LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 16, 30 October 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A disorder, which is believed to be fairly general throughout the Waikato district, is being experienced at lluakura State Farm, with cattle "blowing" on clover pastures. This is the first season for some years that this trouble has been experienced to any great extent, and though no stock has succumbed as yet at Buakura, it is stated that the authorities are having an anxious time in attending to the affected stock.

To such a fine point has one radio listener prepared charts and data regarding reception from various countries and different wave lengths (says the "Dominion"), that he claims ability to judge fairly accurately 36 to 48 hours beforehand what weather to expect round about Wellington. Only once in eight weeks, he states, has he been out in his calculation, and that by merely 12 hours.

With about 10 gallons of oil extracted from wheat germ, the extraction plant at the Wheat Research Institute s laboratory in Christchurch will cease operations this week. The plant will not be dismantled, as it is probable that further extractions will be made in a few months' time. The 10 gallons of oil will be ..used in connection with anti-sterilitv experiments on farm animals, by the Veterinary Division of the Department of Agriculture, Wellington. This amount, it is understood, will be sufficient to make tests on about 80 cows. Several gallons of the oi> were forwarded to Wellington some* time ago, and the rest will be sent in a few days' time.

The final meeting of St. Stephen s Club was held last eyenina in the Parish Hall, when Mr E. H. Child* presided over a fair attendance. A progressive .500 tournament for a prize presented by Mr J. Makinson was arranged and was won by Mr O. J. Stills. The club games competitions were declared closed, the winners being Messrs R. W. Crowther (cribbagc) and O J Stills (euchre). The runners-up were Messrs C. J. Jeff (cribbagc) and E H Childs (euchre). A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the president (Mr E. H. Childs) and the executive officers for the able manner in which the club had been carried on during the season under adverse circumstances. A special committee consisting of the president (Mr E. H. Childs), treasurer (Mr G. V. Furby), and secretary (Mr C. Jeff) was appointed to value the elyb assets and report to the annual meeting.

Fourteen entries have been received for the annual shearing class m connection with the Ashburton Technical School. The class will he commenced at the Showgrounds on Monday, November 11, and will continue for three weeks, under the supervision of Mr J. McCormick.

Notifications of infectious diseases in the Canterbury and West Coast Health Districts for the week ended at noon yesterday totalled 41. There wore no cases of typhoid fever. The following are the figures:—Canterbury • Scarlet fever 11, diphtheria 4, tuberculosis 13, pneumonia 5, pneumonic influenza 2. West Coast; DiphtS&ia <> There wore two deaths in Canterbury, one from tuberculosis and one from diphtheria.

Another example of the lack of knowledge which exists in some countries as to the exact location of New Zealand was received by a Napier business man in his mail the other morning —this time in the form of a trade letter from Germanv. The envelope, which contained a catalogue and pamphlets descriptive of the products of a wellknown Berlin exporting house, was addressed to the recipient at "Napier, New Zealand, U.S.A." It an infrequent occurrence fcr New Zealand to be taken as a portion of Australia, but it is surely just about the first time on record that the Dominion has boon taken as an off-shoot of America.

A plea for the preservation and propagation of the pohutukawa trees was made by Mr V. C. Davies, Dominion president of the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Association, at a dinner tendered to him at Auckland the other evening. In stressing the point that Auckland nurserymen had an opportunity to have this unique tree more generally grown, he said that to his knowledge there" was one variety with pink flowers and about half a dozen with varying shades of red. Speaking of the planting of New Zealand native trees, Mr Davies said that recently consignments had been sent on order for planting in the grounds of the Australian Federal Parliament House at Canberra and in. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

To receive a £5 note wrapped up in a summons was the experience of a farmer, of Cloy ton, according to what was told in the Feilding Magistrate's court the other day when a bailiff sued him for the return of £5 10s. The bailiff stated in evidence that he had a summons in his pocket with the money. He served defendant in public and did not open the summons out of consideration for him. Later he missed the money and approached defendant, who denied that he had found the money in the summons. Defendant gave evidence that he had not opened, the summons for several days and did not find any money in it. The Magistrate believed the bailiff's story and gaye judgment for the amount claimed.

It may not be generally know that New Zealand whitebait enjoys considerable popularity in Britain. An effective advertising campaign has been largely responsible for this. A recent issue of the New Zealand "News." a bright little publication which is issued in London, contains an advertisement in which a delightful tiki is seated behind a tin of whitebait. The letterpress, too, is informative and interesting. It reads: "For three months oi the year shoals of this small and delicate" risk invade New Zealand rivers. Uf its J/ife habits during tho other nine months 'nothing is known. Even the Maoris, who have caught whitebait for generations, can tell no more. New Zealand whitebait is as peculiar to New Zealand as ibe greenstone . . . . altogether a different special of fi.di from' English whitebait ... a nsii delicacy without equal."

The value of the port of New Plymouth to Tr-vanaki from the viewpoint of the importation of fertilisers alone was stressed by Mr W. T. Wells at a meeting of the Harbour Board. When the returns prepared by the secretary, showing the trade of the port, were read, disclosing that 57,063 tons # of fertilisers had been imported during the year, Mr Wells commented on the great increase that had taken place. He said 20 years ago the quantity was practically negligible. Delving into old records, the secretary stated that the first big shipment of slag was'ool tons in 1910. Returns for a portion of that year showed that 2889 tons had been handled. In 1911, the first year for which complete returns were available, showed the total to be just over 4000 tons. In 1914, when the Walkmre arrived with the first direct shipment of 5000 tons of slag, the total had grown to 9500 tons in the year.

