LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 133, 18 March 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the South Canterbury Cricket Association, held ill Tim'aru last evening, it was decided to submit April 4 to the Ashburton Association as a suitable date for the playing of the Bristol Cup match. , A wireless message from Auckland last evening stated that at 5 p.m. the lighthouse keeper at Cape Brett had not sighted any of the yachts engaged in the trans-Tasman race. The sea was calm, with very little wind. "Tbe great headmasters of public school history trusted their head boys and girls in general, and the school nurtured tbe boys in honour; in the work of the classroom they were touched to finer issues. Thus originated school spirit manifested by tradition, snul Mr H. P. Kidsoiv, in proposing the toast of "Tbe Old School" at a reunion of Wellington old boys ol Tvelson College recently. Tbe little girl, Bona Sloper. who has been in the Ashburton Public Hospital for several days as the result of severe scalding, was reported this morning to be improving. Mr Percy Willis, of Fairton, whoso arm was torn off in machinery at the freezing works, was reported to haye had a comfortable night and to be showing improvement. Mr R. McClimont. of Christchuroh, who was found on. the road near Dunsandel with a fractured skull, caused by a. fall from, a motor-cycle, is reported to be improving slowly. An adjustment of telegraphic and postal rates is announced by the Post-master-General (the Hon. J. B. Donald), says a Wellington P.ess Association message, ft has been decided by Cabinet that during the Parliamentary session Press telegraphic limits at eoncrssion rates will be increased by 2000 words for morning and evening papers. It has further been decided that postage on newspapers should be limited to a penny up to 16 ounces instead of eight ounces, as originally proposed. -Mr 'Donald announced that the revised telegraphic rates would- be effective as from, last night, but he lias yet to determine the effective date of the altered newspaper postage rates.

In the House of Representatives last evening, -Mr D. McDougall (United, Mataura) said that some time ago threshing-mill owners, farmers, and workers had a meeting in tbe east district of Southland, and agreed upon the rates of pay this season to be Is 6d an hour instea'd of Is 10.Jd an hour, which was the award rate. The secretary of the Otago and Southland Threshing-mill Workers' Union stated that the Union would not agree to the reduction, therefore the award rates must be paid, namely Is 10 J 2 d an hour and found. The secretary had also stated that action would 1 be taken against any employer paying a lower rate than the award provides. Mr McDougall asked tbe Prime Minister if something could be done to nrotect the farmers and those who were prepared to work for Is 6d an hour and found rather than walk the streets in idleness.

A Dunedin telegram states that it was reported at a raeetiug of tbe Otago Education Board to-day that 83 qualified teachers are unemployed.

A gift of exceptional value, two moa eggs, has been made to the Auckland Museum. One, in a remarkable state of preservation. Was found in Doubtloss Bay many years ago, and the other was found in a riverbed 30 years ago. Only six other moa eggs are known to exist.

It is stated by the Mayor of. Eketalinna at a recent meeting of the Borough Council that be had been approached by a number of ratepayers regarding the 10 per cent, penalty on rates. The Audit Office was emphatic, he said, in declaring that once the resolution was passed tbe 10 per cent, became part of the rate, and the council bad absolutely no power to waive it. A councillor remarked that 90 per cent, of the ratepayers did not pay until the last day and consequently a limit had to be fixed.

Second - class mail matter having in some instances been taxed by the Post Office, it has been announced as a result of an inquiry that tbe Post Office officials have tbe right to examine all such mail. In tbe case of accounts and receipts tbe regulation is as follows: "The words 'with thanks' may be. added to receipted accounts, but anything pijnted or written in the nature of a request for payment will subject the account to letter rates of postage." Tbe amount of tax charged is double tbe deficiency in each case.

A contract has been let by the Union Steam Ship Company to Seagar Bros., of Auckland for tbe repair of the damaged hull of tbe motor ship Hauraki. The* price is not stated, but it is estimated that tbe company will be faced with tbe expenditure of £20,000 through the-mishap, this sum including the contract price, the temporary repairs effected at New Plymouth, the cost of transhipping cargo and docking. The work will be carried out night and day, about 80 men working in shifts of 12 hours each. A number of new plates will be obtained from Sydney. It is expected- that the contract will take three or four weeks to complete.

The earthquake must naturally reveal some strange stories as time goes on, but none will be more unusual than that which concerns a certain elderly Hastings woman. This woman was trapped in one of the buildings in tbe centre of the town. For some years her sight has been failing so badly that it was only a matter ot> a short time when she would probably have gone completely blind. During the earthquake she was struck on tbe bead with a falling brick, and was rendered unconscious, but when she recovered she found that her sight had been completely restored.

