LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 83, 18 January 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As a result of being struok by a bag of grain at the Canterbury i«>Uer Mills, Mr W. Thompson, of the Wakanui Road, was admitted to the County Hospital suffering from injuries to lu9 neck, the ligaments of which were strained.

••Every fourth or fifth fish that is caught bears the mark of the shark s or the barracouta's sharp teeth, remarked a sportsman who has recently returned from the Waiau mouth (say's the "Southland Times")- It » hard to behove that so many fish are carried off by their fiercer fellows, even in New Zealand rivers.

A representative meeting ot the members of the executive of the new political party, which is understood is to be styled the United Party, together with representatives of other Political organisations, met m Wellington yesterday. It is expected the deliberations will last two days.

The popularity of the retail traders annual picnic from Askburton to limaru has increased so greatly m recent years that it is- expected that two trains 'will be required to convey the excursionists this year. At a meeting ot the Picnic Committee last evening, over which Mr J. McElhinney presided it was decided to hold the piemcon March S, the last day of the operation of the Summer Time Act.

Sheep-worrying in the Te Awamutu borough was reported at the Borough Council meeting to have been rite lately and the council decided to increase its dog registration fees , in the hope that the number of dogs m the district will be reduced (states an exchange). Dogs used exclusively for herding or droving sheep or cattle will only cost the usual 2s 6d this year, but owners of all other dogs will have to pay los.

The varied uses to which motor traffic can be utilised was demonstrated at Waipukurau recently (says an exchange). On a lorry provided to take two Familie; to one of the district seaside resorts was loaded parents and children, with all the usual impedimenta, while in a compartment at the back of the lorry, in quiet contentment, stood the family cow, a big crossbred Hereford. Thus was the problem of the baby's diet safely solved.

A small Auckland boy lent material assistance to Auckland when the home team was batting at Eden Park (says the '/Star.'') He fielded a ball five yards inside the line as it came gently along, but instead ot politely handing it to the Canterbury fieldsman who was in pursuit, he hurled it enthusiastically over the boundary mark That particular stroke counted four The problem that the umpire had to decide hurriedly was whether the ball would have travelled over the line of its cavn volition.

Weasels appear to be becoming very numerous in South Taranaki (says the "News")- While driving in the bus to Onunake thw other day passengers saw one on the Eltham Road near Mangatoki. The driver of the bus stated that he frequently saw weasels on the road, and that on one occasion recently a passing motor-car ran over and killed five of a group that were crossing the road. It is stated that they are to be seen well up toward the bush country, and if not checked they will prove a menace to the native birds.

Last season the Alexandra-Earns-cleugh district suffered heavily as a result of a killing frost in mid-October, but this season growers have been more fortunate (reports an exchange). Fruit lands, however, were hard . hit, many crops being completely ruined. Some growers have abandoned all hope of picking marketable quantities. Other parts of Central Otago, however, such as Roxburgh-Teviot and AlexandraEariiscleugh, report very fair crops, and it is confidently expected that the final returns will be good. The Otago aggregate promises to exceed that for several years past.

Strict as chairmen may be, there are few meetings which are not punctuated by "asides" and twinkles ot humour which, despite irrelevancy are often enjoyed by the meeting. At a Taranaki County Council meeting the subject was whether certain members of the staff were given to the practice o f "leaning on their shovels (says the "News"). One councillor remembered that one day when he was taking a bull along a country road the animal and a sleeping surfaceman reclining on a mossvi bank were startled simultaneously. They took opposite directions—the bull down the road and the navvy over the fence.

A glimpse of human nature possessing highly undesirable features was related at the annual meeting of the Fitzroy Surf Club recently (says the "Taranaki News.") The story, vouched for by Mr L. Richards, of the seaside society, was that a resident near the Fitzroy beach came upon the three boys engaged ill running lighted matches along the lifebelt attached to the reel in the shed on the beach. The motive was certainly unexplamable. The resident, it was said, hail only two hands, but with them he caught two of the boys and punished them. Whether the two who bore the punishment passed it on to the third was left untold. As a result of the scorching the line will be retested immediately.

The question why. Wanganui exceeds Invercai*gill in population has again been raised (says the "Southland Daily News"). The explanation is simple. Practically all the business from the hack country of Wanganui is centred in that town. It has no inland centres to compare in regard to business (blocks and residential quarters with Winton, Otautau, Wvndhara, and Gore, and the seaside towns of Bluff and Biverton, not to mention; Orepuki, Tuatapere, Lumsden, and other smaller townships. Southland's trade is distributed over all these towns. If it centred in Invercargill, as is the case with Wanganui, then the population of Southland's capital would materially exceed that of its northern rival and it would easily become the "fifth city in the Dominion."

Work on the deviation of the road in the Hinds township is progressing •satisfactorily. The sharp turn has been eliminated in favour of an easy banked curve.

Difficulty in finding situations for all probationer teachers from the Auckland Training College is anticipated (says the "Herald")- The over-supply is ! likely to be at least as large as last year, when the Education Board was faced with the problem of superfluous teachers after the re-opening of the public schools. In about two weeks the new bridge at Staveley should be ready for traffic. The bridge itself is nearing completion and the approaches will be built up next week. This bridge will be a boon to motorists as it gives much easier access to Sharplin's Falls, beyond Staveley, where an increasingly large number of people have gone in the last few picnic seasons.

While the general quality of the sheep (being received at the Tokomaru Bay Frezing Works is stated to be good, it is reported that the animals have been a little lighter than usual this season (states the "Poverty Bay Herald"). There are evidences now, however, that the carcases will be more weighty for the remainder off the season, and already there has been an improvement in this respect.

As the daylight Limited express, which left Auckland yesterday morning, was passing through Manurewa, it ran into a horse and cart, which was being driven over the crossing by Mr F. Stanley, of Manurewa. _ The train was brought to a standstill, but when it was ascertained that both the driver and the horse had escaped injury the express continued on its way after a delay of two minutes. The cart was smashed.

Mr H. F. Warner met with an unusual experience recently while boring for water on the Waihou Road., near Auckland, (says the "New Zealand Herald"). Afte>* sinking about 20ft., a rumbling sound was heard followed by a strong smell of gas. A lighted match was applied to the pipe, from which there immediately issued a white flame of intense heat and nearly a foot high. After burning steadily for an hour the flame was extinguished. The required water was found at a depth of 25ft. The local theory is that the borers released a type of carbon gas produced by decaying vegetable matter.