LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 246, 31 July 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Press Association telegram iroi Wellington states that the directors or the Bank of New Zealand have decided to make a gift ’of £IOO to the Crippled Children’s Fund, to he devoted to the care of crippled children throughout New Zealand.

On several days in the last week fishermen at Kaikoura have seen whales going northward, sometimes singly and at other times in groups of two or three. The whales have been fairly close inshore, and at times have been very near the fishing boats some little distance off the coast.

When a juvenile appeared before the Children’s Court at Wanganui before Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., on Saturday, charged with the theft of cycles, he elected to go> before the Supreme Court for trial. The youth was represented by counsel. It is believed that' this is the first instance of a juvenile being tried by jury since the institution of Juvenile Courts.

For coaching purposes, the Wellington Hockey Association has obtained 700 feet of slow-motion film taken at the first and second Test matches against the Indian team, and it is stated that the film is proving very valuable for the study of the action of the visitors. It is probable that the film may be exhibited in Ashburton for the benefit of local hockey players.

Workmen demolishing the old Assembly Hall, opposite the Courthouse, m Wanganui, came across a portion of a copy of the “Sportsman,” with which was incorporated “Bell’s Life in Victoria,” of January 18, 1873. Unfortunately there was very little of this publication left, but one section of it referred to the racehorse Sir Hercules, whose stock has so _ often proved triumphant upon Victorian racecourses. The writer stated that Sii Hercules had left behind him sons and daughters that would for ever and a day keep up the prestige of a family high in England and Australia. .

If proof were needed that new potatoes can be grown in New Plymouth even at this time of the year (says the “Taranaki Herald”) one has only to see the garden of Mr M. Peters, situated in Powderham Street. Mr Peters is now digging a fine crop of potatoes so far ns weight is concerned, and they are of excellent quality. The ground is not of the best, by any means; in fact, portions are really nothing more than a clay bank, but it lies well to the sun, and, being on a slope, is well drained. A mild climate plus excellent cultivation is, however, no doubt, the secret of Mr Peters’s success.

“That radio is detrimental to the Church” was the subject of a debate conducted Thy the Baring Square Methodist Men’s Fellowship last evening. The president (Mr L. Stone) presided over a good attendance. The debate was handled in an interesting manner by the teams, which were: Affirmative, Messrs 11. Watts (leader), F. T. Miles and S. J. Goslin; negative, Messrs N. W. Corbett (leader), H. Money and C. F. Horrill. After general discussion, a popular vote gave the negative side the decision. Supper was served, and it was announced that at the next meeting Mr C. Brown would speak on gardening.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that the purging ,of the main Parliamentary roll for the five Dunedin electorates is complete, 10,080 names having been struck off.

Empty tobacco tins have their various domestic uses, hut at least one coastal skipper trading regularly into Wanganui finds them helpful in navigating the river. “I always save my empty tins to make sure how the tide is running at Wanganui,” he remarked the other day.

With the view obstructed by high hedges, motorists have always found the intersection of Wilkin Street with the Main South Hoad near Tinwald a very dangerous one. Representations have been made to interested public bodies, and the hedges have been cut back for a reasonable distance from the corner.

A quaint old walking-stick which belonged to a well-known Wanganui Maori many years ago has been bequeathed to the Wanganui Museum by the late Mrs Ellen Rallance, states the ‘‘Wanganui Herald.” Its previous owner (Paipai) was a familiar figure in Wanganui over 50 years ago. His face was heavily tatooed, and he wore large bone ornaments in his ears. Paipai was never without his stick, and the nickname, “Governor,” was probably given him because of the “bell-topper” he always wore on his head.

Arrested in Princes Street at 7.15 o’clock last evening, James Mann Collett, a carpenter, appeared in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning, before Mr G. Kelly, J.P., and 1 Mr W. Patterson, J.P. On a charge of having used obscene language Collett was sentenced to seven days in gaol, with hard labour. He was convicted and discharged on a charge of drunkenness. Evidence regarding the behaviour of accused was given by Constable J. Moore.

An increase of 34,076 in the number of radio licenses in force on June 30 last, compared with the corresponding date of 1934, is reported by the Direc-tor-General of the Postal Department. The latest total is 164,977. This includes listeners’ licenses, distributed as follow:—Auckland', 49,911; Canterbury, 29,552; Otago, 22,410; Wellington, 60,886 ;—total, 162,759. The grand total also l includes 823 experimental amateur licenses, 346 granted free to blind persons, and 1020 dealers’ licenses.

Although no: one was injured in either, there was considerable damage done to motor-cars in two collisions in Ashburton this week. A car carrying a bridal party from Lyndhurst along Havelock Street struck and badly damaged a car driven by Mr W. Sharp, of Seaview. When trying to avoid a car turning on Beach Road, a car owned by Mr W. Wilson, and driven by Mr Cecil Wilson, of' Riverside, struck a post, and the front and one side of the vehicle was damaged., .

A man who appeared before Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court regarding a claim for arrears of rent, explained that he had not paid his rent because the stove in the kitchen smoked. The house, he said, was not fit to live in. “You have a, remedy,” commented the Magistrate. “Why don’t you shift to another house? You are paying only os a week rent. I am afraid you have no: defence.” In entering judgment for the amount of the claim, the Magistrate gave defendant two weeks in which to secure a new home.

