LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 76, 11 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton County rivers are reported to be in good order for fishing. Ihey are very clear, while the sea is calm.

There were no notifications of. infectious diseases in the Ash burton Borough or County this week.

One hundred and seventy-five relief workers in the Ashburtcn County will he given work under the No. 5 scheme next week. One hundred and forty-six men will receive the sustenance payment.

When a large section of cliff near Bayly's Gorge, on the west coast of the 'North Island, slipped away from the face, members of a picnic party seated on the beach beneath just managed to escape. An outcrop of lignite coal had been set alight by picnickers some weeks ago, and since then the lire had eaten well into the cliff, undermining a large portion, which crashed near the party. Those sitting below scrambled to safety a moment before the slide occurred.

"The most surprising thing, to my mind ,about Napier," said a holiday visitor on New Year's Day, "is the cheerfulness of the people. It is tr.uly wonderful after the dreadful experience the people went through nearly five years ago. But the town is now so beautiful, and the weather on the whole has been so delightful that perhaps it is no wonder the people are cheerful. I have been here nearly two weeks new, and. the only place I have heard any croakers was in Clive Square and what they had to croak about in !i place whe're water lilies mirrored their beauty in the basin of the fountain I do not know. I have heard Napier described as picturesque, and it deserves that appelation, but I thing 'Cheerful Napier' is an even better description."

The south express this morning was a particularly long one, because of the large number returning home after the holidays. Two engines were required to draw 17 carriages and three vans. Nearly 600 people were on the train, which, was fully occupied.

Owing to a large amount of goods being sent fcr shipping on about eight steamers at Lyttelton, there is a shortage of tarpaulin sheets for railway purposes at Ashburtcn. Officials have been appointed to requisition all sheets available.

Large lorry loads of wool have arrived in Ashburton in the last day or two for the next wool sale. The favourable weather during the last ten days has enabled shearing to be pushed on. Although little wool has passed through the goods office at the Ashburton railway station, a heavy rush is anticipated shortly. Because of the promise of an exceptionally large harvet, officials fear that there may be a shortage of trucks to transport the grain and wool.

"There is one thing that I must say and that is that you have many splendid boosters for your country," commented Mr J. L. Zismer, Cleveland, Ohio, America, who arrived at Wellington on the Makura. Mr Zismer has twice toured the world, but is making his first visit to the Dominion. He had found on the liner that the New Zealanders were overflowing with praise for the beauties of their own country. As soon as mention was made of New Zealand in the presence of a passenger from that Dominion, they were always ready to talk about the scenery.

With the approach of the last day for the payment of rates, there was a very considerable rush at the Ashburton County Council's Offices yesterday, shewing that the farming community apprecitaes the 12£ per cent rebate on the rates. The sum of £284 was paid in. The rate struck for the whole district was £29,270 lis od, of which £4582 was paid up till yesterday. Rates are coming in steadily at the Ashburton Borough Council Offices. Of the total struck of £10,073 19s od, £5251 15s lid was outstanding up to this morning.

A complaint was made to the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council yesterday morning by a dairy owner that free milk distributed in some city schools was being taken home by children 'and consequently the vendors Avere suffering (says a Press Association telegram).' It was decided to refer the complainant's letter to the city council for investigation. The letter stated that customers had said that they got free milk from school. Other customers who had no children at school had children volunteering to get billies filled for them, and the dairymen had not been able to sell milk and had been forced to throw it away.

Since the Unemployment Board's subsidy scheme No. 12 came into- force in July, 1934, a total of 87 applications has been granted in Ashburton. The total cost of the dwellings was £65,587 , the subsidy on which was £4350, based on an allowance of Is a square foot of the totally enclosed floor space, or 8 per cent, of the cost of the houses. Included in these figures is the subsidy granted on the erection of the Anglican Church at Fairton and the Presbyterian Church Hall at Tinwald. The Unemployment Board has also granted subsidies to 40 applicants for painting and minor repairs to dwellings during the same period. The cost of the work totalled £3004, of which approximately £IBO was paid out in subsidies. The basis of subsidy for this class of work is £3 fcr the first £ls, and Is 2d for each additional £1 of the total cost.

