LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 187, 22 May 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ovviiv to the late arrival or the" ferry steamer, Maheno, at Lyttelton to-d'av, the south-bound express ran an hour Lite and did not reach Ashburton until 3 o'clock.

The drv weather and the increase in peak loadings have caused a further Srop in the level of Lake Colendga The latest reading shows that the level is 1007.9 feet, compared with 1068.23 feet last week, 'the lake is now 4.1 i : eet below the overflow level.

\t one stage in the concert in Wellington on ' Tuesday evening, Mr Joseph Hislop appeared to be in doubt as to what he would sing as an encore, when a voice from the gallery said, by war of suggestion, "I Heard You Singing." Quick as lightning the tenor glanced up and said, ' 1 m "lad vou did."

The theft of accessories on motorcars is a constant source of annoyance to motorists. One owner, who left Ins car in Customs Street, Auckland, recentlv, was particularly umortunate. \fter an absence of about an hour and a-half he returned to find that his spare can of petrol was missing, llie thief had prised off the fitting, on the footboard in order to release the can.

As a safeguard for the clerks taking pay to employees in various parts or the borough,' the New Plymouth Borough Council on Monday night approved of a recommendation of the Works Committee that such officer of the council, upon the necessary consent of the inspector of police being obtained, be provided with a revolver. There was some humorous comments at the table when the recommendation came forward, but v it was agreed that the provision was a wise one.

There will be no "Music Week'in Auckland this year. This was decided upon at a meeting of the Music _\Veek Committee last week, when it was stated that none of the principal musical societies could see its way clear to assist the project. The feeling of the committee was that, without the enthusiastic co-operation of the musical societies, the success of the movement would be seriously jeopardised. It was mentioned, however, that the primary schools would give at least one concert later in the year.

"I saw there the footstep of Buddha," said Mr R. Campbell Bfcgg, in speaking of Northern Ceylon before the Wellington Rotary Club on Tuesday. "It must have been an outsize in' feet, for it made a cleft in the mountain-side about 25 feet in lengtti, when he levitated from India to Ceylon—lrritation being when they willed themselves to travel. It was thereabouts, too, that someone found a tooth of Buddha's. Whether he simply cast it or had it pulled out was not very clear. It was bigger than an elephant's tooth, same three or four feet long."

The fortnightly summoned meeting cf the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows was held in the Lcdeo-room last evening, the N.G. (Bro W J. Miller) presiding over a fair attendance. The result oi the ballot for the election of officers for the next term was as follows: IPNG Bro. W. Miller; N.G.. Bro. W ' K Waters; V.G., Bro. K. Thompson ; E.S., Bro. R. Patterson. An invitation was received horn the U fV 0 D for their annual ball. Members' were reminded of the proposed visit of Bro. H. Allnutt and family to the lodge on .lime 5. Sick pay amounting to £32 in favour ol 21 members ' was passed for payment. After the conclusion of the meeting supper was served.

Yesterday's sitting of the Magistrate's Court in 'limaru was the longest held for some time, the disposal of all the cases sot down occupying just on seven hours.

The Hector Medal for investigation in chemical science has been awarded to Dr. AY. P. Evans, whose investigations into New Zealand coals, are well known. The award was approved yesterday by the governors of the New Zealand Institute. The award carries a prize of £6O.

A total of 15 power poles was brought down in the heavy southerly gale last evening. Seven were in the liighbank district, three at Mite-ham, three at Seaview, and two at Rakaia. Most of the districts had their power cut off for nearly four hours. A line of eight poles in the.Wakanui district were badlv strained 1 , and will have to be replaced. No telegraph lines were affected.

The Wellington Municipal Library is proving of great assistance to schoolchildren through an arrangement with the Education Hoard and books were supplied to 35 schools last year. A total of 120,444 works of fiction were issued and general works numbered 12,073, and History and travel 15,508. Lesser numbers dealing with religion, sociology, science, arts, biography, literature and philosophy were issued to pupils.

A lad at Gonville picked up a tin while playing, and hearing a. rattle inside decided to investigate (reports the "Wanganui Herald"). He used the edge of an axe, and immediately there was a loud explosion. The boy was not seriouslv hurt, but was painfully burned about the face. The tin contained! a number of railway detonators, only one of which exploded. Had the boy used the back of the axe he would have exploded them all.

The establishment of lines of conveyance in several districts in lieu or opening new schools is being considered by the "Wellington Education Board," in conjunction with the Education Department. (During 1930, £4990 was spent in conveying or boarding children. Boarding allowances were granted to 125 children, and 459 were provided with transport by contract. In one or .two instances arrangements may be made for the closing of small schools in favour of conveyance of pupils to a centre.

