LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8305, 25 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A group rifle meeting is, to be held by the local Defence authorities on the Asliburton Rifle Range on /December 13. Four competitions will be held from ranges from 100 to 500 yards.

A Press Association telegram , from Napier states that the Hon. A. L. Herdman will inspect land at Petarie to-day to ascertain its suitability for & settlement for discharged soldiers.

So far over 700 members of the Post and Telegraph Department's staff in New Zealand have enlisted for service at the front, and there are another 82 applications for leave to enlist at present receiving attention.

Some idea of the increasing demand for motor cars can be gathered from the fact that from November, 1913', to November, 1914, 124 were registered in the Ashburton County, and from November , 1914, to November, 1915, 245 were registered..

It was declared by Mr W. H. Holloway at the Presbyterian Home Missionary meeting last week that the district round Kaiataia, in the Far North, was one of' the most Godless in New Zealand. The Ten Commandments, he added, were being widely disregarded, especially the seventh, for the state or moraltiy was appalling. ■

The following is the Government Meteorologist's forecast:—"The indications are for a westerly heavy gale, with a southerly tendency. The weather will probably prove squatty and changeable, with electrical disturbances. The weather ia clouding over, and rain may follow later: The .barometer has a rising tendency,, but .unsteady."

At yesterday's meeting of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union the chairman (Mr - George Gardner) spoke on behalf of farmers who were having slurs cast upon them for keeping their sons and employees on the farms instead of letting them volunteer. On behalf of these men Mr Gardner said that such slurs and letters in the papers were most unfair. The harvest, had to be. gathered and he qould say that after the harvest there would be plenty of men available for the front, men who were as good fight' ers as were ever born.

Tlie annual excursion to Timaru of the Hampstead School was held today. Probably the largest number of people that has ever taken part in the excursions since they were inaugurated gathered on the station platform this morning. It took 19 carriages to hold the children and tlieir parents, there being probably 800, persons altogether. A party of children from the Hinds School were picked up en route. Several outside picnic parties joined the excursion, including a team of croquet players and a team of bowlers from the Ashburton Clubs. The weather was favourable, although the strong westerly wind which blew all day would probably mar to a small extent the pleasure of the outing.

Colonel Chaffey, officer commanding the South Canterbury military area, arrived in Ashburton by the first express from Christchurch this morning. I At mid-day he paid a visit to the Ashj burton High School to inspect the School Cadets. The boys went through company and physical drill, after which Colonel Chaffey addressed them. He said that it was the first time that he had had a chance ■ to see the. Ashburton High School Cadets at work, and he was very pleased with the display which they had given. He pointed out to them that they had to take in later years the place of the men who ihad fallen at the front, and he complimented the school on the fact that 33 per cent, of its old boys had gone to the war. He urged the boys to work hard so that they might, after they left school,' make themselves good and useful citizens of the Empire. Colonel -Qhaffey left, for the south by the second express this afternoon.