LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9652, 8 July 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"llioma" will contribute to Thursday's Open Column a humorous article descriptive ■ of' the aspects of dancing to the eyes of non-dancers.

At a meeting of the committee of the Returned Soldiers' Club held last night, it was reported that the Ashburton A. and V. Association were inaugurating a scheme to provide prizes for the'best-kept'soldier farms in the Ashburton County.

The Dominion Meteorologist's forecast for to-day was as follows: —The indications are for variable and moderate breezes. There is a prospect of fine weather —days bright and nights cold. There will probably be a hard frost to-night. Barometer little movement. :

The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir J. Allen) has replied to a wire from;:the Mayor (Mr It. Galbraith) in regard to Admiral Jellicoe's visit to New Zealand, stating that it was as yet-un-decided what programme would be carried out, as the length of the visit was not known. It was definitely announced, however, that Lord Jellicoe would arrive, at' Wellington on H.M.S. New Zealand on August 18. i •

In the'Supreme I'Court at' Wellington' yesterday, probate of the will of; thelate Mr "Hamilton Gilmer was granted .at under £500,000. There are two public bequests,- one. of £IQO a.year for 10. years to ■ St. .Peter's . Anglican Church, Wellington, ami,£loo to- the children's : ward at Wellington Hospital. .. . „'■■• ...' .... ■■1.-. ;.. :■.. ;

"It used' to be 'said "t)iat" anybody could .-farm—that about all that ; was required wasva• strong back and a weak mind," mused' the gaunt' Missourian. ".But now'-days, to. be', a successful farmer "a. feller '■in ust have a, .good head and a- "wide. education in order to understand the advice" ladled out, to him from all sides by city men and to select for use that which' will do him the;least damage/ " " . • :

Mr J.-Leonard, a well-known Ashburton carrier, aged 74 years, -met with a severe accident yesterday afternoon,- resulting in a fracture of i the arm, besides being badly bruised'and shaken. He was in ''the gasworks' yard for the purpose of getting a load of coke, when the horse moved forward, pinning Mr Leonard between the cart and a post. Mr Leonard ,:was taken to his home, where he received medical attention. '■'..

Eight degrees of frost was recorded at the Domain- weather station last night. The Curator (Mr J. Clayton) has had a reply;,from the "Dominion Meteorologist (Mr D. C. Bates), stating that he could not supply the terrestrial thermometer enquired for, as... he had none in stock -at present. . .Mr Clayton further remarked that he did not know where another instrument could be procured, although, the present .one being damaged, it was desirable . that there should; be another instrument for purposes of check and comparison.

Delegates from the Canterbury Progress League visited Methven last evening for the purpose of furthering the objects of the League in that'district, and addressed a well-attended meeting, Mr J. Carr presiding! 'The addresses were interspersed with lantern slides. At the conclusion of the addresses a committee of 12 was formed to act as a branch of the League in Methven, Mr W. Morgan being elected chairman. It was decided to send five delegates to the annual meeting of.the League at Christchurch to-morrow.

Escaping from the Tower of London is not, apparently, the difficult feat it used to be; for a subaltern who had been imprisoned there related to a Westminster court-martial how he " simply walked out," went to the West End for a good dinner, and returned the next morning. He said hn could not get -in the same night, finding the gates f>hut. "It was not done in the Jack Sheppard kind of way," said the officer's solicitor, "but was •■.

boyish prank. Moreover, it was of benefit to the authorities by calling attention to the slackness there."

Mr W. "Robinson, chairman of the Hampstead war memorial committee, informed a "Guardian" reporter thnt the canvass for subscriptions the hall hud been very successful, tho total so far being between £160 and £180, with various small 1 amounts to come in. It was proposed to hold .". concert shortly to augment the fund and lie expected when t-here v.'as £200 in hand, along with a free section, the building of the Memorial Hall would ho -orocerdod with.

Two TV Awanunu farmers recently compared notes. One has a. 50-acre-farm, well farmed, and the other was doing his best on 200 acres. The small farmer had the bigger profit for the. year's work. An analysis of the figures showed that the 200-acre man had made a loss, he having to pay interest on mortgages, and rates and land tax on a big area indifferently fanned. Single-handed ho could not deal with the actual farming and. the rabbits and weeds pest as he- ought to have done. So he did what any wise man would have done —unloaded. Now' he lias 180 acres, and doing what ho can, and doing it well.—" Waipa. Post.":

Mrs D. C. Bates, 8.A., whoso war services for more than two years as editor of the' "New Zealand School Journals" have just terminated, is to accompany her husband, the Dominion Meteorologist, on his forthcoming visit to London and Paris, where meteorologist conferences are to be held in September. Mrs Bates's work as editor of the "School Journal" has won the highest praise throughout the Dominion, and she has spoken to the children in an inspiring and interesting manner. It is a. war service worthy of note by the women mothers, and her lessons will undoubtedly have an influence on the school children/

At the meeting of the Canterbury Board of Education on Friday it was resolved:—" That, in view of the preparations already made for a ' Children's Day' in connection with the Peace celebrations, and having regard to the great disappointment that will be felt if this portion of the original programme should not be adhered to, the board inform all school committees of its wish that Monday, July 21, shall bo observed as ' Children's Day,' on which day, as well as providing suitable entertainment for the children, all possible steps should bo taken to impress upon them the significance of the occasion and the inestimable blessings that would follow a universal and prolonged peace; further, that the following" day be observed as a school holiday."