LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 35, 21 November 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Napier Harbour Board lias decided to restore half "cuts" in salaries and wages made in'l93l (says a Press Association telegram). One of the largest sharks caught in New Zealand wajers was landed by, a fisherman at Kaiti Beach, near borne, on Saturday last. He trapped it in his not and shot it. Jhe shark w,as 23 feet lonsr, and was .10 feet m girth. The species has not been identified. « The visit to Asnhurton of the Grenadier Guards' Band, which came out to Australia for the Centenary celebrations, is scheduled for January 9. A lie band will travel from Chnstehurch to Timaru on January 1. but will not make a stay here until n> week later, journeying up from Oamaru on January 9.

The opinion that there was no slump in the timber industry on the West Coast was expressed to ,a "bouthlancl Times" lepoiter by the Hon. J .. o'Byrne, M.L.C. Mr 0; Byrne said he had" travelled to 60 miles below Boss and had found the mills busily cutting white pine for export to Australia. Condition; owing to that were better than was the case m Southland. Admiration for the scenic beauties of South AVestland was. also expressed by Mr O'Byrne, who said the drive south from Boss was something to remember.

The erection of the new post office at Dunedin is proceeding steadily, the fifth storey now being in course of construction. The final shipment ofi structural steel from England is due at the end of this month, and the contractors anticipate, that the fabrication of it at Port Chalmers will be completed about the middle of January. The only work remaining to be done on the steel alter January will be the riveting. The preparation of granite for the lower storeys is proceeding to schedule. A considerable quantity of' finished granite is now being transported -to the site, and a start is to be made at the end of December with placing it in position.

The visit to Ashburton of the two Australian swimmers, R. Clarke and H. Tickle, is arousing considerable interest among chilis throughout Canterbury, as this will be their first appearance in the Dominion. The Ashburton Amateur Swimming Centre's carnival, to be held in the Borough baths tomorrow evening, has attracted large entries, and swimmers from Christchurch, Timaru and all parts of the Ashburton County will be competing. The Australian visitors will arrive by the south-bound express train to-mor-row morning.

It is over half a century since perch were imported and liberated in the Wakanui Creek and iu. the Domain ponds, but there are still a few specimens in existence, descendants of the one only attempt to stock the waters mentioned. Now and again a small perch is taken from a pond in the Domain or is seen more or less strangled in one of the side channels in the town. The original supply of perch thrived for some years and a number of large fish have been taken, but when the Wakanui Creek practically dried up, the fish disappeared,, leaving those in the Domain as the sole survivors. No fresh stack has been added and the perch have gradually deteriorated.

Except for the 15-day engineers drawing examination commencing tomorrow, the University degree examinations concluded to-day. A number oi : students have been sitting at the Ashburton Centre since November i under the supervision of Mr J. Cook.

A Press Association telegram from New Plymouth states that the cable steamer Recorder, which is operating off Muriwai beach, arrived this morning to take in stores and water. The vessel has been delayed _by rough weather hi effecting repairs to the cable. She will leave to-morrow afternoon to resume 'operations.

. A sudden whirlwind coming while play was in progress in a tennis match at Auroa (Taranaki) on Saturday capsized the umpire's stand, throwing him on the ground, shifted a player to the other side of the'net, and levelled a tin fence. A tennis racquet cover was lifted 150 feet into the air and carried 100 yards.

The Management Committee of the Canterbury Cricket- Association last evening received a letter from the Ashburton County Association approving of the proposed competition among the sub-associations of Canterbury, provided suitable rules could be drawn up. Consideration of the matter was held over until replies had been received from other sub-associations.

A Press Association message from Wellington states that nominations for the election of one producers' representative to the Honey Export Control Board closed yesterday. They are: William Bayley Bray, Leeston; Henry Geddes, Ohinemutu; Walter Watson, Geraldine. Mr Watson is the sitting member. The election will take place on December 11, ,

Among the many improvements in the surroundings of the Auckland Railway Station, one that is likely to become a great attraction is the row of different varieties of tea-tree set in a long bed on the Parnell side. The shades range from oure white to deepest crimson and many unusual double types have been included. The whole plot is a revelation of the perfection that has been attained, by horticulturalists in producing beautiful garden varieties from a native shrub.

The Public Works Department -is carrying out investigations to determine which is the better of two airport sites suggested for Timaru, the tidal marsh at Saltwater Creek or the flat plains at Washdyke. The Saltwater Creek site is nearer the town, but investigations are being made into the possibility of draining it effectively. The Timaru Borough Council is bearing tho cost of the report, which will be ready for presentation to it in a few weeks.

The Central King Country farmers have had a good run with their shearing this season, states the "Taumarunui Press." The long spell of dry weather has enabled sheds in all parts of the country to keep going full swing. The Railway Department has been alive to business this year, sending out business agents to arrange for the delivery of wool right from the farm to the wool stores in the cities. This enables the transport of the woo to be carried out with quick dispatch and with regard for economy.

