LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7823, 16 June 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

When spoken to on the subject of unemployment, a local labour bureau agent said that he had sixty-three applicants for work one day last week. Ho advised the men to try their fortune m the south, where it is reported men for farm work are not procurable. A largo number of the men have gone south. Mr F, Ferriman reports the sale of rural section 24,369, containing forty acres, with dwelling-house, situated on the Seafield road, on account of the executors of Henry Gilmer, deceased, to Mr John McDonnell. A supplementary Gazette issued at Wellington on Tuesday night announces that Sir James Pfendergast j wjJl be Deputy-Governor durjng Lord j Plunket's absence on a visit to the Cook Islands, Operations m connection with the building of the new post office at Auckland were begun on Tuesday. The contract price is just 1 under £100,000, and it is expected that the work will occupy about two years and a-half. In South Canterbury a man driving cows along the road noticed his neighbour's pony straying, and to prevent it getting into the pound tried to drive it along, and while he was doing so the ranger came along and impounded his cows. It ha? been decided by the police authorities that Sub-inspector Phair, of Wellington, and Sub-in^peptor. Norwood, of Dunedin, shall exchange stations. The change wiJJ probably be made about the end of the moj|t}i.

The first round of the Friendly Societies ' euchre tournament was concluded last night, and resulted m the Druids beating the Oddfellows' (Hakatere) Lodge by 21 points, and the Hibernians beating the Foresters by 19 points. The Feilding Chamber of: .Commerce on Monday night decided to take steps to arrange for holding an exhibition of colonial industries and manufactures at Feilding. . The Now Zealand Farmers' Co-ope-rative Association sold by auction at Rangiora on Tuesday, m the estate ot the late Mr A. Zuppicich, eight acres •of land at Woodend, with a six-roomed dwelling-house, at £600. \ sum of about £200 has still to be raised for the Seddon 'memorial, n« Hokitika. A portion of this has already been promised, and an^ appeal for the balance will be made when the work has made further"progress. The memorial will take the form of a statue. A total of 8862 men were employed 'on Government road and railway cooperative works m New Zealand m April last. Of this number 4616 were m the employ of the Public Works Department on railways, 301 being artisans, and 4315 labourers. „ me Roads Department had 4236 men m their employ, 283 m the Wellington district, 312 m Wanganui, .436 m Taranaki, and 337 m Hawke's Bay. Ar hockey match will be"played tomorrow (Thursday) m the Ashburton Domain between the following, teams: Married —L. F. Andrewes, A. Silcocky F. Potter, F. Clark, C. Wilson M. Baker, R. Meechan, Moore, ■Millichamp, McDonald, and another. Single —G Meddins, F. Hopkins, L. Steele, F Barrett, T. Minnis, C. Nottingham, L. J. Watt, Fitzgerald, ,H. Amos, Hughes, and Kennedy. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that Sir Joseph Ward has been approached by a number of citizens and private friends as to tendering him a reception the afternoon and a banquet at night prior to his leaving for the Old Country. Owing, however, to the limited time at his disposal, and the pressure of public business, Sir Joseph has ibeen compelled to decline the invitation, while at the same time thanking his friends for their thoughtfulness. The Premier leaves for London, via Sydney, next Friday, accompanied by Lady Ward and Miss Ward and Mr James Hislop, his private secretary. Mr J. Rae's threshing" mill has just pulled m for the season m -the- St. Andrews district, with a tally of 111,000 .bushels, made up ,of. 40,000 bushels of wheat and 71,000 of oats. Mr Rae estimates the yield of .the district at 35 bushels of wheat per. acre and 45 bushels of oats. In theXevels district Mr Lyons's mill threshed 117.000 bushels, including over, 30,000 bushels for one owner. At Gefaldine, Mr Jesse South, with twjo, mills,,secured tallies of 132,000 and 90,000 bushels, says the Tini'aru Herald. With reference to the teaching of elementary agriculture and practical work m school gardens, Mr , Petrie, chief inspector for A\ickland,< m his annual report, remarks that.most of the inspectors have reported mothing this year, and he has ho reason to think there has been any special im^ provement m this work, but it received a fair share of attention, and.were a definite practicable syllabus available . decided progress would be evident. A modest but definite programme of proved practicability is much* needed for small country schools, says Mr Petrie. .