LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 240, 24 July 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

\ Press Association telegram states that a full agreement has been reached in the sawmilling and timber trade (Wellington). There is a slight increase on the present wages rate.

A Sydney cablegram states that tjie estate "in New South Wales of Miss Mina Tait Horton”, of Auckland, who died recently, has been sworn at £25,670.

“Our old butter churn was practically condemned, so we sold it,’ said the chairman (Mr W. J. Byrne) at the Tariki Dairy Company meeting recently. u lt could' not bo usodi toi msiking butter, as it was practically condemned, but it is still in the cow tiade. They are using it for treating hides in a tannery.”

The view that misunderstanding was created overseas by the styling of the New Zealand Rugby team as ‘ All Blacks” was expressed by Mr James McNeill at a meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce. He said that in America people had the impression, on that account, that the whole of the Dominion population was a race ot coloured people, and one of the reasons the Americans would not with New Zealand was that they considered it'would he bringing their own white people into competition with “blacks.

The Success of Ashburton Lodge, U A 0.D., met on Monday evening, the A.D. (Sister A. Hawkes) presiding. One member was declared on the funds, and sick pay was passed for payment. Ail invitation to attend the next meeting of Star of Ashburton Lodge, after which the Hakatere and Daphne lodges will be entertained, was accepted. Bro. E. Parkin presented a report oil the meeting of the United Friendly Societies’ Association Council. One candidate was initiated. At the close of the meeting supper was served, and the social hour spent in playing cards.

“Birds are greater friends to the agriculturist than many people realise,” said Mr H. J. Farrant in an address in Invercargill. “For instance, flic much-despised house sparrow feed their young entirely on insects. One pair of sparrows may rear four broods in a season, with six or eight young birds in each brood, but should they rear only three broods of six each pail 1 of sparrows will have accounted for 72,900 insects in a single season. Surely they are entitled l to a handful of oats at harvest time in the way of wage? for doing such beneficial work.”

An important discovery of ancient Maori shell fish hooks was made recently on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula near Mercury Bay by Messrs S. M. Hovell (Waihi) and It. W. Bell (Kennedy’s Bay), the wellknown ethnologists. The discovery consisted of about 300 complete fish hooks and hundreds of unfinished hooks. The' extraordinary of the find was the absence of any hone fish hooks, and it is evident that the native craftsmen thereabouts specialised in the production solely of shell fish hooks. The sizes varied from threequarters of an inch to one and a half inches, and consisted of one, two and three-piece hooks. The vicinity where the find was made contains a very old burial ground, and hundreds of skulls

At a meeting of the Executive Council yesterday authority was given for tiie closing of the main parliamentary roils next Monday.

A minimum wage of 2s 6d an hour and a five-day 40-liour week are the main claims in a meeting between the metal workers’ assistants and the employers at the Conciliation Council at \Vellington yesterday. The employers offer a 44-hour week, including Saturday morning, and a minimum of Is 9d an hour. '

A tin of preparation to preserve hoots anci other leather articles, purchased yesterday hy an Ashburton resident from a door-to-door canvasser, was found to contain only a thin layer of preparation at the top and water underneath. This is apparently another case of. “fraud,” because the preservative will not mix with the water.

Some 200 single unemployed men sat down to lunch in the new cafeteria in Howe’s Lane, Wellington, on Monday, and were pleased with the meal provided for 3d. The meal consisted of a big bowl of soup (about a pint) and a large plate of meat, potatoes, pumpkin and cabbage. On some days tea is served. When there is soup there is no tea, and vice versa.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Wellington Competitions Society announces an operatic contest with a view to sending a New Zealand representative to the National Eisteddfod of Australasia in October, in conjunction with the “Dominion” newspaper, which has offered a scholarship to enable the winner to compete at Ballarat and Melbourne. The contest will be held during the society’s festival, beginning on August 24.

The early days when heart of kauri timber was plentiful in almost any size are recalled by the timber being removed from the oldest part of the law library at the Supreme Court at Auckland. The lining of the walls behind the shelves has been found to consist of 12in boards of heart kauri, about ,14ft long. The uprights to carry the shelves were mostly of 3in kauri timber, llin wide and about 14ft long. After 60 years or more of service the,timber is in perfect condition.

The opinion that Rotorua was destined to become a big town was expressed by the,Minister in charge of the Tourist Department (the Hon. A. Hamilton) in an address to the Auckland Travel Club. “There are not many Rotoruas in the world,” he said, 'in indicating that he would always be in favour of improving facilities for visitors to the thermal district. Enjoying a good climate, he added, Rotorua was a splendid attraction for visitors from overseas at all seasons of the year.

