LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 291, 21 September 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A case of suspected diphtheria from Eiffelton was reported to the Ashburton Countv Health Inspector this week. No notifications of infectious disease were made in Ashburton Borough.

A patron of the Marton Jockey Club’s meeting last Saturday brought appreciable relief to the totalisator supervisor when he called on Monday, and handed oyer a double-figure sum, stating that it was an overpaid dividend that lie had received when collecting on winning tickets after the last race on Saturday (says the Wanganui writer “Kestrel.”)

A well-known Southland mountaineer found in a swamp near the South Fiord of Lake To Anau a large bone which he was convinced must be a moa bone. He put it into his pack—already a heavy one—and carried it proudly to Invercargill to have it identified. Great was his chagrin when an expert pronounced it to be the hip bone of a bullock.

In liis lecture on Kew Gardens the other evening, Mr BL P. Mansfield (says the “Southland Times”) had some interesting remarks to make concerning insect-eating plants, referring particularly to the nepenthes, which had a syrupy substance on the platform on which they alighted and walls so highly polished as to allow not the slightest foothold for even a fly. The insect fell headlong into a viscid fluid in which it drowned and its decomposed body nourished the loaf from which the pitcher hung as an appendage.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that a largely attended meeting of the Post and rlelegraph F.mployees’ Association on Thursday evening, the-following resolutions were carried —“In view of the returning prosperity and buoyant state of the Dominion’s finances, and also that Post and Telegraph officers were among the first penalised by cuts during the years 1931-32, this meeting emphatically protests against the Government’s proposals to increase salaries only 7J per cent, from October 1. and resolves to press our justifiable claims to the fullest degree for full restoration and retrospective payment from April 1.”

A decision to appoint a story-teller to entertain the children at the Auckland Hospital was made by the Board the other afternoon. Members agreed that such an appointment would be to the advantage of the institution, it being stated that the practice of appointing story-tellers obtained in hospitals in Australia. The medical superintendent (Dr. J. W. Craven) said it was a question of arranging suitable times, taking into consideration the visiting hours of the public and of organisations, and the school hours. Dr. E. B. Gunson felt that it would be preferable to allow time for the visits of a story-teller rather than for some of the organisations that were now visiting the hospital.

llie Ashburton branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union met yesterday, when the president (Mrs E. M. Begg) presided. Competitions resulted, as follow : —Bloom, Mrs W. Penney 1, Miss C. Macmillan 2, Mrs A. Amos 3. Vegetable: Mrs Begg 1, Miss M. Moore- 2, Miss Macmillan 3. Bran biscuits: Miss Macmillan 1, Miss Moore 2, Mrs J. A. Fleming 3.

At the meeting of the Mid-Canter-bury Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union the following remit was received from the Methven branch:— “That, the attention of the Department of Agriculture bo called to the spread of Californian thistle and that the Act governing this be more strictly enforced, particularly in districts which are clean.” The remit -was carried, the word “reasonably” being inserted before the last word.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a report that Mr L. M. Cheriton had been appointed manager of the Chateau Tongarira at National Park was denied in official quarters this evening. It was stated that Mr Cheriton, who has been manager cf Glade House, Lake Tc Anau, for the last 10 years, has been appointed to the newly created position of works manager at*the Chateau, and that the appointment did not affect the managership.

Fears that if skeleton weed were imported into the Dominion from Australia, it might cause damage to wheat crops, were expressed at the monthly meeting of the South Canterbury provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Timaru yesterday. After discussion it was, .decided to bring the matter under the notice of the United Wheat Growers’ Association and the Dominion executive of the union.

Some good features appear in the “Australian Women’s Mirror,” published this week. The first concerns Australia’s popular musical comedy star, Miss Madge Elliott. In an exclusive story to the “Mirror” she tells readers of her trousseau and the plans for her wedding in Sydney this month. The second feature is a supplement containing the opening chapter of the serial ‘‘Tibnitm,” which has just commenced in the “Bulletin.”

When the Ashburton Silver Band found it necessary, fcbout a year ago, to build a bandroom of its own, it decided to finance the venture by issuing debentures to uublic-spirited citizens. Twenty-five o? these debentures, each for £5, were taken up in a short space of time. Yesterday, five of them were repaid, and the Band officials hope, in the next twelve months, to pay off even more than this number.

The barley crop in New Zealand this year being very much below the average, 270,000 bushels had to be bought in Australia. It may be assumed as a matter of course that such a shortage will prompt some of our farmers to try for a greater harvesting next autumn. As spring sowing is still going on the officers of the Agricultural Department do not yet know what wall be the total acreage thus laid down, but it is reasonably sure to be such as will give security against importing on a large scale.