The question, "When is a man drunk?" has not always been answered in the same way, but it often has to be answered by those who are in charge of the relief work in the city (says the "Auckland Star.") Frequently when a man is unsteady on his feet and is asked where he got the money to get the drink with he will declare with emphasis that he has not tasted drink that day, and the more he talks the more easy it is to see that the man is drunk and not able to articulate distinctly. Sometimes a little diplomacy is used by these "hard-doers" to win the sympathy of those whom thev are addressing in their endeavours to get help' and recently one stood up in an unsteady fashion' and, saluting in true military sWle, said that when he was sober lie always knew a body of estimable men, and that was why he saluted to prove he was sober. The artifice did not work, and he left the already highly laden atmosphere of the room, after adding his quota of bar-room aroma, to it, in a very chastened mood.

Walking down the shady side of Waterloo quadrant at an early hour the other morning (says the Auckland "Star"), a heftv~fellow strode alone deliberately, and everybody turned to ■have another look at him. He was wearing .semi-undress; a pair oi those voluminous trousers in a shade between mouse and henna, and a lightgreen woollen pullover. But what made one look twice was that he was carving quite a lot of Mount Eden. In his'left hand he had a lump weighing anything up to half a stone, and his right grasped a niece of less weight. It seemed an old-fashioned wfl- of carting metal. Then something about the remarkable spread of shoulder, and the bull neck seemed familiar, and finally a cauliflower ear fixed the identity ; it was a noted wrestler taking his morning stroll before breakfast. One realised that a man who could carry metal about as though he bad a pair of gloves in his hand could easily cause a cauliflower ear to sprout on his opponent s features.

Tho potato planter has given us every satisfaction. The planting is 100 per 'cent, efficient. Planting can be done at any depth, and the ridging device make's a finished job. One man and two horses can plant three acres per dav.—S. and J. Prossei, Lecston, November 6, 1028. The machines sold last, year pave the users every satisfaction ' Order early, the planting season will'soon bo here'.—P. and D. Duncan. Ltd., Ashburton; and 190 Tuam Street, Christchurch.—Advt.

A Dunedin telegram states that a Simmonds-Spartan aeroplane, piloted by Captain, White, arrived there from Christohurch this morning, after a trip occupying 2* hours.

Mr Francis Tasker, of Stanle Homostead, Ruapuna, writes: In the "Guar dian" last week I noticed a paragraph about white birds. I should like you to note that there has been a pure white goldfinch flying about my yards for a month or more. I presume it is a goldfinch because it is feeding with about 20 other goldfinches.

Many congratulatory telegrams were received by Mrs Sarah Trrzise, of 113 Tanered Street, who attained her hundredth year yesterday. Among them was one from the Hon. W. B. Taverner (Minister of Railways) and one from Mr David Jones, M.P. Letters and presents were also numerous, and many friends called upon the old lady during the day. It is pointed out that Mrs Trezise has been a subject of five rulers of England.

In response to his request for donations of for his stall at the Gala, Mr F. Cruni received no fewer than 1400 eggs from four schools, as follow: Ash burton East 531, Boroilgn 505, Allenfon 318. High 88. Two other schools did not respond. Mr Crum is loud in his praise of those who assisted him, and also of the farmers and milk vendors who gave 120 gallons of milk to his stall. The offer of a free ice cream to each child who brought six or more eggs resulted in a huge increase over last year's total.

"I am very much interested in your country and would like to get all the information you can give me about your country, nationality of people, climate, living conditions, etc. Is it a good place to open up a first-class barber's shop run by a man who knows the business, and knows how to run it?" This is an extract from a letter received by the executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the other night from a Chicago correspondent. Pamphlets are to "be forwarded. A • young man wrote from California (says the "Dominion"), for information as to the living conditions, work, etc., in New Zealand, as he anticipated moving to the Dominion within the next two years. The secretary was asked to forward such information as was required.

A rather unusual incident occurred to an Eltham motor-cyclist a few days ago (says the "Hawera Star.") The rider went into a shop to make some purchases, and these being completed, lie put his purse back into his pocket as he thought, but instead of remaining in his pocket (which had a large hole in it) the purse slipped through and lodged on the footplate of the motor-cycle. When he arrived home he missed the purse and naturally thought he had left it 'in the shop. However, diligent search proved resultless and he was about to remount his machine and return home with a heavy heart, when to his amazement he discovered the missing object on the footplate of the motor-cycle. He had travelled about two miles without dislodging the purse from its position.

During a discussion on the levying of stamp duty in connection with land transactions "at the meeting of the Dominion Executive of the Farmers' Union, a member asked whether something could be done in the direction of reducing death duties. He declared, amid laughter, that he considered dying a very expensive matter. Another member: "You only do it once." i Renewed laughter.) The remark was made that as New Zealand's death rate was low, it was apparently considered fair that those who did die. should have to pay for it. It was decided to take no action at present,the president (Mr W. J. Poison) stating that the question of death duties* was a very big policy matter which it would not be -wise to bring forward with representations concerning the stamp duties.