CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18646, 15 August 1930, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

(From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 14. Trolly Buses: The working drawings of the type of trolly bus which the Christchurch Tramway Board is going to use are expected to arrive from England by next mail. A preliminary drawing has already arrived. A shipment of overhead gear for the trolly buses is expected to come to hand some time this month. Air Mails: Since the first big rush of custom that greeted the inauguration of the air mail connection postal services from New Zealand, patronage of the new facility has dropped off quite 50 per cent, in Christchurch. By far the greater volume of the present steady trickle of air mail communications is private, for business firms are not making great use of the flying services, and banks not at all. It is thought probable that business will weaken still further, though commercial intere 3 may in future pay greater attention to the possibilities of the system. In the last fortnight there have been many more inquiries for the American air mail services than for the Australian or Karachi-London ones. Solicitors’ Fidelity Fund: An explanation of the operations of the Solicitors’ Fidelity Guarantee Fund, which was established this year to protect clients against theft and misappropriation of their money by fraudulent solicitors, was given to-day by an official of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Law Society. He stated that every solicitor practising in New Zealand contributes annually to the fund, and none is permitted by law to practice unless he does contribute. The subscription for the first year has been fixed at £5 ss, and as there are 1700 solicitors on the rolls the nucleus of the fund will be fairly substantial. All practising members of the society are liable to be called upon for additional contributions if the fund at any time requires replenishing. The administration of the fund is in the hands of a Management Committee, appointed by the Law Society, and the Act provides that its accounts shall be audited annually by a registered accountant. Clients who have lost money or property through theft or misappropriation on the part of the solicitor to whom it was entrusted prior to January 1 last have no claim on the fund whatever. Neither can any claim for loss on investments be made at any time.

Arc- Welded Steel: In the erection of the Nurses’ Home and the new commercial building in Hereford Street, opposite the Parcels Post Office, both of which will be started shortly, Christchurch will see a practical construction, for the first time. This process has almost revolutionised steel construction in other parts of the world. The clatter of the pneumatic riveting- machine will not be heard in the erection of these buildings. Arc-weld-ing is practically a silent process. This will be a great advantage in the building of the Nurses’ Home, where the distracting roar of riveting would have disturbed the patients. The architects for these two buildings say that with electric welding the rigidity of the frame is increased by about 15 per cent., the construction is simplified, and the steel joints are of 100 per cent, efficiency. Also, the process is considerably cheaper than l. /eting. Electric welding was introduced on a commercial basis just over 20 years ago. It is now very widely used. The handle is spot-welded to the tin pannikin or frying pan, the milk can is seam welded with a perfect and invisible joint, and joints in the rails of tramway tracks are arc-welded. Foot and Mouth Disease: Reference to the danger of foot and mouth .disease and the necessity for taking every precaution to guard against its introduction into the Dominion was made by Mr R. M. Morten, president of the Canterbury Sheepowners’ Union, in his address at the annual meeting of the Union. “ Speaking on behalf of sheepowners generally and not only from the point of view of the stock breeder,” he said, “I feel confident that our federation and the Farmers’ Union and other organisations representing producers i are on sound lines when they insist on the maintenance of the strictest embargo on the importation of stock from incested countries. I think it will be agreed that, having in view the failure to eradicate this disease in a closely settled and comparatively easily handled country like Britain, stockowners in New Zealand cannot afford to take the. slightest risk of the introduction of the disease into the Dominion. With deer increasing in numbers on the high country and our other forms of wild animal life, if this disease was once allowed to enter the Dominion, it would be impossible to eradicate it. It would mean the end of New Zealand’s export trade in meat and at least a very serious reduction in her exports of wool and other products.”

Canterbury College: The very real interest taken in science by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, was shown this morning when His Excellency and Lady Bledisloe visited Canterbury College. The visit was intended to last only a few minutes, but it was almost two hours before Lord Bledisloe left, the laboratories and the School of Forestry securing his deep interest. Lord Bledisloe was accompanied by Lieutenant J. C. Elworthy, R.N., and was conducted over the college by the chairman of the Board of Governors, Colonel the Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.C., and the Rector, Dr. James Hight.

Their Excellencies arrived at the college at 10.30 a.m., and the members of the staff were presented. The Go-vernor-General went to the College Hall, where he addressed the staff and students, stressing the need for cooperation in all ivalks of life. The party inspected the School of Art and the college buildings, His Excellency spending a long time in the chemical and zoological laboratories, where he chatted with the staffs. The Schools of Engineering and Forestry were next inspected, and after a visit to the Students’ Union building the party left.