LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 279, 7 September 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Eight members of the Baring Square Methodist Young Women’s Bible Clasps left this afternoon to attend a rally at Timaru. They will return to-mor-row.

Territorial officers and non-commis-sioned officers, who have been attending an instructional course at Burnham, were in Ashburton to-day on their return south.

When returning thanks for an honour conferred upon him at the annual meeting of one of the local yacht clubs (says the “Auckland Star”), the recipient said that when he retired from the sport 12 years ago he sold his motor cruiser and invested the money in a house. During that time the property had depreciated in value equal to £IOO per annum, and was now only worth £2OO. If he had kept his boat, he said, he would have been much better oft.

The danger presented to horses being trained on the Wanganui racecourse tracks through treading on lost goli fialls has led to the Wanganui Jockey Club withdrawing permission to. use the grounds for golf practice. It is reported that recently two golf balls were found on one of the tracks. Had a galloping horse placed a flying hoof on one of the balls the consequences might have been very serious, especially as several of the horses in training have valuable engagements to fulfil.

A master craftsman in the confectionery trade in England, Mr G. B. Woolley, of Ashburton, who came out to New Zealand as a demonstrator some six years ago, has had a confectionery book published in London. “The Art of Cooking” has been written by Mr Woolley not as an ordinary cookery hook, hut as a guide for the trade. He has previously had another book, “Sweets and Chocolates,” accepted by a London publishing house. Mr Woolley is the possessor of a number of awards, including the Cress of Honour presented to him by M. Adolph Max (Burgomaster of Brussels).

Speaking on the history of missionary effort in England, and of efforts to Christianise heathens in other of the world, Bishop Cherrington, of Waikato, said that many missions had succeeded through the conversion of kings, whose religion was invariably assumed by their subjects. Referring to the religion of the Maoris of Waikato and Taranaki, he said it consisted of a combination of the Old Testament, ancestor worship, and beliefs that were difficult to explain or understand, although there was a great deal of magic in them. That appeared to he the religion of the Maori King, and although efforts had been made to convert him, it had been found more practicable to teach individual Maoris. They were being taught in ones and twos, and it was hoped that some progress would he made. The bishop said he thought a great mistake had been made by the early missionaries in teaching the Maoris from the Old Testament.

The positions of the Queens in the Allenton carnival this morning were as follow: —Western Queen (blue), Miss Olga Bathurst, 1; Eastern Queen (red), Miss Josie McEHiinncy, 2.

The Ashburton branch of the Plunket Society met yesterday afternoon, the president (Mrs F. W. Seldon) presiding over a very good attendance. The nurse’s report showed that visits to homes in the town had numbered 85, while 300 visits had been paid to the office. In the country, 81 homes had been visited and 451 visits had been paid to the office. The car mileage for the month was :—Town 116, country 719. Final arrangements were made for Daffodil Day next Friday. Bern its from branches for the (Dominion conference in Wellington mi September 18 were discussed.

Losses of firewood that had been cut and corded in plantations owned by the Ashburton County Council have caused a good deal of concern during the winter, and the council yesterday, on receipt of a report from the Inspector, decided upon steps calculated to stop thefts of wood. Every cord of wood owned by the council is to be sprayed at the ends of the logs with a preparation of a particular colour, and in this way a check will be kept on all wood passing through the County on lorries. The council al§o decided to ask the police to co-operate in preventing thefts of wood, especially in regard to carting at night.

"Because of complaints about the loading of trucks >of firewood being short, a trip was made to the Christchurch railway yard when a truck loaded at Lagmlior and supposed to contain four cords was unloaded and stacked, and' it was found that only 3J cords were in the truck,” reported the County Inspector to the Ashburton County Council yesterday. "Shortages were made up, and the contractors who loaded the trucks agreed to load another truck without payment. A satisfactory system of loading trucks has been adopted, and no complaints have been received since the loading of trucks at Westerfield was supervised on one occasion.”

Four pipe bands,' three "C” grade brass bands and four "B” grade brass bands (Ashburton Silver, Stanmore, Christchurch Municipal and llangiora) are practically certain entries for the band contest to be held at Amberley on October 12 by the Canterbury Bands’ Association. At a meeting of the association in Christchurch last evening the Ashburton Silver Band was represented by Messrs E.' R. Hopwood and C. Leslie. It was reported that Mr W. H. Osborne (Timaru) had been appointed to judge the brass band section, and Mr Budge (Dunedin) judge of the pipe band section, whilp Mr C. G. Baker (Timaru) had been appointed supervisor.

The junior circle of the Hampstead Institute met on Thursday evening, when there was a large attendance, members of the Ashburton Junior Circle paying a visit. Interesting demonstrations of egg-shell mosaic by Mrs H. J. Constable, and of cellophane work, by Miss D. Breeze, were given. The competition for organdi flowers was judged by Miss F. Hardy and Miss D. Bolton, the winners being:—Miss M. Cruickshank 1, Miss F. Crawford and Miss L. Hunt (equal) 2, Miss N. Rose and Miss E. Montgomery (equal) 3. Hostesses were Misses N. and M; Smith, N. and M. Rose, and D. Simpson. Vocal items by Mrs A. Horne and Miss N. Smith, and mouth-organ solos by Miss G. Quinn, concluded an enjoyable evening.

