LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 65, 27 December 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Six girls of St. Stephen's Bible Class, in charge of Mrs N. 0. Jones, left last evening for Nelson, where a camp is being held by the Anglican Bible Class Union. The camp will last for ten days.

The pay-out on the first wool sale in Wanganui for the season amounted to £220,000, this estimate being based on a total of 9500 bales at an average of between £23 and £24 a bale. A few lots at the sale were passed m, but the majority were sold privately later, and at satisfactory prices.

The Wakanui Lodge, 1.0.G.T., held its annual picnic yesterday at the farm of Messrs Cochrane Bros., Elgin. Despite the threatening weather, there was a large attendance in the afternoon, which was spent in games t and a rifle shooting competition was held. A sports programme for the children was run off.

About 50 members of the Ashburton Girl Guides, under Captain I. Hillier, left bv the 11.15 train this morning for Winchester where they went into camp with the Timaru troop. The camp is under the supervision of Ran-ger-Captain Cooper, of Timaru (camp advisor for the South Island). The girls will remain in camp until Friday, January 11.

The sum of £6O was collected by the Ashburton Silver Band on Christmas morning when the Band was divided into several sections, which played carols in the Borough and surrounding districts. This sum will be devoted toward defraying the expenses of sending the Band to the annual contest at Wanganui in February. The Band will continue its efforts in the country districts at Nov/ Year.

i " There is no boom in the property market just now, but business is steady," said an experienced Dunedin land agent last week. A fair number of sales were taking place, and he thought this was the experience of most agents. The popular demand was for the five-roomed modern bungalow, with all the latest appliances, and it was not easy to dispose of the>« larger properties, particularly the oldfashioned type of house. Few people | wanted a large piece of ground with a house.

A scarlet fever case at Anama was reported to the Health Inspector yesterday. The County has been fairly free from diseases of an infectious nature during the last ten dlays.

An Auckland commercial traveller relates with relish how he recently went into a tobacconist's shop in Oamaru, and was greeted by the proprietor with: 'Can't see any travellers to-day, and in any case I don t want anything." Whereupon the bagman replied easily: "Well.. I really came in to buy a pipe, but on second thoughts I will go elsewhere.' And he did! 'j

An appeal for support for the countiy in preference to the town was made by Sir George Fowlds at the prize-giving ceremonv of the Hamilton High School (reports the "New Zealand Herald.'') "In developing the country." he said, "the wrongi method has been adopted, and secondary industries are encouraged at the expense of primary. I hope when the pupils of this school leave it they will have a bias toward the soil and industries connected with it.'

Over 1000 pounds of condemned cordite, some of which had been in store for 15 rjiears, was burned at the fort at North Head Auckland (states the "New Zealand Herald.") Cordite, the explosion used in small arms ammunition, is harmless when burned in the opem air. The Defence Department's store of explosives is inspected at regular half-yearly intervals, and any portion that has deteriorated below a certain standard is condemned.

The fortieth anniversary of the ordination of Archbishop Averill to the priesthood fell on Sunday. The Archbishop mentioned the fact casually at the social gathering held at Auckland on Saturday evening in honour of Archdeacon Mac Murray, who that day completed 50 years' ministry. The Archbishop was asking that Archdeacon Mac Murray should be specially remembered in the prayers of those present, and he modestly added a similar request on his own account.

Fortunately, not a great number of hay crops in Poverty Bay have been lying cut in the paddocks, but the persistency of the rain has been the cause of preventing those farmers who had grass cut at the beginning of last week from carrying on with narvesting operations. As a result, decoloration of the hay has taken place in some cases, and even rotting has commenced. The making of ensilage has been slowly growing in favour in the district (savs the "Poverty Bay Herald") and no doubt the wet harvesting per- ( iod this year may cause many more farmers to seriously consider the saving of surplus feed in this manner.

The necessity for insisting upon a limited number of co-operative street collection days in New Plymouth was emphasised at a meeting of the Borough Council this week by a councillor, who said the present comparative frequency of collection days was undoubtedly a great drain on the retailers. He thought a scheme should be evolved wherebv two or three days a year should'be set aside for co-operative efforts. Owing to the multiplicity of street collections, it was time the council took a stand. The Mayor said an endeavour was being made to spread the collections more evenly over the year.

Whether prize money should be reduced, or jiot given at all, at the Wellington Competitions Festival was discussed at the annual meeting of the society. The suggestion was made that trophies would be more appreciated by winners, and several instances were given in support of the theory. It was also stated that professional musicians would not give their support while cash prizes were given. Mr Barnes said that the object of the competitions was the education of the young people and money should not enter into it at all. Mr V. Evans said that neither the competitive spirit nor efficiency had been eliminated in schools where prizes had been given up. The opinions .voiced by the meeting will go before the incoming executive council.

