LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8832, 7 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The work of pulling up what is known as the new tramway at Mount Somers has temporarily ceased owing to no labour being available. When hands are obtainable the work will be gone on with.

. Yesterday, at the Christchurch Literary and Musical Competitions Society's annual festival, Mr W. F, Crum, of Ashburton, won the vocal solo for tenor voices (amateurs), own selection, with-"An Evening Song." There was only one other competitor.

la the Anama district recently stray dogs have worried a good number of sheep, one farmer losing as many as 30. Another farmer, who lost a good number, caught some of the dogs in the. act of killing and shot them. In conversation with a "Guardian" reporter, a County farmer stated that often' it was the farmer's own pet ooi.lio which- was responsible for the killing of his'sheep.

Recently two delegates travelled through New Zealand on behalf of a c'r.bijiation of about 30 small uirmers in the Hawaiian Islands who have been oppressed by the great influx of Asiatics'into those islands. The delegates returned with a most •■ optiirirjlic report; on 'agricultural life in New ZeaInnd, and advice has been received in •Auckland that in consequence of this jvnori- these Hawaiian farmers intend to. come to the Dominion and are arranging to 'sail from their island home in October or. November.

The Territorial camps that haye 1"* recently been held throughout the South Island made a great demand on the railway horse boxes and waggons. No complaints were heard from Cliristchurcli from owners who were taking horses to compete at Timaru and Dunedin, but sevei-al Southland owners were disappointed and could not get their horses to the Forbury Park meeting. One well-known performer whose owner considered lie had an excellent chance of winning a stake at the meeting, failed to get accommodation by the Railway Department, and the owner "spoke" a piece" in strong terms.

A Press Association telegram from Invercargill, received last evening, states that the recently-formed Southland League, the main object of which is to advance the interests of the district at every opportunity, has appointed Mr Charles Campbell, of Invercargill, to the position of secretary at a salary of £4.00 a year. A canvass, which has not yet been completed, has resulted in guarantees to the amount of £500 a year for two years being obtained, and this amount' will be considerably increased. There were 25 applications for the post of secretary, including several from Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington.

The fpllowing sales of fat stock were made at Addington yesterday on behalf of County farmers: —Sheep—Wethers: For F. H; Chapman (Ashbiirton), 19 at 22s 6d; JHearn Bros. (Rangitata), 10 at 21s; ■ O. E. Newton (Lauriston), 63 at 18s 7d-to 20s 9d; J. Baxter (Pendarves), 33 at 17s 9d to 18s lOd. Ewes: For A. Oir (Methven). 11 at 21s 3d to 24s 3d; A. Drummond (Lauriston), 59 pi, 16s 3d to 2ls 6d; Millar Bros. (Methven), 115 at 19s to 21s; F. H. Chapman (Ashburton), 40 at 19s 7d to 21s; R, Oakley, (Overdale), 46 at 18s 8d to 20s 9d; P. Doig (Chertsey), 62 at 19s to 20s sd; S. Cox (Lyndhurst), 118 .it. 17s to 20s; W. Williamson (Chertsey) 60 at 19s to 19s. 8d; Capon Bros. rWinchmore), 65 at 18s 6d to 19s 3d; Hearn Bros. (RangitataV 49 -^ l«<? 19s 3d; 0. E. Newton (Lauriston), 61 at 18s 4d to 19s; John Deans (Coalgate), 62 at 17s 6d to 18s 3d; W. Jamieson (Dromore), 60 at 17s to 18s Id; A. A. Jamieson (Ashburton), 53 at 12s 9d to 17s lOd; J. Doig (Chertsey), 60 at 16s to 17s 9d; R.- Hampton (Pendnwes). 187 at 15s 2d to 17s Id; J. Wilson Baxter (Methven), 111 at 14s 6d to 16s 3d; R. Campbell, junior (Dromore), 65 at 15s. Lambs: For A. A. Jamieson (Ashburton), 12 at 20s 3d; A. W. Baxter (Methven), 17 at 19s lOd.

In the course of his speech at Winton on Monday, the Hon. F. M. B. ■Fisher indulged in several characteristic gibes at the Opposition (says a Press Association message). He remarked that when a Council leader was wanted Sir Joseph Ward evidently recognised that his appointees were all incompetent, so he went outside and appointed Sir John Findlay, and gave him K.C.M.G., K.C., J.Pi, after his name. —(Loud applause). ■■• When another Minister vVas wanted, he went over to the Opposition and took Mr T. Mackenzie. Sir Joseph Ward had stated in past years that compulsory training was impossible, and that the totalisator and bookmakers should be abolished, so he set up a .Racing Commission,. which brought in recommendations entirely to the detriment of local clubs. Mr Hogg, member for Masterton, was appointed to the Ministry, but evidently he disagreed with Sir Joseph Ward, and he went out. Mr McNab was to go out, bxit he got pushed out. —(Loud laughter and. applause). The Hon. Geo, Fowlds.wcnt out before he got pushed out.—(Kenowed laughter). Mr Russell (ex-Liberal Minister), speaking at: Gore, said the present Government should have borrowed' two millions more than it had done, but it did riot do. so because it was .'the friend of the moneylender, and wanted to keep dow.n the rate of interest. —(Laughter). Sir Joseph Ward had called the Government's defence proposals the "toy navy," whilst Mr Myers (Liberal member for Auckland East) had endorsed the Government's action.

