LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 10106, 7 May 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

•' I read in this morning's paper that the public at Wellington was 'silent, but thrilled at the naval display by the men of the Imperial Service Sauadron," said the Hon. E. W. Alison, M.L.C., at a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board. "At Auckland there will be less silence and more thrills." — " New Zealand Herald."

The Canterbury Rugby Union has decided that the match between teams representing the sub-unions south of Christchurch and those north of Christchurch be played on July 30, and the Town v. Country match on August 2. It has been agreed that the conference of sub-union delegates should be held on July 30.

A London doctor says that in America the administration of anaesthetics is largely done by women. Nurses are trained to do it. "We should not dream of doing that here," he states. "And yet what a tremendous difference there is in the results ! In America death under anaesthesia is very rare. In England extremely common. Why is this ? It is because in America the comparatively safe ether is universally employed, whereas in England the deadly chloroform is still in extensive use."

The Ashburton Borough Council is to be asked by the Advance Ashburton Association to have the fire-bell on the Havelock Street West reserve placed over the reel-house instead of in a separate tower, as it is at present. The association last night discussed the.appearance of both bell-tower and reelhouse, and said that the former particularly was most unsightly, and it was thought by some that no good purpose was being served by the station in its present position, which was only about half a mile from the central station. Some asked if it would not be of more use nearer or on the r West Belt, or in the Hampstead district. After some discussion it was agreed that if the council effected improvements in the way of disposing of the present tower, the locality would be more pleasing to the eye.

A definite move to have a Chamber of Commerce established in Ashburton is being made by the Advance Ashburton Association. The chamber no doubt will be a separate body from the association, which body last night decided to ask the Mayor to convene a public meeting of citizens for May 22 to enlist support. The president of the Advance Ashburton Association (Mr A. A. McJJonald) stated that there were several leading business men in Christchurch willing to come down and explain the functions of a chamber of commerce. Tlie Government, he was told recently, was leaning more and more on the chambers of commerce for indications of public opinion, and during the strike great assistance had been given the Government by these bodies. 1 Ashburton, which did considerable trade through the -norts of Lyttelton and Timaru, should have an organisation of business men to look after its commercial interests. Mr McDonald said he had no fear of the project not succeeding; he was sure every business in the town would come into membership.

According td a Melbourne correspondent good work is being done by the resident aid executive of the Housewives' Association in relieving the shortage of domestic servants. Under the title of "resident aid," Mary Ann appears to be liking her job, and, stranger still, some of the mistresses are liking her. The association is inviting young girls employment to apply to it. and it is endeavouring to place them in positions at weekly wages ranging from £l 5s to £2 ss. In seeking to remedy the errors of the past, it Is recognised that, while in most cases there were faults on both sides, in some homes the servants or maids were not treated fairly. A happier state of affairs exists now. but the association is prudent in pointing out to the girls that, even with the most democratic mistress, a servant should always remember that there is a fine line of demarcation between her position and her employer's. So far as the scheme has gone, good results have been achieved. Mistresses have written to the association expressing their appreciation of the type of aid secured for them, and servants have sent happy letters telling of the _ fine types of mistresses thev have obtained. Admirable harmony—if it lasts.

Few of the steamers that come to New Zealand sail the seas of the cold north, where the ice floes are found; but a mild experience of this kind came the way of the steamer Trelyon, which arrived at Auckland on Friday from the Atlantic' coast. The Trelyon, a unit of the Hain fleet, 'and a frequent visitor to Auckland, was one of the first ships to enter the port or Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island, this year. Louisburg had been frozen over during the winter, and when the Trelyon steamed in there to lift some 600 tons of cargo for New Zealand, large,floes of ice were still in the harbour. This ice, known to the sailors as "slob'' ice. because it is melting, was floating about in large blocks, often showing three or four feet above the water, and while negotiating the

passage it was necessary for the steamer to proceed at reduced speed. On March .11 she was tied up safely alongside the quay. Four days she spent in port, and left again on the 15th, after experiencing a hlizzard that lasted for two days (states the Auckland "Star"). .The town and wharves were clothed in a deep mantle

of snow, and the temperature was continuously several degrees below freezing .point. Yet, in spite of the frigid appearance of the place, and the intense cold experienced by the sailors, Louisburgians regarded their recent winter as a comparatively mild one. The Trelyon took her departure from Cape Briton without mishai> and, with a course set for New York, was soon out of the regions of ice as she steamed southwards.

