LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 273, 30 August 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first express train, for the south this morning arrived at Ashburton several minutes late. It was delayed by the slow train from Timaru winch was running a little behind schedule-

Whitebait has been noticed in the Rakaia River for several weeks, but the first catches of any size were netted last week-end. It is expected that the usual run will take place m a week or two, which is somewhat later than in former seasons.

Fruit trees in various parts of Ashburton are breaking into blossom. The mild weather conditions which prevailed Inst week were very favourable and it will not be long before all fruit trees are'covered in flowers. It was about this time last year when the blossoms began to appear and they are very little earlier than they have been for some seasons.

The first line of this season's spring lambs from the Wairarapa was killed at the Masterton Municipal Abattoirs last week. The lambs, which were from Air W. T. York's property, Carterton, were in good condition, and averaged about 251 b, dead weight. Although killing has been commenced about a fortnight earlier than usual, the average weight is well up to that of other years.

A denial that the Government intended to delay construction of the Duhedin" Post "Office was made yesterday by Mr Ccatcs, who said that the necessarv finaiicTaT arrangements had already been made, not only for this year, but for subsequent years. Tenders Avere before Cabinet, and the contract would be let within a few days (says a Wellington Press Association message).

Bees which are not associated with an apiary aie likely to choose a hive in odd places. One swarm is at present frequenting a chimney at the Supreme Court, Auckland and. judging from the activity shown, earnest preparations are being made in anticipation of spring flowering. The bees, up to the present, have not been disconcerted bv a certain amount of renovation which has latelv been carried out on the roof of xlie Court, and. in all probability, they will" be established in their unusual home for some time to come.

Weeds and tufts of .grass which have pushed their way through the asphalt laid recently by £he Ashburton Borough Council in Baring Square East and Victoria -Street below Cass Street are being treated with a liquid weed-killer.

The first- shipment of Australian fruit to b,e landed in the North Island since the lifting of the embargo on Australia arrived by the Wanganella from Sydney (says a Press Association telegram)! It included 2000 cases of South Australian oranges and manderines.

The fortnightly meeting of the Star of the East Lodge, 1.0.G.T., was held in the lodge rooms, "Wills Street, last evening when the V.T. presided over a good attendance. Two candidates were proposed. After business was disposed of, supper was handed round and a very enjoyable social hour was spent.

Two hikers, who set cut from Dunedin on Monday to walk to Ashburton, made a rapid trip, arriving here yesterday, much to the surprise of those who were expecting them. They did not refuse lifts by passing motor-cars and, being offered numerous ones, they made good time over the 175 odd miles.

With the object of assisting the numerous amateur photographers in Ashburton to produce better photographs and to obtain the services of a competent instructor hi the art of developing and printing (contact and enlargement work), a movement is on foot to form a Camera Club. The project is being taken up enthusiastically.

"I siibniit there is no jurisdiction for a conciliation.council td be constituted for the hearing of an industrial dispute unless there is : a dispute," said counsel in the Arbitration Court, in Auckland. "That is elementary*''! remarked Mr Justice Frazer. "You cannot make an application for divorce unless there is a marriage."

The council of the New Zealand Society of Accountants has decided to offer up to a year toward the provision of course in accountancy tuition at Victoria Universtiy College (says a Press'Association message from Wellington). At a recent meeting of the society it was mentioned that victoria wasi the only university college. in New Zealand which did not make full provision for tuition for the degree of Bachelor of Commerce.

Comment on changing standards of commercial morality was made by Mr Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Friday last, during the hearing of an application for discharge from bankruptcy. After remarking tnat a man who went into business ought to know he was not supposed to contract debts without a reasonable prospect of being able to discharge them, his ITonor added: "Perhaps that cannot be regarded as a grave irregularity in these days. It used to be considered dishonest. I do not know whether it is now."

An unusual sight is to be seen at Bonny Glen, near Marton (says the "Wanganui Herald"). There are some 12 acres thickly covered with gorse in the vicinity of the cemetery, and the patch is used as a nesting ground by a huge flock of starlings. "It is a wonderful sight to see them coming home to roost between 5 o'clock and 5.30 every evening," he said. "The yellow bloom is quickly covered up when they settle, and it appears as though a firo has spread through the gorse, so thick is the swarm of birds."

With the prefatory remark, '"This does not apply to Gisborue," the judge of the dancing section, Mrs Cecily Tabor-Gregory, of Wanganui, in commenting upon the national dancing classes at the Gisborue competitions festival, emphasised the importance of being a good loser (reports the "Poverty Bay Herald"). Parents and teachers, she said, should try to en • courage their children to bo good losers —it was better to be a good loser than a good dancer. Mrs Gregory asked also that parents and teachers should realise that the task of a judge, particularly a judge of a national dancing section, was a particularly unenviable one.

