LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 155, 12 April 1930, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The book of words of the 10 set elocutionary pieces for the sixth annual festival to be held in His Majesty’s Theatre, commencing on August 27, has been issued by the Ashburton Competitions Society.

‘‘Poppy Day” collections in Dunedin yesterday totalled about £ISOO, but the country returns and also returns from the surrounding districts are still to come in. A record is anticipated (slays a Press Association message).

There is nothing new in ,the fact of a seagull having been caught at d’Urville Tsland a few days ago infested with cattle tick. A Wanganui resident says he was at Whangarei in 1921, when there was a good "deal of discussion about the tick. The then Government valuer at Whangarei informed him that 20 years before "that he had caught a seagull at Parua Bay, infested with cattle tick.

In view of the economic situation, the Government has decided as a matter of policy not to comply with a number of requests for New Zealand representation at oversea conferences this year (says a Press Association message from Wellington). The Imperial Conference is excluded from the list, which, however, covers such gatherings as thy International Congress on Mental Hygiene at Washington.

Owing to the heavy rain last evening, the open-air service which was to have been held in East Street was not held. Four such services have been held by the Rev. A. J. Petrie during the last few weeks, and he has expressed his pleasure with them on the whole, beiny confident they were of value. No further meetings will be held until warmer weather is experienced again. 0

Reminiscent of the drawings of Heath Robinson is the novel method chosen by a fisherman at the Chelsea Wharf (Auckland) to detect when a fish has been caught on one of his lines. To the clapoer of an old iron bell, which is used as a signal to ferries in a fog, the fisherman ties one of his lines, so that he can give his attention to a second one on the other 'side of the wharf. His ear caught by the ringing of tlifi bell, he observes the line quivering, and -the fish is nulled up after having tolled its own death knell.

The men permanently employed on railway construction are noted for their loyalty to one another, and a striking instance of goodwill is afforded by the case of a man who some time ago was injured “off the job” at a camp on the east coast line. He slipped over a cliff while on a fishing expedition, and suffered severe injuries, which have kept him in hospital ever since. The hardship of his lot has been lightened to a considerable extent by contributions from his workmates. Periodically a subscription list goes round the camp, and the donations from individual workers are not limited to the njmble shilling; in fact, ten times that amount is not an unusual contribution.

One case of scarlet fever at Lyndhurst was the only notifiable disease case in the Ashburton County this week. There were no cases in the Borough.

A Nelson telegram states that the steamer Alexander, which went aground on a soft bottom at the French Pass early on Tuesday morning, was refloated on. this morning’s tide, and arrived at Nelson at 5 o’clock. She is to sail for Wellington this evening to undergo Government inspection.

The Mount Somers correspondent of the “Guardian” writes: The Blackburn Coal Company’s engipe, which is to be used for the haulage of coal, sand and limestone, has arrived from Southland. With the exception of ballasting operations, which will be commenced immediately now the engine has arrived, only } about a mile remains to be done of tile eight miles of new line being laid from Mount Somers to the Blackburn coal deposits.

A successful dance organised by the lady members of the Methven Golf Club was held in the Anglican Hall on Friday evening, when, in spite of counter-attractions, there was a good attendance. Music was supplied gratis by Messrs Petrie Brothers’ orchestra, and extras were played by Mrs A. Lawrence. The duties of Master of Ceremonies were capably carried out by Mr A. Lawrence.

The complete re-numbering of business and residential properties in the city was decided upon by the Auckland City Council at its last meeting. The work was originally suggested by a councillor, Mr H. E. Burton, and was endorsed by the Works Committee, which recommended to the Council last evening that £750 a year should be placed pn the estimates for the next three years for the purpose of carrying out the re-numbering.

The “Ashburton Mail” of 50 years ago contained the following item: — The thunderstorm on Saturday night arid Sunday morning was particularly severe, ancl was accompanied by vivid lightning. Mr Swenoy, a farmer at Seafield, had five .valuable horses killed by lightning during the storm on Saturday night. Mr Sweney had purchased four of the horses on the same day, and his loss is therefore very considerable. It is estimated that the value of the horses could not be less than £IOO.

