LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 261, 18 August 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A discharge from bankruptcy was granted to Edmund George Body, ot Ashburtoni, in tfce Supreme Court at Christchureh yesterday by Mr Justice Adams.

\ Dunedin telegram states that the motor-ship Maui Pomare with 7900 cases of Samoan and Nme Island bananas, in fine condition, arrived there this morning. The local consignment is, 2500 cases, the balance being for the. north.

A copy of "The Guardian," dated January'2l, 1882, has been taken from a sealed cavity in the foundations ol the old Catholic Church, where it was deposited when the foundation, stone was laid on January 22, 1882. Jhe cavity was unearthed during the demolition of the building which is now going on, and in it were a bottle containing a number of papers, and, besides the newspaper, a parchment setting forth the circumstances of the ceremony nearly 50 years ago. All the documents are in an excellent state of preservation.

To anyone observing the bed of the river over the last 50 years, the change in the aspect of the shingle and boulders would probably not be apparent, but the destruction of the old Catholic Church has brought to light a realisation that the boulders in the river-bed now are not nearly so large, generally speaking, as they were halt a century ago. 11l the concrete which is being broken up at the old church there are hundreds of boulders, all taken from the river-bed and placed in the foundations to save concrete, and they are much larger than is the rule in the river nowadays. It is said that boulders of this size cannot now be procured there.

An ever-increasing burden has been thrust upon the shoulders of lady members of various sports and social organisations in the matter of providing afternoon tea. Members usually take it in turn to be responsible for the refreshments, which have come to be looked upon as one of the most important phases of the activities of clubs of one type and another, and competition has set in, the pace becoming greater than most people could reasonably bear. Emulation has urged successive members to "go one better than the last, so that expensive delicacies became the order of the day. A revolt against this state of affairs has broken out among members of the Allenton Snorts Club, and at the annual meeting last evening it was wisely decided to eliminate competition over cream cakes and to provide biscuits only for the afternoon tea on playing days.

Sports teams from the Cbnstehurch Technical College were .among the passengers for Dunedin on the express train this morning.

As is usual with the south-bound express train on Tuesday mornings, there was a heavy passenger list today, and there was a large number of children and young people on board. The train was a long one, and was running slightly behind time.

A meeting of wheat-growers who are not associated with the Wheat Podl will be held in Ash-burton at noon next Tuesday to discuss the question of wheat prices and to appoint a committee to watch their interests in the discussions now taking place between growers, merchants and Government.

"Now is the time for spending, not saving," stated the. Auckland provincial secretary (Mr A. E. Robinson), referring to the finances of the Farmers' Union at the'Waikato sub-pro-vincial executive of the union the other day (says the "Waikato Times"). "As a result of our campaign the public is beginning to have a hazy idea of farming problems. "We have a great opportunity now to point out the real condition of. the country."

In a busy area like the railway yards, where engines are' continually moving up and down, and where people are walking about at all hours of the day, it is surprising to find that there are small birds which have become so accustomed to the noise and the movement that they treat- both very carelessly.' Sparrows are often seen, hopping into the refreshment room as soon as an express' train has left the station, and they usually find plenty of crumbs to repay them for their temerity.

"There's no doubt about it—New Zealand butter has got a very high name in England," said Mr G. F. Youngs, a business man who returned to Wellington by the Tain'u after four years'' absence. "Everybody in England seems to buy New Zealand butter from preference, and I'll guarantee vou'll find it in 80 per cent. " of the homes you visit. Now it is oven more in ■demand because times are hard and it is cheaper than KnghsL buttei. What butter they are pelting in from Russia is very cheap and unquestionably inferior, to New Zealand butter."'

No actkn was taken by the National Executive of the New Zealand Freezing Workers' Federation at a meeting held in Wellington last week regarding a proposal submitted to it by the New Zealand Workers' Union that there should be an amalgamation of the two bodies. Overtures regarding the matter were originally made to the federation: by the New Zealand Workers Union in 1927, but no finality was reached at the time, and it was not revived until last week'. The attitude of the Freezing Workers' Federation is that it has nothing to gain by an amalgamation with. 1 the Workers Union, and it seems unlikely that any further action, will be taken.

Figures-compiled bv the Government Statistician for the Royal Life Saving Society show that the risk of death by drowning has been reduced by 44 per cent, since the society- was established in New Zealand. "It is evident," states a clause in the annual report, "that, taking New Zealand as a*whole, over 100 lives a year are being saved as a result of the work that has been done. Thus the community is under a deep debt of gratitude to all those who have learnt to swim and to> save life, and to those who have taught them. In this connection it is well that we should recognise the splendid educational work of the New Zealand Amateur, Swimming Association, which every; year issues some thousands of certificates to school children learning to swim."

Thirty-three cases of infectious diseases were notified in the Canterbury and West Coast Health Districts during'the week ended at noon yesterday, as against only 21 the previous week.- The increase was partly accounted for by a greater number of cases of scarlet fever in Canterbury. There were two deaths from tuberculosis and one from pneumonic influenza in Canterbury last week. Details are as follow, the previous week's figures being given in parentheses: —West Coast: Tuberculosis 1 (1), erysipelas 1 (0). Canterbury: Scarlet fever 12 (5), diphtheria. 7 (3), tuberculosis 8 (3), pneumonic influenza 1 (0), erysipelas 2 (1), septic abortion 1 (0). Dr. T. Fletcher Telford (Medical Officer of Health) said the increase in the number of cases of scarlet fever had no special significance.

