LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Holiday traffic continues to be heavy. This morning there were 17 carnages and three vans on the south express, which was drawn by two engines,

The Success of Ashburton Lodge, U.A.0.D., met last evening, the A.D. (Sister F. Collett) presiding. The bards reported on sick members, and sick pay was passed for payment. An invitation from the Star of Ashburton Lodge to attend a social evening at the close of the next meeting was accepted.

While the river remained clear and fishing conditions in it were good, the sea at the Rangitata mouth during the week-end was too rough, for anything to be caught. A 13 J 2 lb trout was taken half a mile from the river mouth by Mr John Brown, Wakanui Road, Ashburton, this being the heaviest caught for seme time.

The finding of portions of £1 notes at the Ohope Beach camping ground has led to speculation as to whether the person responsible for the recent burglaries at Ohope destroyed the notes in order to cover up evidence of his crime, states a Whakatane correspondent. The torn pieces of notes were found by two visitors, who were spending their holidays at the beach.

Notwithstanding the claims of sick people to the community's consideration, the noise of aeroplanes flying over Palmerston North persists in causing them unnecessary suffering, states the Manawatu "Evening Standard." Recently a 'plane flew in close proximity to a. private 'hospital, and the loud drumming of its engine was most disturbing to people for whom rest from noise is a prime consideration in their restoration to health. This is.no isolated instance of a problem that has become in this respect a nuisance. There is no reason why pilots from the aerodrome should not" take their craft out into the country, instead of flying around the city.

In addition to a keen demand in Australia for good racehorses bred in the Dominion, greyhounds are also being exported. Five greyhounds to compete in the "tin hare" race meetings of the Commonwealth were shipped by the Monowai, which sailed for Sydney from Auckland via Wellington. These dogs were bred by Mr P. Davidson, of Auckland. Mr Davidson recently made a tour of Australia and was astounded at the rapid progress greyhound racing had made throughout the country. At Sydney, he said, meetings, with an attendance of between 30,000 and 35,000 people were held regularly. The stakes for Christmas and New Year meetings amounted to £ISOO each Saturday night. About 80 registered bookmakers operated on a course, and it was quite easy to back a dog to win up to £2000,' In two years, from December, 1933 the Harold Park. Club at Sydney held 115 meetings, the popularity of the sport enabling the prize money to be increased from £275 a meeting to £6OO. The total amount of prize money distributed by the club had been £47,325.

The youngest passenger ever taken for a flight oyer Timaru is the 13-months-old daughter of Mr and Mrs H. L. Cooper, of Wellington. The family decided to see the town from the -..it on Sunday, and had a most pleasant trip, the young passenger enjoying the flight immensely.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Tinwald Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held last evening, when the N.G. (Bro. M. 0. Hampton) presided. It was reported that two members were on the sick funds, and pay amounting to £1 was passed in their favour. One candidate was initiated and one proposal was received.

A recent pay-out of £50,296 marked the first occasion in four years that the monthly .sum has exceeded £50,000 paid to suppliers by six dairy companies in Stratford. The payment in December last year was a little over £40,000. Last November it was £44,904, and in October £35,203. The six factories are at Stratford. Midhurst, Cardiff, Pembroke, Lowgarth and Ngaere.

Much anxiety is being felt by residents of the Opihi and Totara Valley districts, South Canterbury at the large number of fires which have taken place there recently. Two houses and the Opihi School have been burned to the ground, and fires have been found in various other places, but fortunately have been extinguished before very serious damape has been done. It is understood iTiat the police have the matter in hand.

A large aeroplane which flew over Timaru at a high speed at noon yesterday attracted a gocd deal of attention in the town. It was the Union Airway's Miles Falcon, which made the trip from Christchurch to Timaru, from landing to landing, in 35 minutes. The 'plane has a cruising speed of 150 miles an hour. Messrs B. A. Blythe and G. R. White, Union Airway's pilots, made the trip, which was simply a cruise to examine air and landing conditions in Timaru and along the route.

All thoughts of a dip overboard were banished from the minds of the crew of the 27ft. patiki Veronique in the Napier roadstead on Thursday afternoon, when the yacht's bow hit a 6ft. shark which was apparently drowsing on the surface of the water (states the "Daily Telegraph"). After being struck, the shark hovered a few yards behind the stern of the vessel, and then sought freedom from interference in the depths. This incident happened about half a mile from the Inner Harbour entrance, directly in the path of the lighters which were loading the cargo vessel in the roadstead.

Mr W. R. Moore, .who visited New Zealand on behalf or the National Geographic Society last year, recently asked that a copy of the feature film "Romantic New Zealand'' be "lent to the Society, which posseses at its headquarters at Washington, D.C., a theatre capable of seating 7000 persons. This has been done, and Mr Moore has written to the Tourist and Publicity Department expressing the Society's appreciation. "I am sure our members will appreciate seeing it," writes Mr Moore. "We are having it coincide with the appearance of my story of New Zealand in the Society's magazine." The magazine has a circulation of over 1,000,000 copies of each issue throughout the world.

