LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVII, Issue 10806, 29 December 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Melbourne cablegram states that Lady Dunleath, in a private letter, states she has lost a book containing the addresses of Australian and New Zealand officers who stayed at Ballyvwater, North Ireland, during the war, and added sho would be grateful if they would forward their addresses to her. She and Lord Dimleath wished them all a happy Christmas and New Year.

A good story is going the rounds regarding a motorist's disinclination to meet a bull. The motorist, a wellknown Ashburton grocer, while returning from the mouth of the river on Monday, encountered a bull of rather ferocious aspect, and sooner than pass the animal, backed his car for a considerable distance and went about five miles out of his way. ;

Take-all is said to be making its appearance to a rather serious extent among the wheat crops of South Canterbury.

An inquest was held at Invercargill yesterday into the death of Leslie Mark Riddell, aged 16, who was drowned in the Waihopai River on Sunday. A verdict of accidentally drowned was returned. A rider added that it be a recommendation to the Invercargill Corporation to prohibit bathing in the part of the river flowing through the scenic reserves, as there had been too many fatal drowning accidents, in the Devil's Pool.

It was- rumoured this • morning that a burglary had been perpetrated at the New Zealand Farmers' Co-opera-tive Association, a window in the top storey, 30 feet from the ground, having been broken. In response to inquiries this morning, the police discounted the theory of a burglary, and expressed the opinion that the window had been accidentally broken.

A magnificent "shot" from Ngaruahoe was witnessed at Taumarunui recently by Mr It. W. Smith, M.P., and his son. Mr Smith, jun., told a reporter of the local paper that he and\ his father estimated the "shot" to be nearly two thousand feet high. They had seen the volcano active on innumerable occasions, but this shot eclipsed all others in size and grandeur. It shot up straight at first, and then spread out like a huge canopy about the crest of the volcano. "It was a magnificent sight," said Mr Smith. S.

-A drowning accident, the third within two weeks, was narrowly averted at Hakatere during the Christmas holidays Two young men, Mr Ash ton and another, were out in a boat, when one of the oars'drifted from the boat, with the result that difficulties were soon encountered. The boat drifted until within a few yards of the sea, when a determined attempt was made by Ashton to reach land. With a chain that was attached to the boat in hand, he dived overboard, and after a strenuous struggle with the strong current gained his objective. Had the boat drifted into the breakers, in all probability loth young men would have lost their Jives.

Thieves broke into the Grand Opera House at Wellington at an early hour yesterday morning and. ransacked the office desks, evidently in search of cash. Nothing was known of the affair until Mr Stringer, the accountant, arrived at his office, when % he discovered his door open, and evidence of the fact that the drawers of his desk had been ransacked and the papers strewn about as though the intruders had been in a hurry. Failing to find ought but a few shillings, the robbers had then forced the door of the office of Mr H. Royle, but the only articles believed to be missing are two gold-plated pencils belonging to Mr and Mrs Royle.

The borough of New Plymouth has an excellent record in collection, of rates. For the present year the amount callectable was, in round figures, £48,000, and on the last day before the imposition of the 10 per cent, penalty the amount outstanding was very little more than 2\ per cenit. of the total. It is confidently anticipated that at the end of the financial year there will he nothing to carry over. For the previous year the only amount not paid was £1 Is Id, due by an absentee owner, whose address had just been discovered. The borough has collected thfe whole of its rates sinice the 1918 period with the exception of £1 Is Id referred to.

The Christmas holidays have made records in tourist traffic (says a Dunedin telegram). The local Government tourist agent states that though there were not many northern visitors to Dunedin, there was a tremendous exodus of local residents for the north, particularly Auckland. All the southern resorts have been well filled, and large numbers of Dunedin people went to Queenstown and Stewart Island. Milford Track drew its quota, there being more Dunedinites on the track over the holidays than for some years past. Accommodation at Queenstown is fairly heavily booked up for some weeks ahead. Though there has not been the influx to Dunedin of northern visitors that was expected, more country people are in town than usual in normal years.

An incident that must be unique m racing history occurred at Alexandra ParMAucktand) yesterday, when Don Douglas failed to appear to contest the Grandstand .Handicap. The horse is owned by Mr R. C. Simpson, of Sydney, and is trained by Mr W. J. Tomkmson, of Ghristchurch, who also was to drive it in the race. Tomkinson, wearing the colours of the owner, purple with browni arm bands and cap, arrived in the paddock and waited for his horse, it had not arrived when the contestants were ordered out, and there was talk of fining Don Douglas and so on. lomkinsoni said*the boy was to bring the horse from the course stable, and as time was short a visit was paid to the stall. There the boy was found, and he sadly admitted that he had forgotten to bring the horse to the course. Ihus Don Douglas did not start.

