LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 128, 12 March 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One angler has had considerable success, at the Rakaia River since salmonfishing commenced. He bagged 1/ in five days, taking live on Saturday and four more on Sunday.

■Complaints are often voiced about the rubbish thrown down on the street of the citv (says the “Southland iSews hut the corporation employees are not called upon to cope with such situations as these met with in South Invercargill, according to a clause from the borough foreman’s report, which laconically stated: “Buried one cow Jett in a ditch by someone driving on Boundary road.”

Cleared of the rough grass and tussock, the area in the centre of Oak Grove between Alford Forest Road and Wills Street was sown in lawn grass today bv the Ashburton (Domain staff. A path lias been made through the centre of the lawn between the trees and provided tracks are not worn by pedestrians who do not keep to the footway this improvement will add considerably to the appearance of the grove.

In the early days of building in Ashburton, most "constructors made the greatest possible use of the propel ty and business premises were brought out on to the street line. Consequently steps leading into doorways above the street level abutted on to the footpath, constituting a menace to pedestrians. By-laws were later introduced to prevent this practice and there is now only one of these protruding steps in the central area of the Borough.

In connection with the warning issued by the Canterbury health officer in regard to tlic minor cases of food poisoning in Timaru, the Ashburton County health inspector (Mr E. V Johnson) stated to-day that such cases had not been made notifiable in this district. Consequently there were no official figures available but Mr Johnson said he had heard of a number of cases. The trouble, of a very mild nature in Ash&urtcn, was commonly known as summer sickness.

A remarkable discovery' is related in a letter recently received by Mr I>. Robb, of Winton, from his father, Mr F. Robb, of Glasgow. The latter writes: “I have just read a book about the recent explorations in Greenland, and the writer says that they c-ame on a cache of stores hidden in the ieo since 1876. The meat was quite good and they ate it. The tins were marked with the stamp of a firm or meat canners in Winton, New Zealand, hinc out of tliev are still there, and then tell them of this. It would make a fine advertisement for them ' On inquiries being made at Winton it was learned that Alie farmers of the district about that time established * concern known as the Southland Farmers' Meat Works, near Gap Road, about a mile from Winton. These works were known as the “boiling down works,” and were a familiar land mark for many years. Apparently the tinned meat "was product of the first established W inton concern of that period. The meat works in question were bought out by the Woodlands Company a short time after their establishment.

The No. 1 Grand Chapter Court, A.0.F., met last evening, the G.C.R. (Bro. J. Meacl'em) presiding jover a fair attendance. One new member was elected. A number of matters pertaining to the welfare of the Order were discussed.

Submitting that workers’ compensation should not bo treated as income in unemployment declarations, Air W. P. Rollings appeared in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court to enter a plea of not guilty for George Arthur Fuller, who was charged with making a false statement of income to obtain sustenance. Mr E. Page, >S.M., reserved decision until next Friday to gi.ve himself time to examine the Statute.

Writing home to Wanganui recently a school teacher who was once teaching in New Zealand and is now at a private school in Sydney says that schools in Australia use vastly different methods from those in New Zealand. There each child has morning tea and is supplied with a bottle of milk and ah orange. “Their lunches are also provided,’ the letter states, “a further drink of milk and two thick brown bread sandwiches. Every afternoon when they come into school they lie flat on their backs on little mats, and I am expected to play music to them and at the same time see that they keep lying down. It is net too easy a job, I might say.”

“I take off my hat to those officers and men of the New Zealand: Expeditionary Forces who are not yet too old or too bored to continue their service with the Territorial Army of to-day. They are doing w T ork of a. greater importance than they themselves may realise,” said General Sir Alexander Godley, when speaking to ex-service-men at Gisborne. “Under the conditions of training in these days, it is not too easy to keep the ranks filled, and there is a good deal oTToose talk heard about it not being necessary to learn to carry arms for the defence of one’s eountiV- You men who know what is good for your country can help to build up a public opinion that it is the right thing for a young fellow to do. If you can do this, you will be carrying on the work you started while serving with the New’ Zealand Division.”

February averages for the 1934-35 season of the cows tested by the Canterbury Herd Testing Association are as follows: Plains group—Cow’s 375, test 4.2, milk 6G6lbs, fat 28.23 lbs, highest herd 41 cows, 31.951bs fat, lowest herd' 20.1Ubs fat, highest cow, 671bs fat; Peninsula —Cows 593, test 4.1, milk 5341b5, fat 21.921b5, highest herd, 26cow.s>, 36.3811b5, lowest herd 15.451bs fat, highest cow, 551 bs fat; Rangiora— Cows 404, test 4.0, milk 6761b5, fat 27.171b5, highest herd 40 cows, 34.851bs fat, low’est herd 17.08 lbs fat, highest cow’ 6211>s fat; Ashburton—Cows 314, test 3.9, milk 5311b5, fat 20.941b5, highest herd, 8 cows, 31.871bs fat, lowest herd 12.081b5, highest cow, 501 bs fat; Association— Cows 1686, test 4.0, milk 5921b5, fat 24.591b5, highest herd 26 cows, 36.381 lbs fat, lowest herd 12.08 lbs fat, highest cow r , 67lbs fat.

Some of the members of the Napier Citizens’ Band are wearing uniforms oyer 20 years old. On a recent occasion when the Napier Band combined with the Hastings .Band at a function in Hastings (says the “Hawke’s Bay Herald”) it occurred to the secretary (Mr_ L. R. Jago) that the Napier bandsmen looked shabby in comparison with the Hastings men. This he mentioned in the course of a report to the Napier Borough Council. “I might state,” he said, “that while the Hastings Band has had three new uniforms our members are wearing old uniforms, some of which have been in use for oyer 20 years.” The report was taken in committee.

