LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 139, 25 March 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Unemployed figures for Ashburton this week are as follow :-Two hundred and three men under scheme JNo. o, 136 men to receive sustenance.

A Press Association message from Dunedin states: Watersiders who stopped work on the Turakma, when one of their number was arrested on Friday afternoon on a charge of cargo broaching, did not resume on Saturday.

A Press Association message from Dunedin says that the reported sale of the Union' Steam Ship Company s Maheno to Eastern buyers is denied by the general manager (Mr Matthewson). During the summer the Maheno was on the Melbourne-Bluff service. She left Wellington for Sydney on Friday.

The spilling of a box of matches and the friction of tyres and wheels on the matches, which were not picked up, was the direct cause of. an outbreak of fire at the old Fitzhefhert bridge at Palmerston North recently, the rubbish between the planks furnishing the outbreak with the material wherewith to gain in intensity. The fact that the outbreak occurred during the daytime, when there were plenty of "workmen engaged on the new structure alongside, enabled the fire to be dealt with promptly.

An-occurrence that has probably no parallel in the history of North Island racing happened recently. Six places were "filled by "Gay" horses (says the Auckland "Star"'), and people hearing the results over the radio were' inclined to think it was a mistake. At Paerca the Cup was won by Gay Rose, with Gay Broney second. The hack mile went to Bonny Gay, and Gay Seton won the sprint. At Wellington Gav Blonde was second in the big race, and Gay Sheik second in the two-year-old event.

There is in the possession of the Pareora Cricket Club a bat.which is of some historical value. The bat was presented to the Otaio Club in 1882 by Mr T. Teschemaker, so it is now 53 years old. Later the bat found its way Into the hands of the Pareora Club, which still retains it. One side of the bat is autographed by the members of the. Now South: Wales side which visited the Dominion in 1924. On the other side appear' the.autographs of the Melbourne Cricket Club team of 1927, and the M.C.C. team which toured New Zealand in 1929. The bat, which is much heavier than those in use today, is in a good state of preservation.

At the animal meeting of the Ashburton District Women's Institute on Friday afternoon, Mrs F. Curtis was re-elected president and Mrs D. Fitzgerald vice-president.

After the flcod of last week the water in the Ashburton, Rakaia and Rangitata rivers was still discoloured over the week-end. No salmon are reported to have been caught by anglers.

A very enjoyable tour of North Otago has just been completed by 50 Central Otago farmers and their wives, at the invitation of the North Otago Farmers' Union. A comprehensive tour of the district was made during two days. The visitors found much to admire and had an opportunity of studying various farming methods which are likely to prove profitable to them.

What is probably a. record for the Dominion in obtaining a subsidy was established by Mr G. Darby shire, clerk of the Wanganui County Council, on February. 12. On that date he went to Wellington and called at the Treasury Department and lodged the necessary papers for the 12 per cent, subsidy, lie received every assistance and courtesy from the Treasury staff, and on the following day the amount of £1320 9s 8d was lodged! to the credit of the County Council account.

Built over 100 years ago (says the "Waikato Times"), New Zealand's oldest native canoe was to be seen competing in the Maori events at the Ngaruawahia Regatta recently. Before the Maori Wars is was employed to transport wheat and pigs to Auckland and Awaroa while, on the cessation of hostilities, it was again used commercially for carrying wheat up. the Waipa as far as Alexandria, new IPirongia. The canoe, which is about 50 feet in length, still preserves its seaworthiness though perhaps lacking in the finish of the more recently-constructed craft. ■

Sixty Methodist young women's Bible class members, representing classes at Ashburton, Willowby, Winslaw, Tinwald and Rakaia, met in Ashburton on Saturday evening and were addressed by Miss W. Daniels, of Timaru (secretary of the South Canterbury Group). A study period was held, and the evening proved very enjoyable and successful. Ashburton members entertained their visitors at supper. Miss Daniels visited the Ashburton classes yesterday afternoon.

At the Oamaru Canary and Cage Bird Specialists' Club's young bird show (for birds hatched after August, 1934), held last Friday,.Mr D. J. Grindlay, of Ashburton, gained the following awards:—Yorkshire, yellow, cinnamon marked, 2; Norwich yellow ticked or variegated, 1; Buff ticked or variegated cock or hen, 2 and 3; Buff, clear cock or hen, 1 and 3, and two- specials; best clear tic or variegated Buff, best Norwich in show, also special runnerup for cup. Budgerigars (love birds), lemon cock (7), 2; sky blue cock (10) 2. There were record entries and Mr Tonkins, of Oamaru was the judge of all classes.