Black, spot is responsible for the destruction of hundre.ds of cases of apples annually in Poverty Bay, but this season it has been more than usually prevalent. The moist conditions throughout the summer right up till picking time were conducive to the growth of many orchard diseases and pests, the wet weather making spraying at regular intervals difficult, while in many cases the rain undid much of the good the sprayings may have effected. The result was that black spot among the apples and brown, rot among thp stone fruit was more than usually in evidence. Hundreds of cases of stone fruit were destroyed, while among the apples the losses ran into thousands of cases as a result of black spot, which was more destructive this year than fireblight.

In the hearing of the tearooms and private hotels dispute in the Arbitration Court in Wellington, the employees’ advocate had been asking witnesses for definititions of the duties of chef, porter, cook and others. Mr Justice Frazer said that some years ago, in a similar dispute', where there was a kitchen, the man at the head was the chief of the kitchen, the chef. The witness replied that it .was not an. English word. “No, we have a habit of borrowing words which do not belong to us,” said his Honor, “but if you are going to give it a. direct meaning it is ‘head of the kitchen.’ ” Another witness said the award required a pantry and a kitchen, and to meet it in many cases the dividing line was perhaps a chalk line or a platerack.

Newspaper men are required to make peculiar inquiries from time to come. As often as not requests for specific information arise out of arguments which continue until one of those concerned suggests writing to the newspaper. The following (says the “ Dominion”) is a case in point:—“Dear Sir, —We have been haying a friendly argument as to tiie height of the Mayor of Wellington. Judging from the photographs appearing in the press he looks about six feet, but I am assured by someone who has seen Mr Troup that he is not more than sft 7in. Would you kindly let me know?” The Mayor of Wellington (Mr G. A. Troup) stands 6ft 2} in his shoes, and an inch less in his socks. But he is by no means the tallest Mayor in' New Zealand. This was made clear on the occasion •of the recent Municipal Association Conference at Invercargill, when three mayors drifted together, and someone chanced to remark, “What tall mayors they breed in New Zealand!” The three were the Mayor of Wellington, 6ft 2)in ; the_Mayor of Auckland (Mr G. Baildo'ii), 6ft 3£in; and the Mayor of Westport (Mr J. H. Harkness), 6ft 4£in. The foregoing were boot, not barefoot, heights.

As a. part of a big programme by the Railway Department for the improvement of its rolling stock, seven new first class, 13 second class and four special observation passenger cars are at present under construction at the Addington Railway Workshops for use oil the South Island main lines. In addition to these cars 27 of the older cars, which are equipped® with steam heating, are being provided with, chair seats in the second class accommodation in place of longitudinal seats, and it is proposed that when they are ready only cars with all chair seats will be used on long-distance runs. The rolling stock for goods and live stock traffic is also being increased as a result of operations at Addington. The building programme provides for the supply of the following new waggons; Ten horse boxes, 10 cattle waggons, 50 low-side M waggons, 22 insulated waggons, 50 box wagoons, 200 high-side L.A. waggons, and 20 long R.. 8. waggons for coal and timber. This programme is now in hand, the L.A. waggons, being built at the Hillside Workshops, and the others at Addington. Of the total of 200 L.A. waggons 84 have already been delivered, and are now in use No information is available as to the date when the new passenger cars will be completed, but they should be ready in ample time for the holiday traffic next summer. They will contain a number of improvements on the cars at present in use.

When ordering a gram and seed drill, be sure you get the best; drilling being the vital operation in p'anting any crop. The Agricultural Department, after trying all other makes, both local and imported, found our “Star :; Drill the only make competent to fulfil all their requirements, and to give the necessary accuracy in drilling test plots. During the last ten years the Department has purchased six seven-coulter Drills from us for that purpose. They know the best. —P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., Tuam Street, Christchurch. and Ashburton.— -dvt.

The flag was flown at half-mast from the Ashburton Post Office to-day as a mark of respect to the late Queen of Sweden, whose funeral takes place today.

Four youths who escaped from the Borstal Institution appearted before the Court at Invercargill yesterday and pleaded guilty. Two were committed for sentence. Two admitted converting a motor-cycle and entering a dwelling where they procured food (says a Press Association message).

At the wireless station on the Tinakori Hills (Wellington), there is in the course of erection a new wireless mast. This when completed will be 160 feet high, and it will replace the present one, which has a height of 70 feet, and which was erected when the steel mast was blown down a few years ago. The new mast is of the modern lattice type, and its erection has been rendered necessary by the growth of the Post Office wireless business. Direct shortwave communication with the Islands and expansion in other directions more than doubled the activities of the -Post Office Wireless Department in the last year or two.