LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9540, 20 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At 6.30 on Friday night the daretaker of the Sale JUeposit. buiicung m .fcugn, Street, Auckland, found smoke m xhe nit well, iae broke open the door and found a motor-car aDlaze. lie extinguished the fare, and discovered tiiat the insulation was burned away. An incendiary, after starting the fife, had evidently pulled out the plugs from ; the main switch, throwing the whole bunding into darkness* and then' locked the door and removed the key. The object apparently was simply to destroy the motor-car, disorganise the lighting and • the lift convenience. The police are investigating.

It seems to be the lot of visitors to New Zealand to be frightened away from Southland by Hhe. stupidity, of northerners^ who discuss the climate of tins province, and therein display appalling ignorance (states the Southland lMews). Mr William Mason, who hails from British Columbia, .is /.the, latest victim, and haying been m Invercargul tor some three weeks now', he is appreciating the joke. "In Auckland and Hamilton," he told the reporter, "they positively scared me with tales of your climate, and 1 was quite reconciled to finding the place under snow and ice. In fact I. went back to Auckland from Hamilton, intending' to winter there, because I had just experienced a winter m Canada, and had no desire to run into another. 'But 1 found it imperative that X should come 1 South, and you cannot imagine my amazement when . I arrived m your . invigorating climate, which I am thoroughly enjoying."

It appears that all the histories 'of New Zealand are wrong m one important particular— that- is, if the Hterary Digest, a paper with, no small reputation, is taken as a guide (Bays the Post). In the issue of the Digest for April 16, 1921. there appears an article on "The Island Nations of the Pacific." Speaking of New Zealand, the writer says: "New Zealand found^ edas'a penal colony by Great Britain, has of recent years gained a reputation as one' of the most carefully-governed territories m the world. A Jaw passed by '■'■ this reformed convict colony, and made effective on May 1 of this year, orders that, ,'no motion picture film, depicting thieving, robbery, murder, or suicide shall be permitted foube shown m the Dominion.' "A. copy of;, the issue containing the statement hag been forwarded from ban Francisco to the Minister for Education by a woman formerly resident m New Zealand. Her comment is brief: "Please tell them it is a-^ — - lie 1" . ■„.•■

The Post and Telegraph Department regulates th© use of wireless apparatus by amateurs by a system of licenses and permits. The issue of 'a license enables the holder to operate a transmitting station; and a permit relates only to a receiving station. .At, present the Department is' not issuing any licenses. The issue of permits, suspended during the war/ has only lately been renewed, but a large number have ,been applied for. The applicant for a permit has to supply the Department with particulars of the apparatus he intends to use and of his own telegraphic qualifications ; for it is essential if he is going to use valve receivers, that he can read the warnings ' of business stations to amateurs to cease' operating. This is necessary because valve receivers may discharge enough' energy to drown faint messages coming" into the aerials of other stations. The isstie of permits, which can be withdrawn if the holders are found to be unsuitable will enable the Department to gauge the nature of the wireless, amateur community prior to the ls&iie (necessarily much more limited) ot licenses.

1 The local tourist traffic .&, now, easing off, as is usually the case a,t this period of the year, but throughout th© season the volume of traffic has been very considerable, showing no sign of financial stringency (says the "New Zealand Herald,'* Auckland). Practically every steamer from Vancouver and Sydney has brought its quota of affluent tourists. A very serious problem m connection with overseas tourist traffic m the busy season is that of finding accommodation for the visitors. The accommodation at the tourist resorts is hardly sufficient for holidays-making New Zealanders m the Christmas period, and it is suggested by those who realise the value of oversea tourist traffic to the Dominion that where private enterprise will not extend or , create accommodation, the State should do so, and without delay. The bookings for passages to England are about normal. A good many thirdclass ' passages have been booked for the English summer, but not many first and second-class passages, and steamer accommodation of this description is now quite adequate to meet the demand.

