LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 235, 18 July 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A butcher’s cart, owned by Mr W. Hunt and driven by Mr W. Smith, overturned in. Cass Street this morning as a result of the harness breaking. The driver was thrown clear, but was not injured. The contents of the cart was strewn about -he road.

At the annual conference of the New Zealand Beekeepers’ Association, at Auckland, a resolution was passed expressing continued and strengthened confidence in the Honey Export Control Board. The conference set up a committee -to expedite the passing of legislation for the regulation of marketing.

There is an Oamaru gentleman who challenges the statement that Bradman has broken* every cricket batting record. He states that, in the days o! his early youth, he made the record for Oamaru of three nights, not out, with a kerosene tin and a bat. Apparently he was on a good wicket.

A commission to execute a life-size statue in marble of the late Sir Joseph Ward has been received by Mr W. H. Feldon, of Auckland, from a southern client, who is for the present anonymous. Mr Feldon is already engaged upon life-size marble figures of Earl Jellicoe and the late Earl Kitchener,, which are to be erected in Invercargill. He considers that at least 18 months must elapse bofore the statue of Sir Joseph Ward can be completed.

Nailed to a gate at the entrance to a house in Newton Road, Auckland, is a board bearing the warning: “Beware of the Dog” (says' the “Star”). A dog’s life is said to be limited to something like eight summers, but of course there are exfceptions, and there have been cases of dogs reaching double figures. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, but it doesn’t follow that where there is a notice there is a dog, or even a kennel. However, if there.is a dog, and the same ope. which caused the warning to be given callers, then he is no pup, because the notice has been there for oyer 20 years. “That notice has been there since I was a boy at school,” remarked ji neighbour, who is now well into his “forties.”

In the • effort to re-form the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the question has arisen: “What is a farmer?” (says the “Star”). There are in the area concerned poultry keepers, apiarists, market gardeners, fruitgrowers, dairymen, nurserymen, tobacco growers, retired farmers, floriculturists, horticulturists, viticulturists, strawberry growers, rabbit and pm farmers, as well as agriculturists and pastoralists. Years ago a flourishing branch of the union existed in Auckland, representing, the district as far •as the boundaries of Kumeu on one side and Clevedon and Papakura on the other. Now many of those concerned have their own organisations. However, 500 names have been chosen from the New Zealand directory, as representing those likely to be interested in the farmers’ meeting that has been called for Friday, July 18. All those invited are defined as farmers in the directory.

A collision between a motor-car, driven by Mr J. Haack, of Lowcliffe, and a motor-cycle occurred at the intersection of Havelock and East Streets shortly before mid-day to-day. The motor-cycle was badly damaged, but the driver and the occupants of the car were not injured.

An instance of how difficult it is for breeders to select wliat they consider the best birds in their runs was related at a poultry show in Gisborne recently. It was reported that a breeder recently made a gift of a hen to a friend. This bird won one of the important cups at the show.

Au enormous sheep was slaughtered at Waitakaruru last week, its weight, when dressed,' being l£olb (says the “Thames Star”). Mr W. Stretton has had the animal, a Leicester-Romney ewe, running with his dairy cows for the four years. It was over 20 inches wide across the back.

The opinion that there is far too much pessimism and far too little appreciation of the conditions in New Zealand was expressed by Mr J. A. C. Allum in speaking to members of the Karangahapo Road Business Promotion Societv fsays the Auckland “Star”). “I would suggest that we in New Zealand are far better off than people in many other parts of the world,” he declared. By the way some people spoke, it would almost seem as if the country was about to go under the sea.

A mild sensation was created in the Thames district when it was found that a young sperm whale, in the course of its wanderings round the upper reaches of the Hauraki Gulf, had swum up the Waihou River with - tide, and in endeavouring to go inside a nest of piles south of the Hauraki bridge at Kopu, had grounded on the river bank. It was left high and dry by the tide, and apparently died during the night.

The Tinwald Town Board met last evening, when there were present: Messrs H. B. Millichamp (chairman), W. Bryant, A. Watson, A. Hight, and H. W. Carpendale. The chairman reported that a contract had been arranged with Mr W. E. Clark to remove rubbish from ratepayers’ properties without charge to them. The Ashburton Hospital Board wrote stating that the amount of the levy to be paid by the Town Board for the coming year is £lO4 10s lid.

At odd times one or two hawks come from New Zealand to Norfolk Island — a minimum flight of 400 miles (says the correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald”). A pair arrived the other day, the first for some years. Although the present generation of small birds here had never previously seen such creatures, instinct warned them of the danger threatening, and there was consternation among the feathered tribe as the marauders circled overhead. Turkeys apparently had the quickest eye, and “spotted” the visitors when it was difficult to pick them up with, good field glasses.

In a defended case set down for Rearing in the New* Plymouth Magistrate’s Court, in which all parties were present and prepared for the Jrial, counsel intimated, after the business of the court had been in progress some time, that the matter had been settled by the “arbitrament of lot,” and the court would not be troubled with it. “This is one of the cases in which both sides are satisfied,” commented the Magistrate. “I think they are,” added counsel; “they have adjourned to another place.” (Laughter.)

