LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 109, 18 February 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tfir-sealinc operations are being carried out in Burnett 8t««t the section between West Street ai Grigg Street receiving attention at present.

The bands of the Wellington Boys Institute and the Taranaki Regiment passed through Ashburton on their way to Timaru for the Dominion contest. Several cbmpetitois m the solo events were passengers ioi tne south this morning.

While most vegetable gardens m Ashburton have suffered extensively as a result of the dry weather, in one or two cases certain classes of vegetables have done remarkably well. A resident on the eastern side ot the Borough has had great success with his onions. One bulb weighed lilbs and four turned the scales at 51 bs.

4 tomtit has forsaken the wide open spaces of Upper Hutt for the confines of the kitchen at the Maoribank tearooms. The bird made its headquarters there 10 days ago, and refuses to leave. It is popular with the staff and even with the domestic cat, which allows it to flit about unmolested. l<hes are; prevalent in ijie district, and the bird thrives on them. ,

An amusing episode, in which the four-year-old son of a Blenheim fireman was the central figure, occuiied recently. Noticing a small rubbish fire several hundred yards along the road, the boy dashed inside and put on Ins father’s fire .helmet and proceeded to the fire as speedily as his tricycle would: carry him. It was not for some minutes that his mother missed him, and she got a severe shock when she caught a glimpse of the brass-headed figure endeavouring to “get the fire out,” as the lad put it when his mother arrived on the scene.

W 7 hile for most cf the farming methods they saw the New South Wales farmers had 1 nothing but praise (says the “Southland Times”), they were frankily amused by the puny stacks and tlie leisurely style of forking which they saw as they motored round. “Keystone comedy stacks” was one expression used. They mentioned that it was not uncommon in Australia for one stack to contain 120 tons of hay. The oat stacks and wheat stacks in Neu l South Wales were, they said, many times the size of those in Southland.

In the course of general observations oil conditions in New South W ales, All Hendry Luke, of Auckland, who returned from Sydney recently, said that according to a statement by the chanmail of the Builders’ Association business would be back to 1930 level during the present year. Brickyards were busier than they had been since 1930. A big proportion of the building was in brick" and there was much activity in dwelling houses. Attractive designs in brick were a feature of Sydney residential arras. Mr Luke mentioned that he had made a preliminary investigation of the possibility of trade with Australia, in the export lngh-giade nluminious fired ay* from Kamo, D»ortii Auckland. Samples taken by him were now under practical test at furnaces in New 'South Wales.

Two hundred and fifty-ono people attended the Fairfield Freezing Workers’ picnic at Timaru on Saturday. A successful sports programme was conducted on Caroline Bay.

About 2o members of the East Ashburton Amateur Swimming Club attended a picnic at Hanging, Rock, on the Qpihi River, yesterday, and the excursion was thoroughly enjoyed. The day was spent in swimming and climbing.

A Press Association telegram states that Lord! Moyne’s luxury yacht paid a surprise visit to Napier early to-day. It arrived at 8 o’clock and landed Lord Moyne, who is travelling overland to Taupo, Rotorua and Auckland, - and left again for Auckland before midday.

Sales of iee creams and cordials in Ashburton, which represented a record during December, January, and early this month, showed a decrease during the colder weather of last week. However, with the advent of higher temperatures, it is expected that the trade m these summer delicacies will improve again.

A young wild pig following its master about the streets of Eltham like a dog was a sight witnessed the other day. Recently a resident of the town made a capture of the young pig in the bush and brought it home. The animal soon became tame; and formed such an attachment for its master that it followed him about everywhere, and even went with him to his place of work. The animal is of the genuine “Captain Cook” variety.

Members of the Star of Ashburton and Success of Ashburton Lodges, U.A.G.D., attended a church parade to the Congregational Church at Timaru yesterday afternoon. The parade was oyer 200 strong and consisted of members of juvenile and adult lodges from various parts of Canterbury. Grand Lodge officers from Christchurch also attended ana A.D. Bro. R. T. Latimer headed the Ashburton representatives.

On account of the excessive heat, the New Plymouth High School boys in barracks last week have been allowed in the hottest part of the morning to remove their khaki tunics. Underenath the tunics most of them were wearing singlets, with football shorts under their trousers. The explanation for putting on the addiwarrn garments is, in the boys’, words, that the cloth of the uniform is “like thistles.” ' -

Unstinted praise of this Dominion and its citizens came recently from Mif J. W. Mawson (late director of town planning), who left by the Waipawa from Napier direct for London. He said to a Hawke’s Bay “Herald” representative: “I have lived and worked in many countries, as you know, but New Zealand has got them all beaten so far as I am concerned. There is everything here which a man who loves an outdoor life "could desire; add to this that the New Zealanders are a cheery, hospitable people m good times and bad, and thorough sportsmen, and you will appreciate my desire for a speedy return.” He planned to he back within two years, he said.

An extraordinary skid was witnessed in Auckland one evening last week (says the “Star”). One of the large buses that ply between Ellerslie and Auckland was going down Symcnds Street, and on reaching the safety zone area near Grafton bridge struck one of the metal studs that have been placed at various points of the city to separate “straight-on” traffic from traffic turning to the left. The result was a violent skid, the bus turning a complete circle and facing up the roadway when brought to a standstill. The driver was obliged to back the vehicle into Karangahape road in order to turn it in the direction it was originally travelling. Fortunately there were only two or three passengers in the bus, and no other vehicle was in the vicinity at the time.

