LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 64, 27 December 1935, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The heat of the last few days has burton 4 Cmmty.°“ A Jf n r / f fanWSrß have commenced hai vestin e .

There was a large attendance at the Cinlflieis’ Club’s annual dance m tne Onmge Hull lust night. Mttstc tv«» played by Dabourn’s orchestra, an there were several novelty dances. Messrs C. Bax and T. Jamieson were Masters of Ceremonies.

A very pleasant day was spent yes terday by about 70 members ot the Ashburton Church of Christ and thei friends at a picnic at Peel Foi est T 1 party travelled in cars and lomte and spent the day in the hush and visiting beautv spots in the neighbourhood. The picnic was organised by Mr E. Scott,

A good response was met with bv the Ashburton Silver Band, and the Sanation Army Band in their Christmas carolling on Sunday _ and Christmas morning contributions exceeding slightly those of the last three years. Up to Christmas Day the Silver Band collected £73. Further carolling will be carried out in the country on Sunday.

Inadequate arrangements at the Ashburton racecourse yesterday resulted in n good sum of money being shut out from the totalisator. This was imt altogether the fault of the totalisator staff or the backers themselves. There were not enough windows in the payout section, and many successful^ speculators were unable to obtain their dividends in time to have a wager on the following race. The club intends to improve the facilities for betting immediately, and big additions will be made to tho totalisator house, which has done service for many years.

While Mr A. Hall, a carrying contractor and coal merchant, of Otorohanga,- was engaged in unloading a truck of coal a sack he was handling suddenly ignited with a loud explosion and was quickly consumed by flames. Mr Hall buys many sacks from farmers, some of which have contained sodium chlorate for ragwort poisoning. Mr Hall promptly threw the sack away from the truck, otherwise considerable damage might have resulted. It is suggested that farmers should destroy sacks that have contained the chemical, as there is no doubt about their being dangerous.

With a view to ascertaining tho seasonal incidence of fires and the resultant losses, figures relating to insured fire losses for the period 1931-34 have been prepared by the Government Statistician according to the month in which the fire occurred. The principal feature that emerges from the return is that, although the heaviest losses are experienced in the summer and early autumn months, the colder months produce the greatest number of fires, no less than 40 per cent, .occurring during the period May to August. This is the season when the open fireplace is most used in the home, and numerous claims (mostly small) arise through sparks and embers setting fire to carpets and other furnishings and to clothes which are being dried or aired.

Thirty-three children from the Waltham Orphanage, Christchurch, arrived in a. special carriage on the south-bound express this morning for a picnic in the Ashburton Domain.

Shops in Ashburton were open again to-day after observing the statutory holidays on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most offices will remain closed until after the New Year. Owing to late night being on Christmas Eve there will be no late night to-night, but the usual half-holiday will be kept to-morrow. v

Speaking to a “Waikato Times” reporter the other day, Mr D. M. Sherwood, of London, who* is in Hamilton, mentioned that in the Rhondda Valley in Wales last year 100,000 people received an average of twopence per day per head for meals. “The diet of hundreds of people in Britain to-day,” he added, “consists of bread, margarine, and tea, with a kipper on Sunday and meat at Christmas—if they are lucky.”

Although owing to the hot weather, there has been a neavy consumption of water from the Ashburton Borough s higti pressure system recently, there is still plenty of. water available, and the system has not .been severely . taxed. The amount of water consumed last week was:—Monday, 501,000 gallons; Tuesday, 413,000; Wednesday, 504,000; Thursday, 445,000; Friday, 367,000; Saturday, 486,000; Sunday, 382,000. The record reading was 642,000 gallons established on December 20 last year.

Some idea of the holiday traffic north and south this year can be gained from the result of observations made by a man at Winslow. Between 9.50 and 10.50 on Christmas morning he counted 94 cars, six motor-cycles, three cycles and one bus passing a point on the road, carrying 329 people, while a train of 12 carriages also passed in this time. In half an hour on Boxing Day morning 68 cars and a train of 17 carriages passed.

According to the Statistician’s figures the amount of sales tax collected in November was £223,808, the highest figure for any single month since this tax was brought into operation, the totals in November of the two previous vears being: 1934, £205,256; 1933, £164,829. Sales tax receipts during November would be swelled to a certain extent by payments on at least part of the stocks of Christmas goods, and, consequently, the high yield in November of this year ,may be taken as indicative of the expectation of a busv Christmas shopping season.

The claim made to the Treasury b> the Ashburton County Council, totals £2802 representing the rebate of 12$ per cent allowed the Government on the current year’s rates. The rebate is not allowed to anyone whose rates are less than Bs, and only those whose properties are used solely for agricultural, horticultural, or pastoral purposes. The returns showing those eligible were forwarded to the Treasury last week. A total rate of £29,269 was struck by the County Council for the current year, of which £4OBO was collected before the offices of the council were closed for the holidays.