No industry is so profitable to a country as its tourist industry. Addressing members of the New Plymouth Botary Club, Mr L. J. Scbmidtt, general manager of the New Zealand Government Tourist Department, said: “It is the one business in which stock in trade is not diminished by sales, in which assets are never parted with, jn which there is not necessity write off depreciation and in which—provided the goods are properly sold—the buyer leaves his or her purchase and assists in selling over and over again what lie or she lias already paid for!”

The precautions which are triton against plague in the city were emphasised at the meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board this week, when a report from the pathological laboratory showed that during the month of August no fewer than 450 rats had been examined. It was explained that this was one of the functions of the laboratory, and that a grant for the purpose was made by the Health Department to the hospital boards. A member commented that it was comforting to know that the precautionary measures were so extensive.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that a torpedo fired from H.M.S. Diomede during exercises in Hauraki Gulf, on Thursday disappeared in deep water and has not been recovered. The torpedo had travelled only a short distance when something apparently went wrong with its mechanism, and it plunged below. A search was made by the warship and from the air, but without result, and the torpedo is regarded as being lost. When new, torpedoes are valued at £2500, but the one that lias been lost was 18 years old, and consequently was of considerably less value. It will be replaced out of stores.

A ifriendsliip between Mr H. L. Crook, of Omapere, H'okianga, and a resident of »San Francisco, has developed in a novel manner. A few months ago Mr Crook picked up, just inside the heads of Hokianga Harbour, a. sealed jar containing an ordinary travel folder. He communicated with an address in San Francisco written in pencil on the back of it, and has since received a reply stating that the jar had been thrown overboard from the Monterey about four months before it was found, when, the vessel was 1000 miles from Auckland. His correspondent proposed that they should continue to write to each other, and extended an invitation for Mr Crook to visit him, should he be in the United States.

While improvements were being made to Chaiming’s Buildings in the Strand, Whakatane, the head of an ancient Maori was unearthed below the floor of the old building. In an interview an old Maori identity of the district gave an interesting reason for its presence there (states a correspondent). Seventy years ago, before the raids from the Hail Haus, said the old Maori, the Natives dwelling in Wliakatano wore fierce and virile, and' wars were common. To celebrate a victory the Natives would cut off the heads and eat the flesh of their captives. One night the warriors lit a fire on top of Polnitaroa. Hock, which attracted the attention of. the warriors on Whale Island. The latter manned canoes and came over with the tide at night and fought a battle with the Whakatane tribe while in water up to their chests. Manv Natives were killed and eaten, their heads being cut off and hung in the trees near the sacred rock. Hundreds of heads collected by the headhunters of those days were deposited in a cave under this rock, and the skull dug up on Mr Canning’s premises was probably one thrown into the sea during a local war.

Nine entries for the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s annual horse parade on Tuesday have been handed in. This is the same number as last year. Eight entries are draught horses and one is in the pony section. In the morning a demonstration will he given on the draught horse by Air W. I). Blair, and a demonstration will be given on Southdown sheep by Mr J. H. Grigg at the Farmers' auction mart in the afternoon.

During the year ended March 31, 2171 cinematograph films of all classes, of a total length of 5, 314,410 feet were examined by Government censors, who rejected 28 in the first instance, passed 140 subject' to excisions, and passed 227 as more suitable for adult audiences. These figures are shown jn the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs, which was tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. The countries of origin of the quota, or long, films were:— Great Britain 113, Australia 7, Canada 1, United States of America 354, France 2, and Germany 4.

Encouraged by warm rain to leave the adjacent swamps and mud holes which had been their home during the fine weather last week, hundreds of frogs (says the “Waikato Times”) were to he seen disporting in the glare of the lights of passing motor-cars on the Great South Road the other night. From Bombay to Hamilton the highway was the scene of their antics; many were stupefied by the glare of headlights and wiped out by passing vehicles. “It was a most unusual spectacle,” commented a Hamilton motorist on arrival in Hamilton from Auckland.

The danger to fish life caused by the washing of tar from roads into rivers during rainstorms was emphasised in a letter received by the AVhakatane County Council from the Government ranger (states the “New Zealand Herald”). The letter stated that tar was very poisonous to fish, and road washings after rain had killed trout in a river 400 yards distant from the road. Bitumen, on the other hand, was quite safe to fish life. The ranger desired that the council’s attention be drawn to the conditions under section 39 of the Rotorua Trout Fishing Regulations. The council decided to ask that the ranger should notify it if in any ease he noticed that its road work might be harmful to fish.