With reference to a resolution passed at its previous meeting regarding the great disparity between the price a of raw wool and that charged for knitting wool, the Masterton Chamber of Commerce had before it recently a letter pointing out that by the time it was converted into knitting wool, the material had passed through the hands of 43 trade unions. This, it was'suggested, mainly accounted for the high price of knitting yarns. Mr D. M. Graham pointed out that the wool had to be put through the same process when much higher prices were being paid for the raw material. Trices for raw wool had dropped to a very low figure, he added, while the retail prices of manufactured wool had dropped very little.

Cut down to the water's edge by shipbreakers, the remaining portion of the 'hull of the Melanesian Mission steamer Southern Cross was towed the other afternoon to its slip, at Freeman's Bay, Auckland, where it will be demolished and converted into scrap metal for shipment.,to Japan /reports the "New Zealand Herald")., The vessel has been in the- ha-nds-pt the shipbreakers for several months, and all fittings of further use were, dismantled and disposed "of. Afterwards the steel deck structure, decking, and side plates of the hull were cut into suitable lengths. AH that has been converted into scrap .has been loaded into railway waggons, to bo transferred to 'the Japanese steamer Asama Maru when she arrives about September 8 to commence loading metal for Japan. About 2000 tons will be; loaded at Auckland, and further quantities at Lyttelton and Wellington. Scrap metal from the steamers Cygnet and Kalnka will be included in the Asama Mam's cargo.

A generous gift was revealed at the opening of the new Oxford Road Dairy Factorv, states a New Plymouth correspondent, Mr E. B. Corbett (chairman of directors) said the first lactory had been built on land which was not then the freehold of the company, but it was the intention to make ful> Payment before the factory was officially opened The original factory site was criven bv the late Mr D. Brophy, and, when it was felt that the company should proceed with the erection of a new building, the directors had approached -Mr P. Brophy, representing the Brophv Estate, to see if the land could be purchased. He had met them in the same generous spirit that had always- been displayed by the family, and said that if they bui]t on the section adjoining the old. factory, it would cost the company a bottle of whisky. Mr Corbett- said he regretted that Mr Brophv had found it impossible to be present to receive full and just nayment for the section, and he asked ■Mr J. O'Sullivan to accept, on behalf of the Brophv Estate, a party decorated bottle of whisky, and to convey to the familv the great appreciation of all suppliers for the generous help given by the family to the company since its inception.

- Several bare patches were left on the East Street lawns when some dead and diseased trees were removed about a month ago and these are being sown down in lawn grass again. A workman was engaged levelling the ground and sowing the seed to-day.

In reference to the salute of 19 guns with which the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes was welcomed at the Chicago Fair the other day, it is explained that the. Army Post at the Fair accords a similar welcome to all official visitors. Recently five State Governors visited the Fair on one day, and each was accorded a salute of 19 guns.

At the meeting of the council of the Ashburton Acclimatisation Society held last evening, it was stated that the Soutii Canterbury society had advised that it would liberate 100,000 brown trout fry in the Rangitata River this season, while the North Canterbury Society would liberate 100.000 brown trout fry in the Rakaia. The chairman (Mr A. 0. Pilbrow) stated that the Ashburton Society intended to liberate the same quantity of fry i n both the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers.

Some amusement was caused in the Levin Court last week wheii a male Native, who was personally conducting his defence against an ejectment summons, peremptorily ordered the plaintiff's solicitor to sit down. Counsel, who had risen with an interjection, was so completely taken off his guard by the sharp command that he resumed his seat. The Maori's objection to the interruption \vas supported by the Bench, which, with the public grouped in the Courts had listened with evident interest to the Native's cross-examination of a witness, carried out in a manner worthy of the wellestablished traditions of the legal profession. In the end the plaintiff was nonsuited.

Several complaints have been received by the Automobile Association regarding children throwing stones at passing motor vehicles, states the "New Zealand Herald." As offending children generally ran away before the motorists can remonstrate with them it is suggested by the association that drivers should report cases of stonethrowing at the nearest police station with a minimum of delay. Stones have been thrown at a number of motor*cars on the loose metal section of the Great South Road, but, unfortunately, some days elapsed before the offences were reported to the association and to the police. The co-operation of school masters is being sought by the association in an effort to put a stop to the trouble.

Stating that he had noted with interest the opinicri of the United BurgesseS*- at Christchurch, the Minister of Finance, the Right Hon J. G. Coates, in a letter to the association, wrote that in general terms he was in agreement with the council that local not be empowered to raise loans without the consent of the ratepayers concerned. The legislation providing for loans for the relief of unehiploymenfc being taken without a poll of the "ratepayers had expired and would not be renewed. There were, however, certain cases which, on the score of urgency, did not require to be submitted to a poll of ratepayers. An example was a loan for sanitation works essential to the health of the community, and it would, he thought, be a retrograde step to amend the law in this respect. There were some other instances where the law provided, with sound reason, for the raising of loans without a prior poll, and, of course, renewal loans must necessarily be freed from any restrictions in that respect. The letter was read at the meeting of the association last night.

Mr E. A. Murrell, D.8.0.A. (London), ot Messrs J. R. Procter, Ltd., Opticians, Christchurch, arrived in Ashburton this afternoon and may be consulted at the Somerset Hotel.— (Advt.)