A new profession—that of "dress consultant" —has just been added to the occupations in which educated women engage. "The average girl with a moderate allowance spends far too much on her clothes," one of them explained to a representative of a London paper recently. "I do not mean that £60 a year is an excessive sum; it is not; but she overpays for each individual item of a wardrobe because she lias very little idea of subdividing her money," probably no idea at all of the value of money, and has not the haziest notion of the best way to set about buying clothes." To advise, then, on the scientific expenditure'of a small dress allowance is the. province of the dress consultant, who claims that probably a couple of extra dresses, to say nothing of additional blouses and silk in lieu of cotton stockings, \will be some of the ..immediate advantages, reaped as a consequence of enlisting her help. "To know what to get is important," she said; "to know exactly where to get it at a price within the reach of a moderate purse is more important still. I can help in both ways, and, aftor all. it costs nothing to enlist my advice and help."

One morning recently Mr. Otto Pussel took to the Feildmg V Star office' some samples of second crop apples grown on his farm at Beaconsfield. The first crop was picked in January, and the tree is now in bloom again and also bearing inut.

"What are the legitimate functions of a school committee V" asked a member or an Oamaru Committee on Monday night. "All we seem empowered to do is to keep the charwoman up to the mark.' With a view to discovering the potentialities of their office, it was decided: lhat this meeting of householders requests that the Minister of Education be asked to state whether the powers and duties of school committees had been tabulated, and, if so, that the committee be-informed of those powers.

An Auckland correspondent states that somei remarkable instances of children's, fpn'dness for school were related by Mr F. Brown, .headmaster of the Takapuna School, at the meeting of householders on Monday evening. One small girl, he stated, broke her arm, and-while the doctor was setting 1 it. she asked him if she could go to school. He replied in the affirmative, and the little one continued her studies without missing a day. On a second occasion she', broke an arm, and she was only, away half a day. Another little girlj .while playing with a revolver, received'-the charge through- her hand. She attended school the next day, but her hand became so swollen that she had to go home the following day. She was back again, however, the day after., ■■-.-,'•;

The day before the 42nd Company of the Senior Cadets, Queenstown, left for Invercargill to attend the review and inspection by Sir lan Hamilton, Cadet Lawrence Robinson was at work 24 miles away (says the "Southland Times"). He received a telegram from his v captain late in the afternoon that the original arrangements had been altered, and that the company would leave Queenstown next morning. The mail coach had passed by an hour before, and a horse was not obtainable, so young Robinson, nothing daunted, continued his work until 5 o'clock arrived, and then started off to Queenstown on foot. Knowing the country well, he took advantage of short cuts here and there, and by that means reduced the 2-1 miles to about 18. Next morning he was on parade looking as fit as if he had. done nothing out of'the way.

The success of the Greater Auckland poll at Grey Lynn last week ; adds nearly 9000 to the population of the municipal city of Auckland. But Auckland is still only the second largest municipality in New Zealand, states the " New Zealand Herald." another Grey Lynn being required to put its population, which 'is now. 59,000, ahead of Wellington,- with 67,000. It may, however, be taken for granted that the Greater Auckland movement has only begun.; The , city has won Parriell Arch Hill; and Grey Lynn. Obviously the opposititin to a great and efficient municipality is breaking down. There are still; however, some 50,000 citizens of Auckland i-esident outside the municipal boundaries. Grey Lynn has an area of 960 acres, with a capital value of £1,171,548.

Specimens/of bricks made out of what formerly wa's regarded as unpromising material were exhibited at the meeting of the Brick Commission at Parliament Housa (says the Melbourne "Ago"), pne of the exhibits was a brick made. 1 from Morwell brown coal mixed with.clay. The brick, though rough in appearance, and much lighter than an ordinary clay brick, is nevertheless said to be more impervious to water, and equally durable. Owing to its lightness the brick would be specially adapted to steel-framed buildings. The other specimen of what 'is known as the sand-lime brick, conies from the State Brick Works at Botany,' New South Wales. It is a snow-white brick, and its merit is that while very hard, jt has a more perfectly uniform surface than the ordinary baked, brick. By utilising the vast sa^d dunes at Botany, the New South Wales Government has afforded an object lesson to Victoria, where the State-made brick has hitherto been a comparative failure.

