LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 272, 30 August 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Commencing to-morrow, <a new weekly feature will appear in the “Guardian.” This will be a column of gardening notes specially written loi the “Guardian” by Mr James A. McPherson, N.D.H. (N.Z.), who is Curator to the Christchurch Domains Board. It is intended that answers should be given to the particular problems of amateur gardeners, and any queries of this nature, addressed to Mi McPherson, at this office, will be answered through the gardening column.

Writing to the “Guardian” from Wellington where the Ashburton Basketball Association’s team is competing in the Dominion tournament, Mr S. G. Macfarlane states that there has been much favourable. comment on the smartness of the costumes of the Ashburton players. “However, as all the ‘smartest’ people wear blazers, I suppose our next expense will be representative blazers,” he adds.

A young draught horse straying on the main south road near the Tinwald end of the Ashburton traffic bridge ran into a motor-lorry owned by the South Island Transport Company which was proceeding northwards at about 5 o’clock this morning. It was then still dark and the horse, apparently dazed by the headlights, ran directly into the vehicle. It suffered a broken leg and other injuries and had to be. destroyed. The front of the motor-lorry was damaged by the impact.

Proposing a vote of thanks to the newspapers at the annual meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club last evening, the president (Mr H. F'. Nicoll) said that the publicity given to the sport of trotting by newspapers had materially assisted in placing it in its present position in the Dominion. “After all, advertising is the heart and soul of business,” said Mr Nicoll “and we certainly have tc thank the newspapers for the advertising they have given us.”

“Hawkers are one of the greatest menaces with which we have to deal to-day,” declared Mr W. A. Tate, of G i'ey town, who presided at the Wellington provincial conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Association in Palmerston North. It was his opinion that the position would he improved by getting hawkers licensed and numbered. Many orchardists thought that by- getting rid of the rejects at their gate they would be doing themselves a groat service, but actually they*were merely contributing to a depression of markets all over New Zealand.

After the Governor-General entered Parliament House yesterday to open Parliament two men who had previously mounted the Seddon statue, began" to address the crowd. Their feet was displaced: by a constable and, their handhold failing, they fell to the ground locked in each others arms. lioth were taken to the watchhouse. The crowd was silent except for one remark, “It’s all very well for those with full stomachs.”

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that regulations under the Poultry Act, 1924, relating to the marketing*of chilled eggs are contained in an order-in-council published in the Gazette last night. Under these regulations it is stipulated that chilled eggs shall he marked as such before being offered for sale.

The definition of a journeyman tradesman, and the question whether a journeyman would necessarily have had to go through an apprenticeship, were matters requiring the decision of the Arbitration Court, sitting at Palmerston North. "1 would . think,” commented the chairman (Mr Justice Page) “that anyone who can get an employer to employ him at journeyman’s wages could' be classed as a journeyman.”

Attendances at competitions in Ashburton in 1933 and 1934 were not as large as those of earlier years and this caused a financial loss on the two festivals. This year, however, there has been a renewal of interest and with one exception, the doortakings at the sessions since Tuesday morning have been larger than those for corresponding sessions at the 1934 festival. There has been a keen demand, for season tickets, and about 250 of these have been sold.

A hot-box developed on a second-class carriage of the north-bound express train just before it reached Ashburton last evening, and its arrival here was 13 minutes late. After endeavours had been made to pack the axle box, it was found necessary to remove the cai and, as it was carrying a large complement of passengers, the transference of people and luggage to other carriages took some minutes and the train left for the north 35 minutes behind schedule. It did not arrive in Christchurch till nearly 8 p.m. but, apart from the delay, there was no inconvenience to passengers, the connection with the the steamer express being made as usual . *

With the settlement of the difference between the Main Highways Board and the Geraldine Business Men’s Association over alternative routes for the deviation of the main south road between Hinds and Winchester, work on the construction of the deviation will be commenced as soon as possible. A survey of the railside route between Ealing and Hinds has been completed and plans and specifications will be submitted to the Main Highways Board with a view to having tenders called for the formation and metalling of that section. It is expected that work will be in progress well before the end of the year.

Three hundred girls, representing 11,000 basketballers above school age, in the Dominion, marched past Viscountess Galway at the opening of the Dominion basketball tournament in Wellington, writes Mr S. G. Macfarlane, of Ashburton, in a letter to the “Guardian.” He says the march past was most spectacular and Lady Galway was very interested both in this and in the first niatch between Auckland and Wellington in which basketball of a high standard was seen. In honour of the visit of so many players from all parts of the Dominion, the memorial carillon was rung specially on Wednesday. The visitors are being most hospitably entertained and have been to Bryant and May’s match factory, the zoo and other places of interest in the city. “All are much interested in the bustle of Wellington,” concludes the letter.

“There is not much fear of the whales in Antarctica being exterminated,” said Mr E. Aagaard, who described to the Gisborne Rotary Club some of his experiences with the Antarctic whaling fleet. The industry had so far touched only a small sector of the great Antarctic Sea, and many whales escaped for every one caught. It was his opinion that 100 years would elapse before whale there became extinct. He gave some surprising statistics of the length and weight of average whales, of the various species, and mentioned that the blue whale measured from 20ft to 25ft. in length when born. As the “cosmopolitan of the seas,” the blue whale travelled all over the oceans, and specimens marked in Japanese waters had been known to appear in Antarctica 10 months later.

