LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 81, 16 January 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Among Hie gifts recently made to the Dominion Museum are an iron mere, a hone maiirpi or shark’s-tooth knife handle, and a whale-oil trypot. The iron mere was evidently made by Maoris,by laboriously filing -down a piece of iron obtained from one of the early trading vessels. The handle ol the shark’s-tooth knife is made from whalebone, and is carved according to Maori fashion. Iron trypots were used by the whalers in the early days in connection with the production of whale oil.

Hakatere Lodge, No. 68, 1.0.0. F., met last evening, Bro. J. Wilkinson', N.G., presiding. There was a n ood attendance of brethren. Sick pay was passed to four members. A motion of sympathy was .passed to Bro. .7. Reid in his recent bereavement. Two members were accepted by ballot, one initiated, one proposed, and one transfer received. The half-yearly returns were adopted, which showed all funds to be in a sound financial condition. An invitation was received and accepted from Daphne (Rebekah) Lodge to attend a social evening next Wednesday. At the close of lodge business a social hour was spent, supper being provided.

Tt may be only a local fable, but youthful residents of Northrote, .Auckland, who fish all day from the wharf believe the story that a large kingfish was caught there about four years ago. Hope springs eternal in ihe boyish breasts of these anglers, who spend l the long summer days holding lines in anticipation of a line catch. Their ciders smile tolerantly as they see lengths of string and frayed fishinglines being thrown into the harbour h.v the youngsters, with most primitive hooks and sinkers attached. After all. it keeps file lads nut of mischief, and thoiurh the patience of the youngsters is seldom rewarded the pastime is healthy and innocent.

Sales on account of County clients were made at Addington yesterday as follow: —Fat Sheep—Wethers: On account of R. Ruddenklan (Mount Hutt), 1 at 31s 7d; J. Drummond (Methven), 4 at 25s 7d : R. H. Thompson (Rakaia), 23 at 24s lOd • C. Robinson (Bank.side), 75 at 20s lOd to 23s Id. Ewes: On account of I*. Giln-in (Mount Hutt). 33 nt 21s 4d to 29s Id : J. Muckle (Doric). 61 at 24s Id to 27s 7d ; R. Ruddenklan •Mount Hnt.tl 22 at 19s 4d to 26s 4cl ; A. G. Webb (Rakaia), 38 at 20s Id to 26s Id; J. Drummond (Metliven), 30 at 17s 4d to 21s 7d : R. H Thomson (Rakaia), 44 at 16s 4d to 18s I'd. Lambs —On account of S. Brady (Rakaia), 70 at 25s 7d to 28s 7d.

Four ’planes from Wigram Aerodrome Hew over Ashburton in formation between 10.30 o’clock and 11 o’clock this morning. They were Bristol Fighters, piloted by officers undergoing a refresher course.

The Tinwald Town Board will this year be ' faced with much additional road surface work as a result of the floods, and ratepayers will no doubt help the Board in the unexpected charge upon its funds. The rates struck for 1929-30 amounted to £628 0s 4d. £2OO of this amount have still to be collected, und rates unpaid before February 1, carry a penalty.

Lately, a Native block in the Mangatuna district (Auckland) was In the hands of the surveyors. S'ome trouble was experienced in locating one of tne pegs and, when the spade revealed its whereabouts, surprise was occasioned when a number of coins was n.iso unearthed. According to local reports, the treasure trove, which ran into about £4, was part of a sum of about £lO collected some years ago when a movement to establish a new religion amongst the Natives- of the district was afoot. What is believed is •that, at the time, the prime mover indicated that one-tenth of tJie moneys subscribed would bo returned to the land. The money recovered was in small coins.

