LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 14, 29 October 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A. Press Association telegram t from Invercargill states that the Southland Power Board to-day decided to restore 7 fWr cent, of the ‘cut” m wages, retrospective from August 1.

lii a recent address to the Master ton Optimists’ Club, Mr J. W. stated that during the past hve months the factory at Greytown had killed 9<j tons of eels, and not one trout had been found in an eel.

No trace has been found of Mr Ted Fvson, of Haw era, who went tramping iii the country at the back of Brunswick several weeks ago, and whose tramping gear was found close to a stream (states a Wanganui message on October 22). Some weeks ago a man answering to his description purchased a railway ticket at Ararnoho toi Mart-on, but since then nothing *urther has -been heard.

About 25 people attended the Ash" burton Technical High School Old Pupils’ Association’s excursion to Peel Forest yesterday. The weather was excellent,* and a thoroughly enjoyable day ■was spent. A similar number of young people attended the Baptist picnic at Anama, and a party of young people from the Church of Christ spent the day at Ashton Beach.

Although rain fell during the Royal Show on Thursday the Hawke s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society was not successful in winning the protection of £6OO insurance for which they paid a premium of £53. The rain did not start until well on in the morning and by 1 p.m., the hour at which the insurance ended, 4£ points of rain ieil. Ten points were necessary to receive the payment of the insurance.

The bookings by overseas liners for March and April next already promise to be very heavy. Cancellations on account of the possibility of an outbreak of war between England and Italy have been negligible, though some have altered their route, to proceed by either the Panama Canal or South Africa, instead of the Sue Canal. One Wellington woman who wished to proceed to England by the Orion in March next has been advised that her name is the thirtieth on the waiting list.

“After having recently visited the Kowhai Intermediate School, I cannot imagine a parent sending a child to a primary school if there is an intermediate school within miles,” stated the chairman (Mr E. F. Hemingway) at the last meeting of the Wanganui Education Board. Mr Hemingway said he was impressed by the efficiency of the school and the amount of attention paid to each individual pupil from the time of enrolment.

Whatever compensations permanent residence in one of the most beautiful parts of England may have when compared with life in New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe (former Governor-General of this Dominion), sadly misses the freshness which marks the early mornings in this country. This fact lie revealed to Mr H. L. Hurston, of Napier, who met Lord Bledisloe and had a conversation with him during his recent visit to Britain. Lord Bledisloe’s country seat is at Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, certainly one of the most delightful spots imaginable. The mornings in that part of England are usually considered fresh and invigorating. Lord Bledisloe’.s remark, therefore, constitutes more than a slight tribute to the climate of the (Dominion.

It was reported to the monthly meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board that the managing-secretary (Mr A. J. Phillips) had been instructed to submit a report on the number of Maori deaths in the board’s district, concern having been expressed by Mr V. E. Smith at the abnormally large death rate during the past six months.

In a letter, written to a Hamilton resident by a visitor to Geneva, M. Laval, the French Premier, is quoted as having described Captain It. A. Eden, the British representative on the Council of the League of Nations, as “that young man who is so deadly in earnest about peace that he will not be satisfied until everybody else is.”

A regular visitor .to New Zealand for trou.t fishing is Mr J. C. Buckingham, of England, who arrived at Auckland by the Wanganella from Australia. This is the thirty-seventh visit that lie has made to New Zealand. Mr Buckingham first came to the Dominion in 1886, shortly' after the Tarawera eruption, and on his first visit to Rotorua he rode from the railhead near Cambridge. Since then he has been a constant visitor.

The other day Mr J. Fielding, of Otaki, following his usual practice (says the Otaki correspondent of the “Manawatu Evening Standard”), left his milk in cans ready to be taken to the dairy factory, but in the meantime some person had acted very foolishly by placing some caustic soda in one of the cans. This was detected when the milk was being emptied into the vat at the Te Horo creamery.. The police are investigating the matter.

Ashburton anglers were again disappointed during the week-end. Fishermen were looking forward to some good sport following the freshes experienced in the County riyers since the ■opening of the season, but their luck was out. The Ashburton River was dirty, and, although the Rangitata was clear, only a few trout were caught at the mouth. The Rakaia was also in very good order, but no fish were taken. There were about 40 rods out at this resort.

Two camps are now in course of preparation to house the men who will be employed on the Main South Road, one camp at the Fox River and another a few miles further south. It is probable that cook-houses will be provided at various points along the road. A number of men have been allocated by the Public Works Department for the Kumara Junction-Kapitea deviation, and work wiil commence this week. Hutments to house those wishing to camp on the job have been secured from the Buller Gdrge railway works.

