LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8204, 29 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the military funeral of Bombardier J. M. March, at■Watcrton, on Tuesday, the Ashburton County Council was represented by Messrs I. Mainwaring (County Clerk) and C. Morrison (County Engineer). The chairman (Mr C. J. Harper) was unable to attend.

At a sitting of the Christehurcli Juvenile Court yesterday morning, before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., three small "boys were charged with throwing stones at a passing train at Papanui. Evidence showed that the boys had been playing at. "Dardanelles."" The Magistrate pointed out the serious consequences which might arise out of stoncrthrowing at trains,, aud discharged the accused.

The Appeal Court at Wellington yesterday heard an application by J. E Baltrop, of Feilding,, for admission to.the Supremo Cbiirt as solicitor. The application was opposed by the Law Society on a number of, grounds, among which were that Baltrop had practised as,a solicitor without being duly qualified, . that, he touted for business;, that .h i 6;:-,cqmmenced;/.va'ctions./.oh.\ i Whalf;Vbf; people,, without . their. ■ authority!" and there ■•■were also grounds of opposition regarding the manner applicant had dealt with funds coming into his hands. After the case had been partially gone into, the hearing was adjourned to August 4 to enable Mr D. Atkinson, in whose office Baltrop had been employed, to be present ,to give applicant an opportunity of replying to fresh matters raised. . :

Four .of tho North Canterbury Education Board's inspectors were engaged on Tuesday and Wednesday in holding the half-yearly inspection and examination of the scholars of the Borough and Hampstoad schools.

At Wellington recently, John Hood was committed for trial on a charge of having published a defamatory libel concerning Lily Dalzicl (Sister Agnes, of tho Wanganui Convent), in a letter addressed to his 'Grace Coadjutor Archbishop: O'Shea.- .

As tho imult.-of a lecture delivered a. short time ago by the Rev. J. Paterson, M.A., of Christchurch, in which it was asserted that German Rationalism was the cause of the. present war, the committee of the New Zealand Rationalist Association, at a meeting last night, instructed its lecturer, Mr W. W. Collinsy to send a formal challenge to the Rev. Mr Paterson to publicly debate the question.

A meeting of the committee of the. Ashbiivton # Poultry, Pigeon, »,and Canary Society was held last evening, Mr G. Bundy presiding. A rough estimate of the receipts and expenditure in connection with, the recent Winter Show was .submitted, and was considered satisfactory. The accounts to be paid were .leftjiv the hands of tho chairman, treasurer, and secretary to attend to. The■ usual honorarium was voted to the secretary.

The following- sales wore, effected ' at •the Addington :liye\ stock sale on Wednesday on behalf of Ash burton County fanners: —Fat Cattle —For D. McKay (Winslow), 6 steers at £9 15s to £10 17s 6d, 2 cows at £8 5s and £9 10s, T. Dickie (Lyndhurst), 3 cows at £8 to £11 15s. Fat Sheep—Wethers : For W. Fairweather (Rakain),*Q2 at 23s Id to 27s lOd; J. Scott (Rakaia Gorge), 25 at 23s 8d to 26s 3d; J. Buckley (Metbvon). 30 at 24s 3d to 26s Id; W. Morgan (Methven), 26 at 23s 4d to 26s Id ; Hcarn Bros. (Riingitata), 62 at 235----3 dto 24s 6d; H. Reesby (Lanriston), 71 at 20s to 225. Ewes: For I). Burgess (Ealing), 168 at 22s to 295; W. Morgan (Methven). 30 at 24s 7d to 25s 9d;.J. Buckley (Methven), 30 at ■ 19s 2d; J. Scott (Rakaia Gorge), 16 af 18s 9d; J. H. B. Oliver (Haling), 130 at 13s 2d to 17s 3d. Fat Lambs—For W. A. Fairweather (Rakaia). 34 nt 18s 3d to 26s 3d; A. Read (Eiffolton). 9 at 265: J. Scott (Methven). 90 at 22s 4d to 24s 8d; J. H. 13. Oliver (Ealing). 20 at 13s 6d to 20s lid :• Gerard and Murray-Aynslev (Bayfield), 70 at 14s 9d .to 18s' '■ " ' ■■■' •

The increased employment of .women, inevitable as it may be, raises questions of groat importance. and, although it is the duty of every woman to engage in some productive occupation, it is to be hoped that no ■encouragement will be given to young. married women to seek work outside their homes, says the " United Empire." Meanwhile it is ' probably in clerical occupations that the greatest opportunities will occur, .for, apart from those who give their lives, many men after a soldiering experience will never return to the desk or countinghouse, but will want to sock their '-fortunes'in some wider and more openAir sphere of existence. Part 'of the aftermath of war should certainly be ix stimulus- to emigration, aided by ties formed through association in the field of the British-born and his overseas cousins. The existing disproportion of the sexes in tlie-British-Isles is. therefore, likely to lie increased unless women also who have learnt many hard lessons in, the war, revive the pioneer spirit which animated the wives and mothers of the early colonists and go out with-- their men—or even without them—to do whatever work comes to their hands, and to seek that good forture which may' always be lurking round the next.bond of a new road.

TJic British destroyers of the "L" class which were built under the 1912----13 programme, are proving a veritable terror to the enemy's torpedo craft, and are also being treated with marked respect by Gorman cruisers, says the " Naval and Military .Record." It is ■believed that in essential details they are superior to any German destroyers afloat, and by their skill and daring their officers and crews have- proved themselves worthy of their .ships. In one- of the first naval engagements after the outbreak of war—that in the Heligoland Bight on August 28, when several Gorman cruisers ajid destroyers were sunk—they rendered splendid service, attacking without hesitation the enemy's cruisers both with guns and torpedoes, and only a few days ago four of the class sank two German tor-pedo-boats. Twenty, 'vessels of the "■L" class have been, built from the designs of Sir P. Watts, the late Director of Naval Construction. ; They have a length of 260 ft, a'•• breadth■■ of 27ft Sin, and a mean load-draught of 9st oin, and their displacement is 965 tons each. They are fitted with turbines of 24,500 horse-power, giving : a speed of 25 knots. Each has storage accommodation for 135 tins of oil fuel, and carries three 4-inch guns. A later type, called the "M" class, is believed to embody some important improvements upon their predecessors, but for obvious reasons the details .-have not been disclosed. • '