LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9478, 16 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Dorset was re-floabed this morn; ing, and berthed at King's Wharf.— Press Association.

Four influenza patients were discharged from the County Hospital on Saturday. There are still four influenza patients in the. institution.

A nolice raid was,made on business premises in West Street on Saturday, and it is understood a quantity of liquor was seized. •

"The contractors for the new fever ward at the County Hospital made a start with the work last week, and are making good progress.

It is announced in a London message, published in Australia, that the Foreign Office has leased an hotel in Paris for the accommodation of the Peace Congress delegates and officials. A staff of 200 officials and clerks, headed by Mr A. :J. Balfouiy Foreign Secretary, has gone to Paris. ? :

Sir ' James : Allen states that the Defence Department is rapidly preparing for the education, vocational training; and curative'• treatment of soldiers who do not come under'the Repatriation Department until discharged. Mr ■W.- H: Montgomery, assistant director of Base Records, has been directed to organise the work, equip the workshops and find-'the staffs.

AVith the close of the war, the necessity, of severely limiting women's passports has disappeared. The Internal Department is now issuing passports where there is no . ( special objection. ■; The Government, however, wished 'to': state that as the whole ofthe. available.'space was required for troops returning on demobilisation,those women who desire to journey to the Old Country must be prepared to stay there until all the troops are returned to New Zealand.

The-Auckland branch of the Post and Telegraph Association has forwarded a. protest to the Postmaster-General against the decision of Cabinet not to pay war bonus before the end of January. It is stated that Sir Joseph Ward promised the delegates of the association that the bonus would be doubled this year, and that the first of two instalments would be paid before Christmas. * "

It is really delightful (says the " Wairarapa Times") to see the confidence some men have in their wives. In the Magistrate's Court on Thursday, replying to counsel as to whether it was not possible that a wife bad received certain money and not told the husband about it^ the husband said: "I have been married to my wife for 30 years, and she has never done anything unbeknown to me, and I don't believe- she would do such a thing."

A Taranaki country resident who prided himself on his resourcefulness; , nob having a clinical thermometer, to take the temperature of a patient who was suffering from influenza, attempted, to do so with a dairy thermometer, and rang up a doctor to report his achievement. "What was his temperature ?"'. asked the medical man. "Two hundred and ten," was the. reply. "Oh," said the' medico calmly, "What .you'want is a fire-engine, not a doctor." . ■ .'

■■- .'■' In the event of a vote of no-con-' fidence by Labour members in the National Government, ' how will the candidate vote?" This was a question put to Mr George. Frost in an address he delivered at Newton last week. Mr Frost replied that his information was that immediately Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward returned from the Rsace Conference a, short session would be held, at the conclusion of which the National Government would" dissolve.

The suitability of pinus insignis for butter boxes is being tested by experiments carried out by Mr H. G. Kingslaud, of Nelson. He lias forwarded to the Agricultural Department three boxes oi: butter, which ha\^ been stored at the freezing works, Stoke. The butter will be kept for three months, and the condition then reported on by the Dairy Division. Mr Kingsland has good reason to believe that the experiment will be successful (states the Nelson -"Mail").

Considerable, attention' was attracted by a swarm of bees which made their appearance in Burnett Street yesterday, and for a time almost took charge. of the- thoroughfare. - The .presence of the intruders was responsible foi^ much annoyance to pedestrians, and in some instances considerable amusement to bystanders. More than one member of the fair sex walked, innocently into the danger zone, and was obliged to beat a has by retreat. The honey-gatherers took up a temporary abode under the verandah opposite the " Guardian" but subsequently sought their hives.

Now that the workers may rest from their labours, many a story will be told of the things they have seen and known (writes Elsie . Morton in the -Auckland "Herald"). One such, that of a little child's devotion," may well be told publicly now,, as.snowing how the, seeds of heroism may lie in the poorest and weakest of ua all. A little lad of 12 years old was taken the other day from a wretched "home," devoid of all cleanliness and comfort, where for foiir. days and nights he had tended the needs of sick parents,, brother, and a baby IS months old. Day and night he had watched beside them, given them food; and drink, .and! never left' them,;, even for sleep. •;! When" they at last refused to eat: he. called'for help, " bub the; neighbours had been sick, J> he said, " and I didn't want to trouble, them-'till I had to;!" ;:.j3b he stayed at his post till aid came; 'only leaving when all the others had been .taken to' hospital.