The master of the coastal vessel Wal;*hn.ui reports having struck) a large turtle about five miles east of Whangamata, in the Bay cf Plenty. About 11a.m. on Friday morning last, when the Wakanui was proceeding from Auckland to Whakatane members of the crew noticed the turtle floundering astern and the ship was stopped. Apparently the turtle had passed right under the boat and had been struck by the propeller, for an extensive gash was visible in its side. It was turned on its back with its flippers feebly heating the surface, and small fish were surrounding it in anticipation of a meal. The captain said that turtles were very seldom seen in these localities, although one had been seen in approximately the same position, about 18 months ago, and this he considered to have baen the identical one struck. The surface at the time of the "accident" was calm, and it is thought that the turtle, which was about six feet long, must have been asleep on the warm water.

A reference was made in the cable messages some time ago to the large shipments of motor vehicles that had been dispatched to the Dominion when the prices for dairy produce rose sharply toward the end of last year. The December issue of the magazine of the Port of 'London Authority directed attention to the shipments in the following terms :— "Coinciding with the opening of the recent Motor Show at Olympian the New Zealand Shipping Company's motor vessel Rangitata left King George V. dock with the largest shipment of motor-cars ever leaving the United Kingdom in one bottom. She had on board 540 motor-cars and a dozen commercial vehicles, the total value of these being between £BO,OOO and £90,000. New Zealand is now one of the largest buyers of British motor vehicles. . - - The following day the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's Waipawa left the same dock for New Zealand with 225 cased motor-cars and eight uncased oars, all dealt with from quay, and 10 cars were also shipped, from'craft."

Knowledge at first hand of the watchful eve being kept by Great Britain on'the Italo-Abyssinian conflict was obtained by Mrs J. Henson (Hawera) and Missos J. Borne (Manaia) and J. Henson, who have just returned via. the Suez Canal from a nine months' tour of the British Isles. While their ship was passing through the Mediterranean Sea they saw much activity among warships. Many British battleships and three submarines were passed by their vessel, which bore a laioe quantity of British Government provisions for the army and navy in the Mediterranean possessions, they said. A noteworthy fact was that at most Mediterranean ports New Zealand butter was discharged, having been shipped from New Zealand to England and thence to Port Said, whence it was distributed. "We saw pitiable sights near the Suez Canal, they added. "A huge Italian troopship passed with 3000 troops, hanging on like flies, bound for Abyssinia. Two hospital ships returning to Italy laden with wounded were also encountered.

Work on the Allenton swimming bath was recommenced on Monday. The excavation work has almost been completed, and the concreting will be commenced early next week. It is expected that the baths will be finished about the middle of February.

A first hand knowledge of the North Island roads is claimed by a Hamilton resident who cycled from Auckland tfe Marlborough. "Marlborough impressed me as being more prosperous and neater in aspect than anything the North Island could show," he writes. "The young grain crops and crops of lucerne and peas seemed remarkably fresh for a notoriously dry countryside."

An indication that relief workers are already finding seasonal employment in the County is given by the AshburCounty Council's list of men employed this week. The total was 69, of whom 55 were from Ashburton, and the remainder from the Mayfiela, Hinds, Mount Somers, Springburn and Ohertsey districts. The total payment made to them was £93 19s. For the week ended December 28, the total eligible for relief work was 183, and. the payment made was £250 15s.

For most people the holidays are over, and with them, it might be thought, the urge to spend money. But the business done in Auckland on Friday night last gave indication that this is not the case. Purse strings (says the Auckland "Star") have not yet been diawn tighter, as in previous months of January, and store managers expressed surprise and even amazement at the way in which people were still buying. Crowds poured in and out of every department in the large city shops—and they were willing to buy. It is the general opinion that this brisk business will be kept up, and that February sales will increase in proportion. The public was buying clothing and drapery, things usually left until some time after the beginning of January. Incidentally, city stores reported that December sales had been from 20 to 40 per cent, better than in 1934. Articles of better quality had been bought.

In various districts in the north last summer a dark, rather sticky substance was noticed on the paspalum grass for the first time, and this growth has made its appearance again this year (states a Kaitaia, North Auckland, correspondent). The trouble is caused by a fungus, Jusarium ailmorum, which is common on grasses of many species during certain seasons. It attacks and destroys the seed heads, and is largely seasonal, attacking plants when they are growing under conditions of high relative humidity. Unfortunately there is no remedial treatment that can be applied economically. In some districts last year sickness in cattle was attributed to this growth, but in the far north this did not occur. The fungus is of particular annoyance to anyone walking through high paspalum grass, as it leaves a dark stain that Ts very hard to remove from clothing.