Evidence that old trading bank notes have been hoarded is forthcoming at the banks on almost any day. The exchange of trading bank notes for those of the Reserve Bank commenced as. soon as the Reserve Bank took control on August 1 last, but there must still be a large number of the old notes in the hands of private individuals. At one Ashburton bank this morning no fewer than 12 old notes were handed in within an hour of the opening of business.

No halcas will be performed by the 1935 All Blacks on their tour through Great Britawi and Ireland. Mr S. S. Dean (chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union), when speaking at the farewell to the All Blacks by the Wellington Orphans’ Club, said that on the 1924 tour —when he was manager of the team —the players were averse to giving hakas and did not not do so unless requested. 'ln a London engagement, however, the King had asked for it to be given, and, of course, it had to be done. The 1935 All Blacks were not taking a haka, and he did not blame them.

It was reported by the hospital authorities at Palmerston North last week that good progress has been made by all victims of the explosion which occurred at Halcombe on July 12, when Mr F. Cowdrey put 50 plugs of gelignite into the oven to warm. Mr Cowdrey,, who was most severely injured, is now definitely out of danger, and is making progress. Mrs Cowdrey has been able to leave her bed, and the three children of the Cowdrey family— Maurice, Nita and Beverley, together with Raymond Davies, a fourth child injured—are all improving. E. A. Robinson, the young farm hand, has practically recovered.

Most of the local body officials and public men invited to take part in the Arbor Day celebrations near Fairton next Wednesday have advised the Ashburton County Council that they will be pleased to co-operate, and with the attendance of primary and secondary school children the observance of'this anniversary should be very satisfactory. “Tree-Planting has always been kept well in mind by the council, and plantations in all parts of the County serve as a fine object-lesson to the younger generation,” said a prominent resident this morning when speaking of the celebration next week. There will be a brief ceremony at the Borough School to-morrow afternoon, when a number of rose trees donated by Mr G. Clark will be planted.

The enterprise and resource of officials- of the Post and Telegraph Department in dealing with unusual circumstances were revealed at Lyttelton on Monday night. At 7.15 the Lyttelton telephone exchange received a call from a telephone subscriber in Hawke’s Baj\ asking that he put into communication with a. passenger fcr Wellington by the steamer express Maori”. It was ascertained that the passenger had not booked a passage, and a messenger was posted outside the steamer ticket office on the wharf. The man scon appeared at the ticket office, and lie- was taken to the post office and placed in communication with the subscriber, returning in time to connect with the steamer, which sailed at 8 o’clock.

The executive of the. North Island Motor Union, at its meeting at Palmerston North yesterday, decided to co-operate with the South Island Motor Union in an endeavour to secure the registration of bicycles.

A number of holes have been dug along the North-East Belt, where the Borough Council is preparing to replace a number of trees that had been broken down or had not thrived. Replacements of trees will be made where necessary in several other parts of the Borough.

To locate faults causing wireless interference and affecting its overhead wires, the Ashburton Electric Power Board has procured an up-to-date detector instrument, and preliminary tests indicate that it will be of great assistance. The instrument is a portable one, and is very sensitive.

The concrete buttresses which will support the new railway bridge across the Ashburton River are almost complete. Construction was commenced at the southern side of the river, and all that now remains to be done is the finishing of two of them on the northern bank. The next task will be the placing of spans to carry the decking.

Signs of the approach of spring are not wanting in. Ashburton, where many trees and shrubs are putting out new leaves and buds, some of them being well advanced. There have been few severe frosts this winter, and many days of late Tiave- been pleasantly warm. Grass has already commenced to grow on lawns, and bulbs are well above the ground level.

Considerable development in the planting of commercial orchards, brought about chiefly by the opening up of canning operations in Hastings, is reported by nurserymen in Hastings. It is estimated that 60 or 70 acres, mostly stone fruits, are being planted this season, and nurserymen are finding some difficulty in meeting the demand for young trees.

A woman passenger on the Royal mail liner Aorangi dropped a small handbag overboard shortly before the vessel sailed from Auckland for Vancouver last week. She was leaning on the ship’s rail, when the bag slipped from her hand. Before it sank the bag opened, and the woman’s passport fell out and floated near the wharf, where it was recovered by one of the ship’s quartermasters with a bucket attached to a rope. The bag and the remainder of the contents, which included a small sum of money, were lost.

While inspecting a truck of lime in the Aromoho station yards, Mr K. G. Wells (the stationmaster) suffered a painful injury to his face when a quantity of lime was shot into' his face and eyes. The stationmaster was unable to for some time after the accident occurred. He was conveyed to his home after receiving medical attention. It is believed that the mishap occurred as a. result of water coming into' contact with the lime. When the tarpaulins were being removed from the top of the truck, chemical action forced the contents of one bag into the stationmaster’s face.

The remarkable increase in the total number of cows in the Auckland Province in the last 12 years, compared with the progress made in other parts of New Zealand, was referred to by Mr 0. M. Hume ‘ (federation herd-testing supervisor) at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association at Hamilton last week. Mr Hume said there were over 2,000,000 dairy cows in New Zealand, and of this number 1,000,000 were in the Auckland Province. Therfe were 260,000 cows in Taranaki, and about the same number in the Wellington district. There were six cows in the North Island to one in the South Island. The number of cows in the Auckland Province had doubled in the last 12 years, while in the Wellington and Taranaki Provinces the increase had been about 20 per cent, in that period. In the South Island the increase had been negligible.