LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8725, 26 November 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

This morning's express wa,s' overfilled with passengers and -a •faii'-siiied contingent of Ashburtonians, ,boarded the train. The 'South Canterbury Jockey Club's race meeting at Washdyke is the attraction.

At the Borough and Hampstead Schools on Monday next the sixth .standard proficiency examinations will be conducted by the Education Board's Inspectors (Messrs Brock, Owen, and Mayne). The two schools named will be made centres and neighbouring school children will be brought in to participate in the examinations.

Tho following are the votes for tho Ashburton County included in' tho Pubtic Works Estimates for the year ondlng March. 31, 1914, whiph were presented to Parliament yesterday: — Ashburton Police Station £800, Methven Post and Telegraph Office £1100. Roads and bridges: Pott's River to Stronsorubio £100, Taylor's Creek Uritlgo, .Roxburgh Crossing (£ for £) £600;, .Hindis River bridge and protective workn (,C for £) £1000, Hinds Hoad {& for JJ) £150, Mayfield to Rua-pimft-.SQIIQOI Road (£ for £) £125. Tho ijiOlll of £800 for the. Ashburton ■Polioe Station is understood to- be the null! BO'fc 'npii-rt for the new sergeant's house.j which has already been compltibod j mid in occupation. The sum was iuJL»lu«.lod.in-' last year's' Estimates.

Tho_ ;s'lionr'ing is disclosing the fact that, itl some parts of the County, ticks aro niAro numerous on slietip than usual. ' Other farmers report that the sheep are very free from this rpest.

Applications for the workers' homes to be erected near the Ashburton Rocecou.rse are still coming in. It has riot yet been definitely stated when tenders will be called for Jth.e v constructiqii of the;buildings. ; "■* '':~'~'

At'TeJCuiti last week William..Wilson was" fined'£so for keeping liquor for sale, and also £5 on each of two minor breaches of the Act, in default three months' imprisonment. Wilson elected to go to gaol. Ernest .'Meyen-i. berg, charged • witli; keeping liquor.. for sale, did not appearf'and was fined £50 o_i' three imprisofiirient.

i...1t is stated that the Government has found the motor rural delivery, a veryexpensive, luxury; and'iii/some parts of the Rang-itikei,■ at least; the farmers have not been nearly; so. well' served as by;:, independent mail contractors. Several motor cycles are. to be taken, off. at the end of the year,' and. 'the.. ..old system, of;mail delivery resorted to' in the districts concerned.

; A-'warrant was"'recently issued for ) the arrest of James Ge'ddes McDonald, manager at Clinton,for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile.;' Agency Company, on a charge or embezzlement (says: a Pi-ess Association message). McDonald was. traced- to Clifden by Constable McClincliy,, of Otautau, and from there to Lake Haprdto, \yhere he was arrested yesterday". The steamer Arawaf which arrived at Wellington yesterday from Home, brought 484 passengers, mostly immigrants. Between 240 and 250 of the immigrants came out under the Gov-. eminent assisted schemer and comprise 44 domestic servants, 97 farm labourers with their wives and children, and 103 separated relatives. The immigrants bound for Lyttelton left last night, and those for other 'southern ports will sail -tq-.day. '■ ..- ', ■ '■ ' ■'■•■' "■■•" .'■ .'. A - 'Dunedin Press. Association tele-, gram states that, at the Police Court, i Joseph Isaacs, tobacconist, was charged, under four informations, with breaches of the Gaming Acji; by disposing of tickets in Tattersall's sweep's. Mr Hay, for the. defence, urged that Isaacs was merely . the, purchaser's agent, not the" seller's agent. Judgment was reserved. Similar charges i against Alfred BroSie 1' Hall, hairdresser, South Dunedm,,,were adjourned for a week, at the ..instance ,of counsel for the defence" .... ■„. - ; .-■"• ">*tfK ■■ ;;".- r'' ' At' tlie meeting of -the Ashburton County Council,. to-day, the balanewsheet for the six months, ended. September 30, duly audited, was placed on 'th«* I table. Previously there have been several " tags^' attached to the bal-ance-sheet, but there .was only one affixed to that before "the Council to-day, being an item iii connection, •with the chairman's travelling expenses. The Chairmanv said that the same objection had been made before, and lie had had,to refund the money. Parliament was bringing into force an Act by ■ which the Council could; make the chairman an annual allowance. If each separate , item had . been sent, forward th^ amounts would have. been ■passed. Members generally admitted that the present position was unreasonable, arid it was decided to get. a legal opinion in regard to the matter. ;

At the Dunedin Police Court this morning (says a Press Association message), Mr-; Widdpwsony-, S.M: ,' gave judgment in the cases against- Joseph Duncan Winter, William Winter, and Lucy Winter, charged with breaches of the Licensing ,Act: at ■Green ■'Island. The Magistrate saidj-with regard;to-the information of allowing .liquor to be. sold on the premises after hours, the evidence showed that liquor was consumed in the stables, but.there■■■■was; not sufficient evidence : .tQ,.cpnnectr-tlie licensee (Joseph Winter),,with i^.,and, the case would b© -> dismissed. ■ \ With regard' to the cliarge: of selling liquor on Sunday, .preferred kgainst William Winter" and Mrs' Winter^ the case against' the sou' was dismissed, and;-Mrs Winter was-csonvicteß on 'her own plea of guilty, and fined, £3 and costs. ' '

■A .-pa|jt| :of the curriculum ! at 'the' iHampsteaa-School that is calculated:to cultivate the aesthetic tastes,;of the children is the flower-garden, and a " Guardian " reporter rwlid'had' 'an^ op-portunity,<;,oi,'-inspecting the portion of the school''grounds set apart for/ thatpurpose .was agreeably surprised to find ; that"'the""'children had a very fine display of all,, the commoner varieties of flowers. The work in the flower garden - is carried out by th© girls. of the; fifth arid sixth standards,, under: the. superintendence of thet Headmaster: (Mr J. B. Bo'rthwick). The pupils take ■• a very lively interest in . the . flpwers ancl cei-thinly the work is an. ample testimony; to that fact. The agricultural plot .at the school," in which.- are-"grown a varied number' of New. Zealand grass-' es and all table vegetables and grain props,, is also! in nrst-class.'ordeiv; Th'isf is set „apart;; f6rvthd-;"bbys; b!i?thW fifth? and sixth standards, Mr BorthYwkiilsQ- ;- being in charge. ']■ '' ■ -";;'•'■' ' "