All half -price. Such is the announcement m a Tancred Street Window. The firm that has taken such a drastic step to reduce prices is jG. Hefford and Co., and the materials are -warm winter coatings. This_ enterprising firm has ' been making, a name for itself during the last few days by. the way they have cut drapery prices. Heavy English Coatings usually 30s 6d a yard are now 17s 9d a yard. Reversible Moleton Cloth for Dressing Gowns usually 8s 9d are now 5s 9d a yard. These lines and many others m every department are being bought up, so call early to G. Hefford and Co., Drapers, Clothiers, and Dressmakers, Ashburton. 6x

An Invercargill telegram says that I the local Electric Power Board is ; dispensing with, its r employees, pending assured finance, j which it is hoped < ■will be arranged. The expenditure to date has approximated £200,000. A count <of rotes taken by the Auckland chemists on the question of closing on Sundays showed a majority m favour of the change (says an Auckland Pre^ss Association message)! The result will ! be brought before' the New Zealand ' .Pharmaceutical Board at its next meeting. ■' The latest valuation of the Ashbur- I ton County, including the Ashbiurton i Borough and Tinwald " Town District, j gi^es the capital value at £11,736,945. | This represents an increase of over. ,' £3,000,000 m ten years, or an increase ; of about 40 per cent. ■.. j The Minister for Agriculture proposes ' to proceed with the irrigation experi- ■ ments on the area reserved for this purpose, at Galloway, m Central Otago.' The land has been fenced, and some work has been done. Further expendi- j ture has now been sanctioned by the Government, and the Minister is m, a position to carry out the experiments ; to see what can be done by irrigation, i Ample justification for the establishment of a butter factory at , Methven is to be found m the figures revealed *for the first A\ months' working — from January 16 to May 31. During that period the factory has handled 120 tons of cream, and manufactured and sold 48 ions of butter, valued at £i 3,110. The secretary of the "Winter Show Committee reports that tickets for the Monster Gold Dust Art- Union to be held m connection with the Show are selling ' freely . Holders of these tickets, which admit to .the Show, have,, a chance of securing eight prizes of a value of £2. 10s to £20, and as they -will not be. available at the entrance doors, on Show days, intending patrons have been taking advantage •of the opportunity to- get- iii" early, i The steamer '^lararoa has been making some, smart passages since she . resumed on the .ferry run, but yesterday morning she eclipsed all her per- j fonnances or recent years by arriving j at 8.40 a.m., the trip having taken 12 hours 45 minutes from wharf to wharf. This time, however, is a long way behind the record she put up some 16 years ago, when she did the distance from' "full speed" at Lyttelton to "stop" at Wellington m 10 tours 30 minutes. An unusual combination was observed m the sky on Saturday night — a distinct ring found the moon with a very plainly marked nor '-west aa*ch over the hills. Sunday morning was warm and pleasant, but a- cool easterly blew up m the afternoon, bringing m its train . towards evening a thick mist. This morning -was dull &ttd /raw; /with a tendency to drizzling rain at times. ■ ■ ■

"The indiscrimnate. granting of probation is simply a method of' manufaer turing thieves," remarked his Hdndr Sir 1 John Salmond : at/the ■ Supreme Cburt at Wellington' on' -Friday ' afternoon while sentencing to > terms of im-, prisbnmerit two young^'. men who had pleaded guilty ,to charges of •. embezzlement. "I am not going to take the responsibility of admitting you to' probation. ■ Young' men m positions of trust 'niust' act m a trustworthy 'man-* ncr, they must keep their, hands off, 'oth^r ipebple's money, , or 'they must be taught a lesson." •' .

The position m which local authorities have been placed by the increase m the bank rate of interest on overdrafts to 7 per cent, was mentioned at the meeting of the Bevonport (Auckr land) Borough Council. The Mayor, Mr H. S. W: King, reported that as the interest was m excess of the amount local bodies were empowered by statute,' to pay, he had authorised the town clerk to communicate with the Minister for' Finance to ascertain the provisions made by the Government to . enable' local bodies' to meet the rate demanded.