The Fairfioid Freezing Works had a busy time during the month of April, and; have.--.also been hard at work this month as.'far as it lias, gone.,-The quality of "the, fat lambs; received' at the works' recently is. improving, and it is now anticipated that, should the present weather continue, all the stock will be fattened and killed by July, during which month it is expected that the works will close down until next killing season" begins. L'p to date, this season, 280,000 carcases have been dealt with, this number being ahead of what had been put through up to this time last year. In the month of May last season 88,000 sheep and lambs were treated at the works, but this extraordinary rush towards the close of the season was due to the butchers' strike allowing the fat stock to accumulate. The largest number of sheep and lambs, ever treated at the Fairfield Works in oi^e season wos 375,000, and that wns in the year 1903, when-;a severs.drought was experienced. All tliis stock, however,, was not fat, as the farmers were short of feed, »r»d" they got rid of everything that would be accepted. The duality of the stuff turned out at Fairfield this year has been very"good.

A prominent Wellington hotel proprietor, in conversation with a rer porter, stated that the new six-days-a-week award had not been in force long enough, .to have a. fair trial. The present,' he said, was the slack season of the year, and with his house only half full, and a large staff, not a great deal of difficulty had been experienced in conforming to the terms of the award. When the busy season came around, however, the position would be different, and would necessitate a great deal of reorganisation as far as the staff' of his hotel was concerned. In addition to the six days a week, the hours for male workers had been reduced by two per week, and the position was that the award over-rode the Hon. J. A. Millar's amendment to the Shops and Offices Act, which ■specified 62 hours a week as the maximum for male hotel employees. Tho new award, however, confined each day to 10 hours, which meant that they could only work for 60 hours a week. With the smaller houses, which did not trouble about catering, a re-arrangement was a comparatively simple matter, and matters. would probably find their level in about a month"s time.

Fairly large quantities of lime are being manufactured at Mount Somers, and its. export is considerably increasing the freight traffic on the railway, ft is being* used principally for building and agricultural purposes.

Of 16 Chinese charged to-day with being found in a common gaming house (says a " Wellington Press Association telegram) two were discharged, two were fined £3 each, and the remainder £2 each. .. -

At the meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday, on the motion of Mr Hugo Friedlander, it was decided to communicate with the Government, urging the appointment of a member to replace Mr John Lambie, resigned.

A breach of promise case is to bo heard at the next sitting, of the Supreme Court in Napier, Messrs B. J. Dolan and Co. having been instructed by a lady (the " Telegraph " states) to sue for £521, which includes the cost of a trousseau.

At the sitting of the Conciliation Council to deal with the wool and grain store employees, dispute (says a Napier Press Association message), all matters were adjusted except as to the wages of weekly hands and the length of the award's term. These probably will be settled and the Arbitration Court be called upon to register the agreement only.

Since the opening of the shooting season many local sportsmen have visited the upper reaches of the Ashburton River and other favourite places in quest of wild duck, and the popping of guns has Veen frequent. Though a fair number of grey duck and pukeho has been shot, no. large bags have been reported. Motor" bicycles are .projving a great convenience to sportsmen,' as by rising early they cycle many miles to their favourite shooting places and are back in good time for business.

The increasing tendency amongst some "nodora youths to subordinate business to the pursuit of sport was illustrated by ,an incident that occurred in Ashburton this week. It is, as most employers of labour know, somewhat difficult to obtain the services of capable and willing boys, and one local business man has'had his share of worry in this connection. However, he recently induced a lad to enter his service, and considered his troubles were over. But he reckoned without a knowledge of the precocious spirit of present-day youth, plus the ruling passion for sport, and therefore experienced somewhat of a shock on being informed by the latest addition to his staff thnt, as the football season had arrived he could not attend at business all day. " I have, to train, you know," said this aspirant for honours as a "muddied oaf," "and you'll have to let me off every afternoon." And the irony of it is that the employer had no alternative.

Some excitement prevails in the flax market (says the ".'New'Zealand Herald"). A merchant reports that during/the past fortnight product in Auckland has/increased by £2 to £2 10s per ton. Two reasons are assigned for the sudden rise. Ono is that the freight to London on hemp has been reduced by £1 per ton. The other is the outbreak of hostilities in Mexico. Sisal hemp, which is produced from a variety of the cactus, may be used as a substitute .for. New Zealand hemp, and being of good colour is used in great quantities x■■

mix with the Manila or New Zealand article in the manufacture of twine and rope. Mexico is one of the countries from which sisal is exported, and the outbreak of war is expected to reduce, if not cut off entirely;, the supplies of Mexican sisal, and the natural assumption is that the demand for New Zealand fibre will become Bjore keen. A diversity of opinion appears to exist in Auckland on this matter, however. One man who has an extensive knowledge of the trade stated that Mexico was not the most important sisal-producing country.' Huge quantities', he said, came from Soulli America and from German East Africa, and he expressed: the belief that the probable effect of the war was being over-estimated. .