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Ashburton- Lodge, M.U., 1.0.0. F., was held last evening, tlie N.G. (Bio. J. J. Childs) presiding. Sick pay amounting to £lB 11s 4d was passed m favour of 14 members. Three candidates were elected, one initiated and three proposed. An invitation to be represented at the Loyal Tinwald Lodge’s annual ball on July 29 was accepted with pleasure. P.G. Bro. Williams, of the Loyal Ashley Lodge, replied to tlie fourth sentiment. After lodge closed P.G. Bro. J. S. Donaldson gave an interesting address on character.

Judgment for plaintiff by default was give® in the following cases bv Mr R. Galbraith, J.P., and Mr R. .Clark, J.P.; in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning:—Ashburton Mail and Guardian Company v. J. Bowers, £2 13s 3d and £1 16s 6d costs ; Hallenstein Bros. v. J. Bowers, £8 7s 6d and £2 11s 6d costs; R. A. Burnett v. J.' Bowers, 18s 2d. and £1 4s costs: J. O. Williams v. P. S. Blight, £5 and £1 4s 6d costs; W. J. Sparrow v. J. Swaney, £2 3s and £1 5s 6d costs; L. Hopkins v. R. Hill, £2 10s and £1 4s 6d costs; J. Coutts v. Basil S. Smith, £2 Is and £1 5s 6d costs.

“That gives some idea of the extent of the Southland" Power Board's scheme,” . remarked the secretai’3' (Mr ■Charles Campbell) -when at a meeting of tlie Bparcl he produced- a diagram shewing that the Southland Power Board area is as large as five other New Zealand schemes put together ports the Southland ‘‘Daily News ’). The diagram was in the form of a square representing the Southland scheme, and inside this square were fitted five squares each representing the area of the five schemes n-ameu. The total area of the Southland power scheme is 7918 square miles, and the five schemes whicli together make up only a little more than this total are South Canterbury (1673 square miles), Ashburton (1193 square miles), Thames Valley (2295 square miles), ManawatiiOroua (1301 square miles), WanganuiRangitikei (1648 square miles).

Mi* E. Aagaard.. formerly of the whaling ship C. A. Larsen, has a remarkably wide knowledge of whaling, both ancient, and modem. According to him, there are few occupations in the world that are as strenuous as whaling as it is carried out on the mother-ships nowadays. In the daylight • that obtains throughout the summer lin the Antarctic, the work goes on all the time. Two shifts were employed on the C. A. Larsen, but it often happened that one shift overlapped the other, so that for several hours both shifts were working at once. It was not uncommon for all hands to work for 16 hours at a time. Little sleep could be got, sometimes not more than three or four hours. And while the thermometer above deck was well below zero, the temperature in the sleeping quarters, while all the ship’s digesters were working, was often over 100 degrees. Yet, in spite of it all, Mr Aagaard is enthusiastic about whaling.

When ordering a grain and seed drill, be sure you get the best, drilling being the vital operation in planting 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.—Advt.

A bus driver on the New PlymouthWaitara route was endeavouring to extinguish an outbreak of fire caused by a back wheel bearing seizing (says the “Taranaki Herald”), when a passing motorist who had provided himself with a bottle of beer to ward off the cold came to the rescue by sacrificing - his beer and pouring it on the flames, which thereupon went out.

A sitting of the Children’s Court was held at Ashburton this morning, before Mr R. Galbraith, J.P., and Mr R. Clark, J.P., when a 12-year-old girl was charged with the theft of a diamond ringj and 4s 9d in money, the total value being £ls 19s She was placed under the supervision of’ the Child' Welfare Officer fof a period of two years.

Taranaki was visited on Wednesday morning by the heaviest frost experienced this year. In fact, in the opinion of many it was the heaviest frost experienced for some years. Districts close to the coast, where frosts are seldom known, were covered, with a heavy coating of ice. One Opunake farmer affirms that on his property a morith-old calf ran over a pool without breaking the ice.

A service will be held' in St. Andrew’s Hall on Sunday evening at the conclusion of the church service, when teachers from all the Sunday Schools in Ashburton, and others' will attend. It will take the form of a dedication service preparatory to the commencement of a campaign .to enrol new scholars for Sunday Schools. A house to house canvass will be conducted, commencing next week.

Two farmers in the Dorie district have lost sheep recently in suspicious circumstances, and it is feared that sheep-stealers are .at work. A farmer had a truck of prime sheep drafted in readiness for the Addington market, and during the. night six of them disappeared. It is presumed they were taken away in small lots by a motorlorry or spring dray. A strict watch is now being kept on some of the farms in the district.

An unusual invitation which will be forwarded to the British Rugby team was received from the Frankton Football Club at,the meeting of the Management Committee of the Waikato Union recently. The invitation, which was to a dance arranged by the Frankton Club, was made up in the form of a football containing on separate pages a handsomely-printed invitation card to each individual member of the party. The back of? each page contained suitable photographs of local interest.

An Inglewood resident possesses a cat of kleptomaniacal tendencies. The cat is in the habit of going out at nights and bringing home all manner of things. Table cloths, linen, a brush and comb, and a door mat have been among the articles appropriated by the cat. In fact, it gathers up any article that takes its fancy which is not too heavy for it to drag away. The articles so removed are deposited on the owner’s doorstep, or bed if the window is open; Peculiarly enough, the cat never steals from some of the neighbours, to whom it has taken a fancy and to whom it pays periodical calls.