LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 75, 10 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The south-bound express was delayed for 10 minutes at Ashburton this morning owing to a. hot box. There was a slight delay yesterday morning owing to two loose axle bolts on one of the carriages.

“It is one of the most sensational wins on record” is how Mr A. H. Cockayne (Assistant-Director of Agrmultui ) described to the Hon. D. G. Sullivan (Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research)’the successful outcome of the attack on the white butterfly by the use of insect parasites.

When a milk-van knocked against the open door of a car in Burnett Street this morning the side window of v tile car was broken, and a large amount of glass fell over the road. The driver of the van, assisted by a shopkeeper spent some time in sweeping it up.

Because the wind died away when Pilot-Officer Fraser had counted on its continuance he had the experience oi alighting in the sea about 70 yards from the shore when he performed a parachute jump at the Otaki beach on a recent afternoon. The wind was blowing strongly in-shore when the machine carrying the parachutist took off, but then it fell away, providing a surprising experience for the parachutejumper.

The case of two children being born in the same family after a live-year interval but on the same date is reported from the Western District, Southland. This case is not singular, for there is a Wanganui case of a boy being born oil Christmas Day and a sister arriving on Christmas Day four years later. To mark the date, the boy was called Noel and the girl Carol. Another family in Wanganui sports three birthdays on the same day—the father and two members of the family.

The annual meeting of the senate of the University of New Zealand will commence at Auckland University College on Thursday, and will continue on succeeding days. The opening address will be given by the Chancellor (the Hon. J. A. Hanan, M.L.C.). The sessions may possibly finish on January 20. The senate will elect a chancellor,’ prochancellor, and treasurer, and will also make the appointment of a registrar to succeed Mr E. T. Norris, who will retire on March 31 on six months’ leave of absence. Six of the applicants for the position have been invited to meet the senate in jierson hi Auckland on January 16.

There was a shortage of men for a clay or two on the labour market at Ashburton last week, but an agent said today that plenty of men were now available. Last week there was a der mand for harvesters to handle a large number of oat crops and grass seed, but this has been satisfied, and there is not much inquiry for men this week. No further demand of any consequence is expected until the wheat crops are ready for reaping. The agent said he had 80 men on his books awaiting engagement up to Christmas, 1934, but for the corresponding period in 1935 only 12 men were seeking employment. The wages for the grass seed harvest were about Is 3d an hour, but this week Is 6d is being offered in most cases, and in some instances Is 9d is being paid.

Because of the lateness of the harvest the Ashburton County Council will not cease relief work to-morrow, as previously intended, to allow men to obtain employment harvesting. Work under the No. 5 scheme will be given again next week, after which the men will be released to go to the harvest field.

More than 100 important buildings have been erected in Wellington City proper in the last 10 years (says a press Association telegram). The total cost exceeded £3,500,000, or an average of £35,000 a building. The floor space aggregated about 2,640,000 feet, cr roughly 60 acres.

According to a “Gazette” notice published last night the following have been re-appointed members of the Advisory Council of Scientific and Industrial Besearch :—Professor H. G. Denham (chairman), Mr A. H. Cockayne, Mr G. A. Duncan, Professor J. Malcolm, Mr G. A. Pascoe, Professor W. ltiddet, Mr T. lligg, Mr A. M. Seaman and Mr H. Vickennan.

Owing to a large amount of timber for firewood being entrained by the Ashburton County Council at Lagmhor, a special shunt of 13 large waggons was required yesterday to take timber to Christchurch. Ten waggon-loads are being brought down to-day. The County Council has sold the timber to a firm with branches at Christchurch and Timaru.

The welcome scarcity of accidents over the holiday period (says the “New Zealand Herald”) is still continuing, in spite of the large number of visitors to the city and the heavy volume of traffic on the roads. Throughout Friday last there were no accident cases admitted to the Auckland Hospital. Only one case was handled by the St. John Ambulance, and the victim was able to return to his home after treatment in the casualty ward at the hospital.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Ashburton Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F v was helh last evening, the N'.G. (Brc, E. W. Perrin) presiding over a very good attendance. Motions of condolence with 8r0,.J. P. Boothrcyd and with P.G. Bro. C 3. M. Innes in respect to recent bereavements were carried in the manner customary in the Order. Sick pay amounting to £33 6s 8d was passed for payment. Sick visitors are to be appointed at the next lodge night in accordance with the rules.

The efforts of a tractor to turn submarine were responsible for a breakdown lorry being summoned to the Napier Boys’ High School the other afternoon, and for a few anxious moments on the part of those present while, the erring machine was dragged back to dry land from the lake into which it had strayed. It is understood that the tractor was being driven along the edge of the lake at the school, and that for some reason it side-slipped down the steep bank into the lake, taking with it a trailer which it was drawing at the time. Both were recovered after a breakdown lorry had been brought into commission.

