CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20027, 7 February 1935, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY CHRISTCHURCH, February 6. Personal: Mr B. J. Ager, who was an unsuccessful candidate for the Christchurch Tramway Board at the last election, announced to-day that he intended to stand for the City Council as an Independent candidate at the election in May. Mr J. C. Fishenden, a vice-president of the Royal Life-Saving Society, who is at present in Christchurch in the course of a five-weeks’ tour of New Zealand, will leave for Timaru tomorrow. Tourist Cruises: “Given sufficient demand by tourists from Australia and eleswhere for a South Island cruise, ;there should be no physical difficulties $n the ships coming to Lyttelton,” said J the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbbur Board (Mr E. J. Howard, M.P.) ' at the monthly meeting of the board to-day, when referring to the proposed visit of tourist cruisers to Lyttelton. “The crux of the whole matter,” he said, “is the shortness of time available under existing conditions, as the vessels must comply with their mail contracts with the British Government and the time available for the cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and back was at the.most 10 days. That meant only three days for the ship to remain at Lyttelton and for the passengers to see the South Island.” Women Cricketers Arrive: Visiting members of the English women’s cricket team, which arrived in Christchurch from Wellington to-day, were entertained at a tea-party and reception this morning, when their hosts were the members of the executive of the Canterbury Men’s Cricket Association. At this informal party, the visitors were afforded their first opportunity of meeting members of the council of the New* Zealand Women’s Cricket Association, of the Canterbury Ladies’ Cricket Council, and also the members of the Canterbury team, whom they will meet in the field to-morrow. Mr W. H. Winsor welcomed the members of the team, and speeches of welcome were also made by Mrs W. Machin, Mrs D. Reese, Mr E. R. Caygill and Mr D. Reese. Miss Green and Miss Archdale spoke in reply. Fire Guards: . With the risk of fire so great this year owing to the'severe drought the Railway Department has taken special care to guard against any outbreak due to sparks from engines" and the carelessly thrown match or cigarette butt. Throughout the railways system in Canterbury fire-breaks have been made extending to the depth of about a chain on both sides of the lines, and these are closely watched. Considering the nature cf the season there have been very few outbreaks due to the cause mentioned. This work of fire prevention is undertaken by the maintenance lines men under the direction of Mr J. M’Nair, district engineer.. It is their annual duty to burn off -the grass beside the tracks and maintain the firebreaks. In the event of "Mfe'Starting it is also part of their 'duty to act as

fighters. This year the breaks were extended and well burnt out. There are 422 miles of railway line on the Canterbury side of the Alps, and there are four linesmen every eight miles. The work of burning out is usually begun early in November.

Nearly Drowned: Miss Nora Sutcliffe, a middle-aged woman, of 246 Cashel Street, was rescued from the Avon below the Fitzgerald Avenue Bridge shortly after 9 a.m. to-day. She was first seen floating unconscious in midstream by Mr C. H. ‘Hoskin, of Brett’s Road, who managed to get her ashore opposite the Christ’s College boatsheds. Artificial respiration was given to the woman until th % arrival of a St. John ambulance. She recovered consciousness before being taken to the Christchurch Hospital. Farmers’ Tour: Twenty-one Canterbury farmers have been booked to date for the New Zealand farmers’ tour of Europe, which begins officially on April 20 next, when the steamer Strathnaver leaves Sydney. Close on fifty New Zealanders have booked their passages so far. The figures are:—Canterbury 21, Wellington 12, Auckland 10 and Otago 5, while there will probably be others later. The difficulty now is to arrange accommodation on Homeward-bound boats, as the traffic to England and the Continent this season is phenomenally high. Reports state that for the next few weeks all the steamers are practically full. , The tour embraces England, the Channel Islands, Scotland, Wales, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Holland, occupying fortynine days. Farewell Visit: The Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe), who will leave New Zealand for England shortly at the conclusion of his term of office, will pay a final visit to Christchurch on February 28. He Will be tendered a farewell by the citizens at the Civic Theatre. During the day his Excellency will visit the institutions of the McLean Institute, Quamby and Holly Lea. Hitherto Lord Bledisloe has not called at these institutions, and has expressed a desire to avail himself of the opportunity to do so afforded by his coming Visit to the city.

Shipping Competition: The serious consequences of competition against British shipping and against New Zealand coastal shipping were touched on by the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr E. J. Howard, M.P.) in the report he presented to the annual meeting of the Board at Lyttelton to-day. “There is no industry more sensitive to a rise or fall in the trade barometer than shipping,” said Mr Howard. “In 1930, the peak year since the war, 2,030,180 tons arrived at Lyttelton, and this year, while there is a slight rise in numbers there is also a slight drop in the aggregate tonnage, but it is not sufficient to cause the Board any anxiety. We have urged during the past year that something should be done to assist British shipping by offering favourable treatment to help them to meet the unfair competition of subsidies and bonuses paid by other countries to their shipping. We realise this is an Empire matter, but New Zealand being so isolated and far distant from her main market, should

give a lead in the matter by helping at this end.

“Our coastal shipping, too, is feeling the effects of the methods being adopted by our shore transport system of picking opt the eyes, as it were, of the best of the cargo offering along our coast. Our coastal shipping companies are finding it difficult, and more difficult, to keep their ships in commission. While this at first sight may appear to be a matter of ordinary trade competition, it is more than that, because New Zealand, consisting as it does of a series of islands in the South Pacific, must have trained seamen, and these coastal ships have in the past largely assisted in their training. It is more than a question of trade to an island nation. It will be a sorry day for the people if we lose our sea sense. It rose to greatness on the backs of her seamen.”