LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 243, 27 July 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No notifications of infectious disease were made in either Ashburton Borough or Ashburton County this week.

In the Supreme Court at Timaru yesterday Mr Justice Ncrthciot granted probate m the estate of the late Timothy Hurley, of Ashbuitun.

The Ashburton County Council has decided to replace the wireless, set which has been used by relief workers in camp in the Mayfield district. This is the battery set which was provided by public subscription for the goldminers who went to the Wilbertorce district.

One hundred and sixty-eight relief workers have been provided with then quota of work by the Ashburton County Council this week. They have been employed r tl je Ashbuiton, Springburn, Hinds, Mayfield and Cheitsey districts, mainly on afforestation and river protection work.

“People talk about guaranteed prices for products,” said tne Minister loi Agriculture (the Hon. C. 15. Macmillan) in an address to farmers at Patumahoe this week. It would be a ve simple thing if all New Zealand s com moaities were used in New Scalane, but when commodities had to be sol overseas they had to take the puce that was available there. Most people did not know that only about 1J pei cent, of New Zealand butter was eaten in the Dominion, and only about 2 pel cent, of the cheese.

Kie kie are ripening in New Plymouth, and that is considered by a resident of that town to be a sign of an early spring. Mr F. Cowling, a well-known resident, said lie had never known these to ripen before October. In the early days of the settlement Mr Cowling said the kie kie was hunted foi its food, both by pakeha and Maori. When ripe it had a delicious pineapple flavour, although sweeter. In the most difficult days of colonisation from 1885 to 1895, when food was scarce, Mr Cowling had made many a meal from the kie kie alone.

In March last a petition was circulated in Rotorua asking that Government action be taken to remedy the position which has arisen with regard to public access to fishing waters and lake frontages generally. An extraordinary position has now been revealed in a letter received from the clerk of the House of Representatives by Mr C. H. Clinkard, M.P. This letter discloses that although the petition was duly presented by Mr Clinkard on March 13 it has been lost and no trace can be found of its whereabouts.

Interviewed about statements made arising out of a fatal lift accident, which was the subject of an inquest at Wellington a few days ago, the Minister in charge of the Inspection of the Machinery Department (the Hon. J. G. Ccbbe) said at "Wellington yesterday that legislative measures could not prevent all classes of accident. He quoted figures showing that the accident ratio for the last year was one for each group of 225 lifts, which did not indicate that the lift regulations were as scandalously lax as they were reported to be.

The lease of the Ashburton saloyards will expire at 4111 early date, when the Ashburton County Council will call tenders for the lease of the yards for a further term.

Rate demands for the current year’s dues are being prepared and dispatched by the Ashburton County Council staff. The 1935-36 rates become due on August 1, and notices have to be sent to the 3006 ratepayers in the County.

A Gazette notice states that the general roll in all electoral districts closes at 5 p.m. on Monday. It was stated by the Midi-Canterbury registrar this morning that there were still a large number of residents who had not enrolled, and it was the responsibiity of all to make sure that their names were on the roll.

A species of blight has been attacking bluegum plantations belonging to the Ashburton County Council. After expert advice on measures to-cope 'with it had been considered, the council’s works committee decided yesterday to recommend that the trees be felled and converted into stakes and timber,, and the area re-planted with pinus insignis trees.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that, beyond - saying that he was exceedingly hopeful of the outcome of his conversation in Wellington with the Acting-Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers concerning his Tasman air-mail proposal, Sir diaries Kingsford Smith, who returned to Auckland by air yesterday morning, had no comment to make. He will leave by the Monterey for San I railcisco to-day.

Speaking at the fiftieth anniversary feathering of the Woodville Fire Brigade, Mr Girling Butcher, inspector of fire brigades for New Zealand, said much more was expected from the brigade than in the old days, . and he wished to state that the brigades of the Dominion had reached a standard of efficiency which compared very favourably with any in the world, Ihe volunteer brigades were doing as good work as were many permanent ones in New' Zealand and elsewhere. ihe citizens owed a debt of gratitude to the firemen.

Some very satisfactory tenders for the pinus insignis trees estimated to contain nearly three and a half million super feet of timber have been dealt with by the Works Committee of the Ashburton County Council, but a final decision cannot he arrived at until the committee’s report is considered y the council at its ordinary meeting next Friday. Tenders have been received from as far away as Nelson and Dunedin. Some of the more scattered blocks did not reach the council s upset price, and probably these will be sold by private negotiation.

