LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 284, 12 September 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Numbers of relief workers have been engaged lately clearing the sides of the Maronan, Road and cutting channels to carry off accumulatons__of storm water. This road is in first-class order at present and most of the vehicular traffic between the Rangitata Bridge and Ashburton is going along that highway.

Members of the Ashburton Fire Brigade have commenced practice tor the annual competitions of the Canterbury Fire Brigades’ Association, which will be held at Hanjner on Labour Day. The team which will represent Ashburton at the competitions was practising at the station last evening.

There were thfee~tteaths from tuberculosis in the Canterbury district during .the week ended at noon yesterday. Other cases of notifiable diseases registered at the Healtli Department included West Coast.: Puerperal sepsis 1. Canterbury: Tuberculosis 3, pneumonic influenza 1, hydatids 1, septic abortion 1, undulant fever 1, actinomycosis 1.

Teams are hard at work in most parts of the County preparing the ground for further work, but the dearth of rain is making .the work arduous. A seven-horse team drawing a three-furrow plough was seen yesterday making very hard work of breaking up ground which has not had a good: shower of rain on it for many weeks.

“Last year 1900 packets of seeds for vegetable gardens were distributed among the relief workers of Wanganui,” said Mr E. W. F. Gohns speaking at a Wanganui Rotary Club luncheon recently. “This year, as a result of the Unemployment Board making it a condition that vegetable gardens be kept, no fewer than 6433 packets of seeds have been distributed, it shows that the men are doing something to help themselves, while it will also relieve the depot in Ridgway Street of a considerable amount of work.”

The St. Stephen’s Boy Scouts and Cubs held their second meeting for the term in St. Stephen’s Hall last evening when there were 53 Scouts and Cubs present under Scoutmaster Meredith, Assistant-Scoutmaster Hefford and Cubmistress O'. Spedding. Two recruits for the Scouts, G. Suttie and R. Shaw, attended, as well as two recruits for the Cubs, J. and H. Young, formerly of the Addington Cubs. The Scouts practised their bridge-building and general displays fer the rally, together with knotting, law, promise and flags. The Seagull IPatrol was responsible for all the games of the evening, many new and amusing Scout games being introduced. The Cubs, under Cubmistress 0. Spedding, did marching, their grand howl and jungle dance and finished up with a few rousing games. At the court of honour it was decided that a general inspection of the troop and its equipment by the committee be held next Saturday, as the troop is in need of new tents and other scout material for the coming rally. A vote of thanks was passed to Scooter Hefford for his generous assistance during the holiday camp. The Cubmistress reported that six Cubs were ready to sit for their second star and that an examiner was needed. The court thereupon decided to obtain the services of an examiner as soon as possible.

Crops on the land bordering portions of the Maronan Road are looking remarkably well, and a few showers of rain are all that are necessary to bring them on. Feed in this locality is also looking better than for many months past and stock, as a consequence, is beginning to present a hotter appearance.

Travellers by the Maronan Road are able, at one point, only a few miles from Ashburton, to judge the character of ..the plains as they were when the first settlers arrived at Ashburton. Hundreds of acres of manuka and tussock may he seen on an area of rather poor land and in practically the same state as that presented to tne pioneers.

Arrangements are being made byMessrs Burns, Philp, ana Co. Ltu., in conjunction witn tne Victorian Scottish union, to organise a. party oi Australians to tour i\evv Zealand next year. The tour is scheduled to begin on January 4, when the party will leaye Melbourne on the Monowai*. The party will be led by Senator William Rlain, and all the main towns m the Dominion will be visited, as well as Milford Sound, the southern lakes, and the thermal regions. 'The tour >s expected to take day's from the time the party leaves Melbourne until its return, 16 days being spent in the Dominion.

The West Magazine for early August features a complete novel by Max Brand, and contains, in addition, a number of stirring stories of the Wild West. “A lady comes to Paradise,” by Edmund Ware, however, supplies a pathetic note that would be acceptable m any journal. “Books, of To-Day,” a monthly journal for general readers, for July, supplies a concise but light guide to current hooks. It is in its 30th year of issue, “Weldon’s Journal” for September as usual is full of instruction and entertainment for those readers for whom it is intended. These magazines were received from Gordon and Gotch, Ltd., through Mr N. C. Jones.

Representatives of firms looking for business on f-*rms are not meeting with a very cordial reception these days. Farmers have many calls during the lambing season, which this year is presenting many more problems and much more work than is usually the case, so. that they are not disposed to spend much .time in discussions on the merits of the wares being offered: to them. The bleating of Jambs may he heard issuing from almost every' farm house, where a good deal of time is being devoted to caring for lambs which have lost their mothers and others which have been taken from the ewes who are not able to look after .them, and which will be placed under the care of other ewes.

On the ground that fruit was already being carried at a loss, the General Manager of Railways (Mr G. H. Mackley) tne other day refused a request from a deputation representing the New Zealand Fruit Growers’ Federation which sought a reduction in the freight charges on New Zealand fruit. A request for a reduction in the freight charges for export fruit was also refused. With regard to reductions on smaller amounts of freightage, which are charged for at a higher rate than large quantities, Mr Mackley said that ne would consider the question. He agreed with the deputation that .a number of the waggons which, did not possess as good ventilation as the later type should be improved.

