LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 138, 23 March 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There were no notifications of infectious diseases in the Ashburton Boiough or Ashburton County this week.

Twenty-one girls from the Ashburton High School travelled to Timam today to play tennis matches with the Timam Girls’ High School.

Members of the Baring Square Methodist Church choir held their anniial picnic at Hakatere at the mouth of the Ashburton River this afternoon. The weather was ideal and an enjoyable sports programme was held.

Some of the Hastings unemployed in their otherwise spare time, are engaged in retrieving; and cleaning bricks which had been dumped on _ rubbish tips after the earthquake in 1931. There is a steady demand for these bricks (says the “Hawke s Bay Herald”), and those who are salving them should' be able to find a market.

After climbing Fantham’s Peak, Mount Egmont, without boots, last month, and feeling no ill-effects from the venture, Mr Duncan Poole, ot Hawera, determined that he would try the scoria- of the main peak and. trv to reach the summit. This lie achieved the other day and returned to the hostel feeling very fit. Except ioi a small piece of skin off_ one toe, his feet were in perfect condition.

“If the police advertised that they intended holding a produce stall sale in the main street to provide themselves with new helmets, people would bo aghast,” said Mr H. G. Hall, at Matamata in an address on primary education. He continued: “Yet primary school committees have to organise card parties, bottle drives, etc., to raise sufficient funds for the proper education of the children.”

The Ashburton River was reported this morning to be clear but reports from the Rakaia and Rangitata indicate that they will not be suitable for salmon fishing until next week. The Rakaia is milky and it will be Wednesday or Thursday before it is fishable. Trout fishing will be possible in the Rangitata over the week-end and this river should be ready for salmon on Monday.

“Death from gas poisoning” has made necessary the removal of one of the line of plane trees in Herscell Street. Napier. It had been suspected that the tree had been killed by gas escaping from a leaking main, and this was confirmed when the tree was removed. Si mi In r trouble hns been ex~ porieneed since the earthquake in Kennedy* Road and Raffles Street, in both of which escaping gas has had its effect on the avenues of ornamental trees.

“Comparatively few Australians pay holiday visits to New Zealand and 1 was amazed to find that the reason tei this that most of them are afraid of earthquakes,” stated Mr A. S. Clark, of New Plymouth, who has just returned from a*visit to Melbourne. “lliey seem to think that the Dominion is being continually shaken and it is hard to make them believe that there aie thousands of New Zealanders who nave never felt an earthquake. Australians generally have no idea of the size of the Dominion and I was frequently asked if I knew somebody’s cousin, who lived hundreds of miles away from New Plymouth 1”

A “Gazette” notice announces the proclamation as roads of two pieces of land, each 36 poles in area, in the Ashburton Survey District. They are situated in the South Rakaia road district.

Oranges provided for Star Rugby football teams during last season cost over £7, it was stated at the annual meeting at New Plymouth, while the total receipts from subscriptions were £6. The fact caused surprise among the 100 present.

A number of large butterflies estimated to be about three times the size of normal specimens have recently been seen at Devonport (Auckland). With wings of a dark brown, bordered with golden russet, the butterflies are thought to be one of the tropical species.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that the eigthy-seventh anniversary of the province of Otago was celebrated to-day in fine weather. A close holiday was observed and in addition to official gatherings, there were many sports meetings, including cricket, bowling and a regatta.

For several days Hamilton has suffered a plague of minute flying insects of the ant family. In some localities the pests have been worse than in others (says the “Waikato Times”), and they appear to be most numerous in warm, sunny areas, which are sheltered from the wind. Of vicious temperament, these small insects, have the ability to inflict irritating stings.

A report on the potential sources of water to supply farms in the Mount Hutt district has been forwarded to the Ashburton County Council by Mr T. G. Beck (Public Works. Department Engineer) who has recently been investigating the matter. The report is to be considered by the council at its next meeting. Mr Beck is also making a survey of the County for irrigation purposes, but it will be some time before the report will be received.

“I do not eat oysters myself, but I was asked by the young lady with me to knock a few off the rocks for her,” said a defendant in the Auckland Police Court last Thursday, when charged with taking oysters at Motuihi Island on February 3, during the close season. “I am afraid your compliance with your friend’s wishes will be rather expensive this time,” said Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., in fining defendant the minimum penalty of £l, with 10s costs and £1 Is solicitor’s fee.

Severe facial injuries were suffered by a two and a half years old child, Mary Tomich, of Pokeno, as the result of being gored by a cow (says the “New Zealand Herald”). The girl was standing in the milking shed on the farm of her father, Mr J. Tomich, while her parents were milking. Suddenly one of the cows lowered its head and attacked her. The child was immediately rescued, but a deep- gash had been made on her face. Neighbours took the child by car to the Auckland Hospital. Her condition was stated to be not serious.