Advice was received from Hongkong by the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at its meeting on Tuesday night, that owing to the general unsettlement, and the instability of silver exchange which is rendering business in China very difficult both for importers and exporters, it has been decided after consultation with the Advisory Committee of the trade fair, and with the concurrence of the Hongkong Government, to postpone the British Empire and China trade fair for a year. At the moment the date is uncertain, but it is expected the fail will be held in December, 1936, or February, 1937, the opening of the Chinese business year. The organisers believe that the delay in holding the trade fail will, in the end, prove to be all to the good. It is felt that it will give more time for both peoples to realise how closely their mutual interests are linked together, and consequently will strengthen support for the trade fair as a practical means of improving the business between them, as well as a tangible expression of Anglc-Chinese friendship.

To encourage dairy farmers, when rebuilding or remodelling their milking sheds, to follow modern lines and construct sheds which will improve conditions on the farms, the prize to be given at the Ashburton Agricultural and! Pastoral Association’s show for the best model of a dairy shed is attracting considerable attention. The donor (Mr J. W. Butterick) told a “Guardian” reporter that he was not urging the building of new sheds in difficult times, but advocated having a-'plan which farmers could follow when they did want to rebuild. There was no doubt that, with a dairy built in compliance with tiie regulations for the model competition, conditions mould he such as to make for an improved quality of milk. Nevertheless, it was pointed out by another farmer that, even with a model dairy, feed flavours and stagnant water would still affect the milk, and these could .not necessarily he eliminated hv tlio construction of an ideal shed. There would he a tendency toward improvement, hut it did not follow that suppliers would reach a high grade, no matter how cleanly they wore.

That the British. Empire had assumed the responsibility of a policeman and as such she should have a good navy was stressed by Major-General Sir Andrew 1 Russell at a reunion of the Napier Returned Soldiers’ Association. said Sir Andrew, the navy, air force and army were at a low ebb. He considered the present position was very grave, hut lie would not attempt to prophesy the likely outcome of the present situation. It was, lie said, a curious thing, hut it was noticeable that with a decline of material power there had been a growth of moral power in the British Empire. Her leadership in the world had not been according to heavy armament but according to the inwardness of her appreciating the cause of righteousness. Her position carried great responsibility, and the British Empire, willingly or unwillingly, assumed the Tole of policeman, she must be properly equipped to enforce the laws. Therefore, she must have a first class navy. It would be generally regretted that they were at a comparatively low ebb.

One case of tuberculosis was notified in Ashburton Borough this week. There were no cases of infectious disease in the County.

The writer of a number of short and serial stories, Miss Ena Eden, of Ashburton, lias had considerable success in the publication of her work. Stories have been accepted for periodicals both in New Zealand and Australia.

The Forest and Bird Life Protection Society has secured 6437 signatures to a petition requesting the Government to legislate to abolish traffic in birds in New Zealand, and to prevent the catching and liming of wild birds, both imported and native. It is stated (says the "Auckland 'Star”) that this traffic is increasing in the Dominion, though in Britain and many other countries it is prohibited by law.

Advice has been received by Mrs F. •Curtis (president of the Mid-Canter-bury Federation of Women’s Institutes) that Mr J. Connolly, M.P., desires to offer again this year a sum of £5 to be competed for at the group competitions to be held in conjunction with the Ashburton District Women’s Institute flower show on September 27. Bays will be allotted to the six groups of institutes, and the articles to be exhibited by each group will be a bowl of flowers, oven scones, three varieties of jam, four thrift articles, a supper cloth and a knitted garment. Tin prize-money will be equally divided among the institutes in the winning group.

A reptile seldom seen in New Zealand has its home on board the steamer Willesden, which arrived at Dunedin from Nova Scotia with a cargo of newsprint. The reptile is known as the chameleon, which, as is well known, is able to change its colour to that of its immediate surroundings, and it hails from Egypt. When the Willesden was homeward bound in May or this year, two members of the crew secured two of these reptiles from Arabs while the ship was at Alexandria. One was lost some time later through an accident. The one which survived is a lively little fellow, and when a "Daily Times” reporter visited the Willesden it bore a light green colour as it clung to a line stretched across the galley on the main deck. One of the ship’s boys then placed it on some sacks on the deck, and the colour immediately changed to that of the sacking. The chameleon is of the lizard variety, and is about seven inches long, with, a body which tapers toward the tail, which alone is fully four inches ,in length. Insects are its natural food, and cockroaches appear to be a. favourite article of diet. Another peculiarity is its tongue, which has a length of about eight inches. With a long knife one of the ship’s boys probed at the back of drawers and under boards for cockroaches. One was quickly caught, held within sight of the reptile, and with a quick thrust of the long tongue the cockroach disappeared. The chameleon seldom leaves the cook’s galley, where the warmth is evidently to its liking. When the Willesden is in the tropics, however, the little fellow wanders farther afield.