is not an acre of land left idle in the country.”

Immigrants Arrive Cheerful and fit and claiming to have put on weight during their voyage from Britain, 10 immigrants arrived m Dunedin by train yesterday afternoon. Seven men and two young women left the express to be greeted by members of the Immigration Welfare Committee prior to departing for private accommodation in the city, and one man continued his. journey to Heriot, where he will be employed on a farm. AH nine new arrivals in Dunedin will be employed in industrial concerns, and several expressed their eagerness to make a niche for themselves in their new' land at the earliest possible moment. One of the men, who appeared to have a head start on the others, had been in Dunedin as a seaman in the Royal Navy, and, in traditional fashion, had a feminine friend on the station to greet him.