How a life was saved by a faithful dog is related at Kaikohe, says a northern exchange. A Maori lad, Buck Whaturi, was working with two other Natives on a cutting on a road when a portion of a bank caved in and buried him. His companions became alarmed and, instead of trying to rescue him, they ran to secure help. Fortunately a nearby settler happened to be passing in his car. Ho saw the dog excitedly scratching into the fallen earth and yelping pitifully. He stopped and found that the animal had uncovered a hanld and part of an arm, so immediately set to work and. with the help that arrived, rescued the lad. Whaturi was taken to the Bay of Islands Hospital, where it was found that, beyond a number of bruises and abrasions, he had escaped with a broken ankle.

Skookum, the famous Arctic sledge dog and film favourite, is now waiting to make passage to the Antarctic, says the Dunedin "Star." Meanwhile he is "at home" to visitors at his residence on Quarantine Island. The ferry steamers have been placed at the disposal of his friends during the holiday season, and Skookum expects to "receive" largely for the next ten days, at the end of which time business engagements will necessitate his attendance on board the Eleanor Boiling. His trip from America on the steamer Golden Cloud Avas attended with a certain amount of ennui, following, as it did, a strenuous film engagement. On arrivel here he was snoozing on a settee in the saloon, his head nestling on a silk cushion. However, he promptly accepted Mr B. C. Miller's invitation to Quarantine Island, where, as an indication of his approval of local conditions he had decided to see snap-shottists, and if practicable to display a few of the sledge turns which established his popularity as a film star. To his friends and a few selected acquaintances he is known as Bin-Tin-Tin. i

Ashburton Mission (Incorporated).— A Christmas service of a special character was held on Christmas Sunday at the Mission, the splendid singing rendered by the choir and friends being much enjoyed by all. New Year's Service, next Sunday, will be conducted by Mr Pratley, and a welcome is extended to the general public—Adrt.

When buying an Agricultural Drill, price should be the last consideration; evenness of discharge the first. In this important quality our Star Drill is unique; the only drill to meet the requirements of the Agricultural Department for experimental plot sowing. For that purpose, a drill which will only "put it somewhere in the paddock" is useless.—-P. and D. Duncan Limited, Ashburton, and Tuam Street, CHiristchuroh.—AdYt.

Numerous suggestions to Christmas shoppers are displayed in retail shops at this time of the year, but one that caused a good deal of amusement in Ashburton read: "Give your wife a bath for Christmas."

A cuckoo has made its appearance in the garden of a New Plymouth residence (says the "Taranaki Herald.") For sevei-al summers a cuckoo has regularly appeared in these grounds, and it is presumed it is the same bird which has mr.de its home hero each season.

The Ashburton Domain, with its beautiful surroundings, has long been a favourite picnic resort for schools and trades from all parts of Canterbury, and this year has been no exception. The number of picnickers varied from 40 to over 500, and visitors have always been loud in their praise of the delightful grounds. The Tinvvald' Domain, too, has also been in demand for picnics by Sundav schools and church organisations generally.

That the time had come when the Department of Agriculture should test all patent stock medicines before allowing them to be placed on the market, was the opinion expressed at a meeting of the executive of the Dairy Farmers' Union in Palmerston. North. It was decided to send a deputation to the Minister when Parliament meets and bring the matter under his notice. The resolution was the outcome of opinions expressed from time to time by members of the executive that many patent medicines on the market were useless.

The Fairfield Freezing Works commenced killing for the 1928-29 season during the first week in December, when there were four butchers on the board. This number was increased by three during the following week. The number increased until, at the time of closing for the Christmas holidays, there were about 25 butchers employed. Since the works' have been opened' all the available drafts have been slaughtered. It is stated that the season will commence in full swing shortly after the New Year, when it is expected that alxmt 40 butchers will be fully employed.

To lose a £5 note on a crowded racecourse and to return next morning and discover it, was the joyful experience of a visitor to Ashburton. He had invested on the winner of the last race at the Ashburton Trotting Club's meeting yesterday, and received among his dividend a £5 note. Placing the money in his pocket he returned home, and on re-counting his money discovered the note to be missing. He returned to the course at daylight this morning, and after a diligent search discovered the note near the tottVsator, half embedded in a clod of mud.

One of the several beauty-spots in the business area of Ashburton is the fence of red rambler roses adjoining the railway line from opposite the Post Office to the railway station. They were planted at the instigation of the Advance Ashburton Association, and present an appearance pleasing to the eye. Much favourable comment has been made lately by visitors passing through Ashburton by train or motorcar. The roses present a pleasant contrast to the green of the grass along the fence to the overhead bridge.

The main road between Ashburton and Christchurch is in bad condition at present, the wet weather and the heavy motor traffic no doubt causing the surface to become broken and studded with pot-holes. So large are some of the holes that they are a danger to motorists. Some parts of the road are in such a bad state that motorists, to ensure the safety of the springs of their cars, are obliged to travel at a speed of about 10 miles an hour. It is indeed galling to them, when traversinging such a stretch, to observe a signpost bearing the words, "Speed limit must not exceed 20 miles an hour."