To be invited to partake of a threepenny beer as a reward for his honesty m returning a wallet containing £500, a steamer ticket, ' And a number of other valuable par><ers was the experience of a Ponsonby resident the other day (says the Auckland " Star")- Th"c owner of the valuable packet had evidently paid a visit to Point Erin Park, for it was there or a seat that the find was made. After nerusing the contents the suburban man became acquainted with the owner's 'name, and immediately set out, at inconvenience and expense to himself, to locate the intending passenger, his desire being to relieve the owner's worry and place him m the position of niaking the trip. He made many calls, and ultimately located the man in'a local hotel, and handed the package " over. The owner was prof us.e m his thanks, and expressed his gratitude m the manner stated above

'■• ,'n.

Another story of an unhappy marriage was told at the Wellington Supreme Court, when James Furniss sought to obtain a dissolution of marriage with Agnes Fur ness on the ground of misconduct with John Barclay,* architect's works overseer, whose disappearance from Wellington' a couple 1 of years. ago caused a sensation. Petitioner stated that he married an English nurse while undergoing hospital treatment at Sheffield m 1916, and was transferred 't<s another hospital within ' a- few hours of the marriage. Some months later he sailed for" New Zealand. His wife came out a couple of years later. Petitioner! went to Auckland to meet her, but, owing to a mistake m the time of arrival of the boat, 'he missed her, though he met her down the Main Trunk line. She refused to accompa.ny him to his home, some miles out from Huntly, and came to Wellington for a time and was- a boarder m the same place as Barclay. She disappeared subsequently, a'sdidi Barclay. Later it was ascertained that respondent and the co-respondent were living m Christchurch as man and wife. A decree nisi was granted, with costs

. Motorists whose business takes them out m cold and wet weather will appreciate the comfort afforded by side glass shields fitted to the . windscreen. The De Luxe side shields are considered to be the best type made, 'and G. H. Carson has just ri-ceived a consignment of De Luxe shields. The price is £7 10s per set, including fitting. As the supply is limited, those car owners requiring side shields are requested to call early arid inspect the De Luxe. Other makes of bitields can be supplied £5 17s 6d fitted, nnd orders are now being booked for these also. 6x

The following weather forecast was issued to-day: — The indications are for variable arid moderate breezes, southerly moderate to strong prevailing Weather probably oold and changeable, with scattered showers.. The night will probably be very cold. Barometer rising soon.* A special train arrived at Methven to-day with a consignment of Lardwood poles for the. Lake Coleridge electrical power transmission lines. This is apparently the commencement of the long-promised extension across the Rakaia Gorge through Metihven to Ashburton. •Charges of drunkenness and obscene language m Tancred Street on Sunday night were preferred against James Ui'quhart at the Ashburton Police Court this: morning, before Messrs- A. McClure and E. W. Watt, J.'sP. On the first- charge, Urquhart was convicted and , discharged, and on the second, he was fined £5, m default 14 days' imprisonment. i The Tinwald Hall was well filled last Thursday evening with childz^en ; and adults, it being the monthly ■ meeting of the Tinwald Band of Hop©, 'Mr Hickman presiding. The programme, which was of a very enjoyable nature, was wholly contributed by the Band of Hope girls and boys, the following taking part :— Pianoforte solo, Miss L. Laffey; pianoforte duets, Misses L. Laffey and T. Stalker, Misses. M. and D: Gibson ;« vocal duet, Misses T. Timms and Colville ; vocal solos, Misses R. Ch'apmim, I. Timms, D, Boulton, A. Haar, and Mr J. McMillan ; recitations, Misses C. Sullivan, H. Sullivan, M. Gibson, D. Gibson, B. Harris, and D, Petrie. A song and cHorus was rendered by a company of children, also two good (dialogues, entitled "Feminine Bravery" and "The Spelling Class." Miss Roffey, Misses F. Hogg, M. Haar, and E.: Brown played the. accompaniments. In the course of the evening the Rev. Mr Barnett gave an address, taking as his subject "Be ' Temperate , m All Things," showing-how it is best for ourselves and for tnos*e around us if we live ■ temperate lives. -The speakier was accorded a very attentive, hearI ing. The. singing of a verse of the I National Anthem concluded a very ' enjoyable and instructive evening. ;