The brisk condition of the motor industry this year has been demonstrated' by the large number of ownership changes notified to the motor registration branch of the Post Office. The registrar reports a total of 7821 during the month of November. This shows that the volume of turnover in car business is being well maintained. Previous monthly figures, starting with the record period of May last when there were 11,680 notifications of changes of ownership, are as follow / :—June, 6969; July, 9405; August, 8087; September, 7611; October 7747; November, 7821. Compared with the corresponding seven months of 1934, the notifications ot changed ownership represent an increase of 37 per cent.

An unusual subarine disturbance, but one not without precedent ill the district, is reported to‘ hav occurred in Lake Tarawera (reports the “Auckland ■Star’s” Rotorua correspondent). As the result of a disturbance some time ago the lake became discoloured bv a species of green sediment, which on examination has since proved to be fine particles of lake slime and vegetable growth. It was some days before the discolouration disappeared, but although careful watch has been kept it does not appear to have affected the fishing, and no dead fish have been reported. Mr Cecil Wav, Avho has extensive experience of Tarawera conditions, states that over a period of years he has observed several of these disturbances. About three years ago a similar discolouration was observed in Lake Rotorua at the foot of Mount Tongariro, and this also was attributed to a submarine upheaval on the bed of Lake Rotoaira.

The experience of a residence of Harris Street, Gisborne, recently, raises a question of considerable interest to naturalists. Walking homeward in the twilight, the woman felt a light but very tangible body alight upon her dress, and, thinking it to be one of the larger varieties of moth, endeavoured to strike if off with her hand. The visitant, apparently resenting rough treatment, clung to her hand and sank teeth or mandibles into her finger, inflicting a small but painful wound, and being dislodged by a second welldirected blow. It did not fall immediately to the ground, but fluttered away, and was quickly lost sight of. The victim of the bite caught only a hurried glimpse of the insect or animal, but received a strong impression of a mouse-like body armed with broad wings. The description suggests that she was involved in an encounter with a New Zealand native bat, but these animals, are not known to flourish in Poverty Ray, though a small colony formerly existed at Ngatapa.

“Men are certainly more conventional than women in matters of dress,” remarked an Auckland discussing with a “Star” reporter fashions for the summer season. “Fortunately, however, there are signs that the younger men will not he so hidebound.” He mentioned that the new style in hats, with the narrow snap brim, had definitely caught on, and that there was a brisk demand for straw hats of this type, now that summer had come to stay. Despite the efforts of the Prince of Wales and other fashion leaders, the old-style straw boater had not regained general popularity, and such as were seen about were often of an ancient “vintage.” Hie did not think there was much increase in the members of the no-hat brigade, for most men liked a head covering of some kind or other, especially when the sun was powerful. The seasonal trend in suitings was towards light grey fabrics of the flannel type. There was no notable demand for drill or tussore suits, but it was possible that those would become more popular as the sumer progressed. On the whole, trade was distinctly better than last year, the arrival of sunny weather having proved a real tonic.

A total of 950 sheep for a nine-hour day comprised the work of three shearers at Mrs W. J. Bremner’s farm at Ruaiuii, near Taihape, recently. The sheep 'shorn were heavy Romney ewes, and the individual figures were as follow:—W. Yendall, 308; H. Hegli, 329; G. Andrew, 313. Yendell was the champion at the shearing contest which was held in Taihape about 12 months ago. Hegh and Andrew also competed at this contest. It is not known whether these shearers have established a shed record at Ruanui.

Transfers of land registered in New Zealand during October numbered 2242, the consideration amounting to £1,520,679. The current year has witnessed a striking revival in land transfers, the aggregate value of registrations during the expired 10 months being 20.96" per cent, higher than in the corresponding period of last year. The increase over the total for the 10 months being 20.96 per cent, higher per cent. The monthly total for October w'qs the highest, in respect of value, since December,, 1930. Mortgage registrations in October showed an increase of 12.12 per cent, in number and of 29.23 per cent, in value over the total for the preceding month. During the 10 months ended October, 1935, the value of discharges exceeded that of registrations by 1,080,393. Prior to last year registrations normally exceeded discharges, but this normal tendency lias been reversed, discharges being generally in excess, in spite of an increasing volume of registrations. A 12-inch lizard, apparently not in the best of tempers, confronted a Napier family in the garden one afternoon recently. The strange visitor was discovered in the garden of the home of Mrs Robinson, of Vautier Street, and the occupier, adopting the only practical course, picked up an axe and quickly killed the lizard. So that they could be identified the pieces were later taken to Dr. J. Allan Berry, who had difficulty in identifying the species as it did not conform to any known New Zealand lizard. Finally he discovered that it was an Australian reptile and quite harmless. How it came to be found in a Napier garden is a mystery, but the probability' is that it was harboured in a fruit, wheat or timber consignment. Actually' the technical name of the lizard is prachysaurus rugosus, and when full grown it reaches a length of 12 inches. It has a very short, blunt tail, and is found in all parts of Australia. This discovery prompts the question whether the reptile is an isolated specimen of this particular family, or whether the species is breeding in this country'.