■.-.:' At the Magistrate's Court at Rangiora on Tuesday, H. D. Bellger was charged with giving an unstamped receipt for an amount over £2. "Defendant explained that he gave a receipt by contra account m the estate of G. Gulliver, deceased, and he was not aware that m a settlement of tins kind a receipt was necessary. The 1 account went to the Public Triist Office,} and the present proceedings were, instituted m consequence. Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M,, said that it was well for people ,to know that it' was illegal to settle an account for over £2 by contra without affixing a stamp. No doubt the authorities had taken proceedings to make this more generally known. Defendant had, however, acted quite innocently. He would be fined Is, without costs. At the meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board on "Tuesday, the easo with which a good many men get married, have children, and then clear out, leaving the children a charge upon charity, was discussed. It was said that m a small country like this the police should be able to trace and arrest the offenders more often than they do; and it was decided. that m future the Board should institute a vigorous policy (m which they would expect the active assistance of the police) of following up such men and having them imprisoned, it being considered that if an example, is made of a few there will be less of such heartless behaviour. ; A social given by the members of the St. Andrew's -Young Men's Bible Class Social Club m the Masonic' Hall last night was attended by close on.a hundred ladies and gentlemen. The evening was occupied with music and games, those contributing to, the programme being Miss Terris, and Messrs E. G. Craigliead and A. Sutherland (vocal solos),- Mrs C. Wilson,-. Messrs A. Sutherland, H. Gardiner, and C. Wilson (quartet), and, Mr H. * Mercer (recitation), while the accompaniments were played by Miss Terris.' .A'booktitle competition provoked much interest, and was won by Miss A. Turner, while" Mr P. L. Qrr'was named poet laureate a§ the result of an amusing ; v co#rpetition m yerse, Supper, provided by the ladies, was handed round by class members, and, after. Mr Mercer had returned thanks on behalf of the guests, the gathering ' dispersed with the singing of " Auls Lang Syne." A fairly large number of farmers and others were induced to try their skill m. guessing the dead weights of a livo sheep and lamb on. exhibition at the- Winter Show. The actual dead weight of the sheep was 106 Jibs, and the majority of the guesses ranged from 701bs to 1201bs, "while the highest was lSOltjs.' Mr" E ; T^eekley, of Mount Sobers, was the winner'with guess of 10611*5 ; Mr. T. Kennedy;'AlhWrton second wifh' IQ^lbs; apd, 'M? H, C. OrbeJl, Ashbqrton, tWd with 104-Jlbs. The actual dead weight of, the lamb was 44|lbs, the nearest guesses being as follows: S. Culverhouse, Ashburton, 43}lbs; T. Kennedy, Ashburton, 45aibs; W. S. Strange, Tinwald, 431bs. The guesses ranged from 32jlbs to 48^1bs. Tickets of competitors m the competition are m the hands of the secretary (Mr : .Christian), and on application to him they may be perused, if necessary, for reference! Our Lismore correspondent writes as follows': The fortnightly meeting of the Lismore Mutual Improvement Society was held m the local schoolroom on Monday evening. There was a good attendance of members' and friends, and the president (Mr J. R. Simpson) presided. Qne "new member was nominated. Messrs McDowell, Withel and iawko were present as representatives from th^ Mqyfield'Society, to make arrangements for a debate to be held at a later date. The subject chosen was: "Should ponscr-ipfton. he adopted m N.ew Zealand ?'' Arrangements were made and candidates selected for the mock election m a month from date. A motion to change the night of meeting .was negatived, After the routmo business, Mr J. A. Fleming was nominated to take the chafr The subject for debate was: <(Was Sir Joseph Ward justified m offering a )readnought to the British Navy?" Mr E. Smith was leader for the affirmative, seconded by Mr J T Wil' hams; while Mr F. Emmerson'cham"l 011,!**,™o iiegative, seconded by Mr YV. P. Prebble In the discussion that ollowed, the ladies took. a prominent part On a vote bein.Er taken, the Dreadnoughts won by sixteen votes to eleven. Refreshments were handed round by the ladies present : ';