LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 268, 26 August 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The issue of 20 drivers’ licenses by the Borough Inspector in the past two weeks brings the number of licensed drivers in Ashburton to 826.

Serious mortality amongst ewes and lambs is causing a great deal ol anxiety to many farmers around Hawke s Bay at the present time. In some districts the lambing is proceeding quite satisfactorily, but in others the reverse is the case.

In the Ashburton Police Court this morning before Mr J. W. Bowden J.P., James Urquhart, aged 51, was chaiged with haying been found drunk in Chalmers Avenue. 'lt was stated that defendant had been bailed out on Sunday morning. He was fined £2, in default four days in gaol.

Twenty-eight cases of infectious and other notifiable diseases were reported in the Canterbury and West Coast health district during the week ended at noon yesterday, compiired with 26 in the previous week. Three deaths occurred in Canterbury, one from diphtheria, one from tuberculosis, and one from pneunomic influenza. Details are as folloWj the previous weclwS figures being given in parentheses:— West Coast: Diphtheria 3 (‘ scarlet fever 1 (2). Canterbury: Scarlet fever 8 (6), diphtheria 3 (3), tuberculosis 4 (6), pneumonia 3 (4), pneumonic influenza 2 (0), puerperal sepsis 3 (0), erysipelas 1 (1).

The remarkable increase of 639 per cent, in the exports of dairy produce from Gisborne in the past 14 years was commented upon by Mr G. Purvis, Government grader and instructor, when speaking at the annual meeting of the Tolaga Bay Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., on Saturday. “From a dairyfarmer’s point of view,” he said, the weather conditions generally during the season just ended may be regarded as favourable to production; when compared with the previous season there is an increase of 12.688 per cent, in the quantity of butter graded at the port of Gisborne.”

Building permits issued in the Borough in the past two weeks were for structures estimated to cost £998, as follow: —Dwelling £BSO, workshop £IOO, motor sheds £2B and £2O.

A Dunedin telegram states that the majority of members claiming that the broadcasting of descriptions of football matches from Carisbrook was seriously reducing the attendances, the Rugby Union decided to withdraw permission to the company to broadcast games from Carisbrook, where Otago and Wellington meet next Saturday.

A dislocated knee and a broken bone at the back of his knee was sustained by. J. J. Dickinson, a member of the Ashburton High School First Rugby Fifteen, while playing in the match against Tinwald on Saturday. He was admitted to a private hospital where he is progressing favourably. He is the son of Mr G. A. Dickinson, Wakanui Road. -

A house owner in the Lower Hutt borough will find herself ip an awkward position owing to her neglect of the by-laws. She recently built a house without obtaining a permit and then, through her solicitor, asking permission to complete the drainage and plumbing work. Tlie council took the view that to grant the request would simply be condoning the offence and refused.

Alarm at the proposad changes in the education system, as contained in [Part 11. of the report of the Recess Education Committee, was expressed at a meeting of the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors <»iaßt evening (says a Press Association message). Mr J. H. Howell (director of the- college) in his report stated that if the changes were carried out in their entirety the character' of the college as it now exists would be destroyed.

The Ashburton Competitions Society’s sixth annual festival will be opened at His Majesty’s Theatre at 10 o’clock to-morrow mornipg. The afternoon session will commence at 2 p.m. and the evening session at 7 p.m., when the official opening ceremony will be performed, speakers being, the Mayor (Mr R. Galbraith), the County Chairman (Mr H. C. B. Withell), Mr D. Jones, M.P., and the President of the Society (Mr A. P. Raven).

Unusual activity has been observed recently at White Island, great clouds of steam being visible from the coast of tin* Bay of Plenty. A series of slight earthquake shocks lias been experienced in the Opotilii district during the past few days, but they have not been of sufficient intensity to cause alarm or damage. The ’quakes appear to have been more severe eastwards along the coast than in the* town. A peculiarity about a shock felt on Thursday was that it appeared to have an up and down movement.

A particularly brilliant meteor was witnessed in Auckland about 6 o’clock the other evening in the city (says the “New Zealand Herald”). It was seen in the bright twilight, and would have been a magnificent object if it had occurred .after nightfall. First seen in the north at a high altitude, the meteor, shining with a greenish hue, fell very slowly toward the northwestern horizon. As it flew through the sky it left behind it a beautiful trail of white matter. Just before disappearing it expanded into a broad flame of light.