A Kapuka resident who lost two five-pound notes at Bluff on Saturday last was convinced, when he discovered his loss that he had seen the last of his-hard-won cash. After waiting till Sunday evening,' during which time he hoped that the money would somehow turn up a he inserted an advertisement in the Lost and Found Column of Monday’s “Southland Times.” He was rewarded for his enterprise the same night when a middle-dged man walked into the “Southland Times” office and announced that he had found the money, and had been waiting for an advertisement to appear claiming ownership. “I can do with the £2 reward,” he said as ho departed.

The opening of the new airport at Milson, Palmerston North, has been fixed for January 15, and the work of completing the new hangar is being proceeded with as quickly jas possible. The huge steel girders forming the framework have been in position for some time, and the concrete wall formation has been begun and a start made on the roof. The work must be completed to-day, so that the first of the large four-engined airliners which are to be flown between Dunedin and Palmerston North in the service of the Union Airways, Ltd., may be housed in the hanger. It was due to arrive from the south to-day. The regular service will be started on January 16.

Just before Christmas,an experimental shipment of canned asparagus left New Zealand in cold storage for London. This will get on the London market at a time when asparagus is normally cff the menu, and if the Dominion’s asparagus is favourably received there may possibly be built up quite a good trade in this delicacy.. The present shipment is only an experimental one, like a kindred one of eels that has also gone Home, and it is fully realised that it is too soon yet to be unduly optimistic about the results., But once upon a time an experimental shipment of frozen mutton and lamb left .New Zealand’s shores for England. What that developed into needs no telling.

“One sign of returning prosperity would seem to be the fact that so many parishes in this diocese have of late been able to raise such large sums to reduce parochial indebtedness,” states the “Church Chronicle.” “We can think of recent efforts made at Roseneatli, Karori, Khandallah and Masterton, and in other parishes. Now St. Mary’s, Hawera, has made a most worthy and successful effort to reduce its burden of debt. C-anon Malcolm writes to give the encouraging news that during the last three months the sum of about £6OO has been given toward debt reduction. Of this amount £375 represents the wonderful response made by parishioners on Sunday, November’24, which was chosen as a special ‘Day of Giving’.”

Reference to the Labour Government’s policy was made by the Hon. P. Fraser (Minister of Education) when replying to a civic welcome at Waihi on Monday. Mr Fraser said that the results of the election, which he described as phenomenal, would not pass quickly from the historical and political records of the country. The Government fully recognised its responsibilities, and would go as far as was humanly possible to> keep its premises to the people, but it could not be expected to work miracles. The policy of the Government during the next three years would be. in the direction of dealing with; the economic position with a view to removing the fear of want from the minds of many people. The Minister indicated that the interests of the mass of the people must come first.

The two Government valuers who have been in Ashburton for the last month or so will shortly commence the valuation of premises in the business area. They have finished most of the rest of the Borough, and - after the business area only Hampstead will remain. They expect to finish work here in about six weeks. ,

The Automobile Association’s motorist camp at the Ashburton traffic bridge was used by about 40 camping parties during. Christmas and New Year. While the camp has been more popular this year with camping motorists than it was last season, the number of campers is still much smaller than it was a few years ago.

During the course of the New Zealand Esperanto Congress held in Wanganui, two plays were presented by the Wanganui Esperanto Club. They were given in Esperanto, and demonstrated the use of the language as a medium for expressing all shades of emotion. The works selected were “Ali, the Cobbler,” by Martin Shepherd, and “Fat King Melon,” by A. P. Herbert. They were translated into Esperanto by the Wanganui Club.

' “I drove 6500 miles through England, Wales, and Scotland, and the thing I am most pleased about is the rapid advance England has- made in industry,” said Mr D. J. McGowan, ol Wellington, who returned on Tuesday by the Monowai from Sydney, after a business and holiday visit abroad. “I visited several factories, and all of them were busy and a great many were working overtime. The only trades which were slack were the coal and cotton industries.” Now that the National Government had been returned to power, a programme had been mapped out which would bring the shipping industry back into its own, and it was generally hoped that the coal and cotton industries would benefit as a result. At any rate, the coal industry would be better off.

The speed propensities of the clock outside the Ponsonby Post Office at Three Lamps were a matter of interest to residents of the district on Friday last and again on the Saturday morning. During Friday afternoon the clock commenced to gam rapidly, with the result that by night it was over an hour fast. By 9 o’clock on Saturday morning the timepiece had increased its lead to two hours, and was still gaining. The Ponsonby postmaster explained (says the Auckland “Star’ ) that the clock was the property of the City Council, although it was mounted on the Post Office, and was under the maintenance of a city firm of clock specialists. Variations in time had been frequent, and it had to he attended to by workmen on Friday. Within 10 minutes of their departure it commenced “speeding,” with the result that the pien had to be called hack again the following morning.