An old water wheel near the Wilton Road entrance to Wilton’s 13ush attracts considerable attention from visitors (says a Wellington exchange). This water 'wheel is between 60 and 70 years old, and was the property of the late Mr Wilton, after whom the bush is named. Water was stored in a concrete basin at the back of the wheel, and when it was released the wheel turned a chaff cutter. The wheel has not been used for 25 years or so. Some time ago a farmer wanted to buy Ahe wheel for use in connection with a milking machine, but the present owner of the wheel, Mr J. Zortea, refused to sell, preferring to leave the wheel in its . present position as a curiosity and a link with a hyp one period of Wellington’s history.

Difficulties encountered in the feeding of sheep during the winter,, when green feed and turnips were at a premium and dry feeding had to be. resorted to, are haying their effect at the. present time, and one farmer in Ashburton County states hat he will not reach 80 per cent, with his lambing. Out of 900 ewes he has so far been able to save only 10 complete-sets of twins. The ewes are in poor condition owing to the methods of J;eeding in the winter and they are nut able .to mother the lambs, so that twins have to be divided among their mothers and those ewes which have lost their lambs. Lambing time this year has been made extremely difficult for farmers, who report that percentages will he considerably lower than for some years.

An expert witness was giving evidence at the Magistrate's Court, Whangarei, in connection with the hearing t>f a motor collision case (says the “Northern Advocate’’). He said the second nature of a driver is to. jam his brakes full on with both feet when a collision occurs. Mr L. A. Johnson said that in this case the driver’s head had gone through the windscreen, and consequently' his feet would leave the floor. The witness contended that would not he so. Mr Johnson said: “The driver is not a giraffe.' (Laughter.) However, after further argument on the question, the witness a- demonstration in tne courtT sitting at an imaginary'wheel. The matter, nevertheless, remained a theoretical one.

The Star of Ashburton Lodge, No. U TJ.A.O.D., met last evening, Rro.- A. Garriock presiding. An official visit was paid by the Grand Lodge of Canterbury, Rros. C. Barnes, G.P., L. Freeman, V.G.P., F. E. Talbot, G.S., Collins, G.T., and George, G.T., being in attendance. Sister Eyles and members of the Success of Ashburton Lodge, Rro. S. Ives, P.G.P., were also present. An invitaton to attend the next meeting of the Success of Ashburton Lodge was accepted. The Hibernian Lodge will entertain the Lodge at a card match on October 9, and it was decided to invite tlie Hakatere find Daphne Lodges to a social on September 25. The bards reported on visits to sick members and pay was passed. Rro. E. Parkin reported on the last meeting of the United Friendly Association Council. A proposition for membership was received. The Grand Lodge officers addressed the meeting on several matters of interest to the order and detailed the progress that had been made in recent years. A demonstration of the working of the system of preferential voting adopted at the last Grand Lodge meeting was carried out. A hearty vote of thanks was .‘passed the Grand Lodge members for their addresses. Rro. R. Chambers reported hat it was hoped that a football team would visit the Temuka Lodge for the annual match on September 23. After lodge was closed, refreshments were handed round. '

There is at present a heavy glut of cauliflowers on the Auckland market. Cauliflowers are usually plentiful at this time of the year, but the recent mild weather has developed large quantities quickl" and as they cannot be Jield back for more than a few days, growers have betui forced to send them to market ill spite of the low prices ruling. On Thursday sacks were selling at from ninepence to two shillings. At this time last year, the price was generally over , two shillings, and in the previous year, when there was a scarcity until later in the season, eight to ten shillings a sack was obtained.

The Government’s receipts up till the end of August are well above the estimate, according to a statement made at Cashmere last night by the actingPrime Minister (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates). Mr Coates, said he had' seen instated in the press that the revenue was down. That was entirely incorrect. He believed the beer revenue was down, but this was to be expected since the beer tax was high. Receipts to the end of August, however, were above the estimate. “Are you including sales tax?” was a question. Mr Coates: The estimate was £1,500,01)0, and so Par the sales tax is up to the estimate.

“There is not a single university or technical college in New Zealand, to my knowledge, that offers a thorough and complete course in the theory and practice of photography,” said Mr Gerald F. Jones in a luncheon address to members of the Auckland Society of Arts, when an exhibition of his photographs was opened. Mr Jones added that the neglect of nhotography by educational institutions was refnarkable, since it had manifold applications to the daily practice of almost every branch' of science and industry. This* was quite apart from its importance from the standpoint of pure science.

A memento of Mons for presentation to Sir George Richardson from the New Zealand branch of the Old Contemptibles’ Association, has been completed by Mr L. S. Mackie, of Otakeho. It is a carved block and gavel, of appropriate design, the block being of New Zealand wood and a finely executed piece of work. On one side it is carved to represent the Mons star, and with it four battle honours of the army—Mons, Ypres, the Aisne and the Marne. On another side are two flags, the Union Jack and the Old Contemptibles’ .flag. A third side, carries a design, incorporating the rose, thistle, shamrock, leek and fern leaf, the kauri, clematis and the kowhai. The fourth side has a, silver plate on which are inscribed the names of the members of the New Zealand branch of the association.