A doctor’s certificate puzzled a complainant in an assault case board in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court, and it was also not clear to Sub-In-spector Lander. “Did you get a certificate from the doctor at the hospital f'” the complainant was asked by Mr Lander. “Oh, I got one all right,” replied the complainant, “but it is all in Latin or something.” “Read* it yourself,” suggested the accused’s counsel (Mr J. Meltzer) to the subinspector. Air Lander took the certificate and started to read: “I found him suffering from a contusion of the left eye, er. with . . .” but he got no further. “1 think I shall leave it to your Worshin,” said the sub-inspector to Mr T. B! McNeil. S.M.. with n smile, and the doctor’s puzzling‘Certificate was handed up to the Magistrate.

When schnOpper fishing in Whangarei Harbour last week, the members of a launch party had an exciting experience. They had caught some three dozen sehnapper when a school of sharks appeared, and the fun started.. The first visitor was quickly brought alongside and harpooned, but the attempt to catch a second was more exciting. The harpooner missed his mark and overbalanced into the sea. The o-aff man was handy, and the harpooner’s trouser-band was strong, so, with tbe harpoon still in his hand, he was hauled safely on board. The party became very excited, and all available shark lines were put out. .Someone was continually hauling, cither with a fish on or to clear his lines. One shark gave extra trouble hv getting foul of the anchor rope, and actually lifted the anchor, so that the launch drifted, and as she is a very fast boat under power it was not sale to get the engines going. Eventually three of the crew manned the rope and/ hauled the whole lot to the surface, where the shark was quickly killed. In all the party caught 15 sharks in less than an hour. -Mr Zane Grey and company could not have enjoyed better sport.

Between the Christmas and Now Year holidays an Auckland hank teller lost his keys. A careful man by nature and habit, lie was much distressed, as a thorough search of the bank premises and his home was unavailing. The keys opened all his cash-boxes and the individual safe in the strong-room in which the teller deposits nightly all his cash, amounting to thousands of pounds. There was no response to his advertisements, and Iho keys are still lost. However, should the keys have been found by an unscrupulous person with designs on the bank’s cash, that person may as well know tiiat the keys are now obsolete. On the loss being reported, a duplicate set was forwarded immediately from another branch, and, after checking the cash in the safe, all the locks were changed. In any case, even though the safe might he loft unlocked, there would he little chance of abstracting its contents,> since it is set in solid concrete and can be approached only after negotiating several stout doo's, and gates, all triple locked.

The rates of pay received by Salvation Army officers* was the subject of criticism at a meeting of the Nelson Hospital Board last week, when a request was received from an ex-Nelson Army officer for a reduction in the fee charged for his wife when in hospital. The applicant 7 quoted instances of other hospitals in New Zealand reducing the charge to half. Ho stated that he was paid only £2 12s 6d a week, in addition to which he had a house allowance. Several members said they considered the salary mentioned inadequate for an Army officer, and an instance was given of another poorly-paid official in the organisation. Members commented on the general small pay to officers by the Salvation Army, which was described as a very wealthy organisation. One member remarked: ‘‘Charity should begin at home in providing their officers with enough to coyer sickness.” The board decided to reduce the fee, and the secretary was instructed to write to the New ZeaTaifd headquarters of the Salvation Army expressing the board’s surprise at the position.

Each day between the hours of 10 and 11 in* the morning the Publicity Department screens some of its scenic films at the studio in Hamilton Quay with a view to assisting tourists in their choice of itinerary. The idea, says Mr A. H. Messenger, the officer in charge, is to get tourists to see films of the parts ol' the country they have not as yet visited. For instance, Mr Messenger pointed out, supposing a visitor had. already seen the North-Is-land, he would in that case be shown films of the South Island, including views of Mount Cook, the Franz Josef Glacier, the Southern Lakes, and other legions of interest. This would, if he had not already done so, decide the tourist upon further seeing New Zealand. The same would apply to the North Island, assuming that lie had chosen to visit the South Island first. He would then be shown films featuring Rotorua, Wairakej, Tongariro, National Park, the Wanganui River, etc. The scheme, Mr Messenger concluded, had been meeting with growing success since its introduction, and would in time, especially if the proposed amalgamation between the Tourist and Publicity Departments were brought about,lie extended for the benefit of New Zealanders seeing their own country.