Latitudes and longitudes mean little to Americans if a recent issue of the "Boston Herald" is to be taken as an indication. Accompanying a promi-nently-displayed article on the new trans-Pacific air service, the Boston newspaper recently published a map of the world, in which New Zealand had been transported in toto to the equatorial regions north of Australia; in fact, to New Guinea. To offset any slight that might be felt by New Zealanders at this lack of knowledge of their Dominion, the American resident who sent the newspaper tG> a friend in North Otago goes on to relate another geographical slip by an American. This time it was a school teacher who endeavoured to instil into the pupils' minds the information that Australia was a part of New Zealand.

Court Ashburton, A.0.F., met last evening, the C.R. (Bro. R. M. McCarrigan) presiding over a good attendance. The Woodwards reported six members on the sick list, and sick pay amounting to £8 14s lOd was passed for payment. A letter from the District Secretary notified that Court Papanuf was the winner of the ritual competition. A welcome was extended to the Grand Chapter Officers, Bros. Crowther and Ward, who installed the following officers:—O.R., Bro. R. B. Barnett; S.C.R., Bro. C. L. Olds; S.W., Bro. A. P. Rattray; J.W., Bro. C. J. Bax; J. 8., Bro. J. Caiman. It was decided to place Bro. R. M. McCarrigan's name en the respect board and to present him with a neck ribbon. At the conclusion of the meeting members were entertained to supper by the newly-installed C.R.

It has long been felt that the various model aeroplane clubs of New Zealand are too* scattered to reap full benefit from the one parent body—the New Zealand Model Aeroplane' Association, states the "Dominion," Wellington. Acting on the advice of the association, representatives of the New Plymouth, Wanganui and Wellington Clubs met recently at Wanganui, when the formation of a provincial association to embrace the North Island territory from Napier and New Plymouth southward was discussed. A constitution was approved, and officers were tentatively elected. Matters will be carried a stage further at a. representative gathering of model-builders at New , Plymouth this month, and by February it is hoped to have a working association which should materially assist this modern and scientific hobby.

An increase of about 11 per cent, in the number of marriages in Wellington last year, compared with 1934, is being cited (states the "Dominion") as evidence of returning prosperity. As "evidence" it is of doubtful value, although, nevertheless, a pleasing social fact. Happily, there is in other annual and holiday statistics no lack of more reliable evidence pointing to the same conclusion. Customs, returns for 1935 show a good increase over those for 1931. Sales tax revenue improved simi!arly._ And holiday investments on the totalisaTor are well in advance of those made a year ago. Also, although figures are not available, reports from all centres indicate a noteworthy gain in Christmas shopping. Clearly, confidence is being restored, purse strings are being loosened, and the oncechoked channels of trade are beginning to flow freely again.

The-Ashburton Silver Band collected £94 when carolling during Christmas and New Year, compared with £9O last year. The band postponed its .visit to the country on December 29 to last Sunday, owing to bad weather. All the coastal districts from Wakanui to Rakaia were visited, about £2O being raised. The money will be added to the band fund.

After a smart day's work the Wellington Harbour Board's pilot launch Arahina, which sank in shallow water in Bailena Bay on Sunday after a collision with; the other pilot launch Uta, was refloated last evening ((says a Press Association telegram from Wellington). The damage extends from the bulwarks to the bilge, and from the nature of the hele, the vessel was apparently struck almost broadside on. After temporary repairs the water was pumped out and the Arahina towed across tne harbour to the quay, where■she was swung out of the sea by the Heating crane.

The opinion that Wanganui people had' a great asset in their fine art gallery, museum, and library was expressed by a Dunedin visitor to the city recently. The art gallery, he said, presented an imposing picture viewed from the Avenue, while the pictures which it housed weie equal in standard to those of the art galleries of the four main cities. He considered that the lay-out and appearance of the Public Library made it one of the finest of such buildings in the Dominion and one of which the city should be proud. "With regard to the museum," ho said, "I think that your Maori collection is excellent and is better than anything I have ever seen before."

Bumble bees, which usually make their nest in the ground', do net object to a mattress for their heme, as a Gladstone (Invercargill) resident learned when, in preparation far a camping holiday, he went to obtain an old mattress from a bed. He found himself surrounded by angry bees which came out in hundreds from their nesting place. Armed with shovel and a tennis racket, he and an assistant waged war against the bees. Ignoring stings on the legs, the men won the first round; but there were still many of the bees left in the mattress guarding the nodules of honey. At intervals during the morning the attack was renewed until the ground was littered with stricken bees and the inattress was ready for the road.