"With a population, including Maoris, estimated at December 31, at 1,506,(300, New Zealand has a total of 55,317 persons in tbe Public Service, costing in salaries and wages £13,916,986 (says a northern paper). One person out of every twenty-seven of the total population is a public servant, and every person in New Zealand, including tbe Public Servants themselves, has to find either directly or indirectly a little more than I'9 5s per year to pay the Public Service salaries. Jn addition to the 55,317 people employed by the State there was last year a. monthly average of 19,620 local body employees, or a total of 74,937 State and local body employees. There are some 80,000 farmers in New Zealand, so that for every farmer there is roughly one State or local body employee.

Snipe shootiog at Stewart Island has rather remarkable features, observes the correspondent of the "Southland News." The, snipe feed on the extensive sand Hats near the mouth of the Freshwater River, until tbe hats are covered at high tide. As tbe tide covers the last little strip of sand the birds, which have meantime all congregated there, rise in a mass of several thousands and fly down in one flock to tbe big beach at the Old Neck. There they feed for about an hour and then again congregate and set off back for tbe. nipper Mats, which they know will by this time be partially bare. Shooters dig boles in tbe sand at tbe Old Neck, where theyi land and lie concealed, and, though two or three barrels are all that are usually fired, tbe results are generally very satisfactory to them owing to the dense formation of the flock on alighting.

Tbe recent rise in the price of New Zealand butter on tbe London market was principally due to tbe seasonal falling off in the Danish exports, states an" official of the Auckland branch of the Farmers' Union. He said that owing to tbe sevarity of the Danish winter production bad been very low during the past three months and New Zealand had benefited by tbe temporarv slackening in competition. By the middle of tbe year Danish butter production would be in full swing again, and tbe more favourable reception being given recently in England to Australian butter would encourage increased production in that country, narticularly in Victoria. He therefore considered that low prices bad come to stay, and that New Zealand must set about the task of meeting them.

After 20 years of control by the museum authorities at Invercargill, the Southland Education Board has decided to,resume possession of the storeroom in which is stored a large quantity of "buried treasure" now awaiting classification and provision of " adequate space before being exhibited. It includes valuable collections of sea shells and moa bones. The bulk of tbe )>ones came from the Limehills district, 25 miles from Invercargill, in which there was a cave which was virtually a moa graveyard. Quantities of Maori and other' objects of anthropological interest are also stored in cases awaiting the day when room will be provided in which to display them. Dozens of birds, native and otherwise, are packed away until more space is available. Two very fine cabinets of insects, mostly unnamed, are housed in tbe storeroom.

A list of persons, in addition to membeis oi' Parliament, who have free train passes in Sydnev has boon tabled in the Xew South Wales Parliament. The list includes 11 commissioners and officials of Lbo Queensland Railways.. and 12 of the Xew Zealand system, the Governor of Western Australia, the Governor-General (Sir Isaacs Tsaacs) and. 'Lady Isaacs. Passes are hold by 2o heads of State Government departments, including the Director of Public Works, Under-Secretaries, the Auditor-General, members of the Puhlic Works Service Board, and the CommissioneV of Polic?. The list also included the ex-Lieutenant Governor (Sir William OullenV the Chief Justice of New South Wales,, (Sir Philip StreetV Sir Joseph fool- ''ex-High Commissioner'). Mr -7. H. Cann (ex-Minister). Sir Arthur Cocks (ex-trustee of the Government Savings Pan'- 11 . Judge Cohen 'ex-Speaker I *, Mr J. Gorrard (ex-Min-ister), Mr ■!. Pooley (ex-Speaker) j Mr Henry Willis (ex-Rneaker), and judges of the Supreme Court.

In many parts of the North Island hawthorn' hedges are laden heavily with berries. This is said to he a sure sign of a hard winter, the berries being Nature's food provision for the birds.

The secretary of the Ashburton Acclimatisation' Society has received reports of the fishing rivers in the Comity e.fi follow:—Hakaia, clear; Rangitata, clear.

A prohibition against the use of aeroplanes in the taking or killing of imported or native game is contained in regulations gazetted this month under the Animals Protection Act. Jt is also provided that no power boat shall be used on a lake, pond, lagoon, or other dead water by sportsmen for driving, chasing, frightening, or stalking any game. The term "power boat" is stated to include a launch, boat, canoe, or other similar craft propelled either partly or wholly by mechanical power.

The exhibition of pet lambs at the Taranaki Agricultural and Pastoral Show recently was regarded by experts as the best seen in the Dominion for many years (states the "News.") The competing sheep men in the other classes were so impressed with the allround quality that they spontaneously subscribed sufficient funds with which to provide a prize for each of the 11 competitors. They agreed that the poorest exhibit of the lot wmild ordinarily have gained a first prize anywhere else.