LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 287, 15 September 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The level of Lake Coleridge yesterday morning was 1670.4 ft, compared with 1670.575 ft a week ago. The figures represent a fall of 0.175 ft.

Precautions against .the ravages of the weather in heaps of corded l firewood are commonly taken on farms, but there is one place in Ashbnrton County where a thatch of straw has been placed over the firewood to keep out the rain.

When, at the last meeting of the Southland Hospital Board a member made reference to a man making £SOO a year from 10 acres there was a general demand for further particulars (reports the "Times"). "It, must have been 10 acres at Cromwell," said Mr G. Wraytt. "Or an hotel.." suggested another member. "No, not an hotel," said Mr G. Whittingiiam emphatically.

The works staff of the Ashbnrton Borough Council has been busy over the last few weeks in the cleaning up of most of the streets on the west side of the Borough and great improvement has been effected. Where the recent rain tended to make conditions somewhat muddy at the numerous channel crossings in front of houses, shingle has been placed, an action that has been appreciated by residents.

As a tribute to the memory of Mr Vvarwick Stanton, the young Ancklander, who died in August. 1931, in an attempt to bring help to his friends who were cawdit in a blizzard, a memorial tablet has been erected at , a height of 5500 feet on the slopes of Mount lluapehu. The work, which was completed recently, was of an arduous nature, small parties of the lost climber's friends making a six-mile journey from the Chateau on four successive days to the Whakapapa-iti Gorge.

Referring to the latest appointments of justices of the oeace, 33 in all, the Minister of Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) said that the appointments were supplementary to those recently made. The majority of the appointments had been rendered necessary by the deaths or removals of justices of the peace in country districts in which, in several instances, there was no justice of the peace always available to sign decuments requiring the signature of a justice.

Letters from a. Mr D. H. Hewett, of North Auckland, concern in** n gold badge picked up by him near'Wellington some years ago and his desire to forward it to the rightful owner were tabled at a meeting of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre. The badge, said Mr Hewitt, had inscribed on it "440 champ. Ist," and when found it was attached to a chain. It was in the shape of a Maltese Cross, about one inch square, and bore the initials "A.C." on the face. The badge had been stowed away in a box for about fifteen years, but recently it came to light again, and it had occurred-to him that with the Wellington Centre's assistance it might be possible to trace the owner. Efforts are being made by the Centre to find the owner, and to this end it has asked M.r Hewett to forward the badge to Wellington in the hope of it beinsr, possible to identify the disti ict where it was issued and to narrow down the search.

; The Wellington. City Council last night agreed to erect a workshop and club room at the Rongotai Aerodrome, at an estimated.cost of £1322 (says a Press Association message). The amount will probably be subsidised by the Unemployment Board.

Although the export trade in timber from Greymouth shows no. improvement, the district mills are working slightly better time at present than for some time past (states the "Grey River Argus"). This is due to an increased domestic demand, resulting, apparently, from the stimulus of the building subsidy. One mill at least has engaged additional hands recently.

Sixtv years ago tc-day, the Ashburton Public Library was opened in Tancred Street. The first committee of the library consisted of lDa\ J. E. Trevor, Messrs H. T. Winter, A. Saunders, J>. McLaren, 11. Millar, C. Johnstone, J. Ward, R. f P. Glen, C. Greenward, F. Mayo, T. Bullock, E, Saunders, Cook and Buddie. The library was removed to the present site about 50 years ago when the municipal offices were built in Baring Square West. The presents Borough Council Chamber was added to the building about 30 years ago.

Godwits have started to .return to New Zealand after their loiv annual migration to Siberia, and already numbers have been seen in Manukau Harbour. They 'are apparently an advance guard for larger flocks, states a telegram from Auckland. It is customary for godwits to appear in large numbers in October, the migration in norma] years beinp completed by the end of November, In several w'oeks' time it is probable that thousands of the birds will be gathered on the mudflats of west coast harbours and at other favoured spots.

The reconstruction of trie AshburtonMayfield telegraph toll line/ has been completed by a gang of Post and Telegraph employees from Christchurch who have returned to the city. The line is an all-copper one now and speech transmission should be greatly improved by the work that has beep carried out. Formerly parts of the circuit were bronze, parts iron, and other parts iron and copper and the officials at the Post Office aro very satisfied with the work that has been carried out and the improvement effected.

When the Limited express reached Te Awamutu at ten o'clock on Wednesday night, states a. Press Association telegram, the police arrested a middle-aged man who had travelled from Auckland, lying on top of a carriage. In the local court yesterday he was charged with being idle and disorderly. He said he wanted to return to Taumarunui, where he hoped to secure work. Having no money for a fare he climbed to the top of a carriage and travelled 100 miles in the cold night air. He offered to walk the other 75 miles to Taumarunui if not sent to gaol. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon.

