General News

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 14

General News

Then And Now “As an epithet the word ‘bloody’ has become expansive, rather than opprobrious,** Mr Justice Leicester said in a judgment delivered in the Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday. “It is not denied that the appellant used the word freely to both the police and the proprietor of a coffee bar but I cannot regard its use, even in the presence of middleaged women, as provoking the sensation that it did 50 years ago when George Bernard Shaw introduced it into the ordinary dialogue of his play ‘Pygmalion,* “ his Honour said.—(PA.) , “Top And Tail” “1 must draw your atten- ' tion to the occupancy of bed* ' last year in the Teresa Green Home,” said the chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr. L.' C. L Averill) to the board yesterday. ‘“Average number i of beds. 16; average num- • her of patients, IT,” he l quoted. “Top and tail, perhaps.” . ' ' - ■■■ 1 35 Caught Thirty-five residents in the Wainoni, Boon Hay, and Hornby areas were found to have unlicensed radios among 232 persons interviewed in a survey last week by the Post Office. There were 430 homes visited altogether, but at 198 of these nobody was at home. Hacksaw Faults The Burnside High School Boar ’. will return a standardissue hacksaw to the Education Board with a catalogue of its deficiencies. The tool, placed on the board table, had good lines and all metal parts were brightly plated. But when men members tried the blade, they found that it wobbled to almost any angle. Experts on the board said the fault lay in the bases against which the blade was tightened. These were not machined, and neither was the holding screw tight or square in its bracket. “No boy in metalwork could saw a straight line if he tried with this,” said one of the members. Elderly Patients There was a big increase last year in the percentage of elderly patients occupying beds at the Christchurch Hospital, says the annual report of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. Nearly half the patients were over 60 Patients of 81 to 70 and 71 to 80 each comprised 18.4 per cent of the total in 1960-61, and patients over 80 comprised 76 per cent The number of patients in these three age-groups was 44.4 per cent., compared with 32.5 per cent, in 1959-60. The 1958-59 figure was 41.2 per cent Rain Stops Work Rain which stopped waterfront work at Lyttelton shortly before mid-day yesterday lasted all the afternoon. and was still falling last evening. Work stopped tor the day on the coastal vessels Tawanui, Calm, and Maunganui, but gangs were ordered back for possible evening work aboard the Shaw Savill and Albion cargo liner. Cedric, and the Blue Star passenger-cargo liner. New Zealand Star, both of which are loading for the Umted Kingdom and other ports. Normal work aboard the steamer express Hinemoa continued, however. Surprise A Technical College schoolboy delivering a newspaper to the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association yesterday was very surprised to see his principal (Mr D. W Lyall) sitting tn the office of the secretary (Mr R. T. Alston) Mr Lyall was attending a meeting of the Commonwealth Technical Training Week committee. He can’t avoid you.” said one of the committee members amid laughter caused by the surprised look on the boy s face. ‘‘Oh. he’s all right He is not one of those who needs to slide out backwards." replied Mr Lyall. Spina! Unit A spinal injury unit is to be started as soon as possible in the uncommitted 16bed ward at the Princess Margaret Hosnital. the North Canterbury Hospital Board decided yesterday The unit will eventually be transferred to the rebuilt Christchurch Hospital Army Suggestions A suggestions campaign held by the New Zealand Army which lasted for two weeks has now ended, although suggestions at any time are always welcome During the two weeks of the campaign 1125 suggestions were received and 35 awards totalling £125 were made Most of the awards were of £1 to £5. and the highest was £25 This was provisionally awarded to an officer at Burnham Military Camp for a suggestion about an ammunition breaking down machine Of the suggestions received. 554 were considered and dealt with by the Army.

A.T.C. Camp

About 50 Air Training Corps cadets from all parts of the South Island will gather at Weedons on May 8 to compete for the de Havilland aeromodelling trophy for the Air Training Corps The competitions at Weedons will end on May 12, when ■ team of 12 will be chosen to compete at Whenuapai during the week-end of May 13 and 14. There it wifi "!***. similar teams from Wellington and Auckland. The selected 12 will be flown by RNZ.A.F transport to and from Whenuapai,