If yon want the best tractor plough in the world there is only one place to get it, viz., P. and D. Duncan’s Wills Street, Ashburton. A farmer purchasing one of these will not have to sell it for half price in three, six or twelve months, as has been done in so many cases. The following fittings are to he found, in combination, only on our plough: Murray lift: U. and S. skeiths and buckles; double steerage and rear lever; tailplates oil-well wheels; best hammered scrap beams and legs throughout.—Advt.

The committee of the Ashburton Motor-Cycle Club (Inc.) met on Tuesday evening in. the A. and P. rooms. The half-yearly programme was drawn upj and a prize was donated for dub events by the patron (Mr H. Brown). Four new meipbors were elected.

The “herq” of the flood was an aged, white horse. The animal, unconscious of the adulations, was holding Tiis own in the riverbed, up to his haunches, in the surging stream, with only the leaves of willow branches offering as forage.

“The motorist is undoubtedly reaping the benefit of the taxation he has been paying for some years on the improvement of all main tourist routes throughout the North Island,” says the Wanganui Automobile Association in its annual report on road conditions. “It is probably the elder motorist who appreciates to the greatest extent the changed conditions. To-day it is possible to go from Wanganui to Auckland bv two all-weather routes —the west coast, via Mohan (the terrors and broken springs of the Mohan are a tiling of the past), or via Parapara, Taupn, Tirau, where there are no fears of stoppages now or the need for putting on chains.”

Of an adventurous turn of mind, two Ashburton lads, Allan McElrea and Boy Uairstow, left Ashburton on January 2 on a cycling tour to the Franz Josef Glacier and South AVo.stland. They carried full camping equipment. The journey was completed without untoward incident, the distance covered totalling 480 cycle miles. Good weather conditions were experienced, and, excepting severe sunburn, had notning to complain about, but rather rejoiced at their novel experiences, and the scenic grandeur through which they journeyed. They reached Ashburton yesterday afternoon. Last year these iads cycled the round trip—Grevmouth. Nelson, Blenheim, Kaikoura and Christchurch to Ashburton.

A Maori of standing among bis own people and in politics was leaving Auckland by the morning express. Several “kaumatua” (old men) had come down to see him off, and the dignified way in which they took leave of him contrasted strangely with the flippancy pf the good-byes exchanged a few carriages further down the train by a youth and a girl, also of the dusky race. The old chaps with a grace as easy as that of the Governor-Gen-eral made their farewells, and .one of them rubbed noses with their distinguished fellow-countryman. They were obviously “eaVly-Vietorian” Natives and their manners were correspondingly charming. In their oyn musical language they hade their friend haera--la, and one of them rubbed noses. On tlie other band, the two young people mot with a self-conscious simper. They held themselves awkwardly (in strong contrast to the natural renose of the inmatun), talked nothing but English of the slangiest kind ? and finished up with, “Well, cheerio!”

The Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) said he- was amazed, when he visited the Old People’s Home at Blenheim recently, to find himself talking to a pian who has lived in New Zealand under all the Governors and Governor-Generals the Dominion has known. This was Mr Charles Whebby, who was born in Somerset, England, on June 11. 1840, and who arrived in New Zealand with bis parents eight months later in the ship Clifton, which arrived on February 14, 1841. When Mr Whebby arrived, Captain William Hobson was Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, acting under Sir George Gipps, Governor of New South Wales. Three months later Captain Hobson became Governor of New Zealand. Mr Whebby was over 30 years of,age when Sir James Fergusson, the father of the present Governor-General, topk office, and he remembers him well. 'Mr Whebby has never left New Zealand since bis arrival. He became a miner, and is well known in most parts of New Zealand, e,specially at Mahakipawa, seven miles from Havelock, where he lived for many year 9.