LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 279, 8 September 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stock slaughtered at the Ashburton Municipal Abattoirs in August was as follow:—Cattle 121 (one condemned), sheep 948, lambs 4, calves 11, pigs 74.

The primary schools in Ashburton re-opened this morning after the term holidays. The attendances were good, practically all the children being present, and increases in the roll numbers were noted, that at Allenton being ten.

Some idea of the strength of some of the gusts of wind this morning may be gained from the fact that four auctioneers at the Ashburton stock sale were blown off the rails at one. stacre of the sale. The four men were standing close together when a heavy <rust came across the yards and catclinio- them unawares blew them backwards off the rails. Fortunately they managed to land on their feet and were uninjured.

It has been the practice of people who applv to the Borough Council for permits to build houses to merely present with their application a plan ot the house and a, copy of the specifications A protest against tins practice was made by Mr J. Thompson at the Borough Council meeting last evening. Ho moved that it be an instruction to the Inspector that in future, before granting a permit, ho must bo satisfied as to the location of the house in the street and how it is to be placed on the section. This was seconded by Mr H R C. McElrea and carried.

For an hour this morning the business area of Ashburton was literally smothered in dust, which was swept into town by the howling north-west wind which "blew. The worst of the storm was reached shortly after __U. o'clock, when the clouds of dust were so thick that the, West Street buildings could not be seen from East Street. Many nedestrians sheltered m shops while "the worst of the storm raged, for small pebbles and! sand were flung up into their faces, making progress painful as well as slow. Shopkeepers spent a worried hour trying to keep down the dust which' invaded their premises.

Fourteen new motor driver's licenses were issued by the Borough Inspector in the last two weeks, making 802 for the present motoring year.

An Invercargill telegram states that during the week-end the safe in the Regent Theatre was broken open and £47 stolen.

The decline in budding operations in Invercargill is exemplified by the returns of permits issued by the city engineer's department for the month of August in comparison with the corresponding period last year. The total value of permits issued for all classes of building last month was £2948. In August, 1030, the value totalled £11,698. Of the £2948, £2540 was spread over permits for the erection of four new dwellings.

The manager of an iron foundry in Timaru wrote to the Ashburton Borough Council last evening stating that he understood that the late Mr W. Patching had left £SO to the Council to be used to provide seats in the Domain. He submitted prices for the type of seat he manufactures. The Council decided to reply that no notification of the bequest had yet been received, and' the matter would be considered when it was informed regarding the money.

Word was received last evening that two 'planes from the Otago Aero Club will take part in the field day which is to be held oni the Ashburton Airp° rt next Saturday, provided trre weather conditions are favourable. It is likely that pilots from the Marlborough and Southland Aero Clubs will also take part in the competitions which will be held, and for which six silver cups will be given as prizes. Three, and possibly four, club 'planes will come from Christchurch, and an endeavour is being made to have the Puss Moth monoplane brought down from Christchurch also. Model 'plane flying contests will be held at the Airport, in which the Christchurch Model Club will probably take part.

"That's the first stage of my journey completed. I have come into Whangarei from Maungakaramea," said an English public schoolboy, who has tried his luck in Sew Zealand and found that he preferred the Old Country (reports the "Northern Advocate"). He sailed from Auckland on the Monowai the other morning. During his three years' sojourn in the Dominion he attempted farming, canvassing for tobacco sales, rem-esenting a clothing firm in Wellington, working in a Public Works survey gang, and general labouring. He is quite philosophical about his experiences. "In a time of depression it is only right that nativeborn New Zealanders should receive the preference when jobs are going," he said, just before catching the service car en route to Auckland.

An association has been formed in Wellington to advise and assist owners of property, particularly house pi-o-perty, whose rights, it is felt, have been subjected to unwarranted encroachment during recent years. The movement has been initiated as a result of the growing realisation by property owners that much indiscriminate abuse has been directed against, them despite the fact that many of! them have been receiving an inadequate return oh their outlay. It is intended to enrol property owners throughout the Dominion, and in this way to bring concerted action to bear to protect them, by legislation or otherwise, against avoidable and unjustifiable losses. The association will also undertake to supply information regarding the financial responsibility of tenants, and will make available, free of charge, all legal advice obtained! by it.

