LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 150, 6 April 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers are dirty but the Ashburton Kiver remains fishable, according to reports received .to-day by the secretary of the Ashburton Acclimatisation Society. A statement that he was worth £IO,OOO 10 years ago. was made by Marin Segedin, a well-known confectioner, at a meeting of creditors yesterday (says a Press Association message rfrom Auckland). His statement showed a.surplus of assets over debts of £1687, but investigation revealed that this was unlikely to be realised. The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young) stated at Wellington yesterday that a shooting season for godwits had been declared in the Auckland, Bay of Islands, Hobson, Mangonui, Whangaroa, Nelson, North Canterbury, Otago. Rotorua, Southland and Tauranga acclimatisation districts. The season is confined to the months of February and March. The story of what happened to the bat with which W. R. Hammond made his record score of 336 not out has just been revealed*Hammond broke his own and completed the innings with one belonging to Mitchell, the Derbyshire slow bowler, who was the "rabbit" of the M.C.C. eleven. Mitchell was so pleased with the stream of sixes which Hammond subsequently hit with it in completing his innings that as some consolation for not being able to go to the wickets in the Tests,' Mitchell generously presented the bat to H. G. Vivian. New Zealand's crack lefthander _ Hakatere Lodge. 1.0.0. F., mot last evening, the N.G. (Bro. A. O. Williams) presiding over a good attendance. Eight brothers were reported on the sick list. Two candidates were proposed. The_D.D.G.M. (Bro. A. Moore) and his staff, comprising Bros. J. Nish, J. Wilkinson. 0. Adams, !.. Aitken, G. Neilsen, installed the following officers for the ensuing term of six months: Bros. A. C. Williams, 1.P.0. ; T. H. Wakelin, N. 0.; T>. Hunter, V.G.; 11. 0. Preston, recording secretary- G. F. Fowke. financial secretary; J. B. Osborne, treasurer; W. F. Cobb, warden; C. L. Cox, conductor; J. Arnst, chaplain' L. Aitkcn, R.S.N.G.; T. Thompson, L.S.N.G. ; F. I)onn, R.S.S.; A. MeLachlan, L. 5.8.; E. Moore, R.S.V.G. ; E. Fussell. L.S.V.G.; V. Peterson, I.O.; G. Adams, O.G. The games committee again requested the brothers to intimate what particular games they intended to enter for, as it was desired to commence the games on May 3.

A Press Association telegram states that the Auckland Labour Party announces Mr H. G. R. Mason, M.P., as a candidate for the city mayoralty against the sitting Mayor, Mr G. Hutchison. The party will also contest the City Council and other elections. A IPtess Association telegram from Wellington states that the formation of a New Zealand insurance institute embracing all phases of insurance work was unanimously decided upon by a meeting of 150 members of the insurance profession to-night. Immediate steps will be taken .to affiliate with the Chartered Insurance Institute, London. It is intended to propose students for the examinations of the Incorporated Australian Insurance Institute. The Ashburton West Dental Clinic Committee met last evening, the chairman (Mr W. 0. J. Osmah) presiding. ae nurse reported that operations for the month totalled 359, the number of children treated being 190. Thirtytour pupils of the Convent'School were under treatment, one new patient having been examined during the month and three patients re-examined.. It was stated that in the near future the nurse, who was at present treating Allenton school children, would be cable to attend .'to the children at one of the nearby country schools. As the new board may have to come to a decision on the restriction of the exports question, the triennial election of members of the Dairy Control Board, which takes place this year, is likely to assume additional importance. North Canterbury, West Coast, Nelson and Marlborough constitute .the No. 7 Ward, which returns one member. The present member is Mr H. T. Chapman, of Little River, who has not yet announced his intention of standing for re-election. The only candidate at present is Mr Thomas Mould, Puaha, Little River, who announced last evening that he would contest the coming election. "It is very pleasing to see such a big increase in the shipping visiting Lyttelton. It shows that something is doing in port," said the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr W. T. Lester), when discussing the harbourmaster's report at a meeting of .the board yesterday. The harbourmaster (Captain J. F. Crawford) re-! ported that during: March 136 trading vessels, representing 201,098 tons net register, entered the Port of Lyttelton. including six inter-Colonial and 20 overseas vessels. The number of vessels and the net register tonnage for the corresponding month of 1932 was 123 vessels, equalling 184,668 tons register. The Ashburton Volunteers paraded last evening under Lieutenants J. S. Quinn and A. I. Carriock. There was an excellent muster and the turn-out of the parade was particularly good. Three new recruits were enrolled. The parade was a ceremonial one, the firing party practising tinder Sergeant-Major W. Edmonds for the Anzac Day parade. A short meeting was held in the club room at the conclusion, arrangements for lighting the miniature range for shooting durinq- the winter months being discussed. It was stated that it was hoped to obtain a trophy for the platoon gaining the greatest number of new members and having the best average attendance. "In view of the controversy which followed the decision not to nominate Rhodes Scholars from New Zealand this year, it is instructive to learn that no students from this Dominion who, have been awarded such have failed at Oxford," said an Auckland educational authority. "New Zealand and Malta, alone among the Empire countries, enjoy this distinction," he added. "That fact is pointed out by Dr. Charles Franklin Thwing, president emeritus of the Western " Research University, Ohio, in an article in Hubert's Journal, in which he stated that the American record is not quite so creditable." After having been in disuse for many years, the police gaol at Okarito, an isolated spot 115 miles south of Greymouth, has been officially closed. Farming, timber-cutting, and gold-digging are the only industries carried on in the district, which has a population of about 60 persons. There is not