An Auckland pilot, Mr R. G. Tappenden, was liberally besprinkled with dust when he accompanied SquadronLeader M. C McGregor on an aerobatics flight from Mangere aerodrome the other afternoon in the Miles Hawk flown by the Manawiatu pilots in tho Centenary air race. During a slow roll a cloud of dust was seen to fly from the front cockpit and envelop the passenger as the machine turned upsidedown. On landing the pilot informed Mr Tappenden that he had the dust of 14 countries showered upon him, the machine not having been inverted since it left Mildenhall to fly to Melbourne.

There is a good trade in motor-cars in the Ashburton district at present. Many residents who are in the habit of purchasing new vehicles every year or two have, not made a change for several years on account of the difficulty of the times. They are now sufficiently confident' of a general improvement to invest in a new car. The modern designs are an "attraction to many,'and agents state that they are more than satisfied with the popularity of the streamlined car.

The Government intends to send early in the New Year six additional cadets to the Royal Military College at Duntroon (Australia) for training which will qualify the boys for commissions in the New Zealand permanent forces. An arrangement exists between the New Zealand Government and the Commonwealth Government for the training of cadets for commissioned rank. In the year fust closing four boys were selected in the IDominion and are now well on the way to becoming professional soldiers (says a Press Association message from Wellington).

Boards that have been in use for many years holding in place the edge of footpaths above some of the street channels in Ashburton have been removed in recent days in the course of the Borough Council's programme of laying down new concrete channels, and the wood is shown to be in an excellent state of preservation. Constant contact with the water in the channels and drainage from the paths have seemingly had little effect on some of it, though huge nails which were used to hold it in position have rusted badly. There are many of the boards, however, which have decayed to a large extent.

The renewed interest of the Borough and Conntv Councils recently! in the destruction' of rats, for which an increased subsidv was for some time paid, seems to have'had a considerable effect on the rat colonies, for it is reported that the numbers of rodents in the business area of-Ashburton is not nearlv so large as formerly. The problem of rats in shops was particularly difficult so far as Burnett Street shops were concerned, and late in the evenings it was common to see rats running about the footpaths and across the road. lJje •killing of large numbers has had a big effect"and it is known that poison has accounted for scores of rats in recent weeks.

The annual Svnod of the South Canterbury Methodist district opened in St Paul's Methodist Church, Wair mate ' yesterday morning. The ministerial' session, under the chairmanship of the Rev. J. I>. McArthur, proceeded with oral examinations and reports on the works of probationers. Mr W. R Moore, of Rakaia, was recommended to the ensuing conference for ordination, and Mr W. C. Jenkin was recommended to pass in his year, both subject to the written examination proving satisfactory. The report of tho Trinity Theological College was received'. Reports were rtiven by all ministers on the come-to-church and membership campaign held in August.

It was reported by the Ashburton Puhlic Hospital this morning that John Alexander Watson, of Methven, who was admitted on Saturday suffering from a fracture or the skull and a fractured thigh sustained as a result of a fall while he was bird-nesting, has shown a slight improvement in his condition.

The concern felt by farmers regarding the stealing of sheep and wool m the Wanganui and Rangitikei districts has been crystallised m a reward of £IOO which is being offered to the first person within that district who gives such information as will lead to convictions. Discussion at the last meetjnn- of the Farmers' Union in Wanganui has resulted in the resuscitation of the Sheep and Wool-stealing Pre- 1 vention Committee, under the chairmanship of Mr H. Y. Leth bridge.'

A leaf from an Auckland grocer's ledger elated December 23, 1885, fortynine years ago, shows that prices for butter and cheese then were very close to the rates ruling to-day. Cheese was 8d per lb, butter Is per lb, eggs Is 3d per dozen, and ham Is per lb. Evidently farmers had to face prices then on much the same level as to-day, but in the intervening years the price of taim land has increased very considerably. Onions sold at 2d per lb which is about the price at the present time White sugar and oatmeal were both 3d pei id. Lemons were rare in those days, selling at 3d each.

The Agricultural Department is taking no risk of the introduction into New Zealand of the dreaded disease of swine fever, and a rather extraordinary instance of the effect of the prohibitory law came under notice recently. A New Zealand farmer sent a carcase of lamb to a friend in San Francisco, and as a gesture of appreciation of the gift the American forwarded to his. friend in the "Dominion a cooked ham. ; lo the surprise of the intended recipient, however, the gift was refused admittance to the Dominion on the ground of the possible danger of the introduction cf swine fever. Notwithstanding urgent representations the department was adamant, as it was held that even' the cooking of the joint did not eliminate the danger, and the ham will not grace the Christmas dinner table of the New Zealander.

Mr E. Cholerton, of Messrs, J. R. Procter, Ltd., Opticians, Chnstchurch, arrived in Ashburton this afternoon, and may be consulted at the Somerset Hotel.—(Advt.)