A resident of Parnell, Auckland, who is interested in bird life, attracts many feathered visitors to her garden by the lure of a bird bath, also bread crumbs. Round) the bath many bird dramas are enacted, usually with Sam Starling as villain, for he is the most unehivalrous of the birds, and will risk death from pneumonia by taking a dozen baths in succession, whilst sparrows and smaller birds wait dejectedly at a respectful distance. On a recent morning there were unusual visitors, six fine quail. They were quite unaware of the uses of bread crumbs, and ignored crumbs thrown from an overlooking window. After a short stay and a drink from the bird bath, they made off leisurely for the gorse-covered gully between Brighton Road and Laurie Avenue.

To celebrate the jubilee of one of the greatest of surgical triumphs was reenacted lecently in a London hospital an operation performed 50 years ago. The scene was the operating theatre of the Hospital for Epliepsy and Paralysis, Maida Vale, and the operation was to remove a tumour from the brain—an undertaking which, up to November 25. 1881, no surgeon had thought possible. The skull used was a. model, but the instruments and the methods of the original operation was reproduced. The original patient was a farm labourer from Dumfries, Alexander Henderson. A young physician diagnosed that Henderson had a tumour on the right side of the brain and a young surgeon, later to be Sir Rickman Godlee and president of the Royal College of Surgeons, accepted his suggestion that an operation to remove the tumour wou.d be possible. The operation is now common, and between 70 and 80 were P er * formed in the hospital last year. But an electric drill has replaced the circular sawing motion of the trephine, and a fine wire saw has taken the place of the hammer and chisel.

A direct contradiction of the recent story from London of the manufacture, at a. cost of £SO, of ai synthetic diamond valued at £12,000 has been received by cablegram by representatives of Messrs E. A. P. and A. friefus, who are at present in New Zealand. Their principals are one of the largest firms of diamond merchants in the world, and the contradiction comes from its head office. The making of synthetic diamonds has actually been accomplished at least once, borne years ago {Tie Nobel Explosives Company succeeded in making two small stones each the size of a pin s head, which withstood many tests whereby the authenticity of a diamond is proved, but the cost of production was £BO,OOO. Some years ago the world was surprised to read of a Frenchman who had discovered a process of manufacturing diamonds. After forming a company and collecting considerable capital lie was arrested and sentenced to a long lenn of imprisonment for fraud. What he actually did was to secrete some ordinary rough diamonds from the mines into his retort- before demonstrating the processes of his discovery to eminent scientists. After various chemical operations he rediscovered the diamonds. No less than 98 per cent, of the world’s supply of diamonds comes from South Africa and the remaining 2 per cent, from Brazil.

With Havelock, Burnett and Tanered streets tar-sealed for several blocks on the western side of the railway line, it is probable that the actual railway crossings will be sealed shortly. The dust nuisance has been minimised since the western streets have been attended to but until the crossings are sealed there will still ibe some trouble when the wind blows from the northwest. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods) has made representations to the- Railway Department, and a report will be submitted shortly.

A total of 98,826 white butterflies has been forwarded to the Whangarei Horticultural Society from nineteen schools in the district. Some time ago the society inaugurated a white butterfly competition among the schoolchildren in the district which concluded on February 25. All the results are not yet to hand. One boy caught 4720 butterflies and several children returned ever 2000 and ten were responsible for over 1000 eafch. The society originally decided to award four prizes for the four highest numbers returned, but has amended its offer to include consolation aw’ards to every child with 1000 butterflies.

A suggestion that motor associations throughout New Zealand should gather data about places of historical interest to be published for the use of motorists v’as not altogether approved by the executive of the Automobile Association (Wellington) at a recent meeting. The suggestion was contained in a letter from the North Island (New r Zealand) Motor Union. Members of the executive expressed the opinion that the historical information contained in their own guide book was quite sufficient, and] that it w r ould be difficult to obtain authentic historical data and reduce them to small enough dimensions to make them useful for guide book purposes. The chairman of the Roads Committee (Mr E. Palliser) suggested replying that historical points in the association’s district were reasonably covered by the association’s guide book and this course was agreed to by members.

The fortnightly meeting of the Star of Ashburton Lodge, U.A.0.D., was held last evening, Bro. R. T. Latimer A.ID., presiding. Visitors included Bros. C. Ives, P.D.P., S. McClymont, and officers and members ot the Success of Ashburton Lodge. A motion of sympathy with the relatives of the late Bro. H. Porter was carried. The bards reported on visits to sick members, and sick pay w’as passed. One candidate was initiated. Reports were received from representatives on the Friendly Societies’ Council and the Dispensary Board, and the dispensary balance sheet was passed. A motion was carried congratulating the dispensary on the very favourable balance sheet. Grand Lodge delegates, Bros. W. Samuels, E. Parkin and R. T. Latimer, reported on the recent meeting of Grand Lodge, and were thanked for the able manner in which they had represented the Lodge. Congratulations w r ere extended to Bros. Latimer and J. H. Deniston on being elected to the hoard of management, and Bro. Keay (Timaru) on his appointment as Grand Guardian. Bro. J. H. Ward was elected outside guardian. It was decided to hold a 500 flag tournament next lodge night, to which the Success of Ashburton Lodge members were invited, and to bold the Royal Arch Chapter Ritual competition on April 8.