In an address on "The Language of Advertising" at the Auckland: Chamber of Commerce advertising group luncheon last week, Mr J. W. .Shaw mentioned observing some visiting ladies who had just received a newspaper by mail from their home town. They opened the paper, and, instead of looking at the news or at the family columns, usually deemed to be of the greatest interest, they turned to the announcement of a well-known draper firm and eagerly scanned! the items in its advertisement. Mr Shaw said that the English language had benefited by the impact of commercial necessities. The result had been greater simplicity, clarity and force in the use of words. He warned advertising men against convention!. There was a tendency to the repetition of words and phrases till they came to have a technical suggestion and lost their force in contributing to persuasion, which was the great end in advertising. Mr Shaw contrasted the advertiser with, the preacher, and said that the advertiser was the lineal descendant of the preacher, whose business it was not only to teach but to persuade.

Court Ashburton, No. 6729, A.0.F., met last evening, when the O.R. (Bro. C. J. Bax) presided. Seven members were reported on the sick list, and sick pay amounting to £2O Is 8d was passed for pavment. The appointment of Bro. C. J\ Bax as District Ritual Supervisor for the No. 1 sub-district of the Canterbury United: District was approved. It was decided that in the meantime the Court pay the expenses of the P.C.R.'s Court, the amount to be refunded later. An invitation' from Court Pride of Courtenay to its annual ball on September 18 was received. Bro. A. Jackman was appointed to the Management Committee of the Juvenile Court in place of Bro. 13. J. Daniels (resigned). Bro. G. D. H. Hefford reported that the P.C.R.'s would visit Court Star of Rakaia on September 16, and invited as many brethren as possible to accompany them. Four candidates were proposed and accepted. It was decided to hold a question-box evening next Court night. At the conclusion of the meeting a card match between the P.C.R.'s and the other members was held, and resulted in a win for the latter by two games.

The opinion that it was as cheap, if not cheaper, to live in Sydney at present than' in England was expressed by a New Zealander who returned to Wellington last week from a trip abroad. "It is not nearly as cheap to live in England as some people believe," he said. "Clothes can be bought fairly cheaply, but food is much dearer than here, and travelling is at least as expensive.'.' The speaker, who returned by the Ormonde from London to Sydney, said that some of the passengers changed their "Bradbury" notes into Australian currency at Colombo, receiving as much as 29s for each £, and in Sydney were agreeably surprised with the purchasing power of the money. "You see, Australia new makes herself practically everything she uses," he said to a "Post" reporter, "and imports can only be brought in at a prohibitive tariff. Clothes are cheap, and shoes much cheaper than they can be obtained elsewhere." Both in England and in Australia the depression was the provailing topic, but the people seemed to be bearing up under it with scarcely diminished good spirits, and at most sports events in both' countries attendances showed little, if anything, of a decline.

One building permit, for a dwelling estimated to cost £7OO, was issued by the Borough' Inspector in the last two weeks. This is the first building permit issued in. Ash burton for several weeks.

The prospects this season are all in favour of a, first-class wool clip in Hawke's Bay (says the "Napier Telegraph"). There is not the tenderness in the wool that there was last season, and the conditions for a better-grown clip have been good. The fleeces of the sheep coining through the sal© yards indicate that these conditions apply to large as well as small flocks.

Only 18 cases of infectious diseases were notified! in the Canterbury-West Coast Health District in the week

ended at noon l yesterday, compared with 25 in the previous week. There was one death from tuberculosis. Details are as follow, the previous week's figures being in parentheses:—West Coast: Scarlet fever 1 (2), diphtheria 4 (5). Canterbury: Scarlet fever 7 (8), diphtheria 5 (7), tuberculosis 1 (3).

That the time had arrived when there should be a reduction in telephone rentals was the opinion expressed by several members at a meeting of the Wanganui Development League. One member said that people were having their private telephones cut off because they considered £7 10s per annum was too much to pay. He knew of several people who would have continued had the charge been only £5. It was decided to write to the Postmaster-General giving the views of the league on the matter.

The representations of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, supported by the Auckland Institute, have resulted in the absolute protection of the spotted shag, a small and handsome member of the cormorant family. A shaggery of this species exists on the Noises, in the Hauraki Gulf, and this week a party, ineluting Messrs R. A. Fall a and A. T- IPy croft, visited the islets and erected notices warning the public that this bird is protected. The spotted shag is not found far from the rocks and islets which it frequents, and from the fisheries point of view is a barmless member of the family.

The Loyal Tinwald Lodge, M.U., 1.0.0. F., met last evening, when the N.G. (Bro. F. Harper) presided. Sick visitors reported that two brethren had declared on the funds and one brother had,declared off. Sick pay amounting to £7 3s 4d was passed for payment. Two maternity claims amounting to £l2 were passed for payment. It was agreed to hold the next meeting at 7.30 p.m., anil after that date to commence at 8 p.m.; throughout the summer months. The N.G. repprted baying attended the Jubilee ball of the Loyal Waterton Lodge.