General News

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28267, 3 May 1957, Page 8

General News

Big Chief Economist

Professor H. Belshaw, professor of Economics at Victoria University College, is now a chief. In 1956 he was a consultant to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation and visited Africa in that capacity. In a report to the college council, he says: “I have the honour to report that ... in the hinterland of Liberia I was invested as a chief of the local tribe. Unfortunately, this carries no privileges of which advantage can be taken at this distance, and the robes of office are not well designed for use at the college graduation ceremony.” Conference Economy If he spoke to the 30 delegates to the* New Zealand Orthopaedic Technicians’ Association conference for 10 minutes he would be occupying about five man-hours of their time, the Medical Superintendent of the Christchurch Public Hospital (Dr. T. Morton) said yesterday. He was opening the twoday Dominion conference in Christchurch. Some of the criticism against the many conferences that were held was justified, he said, and all who were responsible for conferences should pay strict attention to the agenda, to the loss of man-hours, and the cost to the public, if any. In his own brief speech, he commended the economy of words to the delegates. Closing of Football Ground Because of the possible presence of tetanus, the Urenui Domain football ground has been closed for football by the junior management committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union, pending a report from the Health Department at New Plymouth. The committee decided this after considering a letter from the Tikorangi club, which said that three seasons ago sheep grazing near the domain ground had died of tetanus after being docked with rubber rings. Since then, anti-tetanus injections had been made in docked sheep, and the disease had not occurred. However, the disease spores could still exist there, the letter said, and the club urged that the Health Department investigate.—(P.A.) Survey By Helicopter Pleased with the successful use of a helicopter to facilitate - a hydro-electric survey of the Whakatane river’s upper reaches. Ministry of Works officials planned two more such operations, said the manager of the company operating the helicopter (Mr R. J. Scott) yesterday. The two streams on which the Ministry of Works planned to carry out hydro-electric surveys using the helicopter were the Wai-iti© and the Motu. Both are in eastern Bay of Plenty and run through wild, inaccessible country.—(P.A.) 64,000 Dollar Question “That’s the 64,000 dollar question,” said the Minister of Housing (Mr D. J. Eyre) in Fendalton last evening when he was asked if he favoured the reinstitution of a second chamber of Government. “I do not like to be like Mr Nash but I have a personal regard for not being burned at the stake,’’ he replied, saying he could not answer specifically. A second chamber did have a function in Government and if a second chamber for New Zealand could be constituted on broad principles and its members changed often enough so that it did not “get loaded like the old one,” it would be a good institution. Record Balloon Ascent

A radiosonde weather balloon let loose by meteorologists in the Antarctic last week rose to a record height of 96,276 feet, the United States Navy reported yesterday. It was still rising when a battery powering the device signalling back information of temperatures, air pressures, humidity, wind direction and velocity failed. At that time the balloon had been rising for four hours and a minute and was 70 miles from the naval air facility in McMurdo Sound from where it had been released. The last temperature radioed back to the sound was minus 87 degrees Fahrenheit. Monkeys To Ride Ponies Five small Shetland ponies are preparing for a large-sized job at Wellington Zoo. They are at present being broken in as mounts for children riders, and teams for chimpanzee drivers. The CityCorporation staff has recently con. structed a duralium governess cart which will carry up to eight children. It will be driven by a chimpanzee under the direction of a keeper. The cart will be driven, and the ponies ridden by chimpanzees when the four recently ordered from London Zoo are delivered next spring.