LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7931, 13 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Speaking at the V.M.C.A. dedication, service in Christchurch yesterday, the Rev. J. Mackenzie referred to the pernicious influence exerted by much of the literature in circulation to-day. He said that in Britain an attempt was being made to stem the tide of iniquity, and the time would come when they (the members of the V.M.C.A.) would have to stand, as they never stood before, against that which was sapping the moral vitality of the young men of New Zealand.

A Gazette regulation provide* that half-season trout-fishing licenses may be issued after December 20, and bo available from that date until the close of the seaso*. t> Mr-F-'Ferrinian reports the sale of K.b. 21513,.containing 50 acres, sitii--ated near-Springburn, on account of Mr T. H. Brown, tq Mr L. B. Syme. The ordinary weekly stock sal© will be held at the Ashburton yards tomorrow. An epidemic of influenza among horses is reported in the Martin borough district. The Wellington Education Board has resolved that pupil teachers will be required to enter the training college on the completion of their term of service as pupil teachers. A motor service, to run twice daily between Hamilton and Cambridge is being begun with a 22 h.p. car. The experiment is to be tried for one month. The Rev. I. Jolly, of St. Andrew's, Palmerston North, has received a call to St. Stephen's, Ponsonby, Auckland and will in all probability accept it. Mr Jol"y is at present Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and has been in charge of St Andrew's for eight and a-nalf years.

Tho Fairfield Freezing Works reopened to-day for on© week. .

This morning the Rakaia river was reported to bo clear, and tho Rangitata dirty.

Mr Owen Trevurza, who, in company with Mr W. Butterick, has been for "a trip through Europe, England, and America, returned to Ashburton by the second express to-day. Mr Butterick is at present at Rotorua.

The hot weather of the past week favoured hay-making and shearing in North Canterbury, and also served to stay the spread of rust in the crops. Most of the cereal crops are looking very well indeed, but a good deal of diuiiafje has been done by rust in some localities. ;

The Kaikoura Sun states that the progress of the railway southward from Seddon is very slow, and that it may be quite twelve months before the line to Flaxbourno is handed over to the Railway Department.

At a meeting of the congregation ot the Port Chalmers Presbyterian Church it was unanimously decided to extend a call to the Rev. Alexander Whyte, of Bavelock, Hawke's Bay.

•Mr A. H. Russell has been appointed by the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society as delegate to the proposed conference to consider the present position of the frozen meat trade. ■ ,

Shearing machines are coming largely into vogue in the Wairarapa district, and in a year or two a shed employing blade-shearers will probably be a curiosity.

A person has no right to set up in business as a shopkeeper without first ascertaining the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act. said a Wellington magistrate the other day.

Timaru merchants whose business it is to import grain sacks are evidently anticipating a heavy harvest in South Canterbury tliis year, for at the present time two steamers are on their way from.lndia with sacks aggregating in weight about 1600 tons.

Motor cycle rides of 300 miles in one day were made in Wellington recently. The petrol used totalled three gallons, and the total running time wa3 11 hours 40 minutes.

Jack Arnst has issued a challenge to either Mehrtens or A. Birch to. race from Timaru to Christchurch or from. Christchurch to Timaru for any sum from £50.up to £200. --

The British Empire has 23 completed docks capable of taking a Dreadnought at normal draught; the German Empire six, France five, and the United States five.

According to the latest returns on the subject, there are still ten members of the Federal Parliament who decline to participate in the increase of salary from £400 to £600 a year voted by members to themselves in 1907.

The inventor of absintho sold his secret for a trifle to a man, who disposed of it for £10,000 to a third person, who made millions out of it. And millions of human beings have lieen ruined by its use.

The discovery of a deposit of kaolin north of Auckland has led to the formation of a company to work it. Kaolin is.used for the finest pottery, and this particular deposit is said to be freer from impurities than the great Cornwall: kaolin.

To a press representative at the Gore show, Mr A. Murdoch, of Altrive, Riversdale, said that during his recent sojourn in Scotland he had attended eight shows, where the sheep shown were not to be compared with those exhibited at the Gore show this year.