Motor Tracks for Sale.~G. H. Carsop lias for sale for immediate delivery two Jewitt 1-ton to SOewt. Truck attachments for converting 20 or 30----h.p. Cars of any make into reliable Motor Trucks. The Jewitt Track unit has internal gear drive, which is the accepted best system amongst Truck builders to-day. This 'unit attached to a Ford Engine and Chassis is capable of taking any hill road with one ton up, and it is very reliable in operation. The Jewitt attachments in stock are now being sold by Mr Carson for £110 each nett. Coupled to a Ford Chassis and fifcted with lorry body ready for the. rdad, the price is from £230. Farmers and' business men sre invited to inspect the Jewitt Truck Chassis at G. H. Carson's Garage, Tancred St., Ashburton. .

No bad after-effects with WADE'S WORM FIGS. Wonderful Worm Wor.Hers. Price 3s 6d.

Mr Sidoy, M.P., has been advised that Cabinet lias agreed to ten dental bursaries of £50 each for the'coming year, and eight medical bursaries ot £1,00 each, at the Otago University.— Press Association. :

A man under the'"inihienee of liquor was arrested in Moore Street by Senior-Sergeant Ryan yesterday morning about 1.0 o'clock. He was brought iKjforo Mr It. Clark, J.P., to-day at the Magistrate's Court', when a fine or 10s, wibb costs, was imposed, he being a statutory first offender.

Tlio Dominion Meteorologist's forecast to-day was as follows:—The indications arc for variable and. moderate breeze!*, bub northerly moderate to strong prevailing and freshening. There is a prospect of fail- weather, and t'lu'i-e are indioatioiiis for much warmer weather, bub with increasing haze and ■cloudiness .shortly. Barometer shows little- movement, ■ but has a tolling tewde-ncY shortly..

At the meeting of the committee of the Ashburton A. and P. Association on Saturday it was ■unanimously agreed to hold a orio-day fihow this'kftasfm. It was decided to hold a flower «how m conjunction with the annual snow, and the committee was requested to confer with the Ashburton Horticultural bociety regarding the' management of the flower section and to ask. itsJco-opora-tion. .

To-day, being Anniversary Day, was observed as a general holiday. The weather was perfect, and large numbers made their way to Peel Forest, the mouth of the Ashburton River, Wakanui Beach, or other pleasure resorts. The Domain waS well patronised. ' A progressive tournament was held on the bowling green, and the. tennis . courts and croquet lawn afforded pleasure to many. At the reciuest of the .Health • authorities the Sunday school picnics usually held were postponed till the' New Year.

Somes Island being required by the Health Department, the German prisoners interned there, some 300 an told, were removed on Saturday to Featherston camp, where they will remain until peace ia «igned. The prisoners, who welcomed the idea of a change, were removed front the island on the steamer Duchess, without the public being aware, were landed at Petone wharf, and were marched to the station, where they entrained. They were railed right into Featherston camp, and quartered in huts within a barbed wire enclosure. —Press Association.

The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister-of Internal Affairs, stated last night that the Defence" Department had notified liim that 'it had made complete arrangements to evacuate the stations at Motuihi, Soames Island, and- Port Chalmers. Those institutions would now come under the control of the Public Health" Department. Extensions to meet the possible necessitous cases arising out of tl;e return of huge batches of returned men were ready, and ihe institutions at Motuihi and Wellington would be' increased by 500 beds each. The question of extending accommodation at the Port Chalmers station was ' also under consideration.

To make the next annual show of the Ashburton A. and P. Association of more interest to 'townspeople who are not. so. much concerned as farmers about the breed of stock and the quality of roots,' the, committee' has added a number of competitions to the programme^ including tilting ,at the ring foi*'returnee!" soldiers ;itlf uniform,., Considerable dismission took place at the ■meeting of the committee on Saturday regarding the definition of "returned soldier." Some members consideredit included men who had been in camp, whilst others insisted that only those who had. been overseas came under that heading. It was finally agreed tha.t any man who was permitted to, wear uniform should be allowed to compete as a returned soldier.

The Board of ' Trade restrictions on the export of white pine, applying to the West Coast, are causing alarm among all those interested!in sawmills which, are producing white pine' for I export. They claim that the new regulations prohibiting the export of 60 per cent, of the output will make it impossible for them to carry on. Orders cannot be obtained from New Zealand users for .anything approaching the quantity. If orders were'obtaiiialble ' for all cut by, millers the' scarcity of shipping would prevent do-; livery. It is stated as a fact that a small order of white pine cut for Wellington has had' to remain so long oti the skids that now it is showing signs of'■; decay. The same conditions prevailed more than once in the oast/ and 'timber cut for .New Zealand ports has had to be shipped to Australia to avoid total loss to the miller. The regulations in force, while they may be applicable to parts of the Dominion where the local markets are in rail communication with mills, are considered wholly unsuitable for the West Coast conditions, , and if enforced as they stand they can only result in the closing down of those mills which are depending on the.white pine trade.-