Only the ruined tower remains to indicate from a distance where the old Catholic Church stood, and that was so solidlv built that it will take a good deal of hard work on the part of the contractors to knock it down. Little difficulty was experienced in razing the main bulk of the church, and the foundations above the ground were so honeycombed because of the exceptionally large number of big boulders placed in the concrete that a blow from a heavy hammer easily shattered |the blocks.' Though serious inroads have been made into the walls of the tower they have resisted the demolition efforts, and a wire rope which was attached from the tower to a tractor snapped, without any portion of the stonework being dislodged. The contractors anticipate considerable trouble in digging up the bases of the foundations, (which are very thick.

With his leg broken, Mr John Ford Makaru, Taranaki, clambered from an ensilage pit, crawled aboard a sledge, and drove more than two miles over a rough track to his home in the Stratford back country last week. Mr Ford was at the bottom of the pit when a cow fell on him, breaking two bones in his leg. In great pain, he got out of the pit after a number of unsuccessful attempts. He then rolled on to the sledge and started the horse for home. The ground was rough and hilly and the track no better than the average to be found in the back country. At one stage of the journey Mr Ford had to leave the sledge and, dragging his useless leg, crawl to open a gate. He then had to go back tu guide the horse through. Mr Ford was almost exhausted when he reached the house, where he received attention before being taken to a private hospital in Stratford.

With the obiect of ascertaining whether the various conveyance schemes in the Canterbury district where there are consolidated schools can be carried on more economically, the Director of Education (Mr T. B. Strong) is making a personal investigation, and he will discuss the matter with Canterbury Education Board officials this week. Xp further schemes for the consolidation of schools would ho approved, he said yesterday, unless it was shown conclusively that economy would result. The need for reducing public expenditure was great, and practically the only branch-of the service that had not'suffered substantial retrenchment was the Child Welfare branch, which, ,in times of stress, needed all the more support.

A Feilding telegram states that the Government has completed the purrchase of a, property of 395 acres of good dairying land at Kiwitea for subdivision under the group settlement scheme into three farms.

' That railwayman like to enjoy the pleasure of listening to wireless eoncerts is evidenced by the erection of an aerial on some movable gangers' huts shunted on to a. siding at Tinwald. Four huts are linked together, and to tli© extreme ends are attached light poles with a wire strung between them.

Court Ashburton, No. 6729, A.0.F., met last evening, when the C.R. (Bro. O. J. Bax) presided. Six brethren were reported on the sick list, and sick pay amounting to £l2 10s was passed for payment. An invitation to the annual ball of Court Star of Dunsandel on September 10 was received. Two candidates were initiated by the C.R., assisted by the officers. .The office of Junior Beadle having been declared vacant, Bro. L. Gibson was elected to the position.

"I claim that in art we are entitled to provide the same encouragement in education which in another branch led to the discovery of Lord Rutherford," said Dr. E. B. Gunson in the course of a luncheon talk at Auckland. Was Rutherford's preliminary education wasted ? Yet" who woidd expect him to return to New Zealand. We hau not yet achieved a Rutherford in art, but we had achieved a representative group of artists resident abroad which was ai once a credit to this country and an indication that art talent was by no means wasted. In this connection, the names of Harry Rountree, Sidney Thompson, Heber Thompson. S. Hellaby, F. J.' Porter and Oswald Birley, who had just completed a portrait of the King, was mentioned.

A resident of Stewart Island found a small barrel of lard cast up on a beach and decided to make some homemade soap. After following the usual directions he decided to go further and do some experimenting (states the correspondent of the "Southland News.") First he took half a pound of lowgrade ambergris which he mixed witjj the boiling lard and then added a liberal bunch of sweet-smelling herbs with the idea of preserving the scent in the soap by means of" the ambergris. The immediate result was a sudden change in colour 6? the mixture to quite an attractive mauve shade. Then a number of pieces of crushed kauri gum picked up on Mason's Beach were added. When completed the result was a splendid soap with excellent lathering qualities. It also set quickly into a very firm body, but no very striking scent was noticeable. He is now wondering to which ingredient he can attribute the successful result of his amateur soak-making, for the soap is popular amongst his friends even for shaving purposes.

The Star of Ashburton Lodge, No. 14 U.A.0.D., met last evening,, the A D (Bro. J. Bostoek) presiding over a. good attendance. The Bards reported on sick members, and sick pay was passed for payment. The Lily of Temuka Lodge wrote challenging the lodge to a football match to be played at Temuka. It was decided to accept the challenge. O'ne candidate was proposed and one initiated. After lodge had closed, a card match and debate was held against the St. Stephen's Literary and Debating Club. The subject of the debate was "That Experience Teaches," the Lodge taking the affirmative. The speakers were Bros. G. A. Furby (leader), J. G-arnock* and R. Burnett for the Lodge and Messrs W. Crowther, C. Jeff and M. Laing for the Club. Mr R, H. Biggar was judge, and gave his decision to the Lodge by a margin of three points. He complimented the speakers on the high standard of the debate, and was heartily thanked for his efforts in adjudicating. The card match wait won by the St, Stephen's Club by a small majority. Mr S. M. Cassidy thanked the Lodge on behalf of the- Club.