LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 100, 8 February 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There were no notifications of infectious disease in the Ashburton Borough or the County this week. The south-bouml express was 16 minutes late at Ashburton this morning owing to the late arrival ot the inter-island steamer at Lyttelton. Tlierci has been a good deal of- petty thieving in country districts m the Ashburton County lately, petrol and kerosene having been taken from tractors. One farmer, in a southern district who had lost kerosene on more than one occasion, drained the- tank ot his tractor and filled it with water. In the morning the water was gone. A meeting of St. Andrew’s Guild was held on Thursday afternoon, in the absence of the president, Mrs Cooke presided. Routine business was dealt with. It was decided to purchase suitable curtains and have some improvements made to the windows ot the guild room. There was some discussion about the annual ettoit lot raising money. Afternoon tea was provided by Mrs Sewell. Members of the Tinwald branch of the Mothers’ Union journeyed to Longbeach on Wednesday, and spent a very liappy day in the beautiful grounds of the Longbeaeh estate. Lunch was enjoyed under the shady trees. Aftertea was provided by Mrs Grigg . A ' short intercession service was held in the jchapel, conducted by the vicar (the Rev. H. A. Childs). Having noticed from the daily recordings at his weather bureau at “Rudstone,” Methven, showed consistently higher minimum temperatures than those recorded at Nelson, Mr J. Carr suggested to the Ashburton County Council that areas along the foothills might be suitable for the planting of bluegum trees, which are subject to frosting. The Council yesterday decided to ask the State Forest Department to investigate the possibilities of planting fairly large numbers A Conciliation Court met at Christchurch yesterday to consider the terms of a new award'covering the office employees of four gas companies. The applicants were the Christchurch Gas, Coal and Coke Company, the Ashburton Gas, Coal and Coke Company, the Timaru Gas, Coal and Coke Company, and the Temuka Gas Company, Ltd. The other party was the ChristchurchClerks’, Cashiers’ and Office Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers. After brief consideration of several of the clauses of the employers’ proposals, the meeting was adjourned till February 26 for the purpose of further discussing the advisability of an industrial agreement covering Christchurch only.

The man who, through physical unfitness, was not able to stand up to hard work was described by the Minister for Labour and for Employment (the Hon. 11. T. Armstrong) as “one of the most serious problems the Government was up against,” when speaking in Auckland yesterday (says a Press Association telegram). He knew, he said, that the Minister for Pensions (the Hon. W. E. Parry) was trying to draw up a solution that would end in this type of man being paid an invalid pension. “They have to be provided for either by sustenance payments, light relief work, or cluiritabie aid,” he said. “It will not cost the country much more to: go the decent way about it and pay invalid pensions.”

The picnic of the Ashburton railway staff, to have been held at Mount Somers to-morrow, has been cancelled on account of the weather. Ten relief w orkers will be employed on the No. 5 scheme in Ashburton next week. The sustenance payment will be given to 103 men. Three ’planes in charge'of pilots who are undergoing a refresher course at Wigram aerodrome paid a visit to Ashburton this morning. They spent several minutes flying over the town, and the roar of tlleir engines brought out many people to view the evolution.. Two Birkenhead residents (says the “Auckland Star”) had an uncanny experience about 4.30 o’clock on Sunday morning. They had parked their car under the Birkenhead cliff overlooking the wharf. Just as they got the car out a flash of iightning struck the cliff above them, and put out all the street lights. There followed the sound of earth falling down the face of the cliff. The slip blocked on both sides another ear parked under the cliff, and attempts to remove it were fruitless.

The residents of Ratana pa, in a communal effort, still continue to grow large areas of wheat and other foodstuffs, including plenty of potatoes and maize. Just now the wheat is beginning to assume the golden tint, and viewed from the elevation of the pa the waving ears are, reminiscent of the Canterbury farm scenes. Owing to a wetter season, the wheat shows greater length of straw than last. year, and generally appears to be well. eared.

