LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8304, 24 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Hokitika Press Association telegram says that Mr James Murdoch has been elected chairman or the Westland County Council.

At the Ashburton County Council meeting yesterday, Or. J. Cairns -said that tho sparrow pest, like the rabbit, was on tho increase. Tins year the pest was worse than over, and he had noticed this season's young sparrows pulling up the crops. , . V ,

Speaking to a " Guardian " reporter yesterday, the Hon. Dr. Robert McNab said that he had had the question of allowing soldiers to travel free upon, the railways prought under his notice, ■and had been in communication with the Minister of Railways, on the matter. The Minister had replied that the question was under consideration, and probably something would T>e' done in the way of reducing the fares for the men. in khaki.

, About 60 applications were made at Auckland for permits to travel to Sydney byVthe Riyerina, which left yesterday." Forty-five permits have been ■■■ issued. Four -.were refused, the applicants being men qf military age who could not give a. valid reason for wishing to leave. A memorandum .from the Under-Secifetary., of the Defence Department states that after jbhis week it will take sovjen or 10 days for a permit to be granted, but in cases of necessity application cnn. be made to Wellington by"^telegraph.

The modesty of some of the ladies at last night's recruiting meeting received a great shock during Mr C. J. .Harper's little speech, seconding the vote of thanks to the.speakers. _ In the course of his remarks, he said to the audience that, ,wero he 30 years younger, lie would go to Dr. Lyon at once and be examined for enlistment boforo them all; Needless to say the rest of that part of Mr Harper's speech was drowned in a burst of laughter. : .■

At the meeting of the Ashburton County Council to-day, Cr A. < l>nimmond directed attention to the question of engine traffic- over the Ashburton bridge. He considered the time had arrived, when the Council should makT» provision for this class; of traffic, arid pointed out the delay caused to owners of engines through having to send them over the river by rail. The chairman replied that the only thing to do was to go on with /the- work in accordance with the Engineer's report and take: down the old portion of the bridge. The work could not bo taken in hand until the»end of the financial year, but* the Council would not lose sight of it.

An illustration of the value which the Maori sets upon the hum feather was given in a rase heard in tli'e Police Court iii Auckland a few days ago. Hori Roern. otherwise George Royal (23) was charged that he stole a huia feather, value £2 10s, the property of Rire Araina. It was alleged that- Rire Ariana, a Native lady of rangatira. rank at Arakei, bought in Auckland the feather, which is much prized among Maoris as* being the insignia of Native aristocracy. After having made the purchase the lady fastened it in her hat in the approved Native fashion, and proceeded to a Queen Street restaurant to dine. "While she was sitting at the table a male Maori .passed her, and plucked the feather from the lady's hat and made off so quickly that neither Rire Araina nor her friends could make a move to stop him, though they followed. Thoy lost the man in tho crowd, but later m the day Hori Roera was arrested .for the theft by n police officer to whom complaint had been made. Hori 'wns remanded on bail.

The down-stream trip on the Wonganui .River is thp finest holiday you could have—for pleasure or for lionlth. Hero Nature is at her best —scenery is varied—surroundings < are peaceful find wonderful.. Make the trip, from Taulvuininui to the Houseboat, Pipiriki, and Wanganni. Particulars from A. ■Hat-rick and Co., '■ ; Ltd., Wangnnui. Cooks's and Government Tourist Bureaux everywhere. 6 00

The Defence Department require four men between .the ages of 43 and 47 for enlistment for sei-vioe in Samoa from the Ashburton military group-

The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that the hospital ship Maheno would arrive in New Zealand about December 20. Tho first port of-call has not yet been decided. The Maheno is bringing: "cot cas.es " which could not be taken 'on.ordinary transports. •

An interesting novelty on sale at the Christ-church Hod Cross depot is a fifteenth- century brass clock. The clock is worked by weights and is in rough repair. According; to a well-known firm of watchmakers the clock will keep good time Tor another 100 years. Considering,its :ig<> thtf timepiece is in a wonderful' state of repair, and no one but an expert could guess its antiquity.

Turakimi Valley was tho scene of a rather sensational incident the other evening, when one of the settlers there and his family got. tho shock of their lives (says the" " Wanganui Chronicle"). Shortly 'at'tor 7 p.m. a heavy thunderstorm swept up the valley, accompanied by vivid lightning. The 'inmates of the house were startled by a heavy explosion, and immediately the back portion of the dwelling was'discovered to be in flames. When the blaze was suppressed it was- ascertained, 'that..-light; ning had struck -the telephone wire, and had; fired the .benzine in the lighting .plant'.;attached" to the house.

A Home writer pays the following eloquent tribute the the.Empire's fallen soldiers: —And on this day as I write there comes before me, set out as if on some magnificent parade, such gallants that even the clammy, thin, worn fingers of the City cannot kill the joy I feel in reviewing the men who go swaggering by. For they be heroes, every one of them, mostly young and handsome, bright-eyed, equaro-jawed. Nearly all of them have gone now; they lie- in rude but glorious graves in France, in Belgium, in. Flanders, or have perished in the furnace at the Dardanelles, -else been claimed by the sea. But though dead they live; they will live for ever. Tfco mighty scythe of this hellish war has come slashing along and caught them and carried theim off, but only after they, had written an imperishable story.