Among a quantity of material collected iii New Zealand by Mr Eric Ramsden, of Sydney, for a life of James Busby, who was British Resident in New Zealand from 183;) to 1840, is a draft of the Treaty of Waitangi in Busby's handwriting. It was found among documents in the possession of Mr Busby's descendants at Tokomaru Bay. The manuscript, which is being prepared for publication, includes a series of important letters which passed between James Busby and his brother Alexander Busby, of Cassilis, New South Wales, from the time the elder brother took up his duties in New Zealand. These were discovered in Australia, and have not hitherto been available for publication. Among other interesting material found during Mr Ramsden's visit to the east coast are the original journals compiled by Mr Busby during a visit to Spain in 1531, when he selected 500 varieties of vine for cultivation in New South Wales.

Mr J. W. Blackwood, who died in Dunedin last week, not only possessed excellent health throughout practically the whole of his lifetime, but was also endowed witl. an unusual degree of physical courage. This quality was demonstrated in 1901 during the visit to Dunedin of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, the present King and Queen. When the Royal procession reached the Stock Exchange the horses drawing the carriage in which the Premier, Mr R. J. Seddon, was seated took fright and bfllted up the hill and along Princes street south. They had reached a point about opposite the Gridiron Hotel when Mr Blackwood dashed out from the crowd, seized the trace of the near horse, and so impeded the progress of the runaways that they were speedily brought to a halt. For this prompt and courageous action he received the Royal Humane Society's Certificate of Merit, as well as an autographed photograph of the members of the Seddon family accompanied by a letter of appreciation.

The statement that New Zealand had suffered much' in the past from its own failure to recognise the work of brilliant young men was made hy the chairman (Mr H. T. Falla) at a meeting of the Canterbury Tomato and Stone Fruit Growers' Association on Saturday evening. A young scientist whose work in discovering the causes of fruit diseases was of the utmost importance had had to cease work because of the lack of financial support, said Mr Falla, and he thought that a very great mistake was being made. Many brilliant young men, given little or no encouragement, had left New Zealand, he continued, and then when the Dominion required the services of some expert, one had to be procured from England at a huge salary. There were young men in this country quite capable of doing remarkable work, and they should not be forced to leave the country to seek encouragement in their work.

The keenness displayed by a volunteer of the Ashburton Mounted Rifles (B Squadron) in matters regarding his company has been exemplified in his determination to attend the annual camp of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry to be held at Surrey Hills shortly. The Ashburton Mounted Rifles i.s to form an advance guard of the company, and is to leave Ashburton for the camp to-morrcw. Unless the young man can procure a horse he will be unable to attend. He was promised the loan of a horse, and yesterday cycled 24 miles to get the animal, only to find that it had become lame. .He cycled a further 12 miles in the hopes of getting another horse, but was again disappointed. New he is endeavouring to procure one in Ashburton. The young man told a representative of the "Guardian" that he had been a meml>er of the Mounted Rifles for two years and had not missed a parade during that period. He was determined not to miss the camp.

As is usual at this time of the year (says the "Waikato Times") there is an increasing inquiry for failing lands in the Northern Queen Country. The bulk of the inquirers are from people who have been share-milking for "some years.

At noon to-day there was only a very small amount outstanding of rates due to the Longbeach Road Board. This was the last day for j>ayment, and sums still owing when the office closed this evening incur a penalty of 10 per cent.

A fire broke out in a macrocarpa hedge in front of the residence of Mr J. O'Connor, Peter Street, Ashburton, at about 1.30 a.m. yesterday. The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out and extinguished the blaze before it did any serious damage, only about two yards of the hedge being burnt.

It was reported at a meeting cf the Amalgamated Farmers' and Dairy Farmers' Unions' executives last week that an inspection of ehrysalids of the white butterfly taken in the Pohanglna Valley showed they were all parasited. Not many chrysalids had been found, but those that were discovered showed that the parasite had spread to an area in which they had not been released.

A stranger passing Castlerock estate on Wednesday, when the dispersal sale of stock was concluded, may well have thought (says the "Southland Times") that a race meeting, or even a Royal Show, was being held. On the main road and on side roads cars were parked in scores, while inside near the sheep yards there were cars to the number of almost 700. The attendance was variouslv .estimated at from 3000 to 5000. While most of the menfolk followed the sale with interest women and children made a picnic of it. The hillside near the homestead was dotted with people, many of whom, took the opportunity of inspecting the beautiful grounds of this historic estate.