NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26957, 17 December 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Service Appreciated A tribute to the service provided by the National Airways Corporation was paid by Mr A. S. Falconer yesterday. He said that he lost a suitcase from an hotel in the north. One day he received a letter to say that it had arrived at a National Airways terminal. Would they forward it? He told them his address. Next day the Dunedin office rang him to say that his case was in Dunedin. Would he call for it? He did so, Mr Falconer said, and when he picked it up he was told there was nothing to pay. “ That is in line with the best of service of overseas air lines,” he concluded. Bride’s Experience

As a result of the floods in Southland on Wednesday one bride will have a novel experience to remember. When it came time for her to leave her parents’ home to go to the church in Winton the house was surrounded by water and it was found necessary to carry her through the flood waters to the waiting bridal car. Defence-Conscious

Australia is rapidly becoming more defence-conscious, judged by the observations of New Zealanders who have been across the Tasman in recent weeks. Further evidence of this appears on Australian stamps on letters received recently, these being franked with the legend: “ Traditionally yours—the Citizen Army. Enlist Now.” Minister’s Solution

Scientific planning, rational thinking and hard, manual toil were advanced by the Minister of Works. Mr Semple, as solutions of the problems of a “ hungry world ” and to maintain the high standard of living in New Zealand, when he spoke at the Mid-Can-terbury competition in export lamb at the Fairfield Freezing Works on Thursday. There was no other solution whatever, Mr Semple said.

Surgical Example A surgical example was offered as assistance to Mr John Jacobs, retiring secretary of the Otago Hospital Board, when he was cutting the cake at a farewell function in his honour after the meeting of the board last evening. Mr Jacobs seemed somewhat undecided as to the correct technique for cake cutting, but Dr N. H. North had the answer. “ Straight in the middle,” he advised. “ Just like taking out an appendix.” “ Juke Boa ” Popular A British-made "juke, box” has been installed in a Christchurch milk bar, and on the first day it was operated it paid handsome dividends to its owners. Throughout the day young and old were waiting to put in their sixpences to hear a record of their own choice. Sixteen different recordings were available. “Juke boxes” became popular in the North Island when American troops were there, but few have been seen in the South Island except at shows and fairs.

Whisky Supplies The supply of Scotch whisky is not likely to improve until 1954. This is the opinion of a leading distilling firm in the United Kingdom, which has pointed out in advice received by the Daily Times that the distillation of Scotch whisky was still controlled by the Government. It allocated the amount of barley that distillers used and the firm would have to ration strictly its products until 1954 because it did not intend selling whisky less than six years old. Murals in Solints

Gay murals will be a special feature of the interior decorations of the new Solent flying boats which \vill be used on the trans-Tasman service by Tasman Empire Airways. Some of the murals will feature views of Sydney and Auckland, one will depict Lord Howe Island in map form, and others will deal with the native birds and animals of New Zealand and Australia. According to the journal White's Aviation, Air France is the only other airline to use mural decorations in its aircraft, although several American operators have announced that they intend to adopt the idea. Lack of Staff

Unless an • acting matron can oe found by Monday, the Palmerston Hospital will have to close for a month. Distress that such a position should have arisen was expressed by Mr A. A. Reid at last evening’s meeting of the Otago Hospital Board, when it was reported that no success had been met in a search for a nurse suitably qualified to take charge of the hospital for the period of the matron’s holidays. The matron’s leave was overdue, stated Mr Reid. and. every effort had been made to obtain a temporary replacement. Unless someone could be found, the board would have no option but to close the Palmerston Hospital for a month.

New Type of Razor A new type of dry-shave razor has made its appearance on the New Zealand market. The razor is less than three inches long, and - resembles a safety razor in appearance. The principle on which its operation is based, however, is entirely different. A shave is obtained by rocking the top of the razor, which swings on a bush, firmly over the face. When the fine-mesh guard at the top of the razor is pressed against the beard the hairs pierce the small holes in the guard and come into contact with blades under it. When the razor is rocked the hairs are cut by the blades. The manufacturers claim that the razor does not require lather or new blades. New Zealanders’ Teeth

“I am going to trail my coat tails a little in public and wonder why it is that more money cannot be spent in research to find why New Zealand teeth are so bad, and why the American soldiers described our country as the land of the people with the crockery teeth,” said the headmaster, Mr R. J. Richards, at the annual prizegiving ceremony of Christ’s College. It is all very well to go on exhorting us to more dental hygiene and less sweets. I have seen a good deal of both New Zealand and English boys, and New Zealand boys are not noticeably less careful of their teeth, nor are English boys less keen on sweets. It seems rather to me to be due to some nutritional deficiency in our soil, and that we should make greater efforts to find out what the deflciency is.”

Mishap to Santa Claus

An unrehearsed incident in which Father Christmas, wishing, to appear in the traditional manner down the chimney, got struck and eventuallyemerged from the fireplace covered in soot, was much appreciated by a number of young children who were entertained by the Victoria League Young Contingent in Auckland. Father Christmas had been snugly ensconced on a chair in'the fireplace just before the young guests arrived for their party, but on attempting to move out at a given signal he found difficulty in extricating himself. He finally managed it, but at considerable expense to his fine robes and beard, which were generously sprinkled with soot. To the children, Father Christmas became actually more real in his soot-stained clothes, while he himself treated the mishap with his traditional good humour. Ample Petrol Stocks The opinion that the present system of petral rationing was being maintained because of “ something to do with the financing and the paying for of this commodity ” was expressed in a letter received by the executive of the Automobile Association, South Canterbury, from the president of the South Island Motor Union, Mr W. R. Carey. “As far as I have been able to ascertain, the present stock position within the Dominion is most adequate,” he wrote. “In some cases, storage accommodation is fully taxed. The supply position could best be described in' the following terms: ‘ That supplies are available to those who order them, but there is not by any means a world surplus. Therefore, if supplies are not taken up in one direction they can be disposed of in another so it would appear that the maintenance of the rationing system of petrol within the Dominion is no longer associated with the position of supply.’ ”