How is your motor behaving these cold mornings? Does it start easily. If not you should call at G. H. Carsn's Garage and have it tuned up for easier starting. G. H. Carson guarantees to improve the starting of even the most mulish tempered car in existence. Bring your troublesome car to G. H. Carson for an overhaul: you will be pleased with the result. Note the address: Tancred Street East.—Advt.

"What is probably the longest literary sentence occurs in Ruskin's "Modern Painters." Here is to be found a sentence of 619 words without a full stop, and 80 intermediate signs of punctuation, together with four clauses in brackets.

• i V T.f ■- ■ ~~.x-? ,^3Brr;v, r _ i--"- , -»=3 , »w^r:

It is estimated that 60,000 Australians have booked passages to England for the spring (says an Australian exchange). The housing problem is causing Londoners to think hard and charge high. Already many of the proprietors of hotels, flats, etc. are charging exaggerated prices, so that Australian visitors are no doubt preparing to pay to the fullest extent.

When the trouble over the Marist Football Club's severance from the Rugby code was considered by the New Zealand Rugby Union, it was finally decided to write to the Canterbury Rugby Union asking for the names of Rugby players who had gone over to the League. This communication was received at last night's meeting of the Canterbury Union, and the matter was referred to the Permit Committee.

" The farm is as heavily laden with mortgages as it is with weeds,'' said Mr Gibson at the Opunake Court recently in defence of a man who had left the work to a boy in order to work on the railway to keep the pot boiling. "My client," said Mr Gibson, "is keenly interested in the and is experimenting with a specific to kill the root, the ingredients of which are salt and Whey, to obviate the heavy labour attached to cutting." This caused some amusement . (says the " Opunake Times").

In the back country of Marlborough, round the range of hills known as "the bounds," there are great flocks of wild sheep led by fierce old rams. Thousands of acres of good sheep country are said to be entirely occupied by these flocks, which are descendants of little mobs overlooked by the musterers of half a century or more ago. To-day they constitute a very real nuisance to sheep farmers whose country borders on the wild territory which they have made their own. When snow on the mountains drives the wild sheep down into the valleys they mingle with the farmers' flocks, for no fence is effective against wild rams, which are as agile as goats and just as sure-footed, being able to jump almost any obstacle.

The president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce estimates that between 10,000 and 20,000 people will be leaving New Zealand for the purpose of visiting the British Empire Exhibition, and he estimates their expenditure at £SOO each, which he regards as a moderate estimate. Taking the number at 15,000, the tourist traffic will cost £7,500,000, and, to some extent, the banks will welcome this, for it will mean making the exchange problem a little easier. Those going to London will naturally take letters of credit. They will deposit the money with the bankers here, and get credits in London, and thus the! banks will be able to secure £7,500,000 here and get rid of a similar amount in London, cmite a simple way of transferring credit. The president, however, used this as a peg for directing attention to the need for taking 6teps to attract tourists to New Zealand. In the United States there is an unlimited supply of tourists, but they need a lot of information and a lot of convincing reasons to induce them to visit this country.

At a special meeting of the Ashburton Presbytery yesterday a call was laid on the table from the Gonville congregation to the Rev. J. Johnston, of Mayfield. The call had been sustained by the Wanganui Presbytery. The Rev. W. Marshall prosecuted the call on behalf of the Gonville congregation, and said that though he sincerely regretted the departure of Mr Johnston, he warmly congratulated him upon receiving a call from such an important congregation. Messrs C. H. Sewell and H. Lamb, commissioners from the Mayfield congregation, informed the Presbytery that the Mayfield congregation would like the Rev. J. Johnston to remain as their minister, but in view of the unanimity of the call and the larger sphere of service, the members felt they could not place any obstacle in their minister's way if he desired to accept it. The call was then nlaced in Mr Johnston's hands, and in accepting it he said that Gonville was a congregation which gave him a splendid opportunity ml i« population was 4000, and in CasthcKF 2000. and is included in the city of Wanpanui. It was agreed tn <?ov 3 r the pastoral tie between the Rev. J. Johnston and the Mayfield con2re<ra- ! tion as from the date of the induetier at Gonville. • The Rev. R. McCully of Hinds, was .-tppointed interim-modera-tor.