Legal argument in the Supreme Court in Wellington a day or two ago was leavened by several episodes m which the door into an unreal world seemed to have been left ajar. One of these occurred when counsel said seriously that a certain road had no right side and no wrong side. Another, when the same counsel appeared to attribute negligence to a motor-cyclist, not because he was going too fast, but because he was going too slowly. Mr Justice Blair himself contributed a notable example. “Supposing a man drives round a corner,” he said “on his right side and at four miles an hour. You see, we are going to have a perfect driver —assuming that there really is such a thing as a perfect driver.

“I do not think that we can g<jt much of our produce into California. Trade is all one way-out!” This comment comes from the Auckland manager of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr D. Carter), who returned recently by the Aorangi from a trip abroad. He does not think that the increased American tariff will kill the whole of New Zealand’s trade with Hawaii. Our butter and meat will always be in demand there to a certain extent, he says. “There appeared to bo a slump in trade and commerce on the Pacific Coast while I was there,” said Mr Carter. “An oil war was in progress and prices were falling daily, it was the same in Hawaii.” Hawaii seemed to be very prosperous. Planters had just experienced a bumper sugar crop, and the season had been an excellent one for pineapples. Indications in Canada were that an increased duty would be placed on New Zealand goods.

The quarterly summoned meeting of the Loyal linwald Lodge, M.U., 1.0.0. F., was held last evening, when the N.G. (Bro. C. A. 'Hoqstoi;) presided over a good attendance, including the district officers and representatives of the Hinds, Mayfield and Ashburton lodges. A cordial welcome was extended to the visitors by the N.G. The sick visitors reported three members still on the funds, and pay in favour of five brothers amounting to £l3 10s was -nssed. A letter of recommendation' was received from the Loyal Amberley Lodge in favour of a brother now residing in Tjnwald. A P.D.G.M. jewel was presented to Bro. S. Culverhouse by P.D.G.M. Bro. E. H. Childs, while a framed P.G. certificate was presented to Bro. D. S. Rennie by P.D.G.M. Bro. J. S. Donaldson. The district officers thanked the lodge for its invitation, and expressed the wish for the continued smooth-running of its activities.

Magistrate, counsel, and witnesses were all at cross-purposes in the Wellington Police Court during the hearing of a maintenance case. Defendant informed the Court that the names of his children were Georgina, Patricia, and Thomas. Later a witness began to spea]f of her affectionate feelings toward Jean, who, it appeared, had died. Defendant then explained that he had given only the names of the living children, and the witness continued with her evidence. After a few minutes complication again occurred. The witness kept referring to Georgina and JeaU, Patricia fading from the scene. She was apparently unknown to witness, who was quite certain she knew the whole family. Just when matters had reached a deadlock, defendant volunteered the information that Georgina and Patricia were one, and the same person. All went well for a while and then both Georgina and Patricia suddenly leaped into the limelight again. It took several minutes to re-establish the fact that Georgina was Patricia, counsel for defendant putting the final touch on the whole affair by remarking that Georgina and Patricia must have been Siamese twins.

The Governor-General’s consent having been given to the Finance Act, the increased totalisator tax is now operative (says a Wellington telegram).

When the matter of a possible stoppage of power supply from the Lake Coleridge power station was referred to Mr H. G. Kemp (Engineer-Secretary to the Ashburton Power Board) to-day, he stated that he knew nothing officially; he knew only what had appeared in the newspapers. So far the lowering of the' lake level and the diminution of supply had not had any effect in Ashburton.

While being removed from the Waipukurau saleyards to a truck, a bull took fright and bolted. Although several horsemen attempted to head it olf, the animal charged them, causing one horseman to jump a fence in order to escape. The bull then charged a truck and put both feet through the windscreen, the flying glass inflicting a lacerated hand to the driver. The truck overturned and the bonnet was badly damaged. Eventually the bull was captured.

A New Plymouth telegram states that an action was brought by the Crown against the Inglewood. Borough Council to determine the question whether a local rating authority could exercise its power of sale for recovery of overdue rates of land over which the Crown held a mortgage. The judgment of Justice Blair, who heard the case at the last sessions of the Supreme Court goes in favour of the rating authority, holding that they have a right to exercise the powers of sale, and that overdue rates are a first charge against the proceeds.

For improperly packing vegetables for sale, three men were fined at the Police Court at Auckland. For putting the big ones on top in three bags of potatoes, Gerald Foley was fined £1 a bag, totalling £3, and costs 10s. Sam Yak, whose defence was that the sacks had been packed by a zealous Maori employee who thought he was looking after his employer’s interests, was fined £3 and costs for a similar offence with carrots. For packing nothing but leaves and rubbish in the centre of sacks of cabbages, Wai Kee was fined £3 and costs.