New Zealand may be in the Antipodes, but to say that is not to give precise details of its locatioin to the inhabitants of Timbuctoo, the Andaman Islands, or even of the Ministers of the Shah of Persia, who, apparently, says the "Wellington Post," ft are still wrapped in the gloom of geographical darkness. They addressed a letter as follows:—"Finance Ministry, New Zealand, America." However, although the communication bore some resemblance to a pot-sshot at the globe, its contents gave every indication that on whatever part of the sphere New Zealand is situated, it has a recitation. The letter was as follows:—' >Ve are much interested here in a revision ot the existing system of laud taxation, and in the establishment of a modern system of title registration. lam informed that New Zealand) has a model system in connection with both of these matters, and will be greatly obliged if you can. give me_ any available information in connection therewith, including copies of laws and regulations .and of the forms used m their application."

Rugby Prices Reduced.—A reduction in price of Rugby Cars is announced by G H. Carson, the Local Agent. R"f£y Cars are now made in Canada, and the reduction in duty obtained under the preferential tariff is being passed on to buyers. You can now buy a Canadian Rugby Chassis, with N.Z.-bmlt Coach body, for less than £3OO. The Rugby 4-eylinder Tourer with five cord tyres is now £239, and the Rugby Six Tourer £285. De Luxe Models have leather upholstery and bumper bars, etc A Xrnas. Box consisting of a Spare Petrol Can and a Set of Kick Plates and Mats is being supplied with each Rugby sold before December 31.. See G. H. Carson atout it t^iayv-rfitivt.

A Sydney cablegram states that It. Laskey (the INtew Zealand cyclist) has arrived there. He intends to compete in local track events.

" Has anybody ever suspected the sparrow as an incendiary ?" asks Dunedin correspondent. Three or four fires in racecourse stands in" recent years have never been traced to definite causes,, the stand at Wingatui this year being one of them. The suggestion as to the sparrow arises out of a statement made yesterday at Wingatui by Mr G. E. Curry, the stipendiary steward. He said that at the Otago Hunt Club's races in September, while the stand was burning, he saw a man throw a lighted cigarette on the ground, and a sparrow promptly pounced upon it and flew away with the butt in its beak. The facts are significant. The sparrow could have had no use for the cigarette except for nest building, and the eaves of the stands, in common with other buildings, are favourite nesting places.

A smart rescue from drowning was effected by a member of the police force at Milford Beach (Auckland) about 5 o'clock on Mondai£ evening. When walking along the beach, Constable F. Oliver, of the Newmarket Station, who is at present on sick leave, heard shouts for help and noticed a man in difficulties some distance from the shore. A number of bathers; was in the water within a short. distance of the drowning man, but apparently they were unaware of his predicament. Fully clothed, the constable dashed into the sea, and within a short time had»the swimmer on the beach. The latter, a man of about 28 years, had suffered a severe attack of cramp and would probably have been carried out to sea by the tide had it not been for the constable's prompt acion. Once brought to shore he soon recovered.

A specimen of wood' that is claimed to be over 1000 years old has been presented to the Auckland School of Forestry by the Conservator of Forests of Tasmania, who has recently sent the school a number of valuable specimens of Tasmanian timbers (states the '< Auckland Star"). The great age of the prize specimen makes it an exhibit of special interest. It is a piece of Huon pine (Dacrydium Franklmi), which was taken from a tree that was found fallen on the west coast of Tasmania with a celery top pine grdwing over it. The seen from which the celery top had germinated and grown on the fallen Huon tree, and the. age of the celery top tree was 361 years. The estimated living age of the Huon pine, that is, its age before it fell, was 680 years. Thus the specimen of Huon pine now in the collection of the Auckland School of Forestry is considerably oyer 1000 years, and, it is, therefore, occasion for some surprise that the appearance is that of freshly-cut wood From a living tree. The Huon pine has several very near relatives amongst the trees growing in the forests of this Dominion.

A lady who was one day digging idly with the end of her parasol m the pebbly beach at Russell .turned up a coin medal about the size of a fiveshilling piece. Visions of treasure trove and pirates' hoards flashed before her mind's eye as she picked it up. It was fairly heavy and very much discoloured (states the "Auckland Star, ). It did not ring very much when\thrown down on anything solid, but still there was hope. She treasured it up, and made inquiries when she came back to Auckland. Nobody seemed to be very sure about the proper description ot her treasure, the nearest shot being "some sort of an exhibition medal. As a matter of fact, the strange " coin" is a medal struck to commemo-, rate the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838. On the obverse there is a portrait of her Majesty, and on the reverse a symbHolical group or females. At'one time there was an inscription, but it is too faint to be deciphered/ Made of pewter, or some other alloy, the medal must have lam on the beach for many years to get in its present state of oxidation, but the marvel is that anything of the original design has been left. The probabilities are that it was brought out many years aeo by some early settler, possibly in the early 'forties, just after the young Queen had ascended the Throne.