In view of the approaching British elections, the Christchureh Socialist party has decided to send its share of the profit from the meeting addressed by Mr Will Crooks in Christchurch to Mr Crooks's Election Committee for use in the campaign. '

A Masterton farmer who. is closely in touch with agricultural matters gives it as his opinion that there is an increase of 35. per cent in the wheat crop in the AVellington district this season. There is also an increase, he states; in the rape and turnip crops and a slight decrease in the oat crop. ~-

Mr Kenneth Sisam has been chosen as Auckland's candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship. He has had a brilliant scholastic career, having gained the B.A. degree in 1908, and soon afterwards a Senior University Scholarship in English. His athletic "record is good.

At the farm of Messrs Capon Brothers, Winchmore, on Friday, F. Hockings shore 102 sheep between 5.45 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.. Taking an hour and a-half off for breakfast and luncheon, the sheep, were shorn at the rate of one every two and a-half minutes, which must be considered very good going

Sir Joseph Ward made a statement m the House last week that a most comprehensive Local Government Bill would be introduced next session, dealing with local bodies throughout the dominion. The Crown Law Office was now busily engaged investigating the whole of the facts concerning local administration. Members greeted the announcement with evident approval

A prominent Dimedin public seryant, who has fasted for 30 days on account of ill-health, writing of his experience, says: "I do not feel disposed to influence anyone else to undertake the fasting euro, but if: anyone does determine on doing so. I would ■ strongly advise them to do it under close medical supervision."

Asked in, the House of Commons whether anything had been done to mako Consols more accessible to the small investor, Mr Hobhonse (Financial Secretary to the Treasury) said that Consols lvere transferable in the books at the Bank of England in amounts of a penny and any multiple.of a penny.

A few years ago the town of Napier was bounded on the inland side by an impassable swamp, which in tinies of flood became a \yide. sheet of water. Much o) this has been reclaimed^ and .recently the Harbour Board, in which the former swamp was vested, let oh Lueiuy-one years leases a number of quarter-acre sections, on. the reclamation at from £5 10s to £17 a year

1 hough Mr Haldane (the British Minister for War) is not addicted to any of the usual forms of recreation— even golf has failed to claim him—he believes that.he has.the right to boast of being the only member of the House of Commons who has accomplished the walk from London to Brighton. This lie achieved in quite recent years, and ho declares himself, in spite of his arduous public duties, still able aiid ready to do his 50 miles with—or against—anyone.

Mr fi, C. Tennant, local manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Invercargill at a presentation to his successor (Mr A. Christopher), on Saturday, took occasion to answer the remarks or those who had said that the banking profession did not offer iH'iw° P Pc+c 1 i°!l, advanc «ment. They had been told that young men in the banks reached £100 easily, and never got any further. That was entirely contrary to his experience, and he had been in tho-service of the Bank for 44 nZ 1, TT n Wh° carPed.were the £t o«t tlf ""*.efficient brains to f a ii,r ?f rut Into w"llich theyhad !™n' " a /°- lmg man had drains he would succeed m a Bank quite as well as anywhere else, and at the conclusion

Th« Orchestral Socwrty's coming concert is being looked forward to with such- pleasurable anticipations that 290 seats have already been booked. The programme includes music that will suit all tastes; and Miss Barker's solo — Mendelssohn's Spring Song— should be a very popular item, as Ashburton rarely has an opportunity of hearing a good harpist.

The latest information from Christchurch with regard to Dr Trevor's health indicates that there is no improvement in his condition. Mr Bates telegraphed to-day' as follows : Westerly moderate to strong strong winds; expect unsettled and cloudy weather; rain is probable; the glass 'will fall slowly.

From their recent show the Timaru A. and P. Association made a profit of £242 14s 3d, as against £220 in 1908. At the Palmerston North show the gross receipts were £2635 (gates and stands £1887), and the disbursements £2281 (prize money £1369); profit £354.

From 4.30 this morning, when the rain began to fall, till.one o'clock this afternoon 27 points of rain fell. The fall was very light, and the ground being hard and dry, the moisture did not penetrate far beneath the surface. At the same time the rain will do a great deal of good to gardens and pastures, and root chops will also be much benefitted by it. >

Our Rakaia correspondent writes: A steady rain commenced falling about 5.30 this morning, and will do an immense amount of good. Up to 9 o'clock thirty points fell, and slight showers keep falling. A good soak is much needed after the drying, winds experienced lately.

On October the 7th the rainfall at Otira registered 5 inches. In no other place in New Zealand was there such a heavy rainfall on one day during the same month, the next highest register being 474 points, which fell at Winchmore, Ashburton.