, Mr K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr R. W. Campbell, Conservator of the Auckland Forestry District, and two members of the Committee appointed under the provisions of the Small Farms (Relief of Unemployment) Act, accompanied by Mr A. M. "Samuel, M.P., returned to Waihi on. Tuesday, from Whangamata, Avhere a conference was held with the Local Settlers' Association on the question of land suitable for small farms now being used, for afforestation. The Commissioner promised to confer with the Forestry (Department, with a view to setting aside those areas suitable for immediate or future settlement.

Speaking at the annua] meeting of the Wellington Children's Health Camp Association, the Mayor (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) said he had been asked to issue a challenge,to the citizens of Auckland for success in a copper trail. It was proposed that the contest commence on December 1 and end on December 30, Each penny, he said, will represent a. foot in length on the railway line, and the, winner will be the city which first readies the National Park railway station, which is half-way between the two cities—a distance of 220 miles. The funds resulting from the contest will be devoted to the support of children's health camps. Mr Hislop said he was confident that Wellington would uphold the good name of the city, and therefore he issued, with defiance, the challenge to Auckland.

About 12 years ago a Gisborne resident received from a friend in Queensland, as a curio, a brightly-coloured beetle of a type not found in New Zealand. As usually happens with things of that sort, the beetle was wrapped in cottonwool, and put away in a cardboard pillbox. It was dead when it arrived from Australia, and there was no doubt, about it being dead when the box was opened six years later. Yet. when a dav or two ago the Gisborne resident was sorting through a trunk in which the pillbox was kept she found on openinsr the box that'six little beetles had hatched out, and one was still alive, although the original beetle had been incarcerated for 12 years m a practically airtight box, without food or light.

The Tinwaid School Committee met recently when there were present Messrs'J. H. Harper (in the chair), F. Crawford, A. Wakelin, E. Ed© and A. Simpson (secretary). The headmaster s report stated that Miss Finney had commenced duty when the school reopened for the term. A hearty vote of thanks was passed .to Mr G. Clark for a gift of rose t,rees and to Messrs Millichamp Bros, tor a gift of trees and orchard stocks. The headmaster was given permission to purchase two bats Tor the cricket team. On the motion of Mr Ede it was decided to remove the oak trees in front of the school. It was reported that several posts in the front fence needed replacing and decided that' application should be made to the Education Board for new posts. The committee nbP decided to fence the orchard plot.

Sailors, ruci, and the sea are, in the minds of most people, an inseparable combination (says the "Otago (Daily Times.") As well have Hamlet witJioUtj the Prince of Denmark as a battleship without its rum ration, but this is tl e plight of the Royal Australian Navy. Officially there is no "grcg" on hoard ship. There is no daily distribution of rum of the kind that has existed iiom time immemorial in the British Navy. The tradition is observed in the New Zealand Squadron, however, and in t! is respect the ships' companies of H.M.S. Diomede and H.M.S. Dunedin are generally envied by the crews of the \ uniting Australian cruisers. Asked .v;iy Australians should be denied the >nalienable privilege of man-of-warsmen, an officer of H.M.A.S. Australia laid the responsibility at the door of a wellknown rear-admiral of the fleet, who discouraged the rum ration, and justified himself by saying that Australians did not need rum; they were had enough without it.

. Improvements lately carried out at the north apnroach to the bridge over the Hinds River whore the Maronan Road crosses the river include the rounding of one of the sharp corners and the replacing of the "gorse hedges by neat wire-netting. The alterations will be welcomed by motorists but more so by drovers of stock.

Under the caption "Geysers Erupt in Street," the following American newspaper clipping has been received by a Wanganui resident from a friend in the States: —"Rutoruna, New Zealand.—Main Street; Chinemutu, blew up recently when two new geysers erupted, throwing mud and water 100 feet high. No one was hurt, as a violent rainstorm was raging and residents were indoors."

"It has been a wonderful season; 1 have never known better," said a prominent Tuakau sheepfarmcr, speaking of the lambing season. He said that during the lambing period this year there was an absence of the usual cold winds and hail. In consequence, the mortality rate among both sheep and l&mbs was exceedingly low. He anticipated that excellent percentages would be obtained, and added that the splendid growth of grass now apparent was very" helpful to the sheepfarmer.

Tu the course of a lecture at the Auckland University College upon the influence of the seasons upon man, Professor A. B. Fit* referred to the incidence of influenza. Ho said that it had been observed that influenza was more common at the transition from winter to spring, when human resistance was weaker, and, in consequence, August was a month in the year when influenza was to be expected in the Southern Hemisphere. Similarly, in the Northern Hemisphere, outbreaks of influenza occurred in the early spring.