LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 84, 21 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Building permits issued by tiie Ashburton Borough Council between Christmas and last Saturday were foi structures estimated to cost £2672. One was for a motor shed at £22, and the other for a clubrooni and offices at £2660.

When it was reported to the Ashburton .Domain Board last evening that a black swan had been presentee to the Domain by Mr Gardiner, oi Rakaia, and that the bird had beer placed on the ponds, the board decider to write thanking the donor. Jt wa: stated that another swan would probably be sent to the Domain in the neai future.

A despicable action on the part oi two young men on a recent evening is reported. Two girls were wheeling their bicycles along East Street, wher the men came along behind them. One of the men lifted the hack wheel of out bicycle, and with a sharp knife slashed the tyre. The girl had a long walk home, as she lives in Timvald. Had there been a constable in the vicinity at the time, the incident would have boon reported to him.

A refutation of criticism that unem!ployed men were unwilling to seek harvest work was made to-day by the Certifying Officer (Mr W. J. Minogue) ,who gave examples of the manner in which men responded to requests lor labour by farmers from the. Ashburton Post Office Labour Bureau. One farmer from Wakanui asked for three men at ].l a.m. on Monday. By noon it was arranged for the men to commence work. On another occasion a man from Kyle, who asked for labourers in the afternoon, had obtained three men to start on the following morning. A demand by a Wakanui man another day, was met one hour later. “There have been numerous other instances of this,” said Mr Minogue. “This refutes the idea that the men won’t work. There are a let of fine men available, and they are all bumped into the category of useless loafers, which is not correct at all.”

Twenty-six motor-driver’s licenses were issued by tlie Ashburton Borough Inspector in the last four weeks, making a total -of Sdl licensed drivers in the Borough.

Court Ashburton, A.0.F., met last evening, the C.R. (Bro. It. Barnett) occupying the chair. The Woodwards reported six members sick, for whom pay amounting to £4 5s was passed. At the conclusion of the meeting a question-box was hold.

Stock slaughtered at the Ashburton Municipal abattoirs in December was as follows:—Cattle .137, calves 9, sheep 660 (two condemned), lambs 244,. -pigs 56.

The Papanui School Committee wrote to the Ashburton Domain Board last evening expressing appreciation of the facilities which the board had stated would be placed at its disposal on the occasion of the school’s forthcoming annual picnic in the Domain.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Tinwald Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held last evening, when the N.G. '(Bro. M. G. Hampton) presided. It was reported that three members were on the, sick list, pay amounting to £4 4d being passed in their favour. A maternity bonus of £6 was passed.

The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade will conduct its annual competitions on Mona Square on Saturday, February §* and the Borough Council last evening granted the brigade the use of high-pressure water for the purpose of the contests.

Though have the right tc attend meetings of the Ashburton Borough. Council, it is seldom that the privilege is taken advantage of, and till last evening it was many a year since a spectator listened bo the deliberations of the council. Two young men sat in a corner of the Council Chamber throughout the meeting.

Accepting a wager, an Ashburtor young man who owns a baby motor-cai endeavoured to drive the vehicle ovei the railway bridge at the south end ol the railway station the other night. He took it to the top of the ramp leading off East Street, but the turning at the top was too narrow, and he had to back down on to the lawn.

The painters who are renovating the woodwork on the Borough. Council Chambers were engaged on the clock face this morning. The painter, working from a lc,ng ladder without scaffolding, appeared to he in a somewhat precarious position. With the fresh paint the clock is already presenting r brighter appearance.

The picnic of tlie staffs of the combined Christchurch Insurance Companies was, held in Ashburton to-day, 159 people arriving this morning by special train. The visitors spent tlie lay in sports and swimming in the Domain, and about the town. They ,vill return at 5.15.

Alarm at the number of boys who use the ramp of the overhead bridge it the railway station as a speedway for bicycles was expressed at the meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council last evening, when Mr F. J. E. Small bone drew attention to the irequency with which boys endanger the limbs of pedestrians at that place. A member suggested that a railing might be placed at the foot of the ramp, but it was pointed out that the bridge'was under the jurisdiction of the Railway Department, to which it was decided to write in regard to the matter.

v lii preparation for the census toward the end of March, the Ashburton County lias been divided into 21 sections by the Ashburton enumeiatoi (Mr W. J. Minoguc). Sub-enumera-tors to deal with the various sections will shortly be appointed. As far as possible they will be men outside the Pest Office staff, who will be actually in need cf the remuneration to he given. Meanwhile the preliminary map of each section will have to be prepared by the Lands and Survey Department, to prevent oieilapping by tlie sub-enumerators.

The demand for houses in Auckland is accentuated ky the constant noi toward trend of southerners who want to live in a more congenial climate (states the “Star”)- This cvas \ 7 eiy foiciblj impressed on a house agent during the past Aveek or tAVo who leased houses to tenants coming from Palmerston North, Napier, the Waikato, and Southern Taranaki. What struck the neAvcomers was the low rent in the north compared with the prices further south. In every case the neAV tenants from a distance had motor-cars, and Avhat surprised them Avas the readiness of the house owners to erect garages for them Avhen they took a long lease of the property. In the south it Avas most difficult, they said, to get the landlord to do anything to the houses, and they thought it was fine to see the co-operation which existed betAveen landlord and tenant here. This, of course, has no reference to rents in the South Island, Avhieh are generally on a lower scale - than the North Island rents.

Mr E. Cholerton, of Messrs J. 11. Procter, Ltd., Christchurch, arrived in Ashburton this evening, and may be consulted on all defects of eyesight at the Somerset Hotel to-morrow, Thursday and -Friday.—(Advt.)