even a policeman, and the only State official recorded as living there is the postmaster, who also happens to be the signalman. His maritime duties are slight, however, for it is seldom that a vessel crosses the bar there. A proposal is a* present afoot for a company to construct a harbour there for the purpose of shipping timber. Legislative authority for the work was given during the la'st session of Parliament. The junior group of the Ashburton District Women's Institute met in the Masonic Hall last evening. Miss Colhson was elected president and presided over a good attendance of members. Miss W. L. Porter was elected a vicepresident. A rose bowl was donated by Mrs F. Curtis to be held by the member gaining most ooints in the competitions held at the ordinary monthly meetings during the year. Miss V. Burgess, on behalf of the members, thanked Mrs Curtis for her generous gift and for the interest taken by her in the junior group. An instructive demonstration on the making of moccasins from old felt was given by Miss McDowell. Mrs Minogue gave a very interesting talk on drama and Mrs Ericson one on folk dancing.. The prizes for the competition for a sea-grass tray or basket, for which Mrs W. Thomas acted as judge, were awarded as iollow. MissE. Lewitt 1, Miss W 7. L. Porter 2. Miss Audrey Amos 3. Musical itoms were contributed by Misses M. Watt and M. Andrew. Misses Easterbrook, Joan Greaves, M. Hepburn and M. Kirdv acted as hostesses. If the Borough School is next year turned into an intermediate or jumoi high school, with the fifth and (sixth standards of all the Ashburton schools housed there, it will mean that many small children will have to walk to Allenton School or to Ashburton East School, and members of the Borough School Committee last evening expressed alarm, at such an eventuality. It was pointed out that it would be impossible for children six and seven years old to walk all that way to attend school, and parents could not be expected to spend the time to transport them to the schools, even if they had the menus. Members felt that it was not a sane proposition to ask small children to walk a mile and a-half and in many cases two miles to attend either of tlie schools. The establishment of an intermediate school at the Borough was looked upon as a probability, but the committee emphatically protested against it, stating that the whole question was merely one of experiment on the part of the Director of Education. It was agreed that if the present primary schools were given the same staffing and equipment ns was given to the junior high schools, the primary schools would do all that the experimental schools could do, or ever hoped to do. Another point enlarged upon was that the fewer breaks a child had in his school life, the better he would progress.

1 What is probably a record for fast travel by air, rail, road and steamer in New Zealand was established by Dr. R. Campbell Begg in connection with the formation of the New Zealand Legion (says a Wellington Press Association message). In 37 days Dr. Begg covered 5276 miles, an average of 142 miles daily. He used aeroplanes over a dozen times and flew a total of -3582 miles. Despairing of a return to wet weather, and viewing the wilting of trees and shrubs in the gardens in Baring Square West, the Council yesterday set a number of men to work with the fire brigades manual engine, to pump water from the West Street channel on to the gardens. The rain last night and this morning greatly assisted the work, the lawns, which were- in bad condition, benefiting more than the gardens. International amateur athletic university games are to be hekTin Turin during September of this year, and are to be open to unversity students iioni all over the world. A letter from the International Amateur Athletic Federation was received at a meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association stating that if any student in New Zealand desired to take part he could do so provided a permit was granted by the N.Z.A.A.A. It was requested that the rule be enforced and that if any student should leave the Dominion the federation should be advised. Consideration is at present being given by the constituent clubs of the Western (North Island) Federated Flying Club to a proposal to conduct a competition within the federation for an aviation scholarship, similar to the recent "Evening Pos,t" scholarship competition in Wellington. Mr S. E. Nielson (secretary to the federation) has sent a letter to the various clubs, reports the "Taranaki Herald," enclosing a copy of the conditions of the Wellington competition and asking for their opinions on tlie question of conducting a similar competition within the federation. :■• The director of the meteor section of the New Zealand Astronomical Society (Mr R. A. Mcintosh) wants details of anv meteors seen by people in any parts "of New Zealand. "The occurrence of bright meteoric objects is of great interest to scientists, as providing clues to a number of problems." he says. "The meteor section of the New Zealand Astronomical iocietv is particularly pleased to receive observations of such objects. May I appeal to any who saw the recent daylight meteor' to get in touch with me, so that the full details may be examined and put on record.' Mr Mcintosh's address is 23 Hollywood Avenue, Epsom, Auckland, 5.E.3. Sales made on account of Ashburton County clients at the Addington stock market yesterday were as follows: — Oil account of Mr James Weaver (Rakaia), 41 at lis lOd to 12s 7d; R. Breading (Rakaia) 76 at 12s 4d to 14s 10d; J. A. Kelso (R«kaia), 38 at 13s 7d to 14s Id; W. Hood (Chertsey), 45 at 12s Id to 13s Id; J- Gemmell (BarrHill), 35 at 12s lOd; estate T. Lucas (Rakaia), 53 at lis lOd to 12s 10d. Fat wethers—On account of tv\ J. Cresswell (Ealing), 12 at 12s Id; O. R. Cresswell (Ealing), 26 at 12s 4d to 13s 4d. Fat ewes—On account of S. Robinsin (Methven), 60 at 6s 7d to 8s lOd; W. J. Cresswell (Ealing), 37 at 5s 7d to 8s 4d; E. A. Bland (Methven), 64 at 5s lOd to 8s 4d; estate T. Lucas Rakaia), 22 at 5s Id to 7s lOd; W. Strange (Tmwald), 58 at 5s lOd to 7s 4d; P Dolan (Rakaia), 66 at 4s lOd to 7s Id; client (Ealing), 119 at 4s lOd to 6s 10d; IP. Charles (Rangitata), 57 at 4s lOd to 6s 7d; W. Hood '25 at 4s 10dt to 6s 4d. Fat cattle.—On account of James Campbell (Methven), 6 steers at £7 2s 6<J to £8 12s 6d, 1 cow at £4 2s 6d, 1 heifer,at £5 17s 6d.