LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8313, 29 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

: ♦ — The vital statistics of Ashburton for the month, of February are as follows--BirtKs 26, deaths 10 , marriages /- Ih© figures for the corresponding month ot 1911 are—Births 37, deaths 9, marriages 6. Lambs are only slowly improving in; condition, hence the Fairfield Freezing' Works are not yet working at anything approaching full pressure. The season must, in consequence, be protracted. A well-attended drill of the Methven Territorials was held last evening under Sergeant-Major Thatcher. The recruits of Methven are taking a keen interest in training, and the t officers state that it is a pleasure to anstruct them; and this applies to the recruits throughout the district. The employees of the Ashburton Branch of the Farmers' Co-operative Association celebrated their annual picnio at Mr T. Dowling's Springfield testate to-day. At 8.30 a.m. a merry party, which comfortably filled, three drags, set off for the chosen sitei The weather was ideal, and as the roads are in excellent order at present, the drive proved most enjoyable. The picnickers spent a very happy time. The usual outdoor games were pursued with vigour, and the beautiful grounds and gardens of the estate were much admired. A young man named Thomas Henderson Vas charged at the Wellington Magistrate's Court yesterday with opening ten telegrams sent to Thomas Phillips, commission agent, containing racing results and dividends. It is alleged that Henderson paid the telegraph messengers small sums to take the telegrams to him first. He opened them, and resealed them with stickers which the boys brought from the Telegraph Office. Henderson was committed for trial. A unique journey has been performed by Dr. Sinclair Kennedy and Mrs Kennedy, two tourists from the United States. Their idea is that travelling by rail, sea,, and coach, a great deal is missed, especially good river sceneryThe doctor therefore employs a Canadian canoe, and last Sunday he and Mrs Kennedy left Lake Manapouri early and traversed the river Waiau as far as Tuatapere—a journey of over sixty miles. En route the rapids in the stream were successfully shot, and the tourists speak in glowing terms of their enterprise. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Accountants' and Auditors" Association the annual report showed a strong membership, and the sound finances justified the continuance of the existence of the Association. Officers were elected as follows: —President, Mr A. Wilberfoss (Wellington); vicepresidents, Messrs J. O'Halloran (Auckland), H. Bailey (Taranaki), J. Port (Wellington), A. Virtue (Canterbury), C. Statham (Dunedin), W. Ott (Southland). . The next annual meeting will be held in Christchurch. The very best selection of Motor Car Tyres "in Ashburton is to be found at R. D. Johnston's Garage. fhe stock includes all kinds of English Dunlop, Michelin, and Continental Tyres. As R. D. Johnston pays spot cash f6r all tyres, and the considerable recent reduction in rubber, these tyres are to be sold at prices never before heard of in Ashburton. Ihere is no charge for fitting new Tyres purchased from the above Garage. 104

A Grevmouth ■ telegram states that the Press Association concluded its annual .meeting this Mr H. Hortdn, of the "New Zealand Herald, ' being elected chairman; for the ensuing year The Greymouth " Star " Com-pany-is-entertaining all the visitors at Lake Brunner. * ; It is understood -that rats are increasing with great rapidity in Ashburton, and some local business places are said to be literally alive with the rodents. As they constitute a menace to the health of the community in the event of an outbreak of plague in the Dominion; the health authorities intend issuing orders for their destruction.; ? , . „ The Diocesan Synod of Nelson met in ■■ special session for the election o. a Bishop to succeeded Bishop Mules, who resigned recently. The proceedings were held in camera. It is understood ftiat' there were seven nominations of clergy in various tp.arts or the Dominion. , The. ballots had not cone uded when the Synod adjourned. It was stated at the annual meeting of the Timaru Gas..Company. last night; that the • company's shares fetch a higher price than those of the Christchurch company: ' The chairman, said that was explained by the fact that investors looked upon Timaru as a place which was going ahead faster than Christchurch. , . , A Dunedin telegram states that the Furniture Trades Congress decided that it is advisable to appoint an organiser or organisers, to work with the affiliated nnions in organising unorganised districts. A sum of £25 will be granted to e&ch union for the purpose, subject to the approval of the Federation It ,was further resolved that no agent should be permitted to represent any party to a dispute before the Conciliation Council. The opening of the Invercargill tiamways is expected to take place in less than a month's time. Although it will be only a small service at the outset, more" money, comparatively; speaking, it is claimed, has been spent on it than on any other tramway system in the Dominion. The streetlighting arrangements to be carried out in connection with the tramways | will make Invercargill one of the foremost towns in New Zealand in this j direction. On every street pole in the four main streets there are placed four up-to-date incandescent lamps, specially made for street-lighting purposes. These will give a brilliance unsurpassed even in many Australian centres. . \ An important new find has been made | 9t the Moehan granite quarries (says the Auckland "Star") of layers of granite, from a few inches thick up to: 12 inches, the thinnest of which will cut into tramway pitchers with very little labour, while the thickest will make kerbstones, door and window sills, and steps of any lengths. A gigantic monolith has also been partly cleared, which shows an unbroken length of 65 feet, with one end still unearthed, so that it may be longer, and one; side shows a face of 15, feet deep; and may be. still wider. It will be interesting to know the. total size, of the monster ?tone when it is .unearthed completely. The length lof Cleopatra's Needle, on the Thames. Embankment is 36 feet, which shows .that this Moehau monolith will compare with the huge stories cut out of the ancient Egyptian quarries for -the Pyramids. . .:''- Twelve- complai nts have . been received and considered by the Council," says the annual report of the Wellington District Law Societj*. "Of these, five, though properly referred to the Council, did not amount to acts of miscbiiiduct, three were dismissed with expressions of the Council's view, and the other two are still in. hand. Two cases of a frivolous and vexatious nature were dismissed without calling upon the solicitors complained against. Neglect to, account for money formed the grounds of another complaint. The action of the Council, however, brought about a settlement. In the case of one solicitor imprisoned for theft, the Council obtained an order striking his name off the roll. Complaints against two solicitors were deemed sufficiently serious tot be placed in the hands of the Council's solicitor. In both cases rules nisi have been obtained to strike the names of the alleged offenders off the roll. Motions to make them absolute will be heard at the next sittings of the Court of Appeal." :