The presentation of many a play in Ashburton has been >ruined for those with an appreciative sense because a section of the audience laughed at the wrong place or laughed raucously where more or less silent laughter would have been equally satisfying. Ashburton audiences have not developed a theatre sense and hfirsts of laughter at dramatic moments in plays and in moving pictures arc frequently heard. Unseemly laughter at the wrong places nearly caused players at the competitions last night to walk off the stage when the dramatic presentation, “The Monkey’s Paw,” was being given. The interruptions began early in the play and reached a clipiax in the third scene when the words of the players were drowned by laughter. There was certainly nothing to laugh at either in the work of the players or in the play itself, but the people on the stage were considerably upset, one, at least, being on the verge of walking off when counsel from the wings prevailed and the play proceeded.

At the monthly meeting of the St. Andrew’s branch of the (Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union held in St. Andrew’s Hall yesterday afternoon, the president (Mrs R. S. Watson) presided. A letter was received from Mrs J. L. Gray (a missionary on furlough from India), expressing thanks to members and friends for their gift of 100 knitted garments for Indian children. An invitation was received from the Ashburton branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to attend a meeting in the Baring Square hall on September 13, when Mrs Malcolm Clow, of Ireland would give an address. Arrangements were made for ladies of St. Andrew’s congregation to provide afternoon tea at the Women’s Christian Temperance Union convention on Wednesday, September 18. An interesting address was given by Mrs Watson on the life and work of Dr Richard Grenfell, of Labrador. Reference was made to his early history, his conversion, and his subsequent life work. His experience as a doctor on a missionary ship among the 20,000 men and boys engaged in the fishing industry on the North Sea, was a preparation for the greater work, which for over 40 years he has carried on among the devout but superstitious people of the Labrador coast. Stories were told of the many adventures and hazardous journeys undertaken by Dr. Grenfell for the purpose of rendering medical assistance, his name being a by-word for daring and fearlessness. On behalf of members. Miss McLauchlan thanked the president for her address which had been very much enjoyed by all. At the close of the meeting afternoon tea was handed round.

A cable message from Sydney reports that the New Zealand athletes sailed for Wellington by the Maunganui yesterday afternoon.

There , has been a scarcity of fish in Ashburton for the past week and to-day supplies were completely exhausted. Even oysters have gone off the market, rough seas in the south having prevented the collection of shells as well as preventing fishing boats leaving the harbours. One Ashburton fish merchant told a- “Guardian” reporter this morning that the position was the worst in tire 16 years he had been in business here.

Considerable information concerning the establishment of a commercial airport at Auckland has been gathered by the finance committee of the City Council, and when this has been analysed and a definite scheme has taken shape, a conference of mayors of the metropolitan area will be called to discuss the proposals in broad outline. One important fact that has' been brought under notice of the committee is that there is no advantage in embodying facilities for both sea and land machines in one airport scheme.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that among the resolutions passed at the meeting of the New Zealand Counties’ Association yesterday was one that the Government be requested to introduce legislation dealing with cyclists without lights on country roads, and the enforcement of the traffic regulations. The association also passed a resolution that, with a view to reducing the cost of electing members of harbour boards, the Government be recommended to. amend the Harbours Act to provide that members of such boards be elected by the various councils and town boards in the respective constituent districts.

The fortnightly meeting of Daphne Lodge, 1.0.0. F., was held in Tancred Street Hall on Wednesday evening, the N.G. (Sister Cowan) presiding over a good attendance. Two sisters were reported sick. An invitation was received from Hakatere Lodge to a social evening to entertain members of the Star of Opawa Lodge on September 14. The ballot on three candidates proving satisfactory, it was decided to hold the. initiation next lodge night. It was decided to hold a bring and buy social evening on Wednesday, September 25, and to invite the Hakatere brothers. A mock initiation was then held, and following this supper was served.

Mail deliveries in some parts of the world are not as simple as they are in New Zealand. Letters for Niuafoou Island, an outlying island of the Tongan Group, are sealed in a tin-can and thrown overboard from the steamers and this has given the island the name of “Tin-Can” Island. Until recently the natives swam out for the cans but they now come out in canoes, one swimmer haying been carried off by a shark. An Ashburton philatelist recently posted two envelopes to the Island and they were in the mail thrown overboard by the Monowai on July 17. The sender had made arrangements for the return of the covers and they arrived back in Ashburton yesterday bearing the post mark “‘Tin-Can’ Island” and numerous other details printed both in English and in Tongan.

A rather extraordinary position arose at a meeting of the Opotiki Borough Council when a report was presented by the finance committee in connection with a claim for' £4B as a refund of rates by the Mayor, Mr G. S. Moody. The Mayor claims a refund from 1931, whereas the Muneipal Association’s solicitor states that the claim should only count from 1933. It is the intention of the Mayor to take proceedings against the council, which refuses the claim. At the meeting the problem arose as to who would defend the council’s case, as the Mayor’s solicitor also happens to be the borough solicitor. Finally it was decided that if the borough solicitor declined to act for the council and appeared on behalf of the Mayor, * the council would retain another solicitor to act for the borough.