The mystery of the disappearance or a cheque for £5, which was paid to the Opotiki Borough Council by Messrs Shalfoon Brothers in 1929, has just been solved. At a meeting of the council the town clerk reported that the missing cheque had been found by the typist pinned to some correspondence. Discussions had taken place at several meetings as to whether Shalfoon Bros, had paid for the hire of a concrete mixer which they had used on a new building in 1927. The council had first charged £26 for the hire, which had been reduced to £ls and later to £lO the council agreeing eventually to accept £5, which Messrs Shalfoon had offered. There had been no record of the cheque ever having been paid into the bank, and Messrs Shalfoon had refused to issue a new cheque until it could be shown what had become of the old one. The council expressed satisfaction at the clearing up of the mystery, which had caused many hard words and heated arguments.

“That is a point I don’t agree with,” said the chairman, Mr AV. I'isher, at the monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board on Monday, when referring to a suggestion made by the matron of the Grey town' Hospital, Miss L. Higginson, in her report, to the effect that as many of the nursing staff lived out of the district, it would be of advantage to their health if they were permitted to have the four days leave monthly off together so that they could visit their homes. jVIr Fisher pointed out that at one time it was a practice to allow the four days off together each month, but since they had brought in the six-day. week they had found it far more satisfactory. “It seems to me an absurdity,” he said, and added that he did not think the nurses would be prepared to spend all their savings in travelling any great distance each month. He thought they should insist that they should get one day off a week regularly. It was decided to notify the matron that the hoard could not agree to a change.

A small New Plymouth bov had ~m alarming and somewhat painful experience on a recent afternoon that will probablv serve to make him “watch his step” in future. Apparently the child was playing in Broughton Street and experimentally inserted his toes .n a gutter grating. Finding his loot was not as large as he thought, or that the grating bars were wider apart than they seemed to be, he continued the investigation until he became tired of standing on one leg. Ten minutes later passers-by were attracted by doleful cries, and after several painful and unsuccessful endeavours had been made to release the experimenter it was realised the situation was serious. The child’s foot was by now considerably swollen, and firmly wed<2eel at the angle between the bars. 'Suggestions ranged from tin openers to amputation, until a garage man arrived with a hack-saw and the laborious removal of two standards released the prisoners.

A party of 1,6 members of the Ashburton Salvation Army Band paid their annual visit to Geraldine on Saturday evening and, assisted the corps with the open-air meeting.

One hundred and thirty-two men will be given work in Ashburton this week under No. 5 scheme, and in the same period 127 men will be given sustenance payments.

Flocks of pigeons have caused some damage to gardens and some annoyance to householders in , Ashburton East, and a resident stated this morning that he had had the greatest difficulty in keeping them away from his section. He declared that he would use . a gun on the birds if they were not kept under for a week or two.

Since the Ashburton schools resumed after the summer holidays a fortnight ago, the children have been working dui*ing the mornings only on account of the hot weather. During the latter part of the period, the weather was cooler and the Canterbury Education Board decided that full-time work would be resumed as from to-day. Lessons will now follow the complete syllabus.

Returning from the Highland Pipe Bands’ contest in Timaru on Saturday, pipers entertained residents of Ashburton and fellow-passengers while their trains were at the local station. The skirl of the pipes was heard from the station at about 12.30 on Saturday night by those who were abroad at that hour and again when the excursion trains made their brief stay' here- last evening.

The Ashburton Tramping; Club’s outing yesterday was attended by a party of 16 whose destination was Woolshed Creek. The weather was ideal. The members left the ’bus on the Ashburton Gorge load and walked in to the Blackburn coalmine, where some time was spent inspecting the mine. They then tramped along the banks of Woolshed Creek above the Gorge and climbed a hill in the vicinity. On this trip excellent views of the Arrowsmith and Two Thumb ranges were obtained.

At the time that the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rotorua was coming up the Auckland harbour the other afternoon several boats were competing, in the Akarana Yacht Club s races, and near North Bfead the master of the ship, Captain C. B. Lamb, had his vessel slowed down, and actually put astern, insider to allow the yachts to pass him in windward and to get clear away. This sporting action wa's greatly appreciated by the yachtsmen.

Resolutions urging the Railway Department to adopt stringent methods to prevent sparks from locomotives causing fires, and advocating the payment of compensation by the Government to the owners of property damaged by fires caused by locomotives, were passed at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (says the Auckland “Star”). Mr J. H. Furniss said that many extensive outbreaks had been traced to sparks from locomotives, and the Railway Department should be held responsible for them. He considered that one preventive measure that should be put into operation immediately was the use of a better class of coal.

Swamp land on the property of Mr W. H. Mulligan, of Maronan, was the scene of a peat fire yesterday afternoon. A spark from a flaxmill caused the fire, which destroyed the miller’s tent and all his belongings with the exception of a suit and one boot and set about 10 acres of peat alight. The Ashburton County Council’s fire plant was taken out under the direction of the Engineer (Mr H. A. Vezey) and operated for. about six hours. Between five and six acres of flax was burnt and by this morning over 20 acres had been destroyed l , with the peat still burning. The fire was assisted by a steady wind, but its progress was stopped by a creek. The fire plant returned to Ashburton about 7 o’clock.

“If it is comfort you want, then a low-fitting collar gives the most satisfaction, was the remark passed by a clergyman at an Auckland Hospital Committee meeting when the question of the height of the collar for the porter’s uniform was the subject of consideration. “I can speak from experience,” he continued, “for we have to wear our collars right up under our chin, and'l tell you on the hot summer days they; are most uncomfortable. That is why we often adopt the layman’s low collar when free from. our clerical duties. I often think it suits us, too, and makes it hard to distinguish us from the ordinary man in the street, who rubs shoulders with us and thinks perhaps what hard-looking faces we have, like all other business men. After ail, a clerical collar gives a benevolent appearance, and compels us to walk circumspectly.'”