The Otorohanga Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Taranaki .Chamber of Commerce at its meeting last, week complaining of the Railway Department’s system of cash on delivery service, which it was submitted enabled the larger towns to do business without the risk of financial loss, to the disadvantage of country centres. “I think the business people want cash on delivery,” said Mr J. fl. H. Holm, and the chairman (Mr AV. C. Weston) said the country had to progress, and it was no use" complaining at every move along such lines.

Rain is badly needed to freshen up feed throughout the district, particularly lamb feed, which (says the “Mataura Ensign”) is being ruined as a result of the dry and dusty weather. A Balfour farmer placed a draft of lambs on a break of turnips and grass, but after a couple of days he had to shift them owing to lambs attacking the bulbs instead of the tops. With the sheep moving about the paddock dust had been raised, and the turnip tops had become coated, with the result that they were not appetising to the lambs.

The refusal of the Unemployment Beard to permit theOnehunga Borough Council to carry out permanent work, such as the construction of concrete footpaths, with relief labour, is in accordance with the policy now generally adopted by the board. It has been explained by an official that the board does not desire to perpetuate the present state of unemployment in the Dominion by allowing local bodies to carry out standard work at relief rates but is willing to consider applications by such authorities for subsidies to assist in doing approved work. In such cases the board requires the local body to employ the men 40 hours a week instead of the two to four days a week prescribed on the No. 5 scheme.

An astonishing method of paying employees in a factory was mentioned yesterday by Mr W. Winterbourn, of Canterbury College, when describing the work of the psychology department. The method which was used by an American factory, was to pay the men by the number of tasks completed in a given time. Two foremen were employed ; one set the time and was paid according to the number of failures in completion of tasks, while the other, who supervised the men, w r as paid by the number of successes. The time set would therefore naturally be as short as possible and at the same time the men be pressed to do as much as possible. Mr Winterbourn condemned the method as being most unsatisfactory from the psychological point of view.

At Windsor Castle is a ring which was used for no fewer than seven Royal marriages, states an overseas writer. Known as the Aragon ring, it was brought from Spain by Catherine of Aragon. It was first used; when she ivas married by proxy to the infant Prince Arthur of England, after whose death it was used again for her marriage with Prince Henry, the “bluff King Hal” of a later day. It figured at all five of Henry’s subsequent weddings, and there is no evidence that any of his wives thought this incongruous at all. If they did they had to hear in mind that it was the proper thing to wear a ring that had been “handed down.” When Catherine Parr married Lord Seymour she returned the ring to the regalia, and possibly it was used again. The ring with which Charles IT. married the Princess of Brnganza came in turn into the hands first of Lucy Walters, secondly, of Nell Gwynne. Unlike the Aragon ring, however, it later passed into private hands. It is not to be wondered at that when the Prince Consort came to marry Queen Victoria lie resolved to have a plain gold band made for her, in which decision he was supported by King Leopold. Since then there has been no vogue for historic rings at Royal weddings. ~/

(During an angling holiday at the Rakaia River, Mr J. Weavers, of Oamaru, was very successful with the rod. He secured three fine salmon weighing 61b., 161 b., and 321 b. respectively.

There was a good attendance at a meeting of unemployed workers last evening, and after some discussion it was agreed not to reorganise. Those present decided to join the Ashburton Relief AVorkers’ Union.

“Speed with efficiency” must be the post office slogan. A letter from overseas, addressed “Mr , North Island, New Zealand, Australia,” was received in Wellington at 10 a.m. on March 14. It was in the hands of the addressee in New Plymouth by midday on the 16th, after haying been sent to a country office, and redirected from there.

A letter has just arrived in Invercargill addressed to an. Invercargill'resident, which was handed by a friend, living in London, to Mr Hewett before he took off from Mildenhall to compete in the London to Melbourne Centenary air race. On the back of the envelope it is stated that a bag containing the letter amongst ■other articles, was lost at Jask, (Persia. It was subsequently found and the letter forwarded to Australia. by Imperial Airways and the Quantas air mail, eventually arriving in New Zealand five months after dispatch, instead of in a few days, as anticipated.

Highly encouraging results are being obtained in the development of a number of large areas in the hinterland of Auckland province, where holdings are being made for future settlers under the small farms scheme. The success which is being achieved with the breaking in of large blocks of pumice country is of particular interest, and the results so far gained show the possibilities of this class of country for closer settlement. Some of the areas are now being developed by the Lands Department m conjunction with the Unemployment Board,, while the direction and supervision is carried out by the skilled staff of the Department.