LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8690, 16 October 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At t.He Petone Magistrate's Court yesterday, Patrick John McOormack was charged .with a breach of the Masters and Apprentices Act in that he had absented himself from the Government employ without leave. The manager of the Petone Railway Workshops <rave evidence that McGormack had failed to attend to his duties as set out in his indentures. The Magistrate (Dr. MeArthur) said it was. evident that McCormack did not desire to work. He would be dismissed from the Government service and his indentures cancelled.

At the Eakaia. Magistrate's Court yesterday morning t\v o first offenders for drunkenness were charged before Mr L, Oxley, J.P. They TCere each convicted and discharged.

A line of 186 fat sheep offered at the Addington live-stock market on Wednesday, on behalf of Mr David Burgess, of Baling, "topped ."the. ..market and reached "30s to 31s 9d. This is also a record price for the season-;;

At Wellington yesterday ' three creditors attended a meeting in the bankrupt estate of Herman - ; Lewis, Whose whereabouts are not known. The;, meeting was not open to the Press. It was announced subsequently that two supervisors had been appointed to act' with the Assignee: No statement of assets is available. '

Dairying is still on the increase: in Asliburton County. On -Mr Eelman's recently subdivided property at Lowcliff o five or six of the settlers are going in for dairying and others in .various parts of the County. are incroasino- their herds. ' One dairy farmer who.milked 15 cows last season told a '"■ Guardian " reporter that he has increased his herd this year to 45.

A deputation of headmasters of the Auckland public schools waited on the Board of Education yesterday and urged that the work imposed upon them, in connection with medical inspection was unreasonable and impos-j sible of accomplishment. It seriously interfered with the school ; work, requiring thent to -.perform work which they were not Qualified to perform.: They had to neglect work for .which) they were qualified. The Board agreed that the teachers,had made out n good case, and tlie chairman and chief inspector will prepare a report on the 1 subject to the Department. i

The forest fair and sale of workthat has for its object the r.edilction of the debt on tho new Parsonage of v the Baring Sc[uare:'Methodist Church, was opened in tho Theatre Eoyal this afternoon by the Mayor (Mr Henry Davis). There- was a ; large attendance. The Fair is one of the most attractive that has been seen in Ashburton for some time, and the building was decorated in a particularly nice style.l The display of goods is a large one and the usual stalls are in evidence. The bazaar will be open from 7, o'clock this eve \ur<?. A fuller report is crowded out of this' issuo.

A Press Association message from Wellington last evening stat&s that ifc is reported that the Theatre Royal site and the building erected thereon have been sold by Messrs John Fuller and Sons. The site. is. a municipal lease, which, was recently reewed by the City Corporation on condition that a new building -should be erected. The present sale is of the goodwill of the leaso and the old theatre building. The Club Hotel is hot included. It is understood that the Government is the purchaser, and intends to use the site for the erection of an up-to-date police barracks.

Mr F. F.evriman made a characteristic' contribution to the discussion on the motion proposed by the Rev. J. L. Mortimer— "That it is a moral obligation on the Church to study the labour movement with the deepest sympathy, and to further the case of labour by every possible means " —at yesterday's meeting of the Christchurch' Diocesan Synod. Mr Ferriman _ urged that the clergy should put their own hoiise in order before they started to discuss this matter. If they all pooled thensalaries, from Bishop down to curate, and shared out alike, 'on the lines of primitive Christian . brotherhood, they might convince the worker 1 of their sincerity. (Laughter.) In the courso of bis reply prior to the putting of the motion, Mr Mortimer >said that if Christian laity would join in the little scheme proposed by Mr Ferriman, he would have no objections whatever to participating in it.

Mr W. Brock, chief inspector of the North Canterbury Education Board, lias submitted to the Board a report dealing with a. scheme to establish observation schools. He points out that the number of xincertificated teachers in North Canterbury is comparatively small,' thab the Board has already approved of the proposal that such teachers should be encouraged to visit other .schools, and that the establishment of observation schools would provide a back entrance for admission to the profession, whereby many teachers would enter who . would never develop into highly , efficient instructors. It was considered thfit a much better policy would be to give,greater facilities for entering the Training Colleges, and in this way provide, for every toflelier & '.satisfactory equipment be^ fore entering upon so important a duty as the training of children. The report was adopted by the Board, to-day, and it was decided to ask the inspectors to furnish a list of the teachers _ who might be expected to 'benefit by visiting other schools, and a list of the schools to be visited. .

The. following sales were effected at the Addington live stock market on Wednesday'on behalf of Ashburton County farmers':-' —Fat cattle.—For ,JY Findlay ' (Lowcliffe. Hinds), 7 steers-at l£l3 12s 6d to £17 ,15s; Sim Brothers (Rangitata), 8 steers at £9 12s 6d.' Fat sheep.—David Burgess (Eiiling), 186 at; 80s to 31s 9d;T. Kennedy (Ashburton), 103 at 25s Gd to 23s 6d; W. Leathern, (Lauristdn), 115 at 2os 3d to 275; A. D. Mcllraith (Hakaia), 120 at 25s 5d to 26s 8cl.; .J'phu Grigg (Longbeaeh). 56 a.t"2os ld'jfco 26s 6d; South Canterbury clieut, 56 "at 23s 6d to 25s 9d; Mawson Bros. (Metliven), 60 at 23s 5d to 255; R. Campbell (Chertsev)i 45 ab 24s Id to 24s 3d";. IW"Oakley "(Overdale), 62 at 22s to 23s scl; E. Richards (Methveii) 64 at 235-' id; D. B. Cavriithers (Doric),. 11-(shorn) at-20s; J. Baker (Metliven),' 32 (merinoes) ab 18s 2d to 18s -3d: Ewes: John Grigo; (Longbeaeh), 56 at| 26s Id to: 28s 6d; T. Kennedy (Ashbur-i ton), 13 -at 24s 6d to 28s; David Burgess'(Eiiling), 20 at 24 S 3d; AY. Loclihend (Buctvlench), 64 at 17s 9d to 24s lid; S. Cox (Lyndhurst), 15, at 22s 3d to 23s 3d; H. J. .Haydock (Methven), 60 nt 17s to 20s 9d; D. B. Carruthers (Doric), 35 (shorn) at 17s 8d to 19s 10d.