A .visitor to the Stratford district from the Waikato records an increase in his; butter-fat .returns which came as a very pleasant surprise (reports an exchange"). He had had sha.remilkers in his 250-acre farm, but his son tired of the commercial life and went back to his father's home and took the place of the sharemilkers. At the end of the first season it was found that the butter-fat yield was 55001 b over the total of the sharemilkers' figures. It may also be stated that the Waikato factoi-y being supplied has paid out d every month.

The fortnightly meeting of the Pride of Wakanui, 1.0.G.T. Lodge, No. 32, was held on Tuesday evening. Bro. Jack West presided over a large attendance of members. Three new members were initiated into the Order. After the business was gone through a Dutch auction was held. Bros. A. Wilson, W. Judd, J. West, C. Wilson and P. Bonniiurton acted as auctioneers, and a vote was taken on which brother had done the best. Bro. A. Wilson was declared, the winner, and ' was presented with a prize. Supper was provided by the brothers.

The following is an extract from a letter written by a Sydney business man to a Westport friend (states the ''Times and Star"):—"There is no doubt that had it not been for Langs moratorium we would have been in a very unhappv position. We were paying £IOO a "month as instalments on machinery; now we are required! to find the interest only on the money. and the instalments stand over for two years. Had this legislation not been given effect -to, we, along with hundreds of othei-s, would have had to go out of business, in our case throwing about 20 hands out of employment."

Representatives of the Management Committee and elders of »tho Ashburton Presbvteriani Church waited on Mr Murdoch Bruce, at his residence, "Millhouse," West Street, on Tuesday evening. The Rev. A. G. Irvine, on' behalf of the visitors presented MiBruce with an electric standard lamp, and in so doing spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr Brace's many years' service to the church,, and particularly of his efficient treasurership. Several ol the elders aLso voiced appreciative sentiments toward Mr Bruce, who expressed his thanks for the kindlv action which prompted! the presentation. The visitors were entertained at supper by Mrs Bruce,

The kauri gum industry of the Auckland province has been deprived of its traditional and laborious methods simultaneously with the decline in exports and prices. Where gumdiggers were once able to obtain profitable quantities of good-ciuality gum simply bv probing the ground with a primitive spear, mechanical steam shovels are now used to secure even' particle. More often than not, the Vnodemv workers who use shovels have to lie content with gum of the poorest qualitv— "sooge mooge" it is called in the distinctive language of the gumfields. They are fortunate if they have as a return £2O a ton, though the average price for kauri gum to-day is above £SO.

In his evidence at the inquiry at Wellington on Tuesday into the wreck of the Progress, Captain Copland added a touch of unconscious humour to his evidence. He was speaking about the speed of his ship and Ins interviews with the chief engineer ot. the subject. "As a matter of fact," said Captain Copland, "tin? chief engineer 'and I had' some words about it when he caught me counting the revolutions of the engine." (Laughter.) Captain Radford, of the Opawa, was asked what was the speed of his ship. "Well, 1 can't tell vou what h?r speed is," he replied with a smile. "She's a motor-ship, you know, and sometimes she's a ' goer' and sometimes she's not." (Laughter.) There were no further questions about the speed of this shin.

That the brass tablet to be presented to H.M.S. Veronica for its magnificent service during the Havke's Bay earthquake disaster was ready for presentation was announced by Mr J. J. Dougall, who presided at a recent meeting of the General Committee of the Navy League ft Christen!reh. Of the money subscribed for that purpose there was a surplus, and it was intended to give this to H.M.S. Veronica, to bo used in givin" prizes or in some manner which the authorities could decide. The date of tho presentation had not been decided, said the chairman, but it was honed that it would be carried out at either Wellington or Nanier bv the GovernorGeneral, or bv himself, as chairman of the New Zealand branch of the Navy League.

The Timaru freezing works have now reduced their boards by half. It is expected that operations will continue for about another month before the close of the season is decided upon.

Work on the shifting of .the Winchmore School building to the East Ashburton .School will commence on Mondav. The work was recently sanctioned by thv Education Board with the object of providing further accommodation at East Asbburton.

The Mayor of Dunodin ("Sir R. S. Black) speaking at a 1 unction on Wednesday, expressed the opinion that by this time next year all talk of poor times and reduced wages would he a thing of the past, and would appear only as a bad dream.

"I do not claim to a prophet, but next November will see conditions well on the up-grade in the Dominion," said Mr Julian B. Forstcr, United States Trade Commissioner, during an address at the Palmerston North Launch Club. During, the past week, said Mr Forster, he had received cablegrams from the United States indicating that the bottom of the depression had been definitely passed. The United States was now in the "convalescent stage,''' and three or four months would see definite improvement in business conditions. New Zealand was definitely tied up with the interests of overseas countries, and 1 would be in a happier position by next November, tin added.