LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9020, 16 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The river" report to-day stated that the Ashburton was clear, the Rangitata high and dirty, and the Rakaia very dirty.

The 1 Aurora has left Sydney for Hobart f where she will pick up additional stores. After visiting the Macqiiarie Islands and re-establishing the wireless equipment, she will proceed to the Antarctic, where it is expected the pfirty wi^l be landed about the middle of January. .

Af particularly striking incident of the parade of the Greymouth Citizens' Defence Corps on Sunday (says the^, "West Coast-Times") was the presence! in .their ranks of one of Grey mouth's eldest . citizens, in the person of Mr Wm. -Arnott, the well-known architect, who is 82 years of age. His upright carriage 'and warlike demeanour was as earnest as his patriotism. The spirit of our old colonists is admirable.

A belief that fencing wire should befree from Customs duties has been firmly held by the Provincial "Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, and the! president (Major Lusk), has now obtained an interesting statement on the matter from the Prime Minister (says the Auckland .' 'Star.) ■ , The Hon. Mr Massey expressed the- opinion that material, for fencing on inland farms should be free from duty, but he pointed out that effect could not be given to the wishes of the union until the Customs tariff was altered. This, be said, would be a somewhat involved undertaking.

Important technical questions connected with "The Valuation of Land Act, 1908," were the subject of a lengthy judgment delivered at Wellington by Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., president of the Assessment Court. It concerned the assessment of the property of G. B. H'owden and other jwners. His -Worship decided (says tre "Post") that the objectors' contention that the!-reduction from'the assessment to the capital value at which the ownsi offers to sell to the Government, under section 31, must necessarily be made on the unimproved value-is nor correct. Further, that the Valuer-Gen-eral is -entitled to make a reduction m both- unimproved value and value of improvements if he thinks proper, but such reduction is only an offer to the owner, or if the owner does not agree, the matter must bo decided by the court, and the onus of proof is then on 1 the : Valuation Department. The taking of the evidence was adjourned sine die, as the objectors may desire to appeal to the Supreme Court on the final point, or the Valuation Department may wish to appeal on the question as to the party on whom thel onus of proof Jios.

Touching- on the question of the falling off in the number of pupils taking a third year of free education (says the Napier "Telegraph"), Miss Greig, principal o-f- the Is apier Girls' High School, says:—"Now, take the domestic girl. There is a wide field' for her to explore. -If she wero to stay at school for three or foul-. yea.rs she would advance in literature, in English, European and foreign history, in civics and in science. Let, her in her third year take up domestic science, and not only would she enjoy the work but she would more ably fill her mission in life as a home-maker. If she cared to matriculate in this branch of the curriculum, she could do so, and then pursue her studies in the Otago University, live at the hostel, where the cost would-be very, little, if any, for bur-saries-.ire provided by the New Zealand universities to encourage' studies in this work, and after three'years graduate, or without matriculation she could work for a diploma. Should she require to work for her own living she is well qualified, and should she remain at home she would there find t ample scope for the application of the' scientific principles which she has studied. Again, if a girl did not go so far as the University' it would still amply repay her to utilise part of her third and fourth years at school in the study of domestic science. People are- beginning to realise that nowadays it is absolutely necessary to equip the girls and the women of the country with a sound practical training in science,."

Ford Cars have recently been sold to Sirs Abe Bailey and Howe Gordon and Mr R. Kipling. Distinguished owners of Ford Gars ■include: —Earls Hardwicke and Norbury, Lords'.Saye and Se,el and Playfair, Earl of Carrick, the Countesses of Dysart and Glasgow, the Lady Spencer Churchill, the Bishops of Guildford, Derby, and Limerick, Lord Hotham, and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The late Earl RobertSfcWas also a Ford owner. The Ford is made in Canada, in the i British Empire; it is therefore a British car, and raust be recognised as such. The Imperial Government, the Russian Government, and the New Zealand Government have purchased Ford j Cars for strenuous use'*at tho front, j and buyers should consider these hard Facts when choosing a car. G. H. Carson will be 'pleased to demonstrate with tho latest model Ford by arrangement. I 45

"Can you tell me the whereabouts of the unemplo3'ed at Gore, of whom I read the, other evening?" asked a well-known district dairy farmer in a despaiz-ing tone a resident on Wednesday last (says the Mataura "Ensign"). "1 have searched for them, but cannot find the.m," he concluded.

The cadet camp was" deserted to-day. The boys left the camp at 8.30 this morning and proceeded to the rifle range, where they went through some of their musketry course. They will be put through the whole course during their stay in camp. While some were shooting, the others were given skirmishing practice. Altogether, they ■have spent a very instructive day..

The deaths from cancer in New Zealand during the last few years have increased with an almost alarming rapidity. In 1904 the number of persons who died from this disease was 571, while in 1913 the number had increased to 856. Only 37 of the latter were under 30 years of age. If one-half of the population of the Dominion is. over 30 years of age, then one in every 50 matured persons dies from cancer.

It is quite on the cards that the Kaitangata Court will be called upon at an early date to deal: with an alleged brutal assault upon a borough official (says the .correspondent of the Balclutha -"Free Press"). The .official in . question was badly handled by a resident while carrying out certain defined statutary duties, and the case is in the hands of the police. There are some veiy ugly features about the business. . ■ ■

Rumours are constantly receiving currency to the effect that the provisions of the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act', are being evaded through the sale of wheat and flour at prices in exces ■■ sof those fixed by proclamation. . Probably the sellers of these commodities are not aware of the risks they incur in disposing of them at prices that exceed the proclaimed figures. The nature of these risks is indicated in section 21 of the Act, which reads:—" (1) Every contract of sale made by a seller or'his agent in wilful breach of the foregoing provisions of this Act shall be wholly void as against the buyer, and the seller shall have no,right of action either for the recovery of the price or value of the goods or for damages for breach of contract; but the property in the goods so sold shall pass to the buyer at the same time and in the same manner as if the contract had been of full force and effect. (2). All moneys paid by the buyer to the seller as the price of goods under aoiy contract which is void under this section shall be recoverable by the buyer from the seller as money had and received by the seller for the buver*s use." \

To the last drop. There is never a trace of "grounds," never a vestige of waste, with "Camp" Coffee...