By prompt action a porter at the Waipukurau railway station last week brought the south-bound express to a stop in time to prevent a fatal accident. As the train was moving out of the station a woman who was in one of the carriages bidding farewell to a friend attempted to alight. The porter on the station, realising that she would fall under the train, jumped on the carriage and prevented her from carrying out her intention. At the same time he applied the Westinghouse brakes and stopped the train. A few weeks ago an elderly woman was killed at the Waipukurau station in similar circumstances.

Serious loss was suffered by Mr G. J. Gaskill, of Wnioeka, Opotiki, by the death of eight, good dairy cows, states a local correspondent. It appeal's that Mr Gaskill brought 24 cows into a paddock and fed them with mangolds which are supposed to have been frosted. After finishing feeding all these cows were turned out, and) they were not seen again for 24 hours, when Mir Gaskill! went to bring them in again for feeding. To his consternation he then found eight lying dead. Mr Gaskill came to the conclusion that death- was caused through eating the mangolds, and he has communicated-the facts to the Department of Agriculture in Wellington for further advice.

A hiding place equipped with a ground sheet, rugs, a pair of slippers, and: an iron bar was discovered in a secluded shrubbery at the bottom of a garden in Carrington Hoad, New Plymouth. The police used it as a trap, hoping to apprehend the person who recently removed a car from New Plymouth about the same time that a car taken from Wanganui wasjdiscovered at New Plymouth. Two police officers maintaned a close watch over the lair all night, hoping that the man who had prepared it would return, but either his suspicions had been aroused or he had abandoned the hiding place. Later the gear was taken to the police station. It is thought possible that a recent arrest at Auckland has some connection with the car incidents at New Plymouth. ,

An amusing comparison in reference to the Hobsonville air base was given by Mr Harold Gatty, the famous air navigator (says the “Auckland Star’ ). He had been speaking in high praise of the selection of the site, and commented on the freeness of the approaches from obstacles, with special reference to the fact that the high tension wires had been placed underground. The same forethought had not been used in the United States, he said. If a pilot were seeking an air base lie would keep a sharp look-out for a place where there were high tension wires and telegraph poles, together with a lot of trees. Finding these, lie* would be sure of his objective, find would prepare to dodge all the obstacles to make a safe landing.

The matter of the disposal of a bequest by Mr James Powell, a Westport man, who 15 years ago died leaving £IOOO to the Westport Sailors’ Pest, was discussed by the Auckland Sailors’ Home Council at its lastmonthly meeting. The president (Mr W. M. Jackson) said that the Pest had been totaliv destroyed hv fire soon after the benefactor’s death, and nothing had been done to have it rebuilt owing to Westport’s declining shipping trade. Recently, however, the Westport Plunket Society lmd taken action to have the fund, which has grown with interest, diverted to- the purpose of establishing a woman’s rest room. “Sailors are the moving population of the world,” said Mr C. J. Carrington, M.L.C., “and so our work is worldwide, in a sense. Therefore I think it is a duty for this council to- put in a claim for the fund on behalf of sailors generally.” It was decided that the council should lie represented by counsel when the Supreme Court considers the matter at Westport in September, in order to ensure that the

Apart altogether from the activities of E'uropean societies interested in the culture of the Maori, many Maoris are doing all they can to preserve their ancient and distinctive arts and crafts and with encouragement would] do still more. That was the opinion expressed by Mr T. Heberley, the Dominion Museum’s authority on Maori work. He instanced the example of the Otaki Maoris, who are at present erecting a meeting-house hy methods identical with those' of their forefathers.

Another old Wairarapa landmark has been removed, this being the massive bluegum tree which has stood at the entrance to the Featherston lauway station for over half a century. This huge tree—one of the few remaining links with early Wairardpa settlement—was planted some 55 years ago hy Mr John Stephenson, the first stationmaster at Featherston, and was originally one of a belt of such tiees running along the station boundaiy.

The election of officers for the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at the annual conference in Wellington was proving a very lengthy business. The conference, it was hoped, would finish at 5.15 p.m.; at 3.30, only a few of the officers had been about 20 remits had to be discussed. After members had finished voting for one committee and were waiting for the result, the president (Mrs O. K. Wilson) suggested that “a little business should be taken in order to save time. The next remit, is Daylight Saving. Shall we take it?”

A very interesting relic of the early history of the parish of All Saints , Taradale, was shown at a tea tendered to the pioneer parishioners present at the diamond jubilee celebrations. This was a souvenir Bible presented to the first couple married in the newly-con-secrated church 60 years ago. It bore the following inscription: —.“Presented by the vestry to the first couple married in All Saints’, December 21, 1875; R, Hollis—Catherine Chase. ” It was inscribed by Messrs G. Bradley and F. W. Thompson '(vestrymen) and the Rev. P. C. Anderson (tlie first vicar). Mr R. Hollis, 90 years of age, is still living, hale and hearty, but was unable to be present at the jubilee celebrations.