“The change in the attitude of youth is most marked,” said Mr A. J. Eldowney in an address to the Social Discussion Group at Auckland, the early postwar years youth talked, a great deal about self-expression and self-determinism, but all resulted 1 nothing but talk. ! It did not lead.itself rmt tired of a tepid freedom amidst chronic and almost umversa unemployment, and when men like Mussolini and Hitler arose with a concrete and definite programme it followed almost blindly. All the, giea deaders of to-day: had the ability to appreciate youth and its potentialities, and it is interesting to see the emphasis placed upon the importance ot youth, whether in the Communistic system or the dictatorships of the world.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that the French sloop, Admiral Chamer, is due to arrive at Auckland next Tuesday morning, and -will remain there for about a 'reek. The Government will extend an official welcome to the commander, and will be represented Dy the Minister foi Defence (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe). The Admiral Charner is a comparatively modern oil-burning vessel of 1969 tons. During its stay at Auckland, a comprehensive programme of sight-seeing, concerts, and other events of interest has been arranged in honour of the visit. Parties of the sloop’s complement are to be taken to Rotorua, Wairakei, and the Waitomo Caves.

The opinion that the Dominion would be able to fill the quota of 12,500 tons of bacon allotted it this year by Britain was expressed by both Sir Perry (acting-chairman ot the Meat Board) and Mr H. A. Cockayne (Assistant Director of the Department ot Agriculture) when speaking in Palmerston North. The latter pointed out, however, that much of the bacon would be of an undesirable type from the British viewpoint, in that it would consist of 1001 b to 1201 b carcases, whereas the ideal was 1201 b and over. Probably the most forward move the industry could make at the present time would be to lessen the number of killings of these underweight baconers and induce farmers to carry the pigs on to heavier carcases.

In a statement last week about the location of leaks at the Waitaki dam, the chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr F. T. M. Kissel) said that good progress was being made with the task of sealing the remaining three temporary sluice gates. Mr Alcock, engineer in charge at the Waitaki hydro-electric works, said yesterday that*the river was lower now than at any other time in the last two years, and, provided the present satisfactory conditions continued, the work of sealing the sluios gates would he pushed ahead rapidly. Mr Alcock was unable to express an opinion as to when the work would be completed, but he said good progress had been made, and everything depended now on the condition of the river.

The Cook Hospital Board, following upon a recent Court of Appeal decision in which damages were awarded against a hospital board for an injury which a patient suffered while being treated by a member of the nursing staff, has decided to take steps to indemnify itself against any claim which might arise as a result of any accident, or negligence, on the part of its employees. The question was raised by Dr. J. C. Collins, who moved that the Board should ensure itself against liability. He stated that hitherto there had.been little danger of the Board being mulcted in damages for the act of a skilled officer or nurse, but _ the court ruling now altered the position. The cost of protection, he added, would be 12s 6d a day for the first 50 beds, and 7s 6d a bed for the next 100. The total annual cost would be £6B 15s. The indemnity would be limited to £IOOO for one action, and a total of £4OOO in any one year. The proposal met with general approval and a committee was appointed to examine the details and to arrange a temporary cover of £IOOO in the mr%intime.

The Gazette confirms the extension of the open season for taking or killing opossums in the Ashburton Acclimatisation District for one month. The season will now close at noon on September 1.

Arrears of_rates owing to the Ashburton County Council on April 1 amounted to £1925. Up to date, £425 lias been paid, leaving £ISOO outstanding. This amount includes certain sums for which judgment has been obtained, and! legal action will probably be taken for the recovery 'of the balance.

The practical examinations of the Trinity College of Music, London, have been delayed as Mr E. Lowe, the examiner was travelling to. New Zealand on the Niagara which was concerned in a collision. Mr Lowe will not reach Christchurch until about August 17 and he will be a fortnight late coming to Ashburton, so that the local examinations' will probably not be held until early in October. Further entries can thus be received by the secretary (Mr A. C. Wilson), who stated this morning that he had already received a satisfactory response from candidates.

The astonishingly prolific bird life of South America deeply impressed Mr N. O’D. Alexander, of Lincoln, who has just returned from three years spent in Tierra, del Fuego farming. Mr Alexander said that there were 133 different common kinds of land and sea birds in southern South America, and they were so thick that they were a curse to the stock owner. One estancia had offered a premium for heads and eggs, and at the end of a season had to pay out on 50,000 heads and 150‘,000 eggs. Apart from losses through direct attacks on lambs and older sheep, birds were a great expense to stock owners because they were thick enough to foul the pastures.