When the tramp steamer Tekoa was leaving the wharf at Fremantle for England on October 7, and the anchors were being pulled in, some difficulty was found in getting one clear of the bed of the harbour. When it rose clear of the water a fluke of the anchor was found firmly caught in the handles of a motor-cycle. When the machine was recovered and taken ashore, it was found to he identical with a motorcycle stolen five years before. The enamelled portions were still good, also the rubber in the tyres, while the bulb horn still emitted a healthy toot. But the steel portions had rusted in flakes.

No time has been lost in placing the heavy girders in position on the piles of the new railway bridge ever the Ashburton River. It is only a few days since the first of the girders arrived in Ashburton, and already bolting down has been completed' for half the distance across the river. The girders are moved by a. special crane, which moves along a temporary line laid on the girders as the work proceeds. The construction will be completed by the end of the* year, and the bridge will then be put into use, replacing the present structure, which was erected in 1874.

“Yes, I visited the National Art Gallery. It comprises 31 rooms, each containing about £500,000 worth of pictures. I went from room to room till I was dazed, and, I must confess, in the fourteenth room I went to sleep.” This confession was made by Mr L. D. Bestall, of Napier, who returned to Napier last week from Britain. Mr Bestall stated that art students in London would go to the National. Art Gallery and spend hours studying a single pictui'e. Owing to shortage of time he was forced to try and see the whole gallery at the one time “I must say that by the time I had been through 13 rooms I was exhausted, and, keen student as I am, I went to sleep.” Mr Bestall added that it was quite impossible to appreciate the magnificent art in the gallery by such a brief visit. All he remembers of it now was a kind of golden glow and panorama of wonderful colour.

Difficulties have arisen in the sinking of the second pumping station < of the sewerage system, which is being constructed for the Ohinemutu Maori pa, owing to an underground stream having been revealed* (states a Rotorua corespondent). The first station was erected above the ground level and sunk for over 10ft. m a very active area on the shore of the lake fronting the pa, but the excavations, carried out by the Maori workmen in almost boiling water, were successfully accomplished. In the case of the second station, however, in spite of the use of four pumps, it was found impossible to cope with the inrush of water from the stream. In order to overcome the difficulties of excavation the engineer is now using scoops, similar to those used in gold dredging. Excellent progress has been made with other sections of the scheme and the pipe lines are laid practically throughout the area.

Britain was very much alive to the value of science in industry, and research stations had been established throughout the length and breadth of the land, said Professor T. H. Easterfield, formerly of the Cawthxon Institute, Nelson, in an interview at. Auckland yesterday. Professor Easterfield returned to New Zealand; by the Maunganui yesterday, after spending 16 months in England and Scotland. “Most of my time in England was spent at the' chemical laboratoi-y at Cambridge, where I lectured 40 years ago,” said Professor Easterfield. “I did research work in the physic-al-chemical laboratory. Then, making Cambridge my headquarters, I travelled round research institutes all over England.” England) was just as marvellous a> place as ever, said 1 Professor Easterfield. There was a feeling of quiet confidence everywhere, but no boasting about what had been done, or what would he done in the future. “New Zealanders I seemed to find constantly in evidence,” he said, “and everywhere they seemed to be making good. I found great appreciation of New Zealand undergraduates in Cambridge and of New Zealanders who hold positions of responsibility in England and in Scotland.”

Fifty-seven men on the Ashburton unemployment register will be given work under the No. 5 scheme this week, and a further 178 will be given susten-. anee.

. Railway bookings by passengers leaving Ashburton for the north and south during the week-end totalled 424. Ninety-four left the town on Saturday, 210 on Sunday; and 120 yesterday.

“It took the world 1800 3 r ears to reach the conclusion that slavery was wrong,” stated Bishop Cherrington, when preaching at St. Peter’s Cathedral (states the “Waikato Times.”) “It may take the nations many years yet to decide that war is wrong, but they are moving in that direction. There are wars and rumours of war today, but at Geneva the nations are striving for peace, and it will come.”

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that 15 members of the Maori choir, under the leadership of the Rev., R. Tahupotoki Haddon, and accompanied by the Rev, A. J. Seamer, organiser and trainer, returned, by the Marama after visiting the Melbourne Centenary and touring Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia under the patronage of the Methodist Church of Australia. They were given a wonderful reception wherever they went.

A visit to New Zealand for the purpose of inspecting the society’s branches is being made by Mr A. W. Sneddon (general manager of the Australian Mutual Provident Society)' and Mr H. L. Cranswick (business superintendent), who from Sydney by the Marama yesterday. “An indication of the recovery that has been made by Australia and New Zealand is the fact that this year we anticipate that our business will be a record; in fact, it will be a boom year,” said Mr Sneddon. “This is due principally to the higher prices now being received for primary products and precious metals,”