The young kangaroo which the Hood adopted as a mascot when at Australia seems destined to have an adventurous career (says a northern exchange). Already it lias been overboard twice, but as the ship was in harbour on each occasion he Was rescued' with something more than the usual promptitude .of the Navy. On the first occasion the - 'Roo : " as his cage is labelled, was enjoying a quiet constitutional on the deck, and with foolhardy but youthful inquisitiveness decided to exploit a huge hole he found. Unfortunately for him the hole was one in which a tenton anchor hangs. With the anchor dropped a fair-sized bale of wool could be pushed through the opening. The astonished "roo" found that his cave was bottomless, and fell with a splash into the sea. He half swam and half sat upon the water, giving a piteous look aloft as the tide carried him off. He was retrived by boat and put in his cage. Later, when being given exercise i on deck he set out -really to warm himself. He bounded over hatchways and cables, and might have tried to clear the 15in. gun turret, but before teaching that stage of confidence he bounded over the rail and again had a swim. Now he is confined "to quarters, and is consoling himself with lettuce leaves.

Comment on the Sydney Royal Show ' was made in Auckland by Mr J. Kelso, ; of Tamahere, who returned from Sydney bv the Marama a few days ago (says the "New Zealand Herald"). Being a breeder of pedigree Jersey cattle and an enthusiastic farmer, Mr Kelso can speak with authority as regards live stock. He stated that while there were some fine Jerseys, he was of opinion that the New Zealand animals were slightly better. The Shorthorns and Ayrshires were also below the Dominion standard, but the Herefords were magnificent and certainly better than our specimens of the breed. Fat stock was very poor. The majority of the pigs exhibited were not impressive, but the champions of the Tamworth, Berkshire, and Yorkshire breeds were fine animals. He added that every piac and practically every Shorthorn bull on exhibition was for sale. Draught horses were fast disappearing from the Australian show-ring. The harness horses, however, were the l>«st he had ever seen. The excellent display of dogs- was accounted for by the fact that Australian dog-fanciers were continually importing animals from overseas. One fancier paid £6OO for a spaniel dog. The cheese and I butter exhibits were far from good'. 1

A bubbler water- valve..has been, affixed to the drinking fountain in East Street, near the Courthouse, in place of the cup formerly used. This has. been done no doubt with a view to greater cleanliness.

In response to the:. second call for nominations for No. 4 Ward of theUpper Ashburton Road Board, Sir Hunter Morris, the sitting member, was brought forward; and he, being, the only nominee, has been declared elected.

At Stratford to-day William Darragh, licensee of the Club Hotel, and driver of a motor-car involved in a collision whereby. Miss Gustofsoh lost her life, has been summoned to appear on Friday on a charge of manslaughter.

Wild ducks appear, to be at a premium just now. Sportsmen who have visited the birds' iavourite haunts report having sighted very few indeed, and no,bags of any size have been secured. The warmth of the weather is held accountable for this, and. a change to more wintry conditions is expected to bring about a change in the position. So far this season, a lessened number of grey ducks have been in evidence on the Domain ponds

Archbishop Julius has purchased the well-known property situated in Cranmer Square, Christchurch, lately oecu-. pied by the Misses Bishop. It consists * of a two-storeyed residence and a halfacre of land. His Grace will hand the property over to the diocese to be used - as a girls' hostel in connection with educational purposes. The price paid for the property was, it'is understood, £SOOO, but a considerable additional sum will need to be spent upon it in order to make it suitable for a hostel. The property will be used for the same purpose as Bishopseourt is used at the present time.

The Ashburton County Rugby Referees' Association met last night,, when there were present: Messrs H. J. Chapman (in the chair),'J. C. C. McLachlan, I. FallwelL. W. Douglas, H. Porter, J. Templeton, N. Robilliard, H. Hewson, E. Partridge, andL Grieve. The usual round-the-table talk took place upon knotty points in the rules. Following are the matches in which changes were made in the names of referees for Saturday next: Junior . Grade —Old Boys v. Allenton, at Showgrounds, Mr' McLachlan; Springburn-Mayfield v. Mayfield, at Mayfield; Mr L. Grieve. Third Grade —Old Boys v. Allenton, at Showgrounds, Mr C Day; Ashburton v. Rakaia, at Showgrounds, Mr W> Douglas.