“Let me remind you that it is not your duty to try these cases. That is the function of the common jury,” said Air Justice Calkin when explaining to the Grand Jury at Auckland exactly what are its duties. “Your function,” he said, “is simply to act as a further protection, in addition, to the fact that all these persons have been committed for trial by magistrates or justices of -(lie peace. You are an additional protection, lest anybody should in a totally unnecessary and* useless manner be put upon trial here.”

An indication of the trouble that railway officials may be put to through carelessness, arose recently, when an Ashburton resident wrote complaining that she had lost a tin trunk which had been placed in the guard’s van at Dunedin by a “red cap” porter. Station officials at Ashburton investigated the complaint, and voluminous correspondence passed between them and, all stations from Dunedin to Christchurch. The trunk was finally found in Dunedin. It had been taken out of the van by the guard because the address on it had not been changed from Dunedin to Christchurch.

Many motorists, when travelling at night,‘ have killed rabbits which have found the glare cf the headlights tco fascinating have passed on their way unthinking, but one Lumsden-motor-ist (says the “Southland Times”) will have cause to remember a rodent he encountered near Athol on a recent evening. Tho rabbit was evidently flung round by the wheel for a loud noise was heard against the mudguard before its was thrown clear. He proceeded oil his way, but next morning had the disappointment of discovering a flat tyre. His friends find difficulty in believing his statement that- the puncture was caused by splintered bone of the rabbit, but he can produce the evidence, removed from the tyre.

Such a large amount of flood water came down the Wnimate and Taruheru rivers oarlv on Alondav morning (says the “Poverty Bay Herald”) that the water jn the greater part of the bay was discoloured. For two or three miles out at sea, it seemed, and across the bay almost to Young Nick’s Head the yellow patch extended. Beyond, the water was a light green. Despite the discolouration, hundreds of bathers went swimming in the morning while the sun was still shining hotly and when the atmosphere was humid. The wind at the time was coming from the north, and for a while was very strong. In the afternoon, however, the gale sprang up from the south, and the beach was lashed with tremendous seas.

A Press Association telegram from Christchurch reports that a statement that he was personally opposed to the gold export tax on principle, but that he was only one member of the Government, and the question of the removal of the tax would have to be considered by the Cabinet as a whole, was made by the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb) in reply to a deputation from the executive of the New Zealand. Gold Producers’ Association. Members of the deputation stated that they were net ready with proposals for the development of the industry, but that after a conference to be held on February 18, a. deputation representing the whole of the gold mining industry, would wait on the Minister in Wellington with definite results.

The suggestion that relief workers had been victimised because of their activities in unemployed organisations brought a reminiscent smile to the face of the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) at Auckland yesterday morning. “We have all been baily nuisances in our time,” he said, as he gave his opinion on the question of free thought in its relation to Government works. “It would, not get us anywhere to hold inquiries into things of this sort, which may have happened under another administration,” he said. “There is a new administration in New Zealand now,” he said, “and in any department over which I have jurisdiction a man can take any attitude that way he likes. The thing that concerns us is: Does he do his work ? As long as he dees that he can hold any religious or political view that he likes. After all . . .” And then came the smile.

The Ashburton branch of the Plunket Society met yesterday afternoon, Mrs F. W.' Seldon presiding. It was reported that the car mileage for December was 101 miles in the own and 693 miles in the County, and in January 114 miles in the town and 623 miles in the County. Visits to homes in the town in December totalled 38, and to flic rooms 487, while in the County the visits to homes were 69, and to the rooms 188. During January 46 homes were visited in the town, while there were 575 visits to the rooms. In the County there were 71 visits to homes and 268 to the rooms. A letter was received from the secretary of the executive in Dunedin asking for the architect’s plans and specifications of the Ashburton rooms, to be forwarded to an exhibition in Toronto, Canada, where Plunket work has recently started. It had been decided to send information about the Ashburton rooms because they were regarded as a model of design for Plunket purposes.

A “Gazette” Extraordinary states that Parliament has been further prorogued till March. 5. There is nothing (says the “Manawatu Evening Standard”) to daunt the commercial enterprise of the younger generation. Taking advantage of the situation of Palmerston North, after the hurricane, which had deprived most sections of the lighting service, they were early in the evening selling candles for 3d each—and did good business, too. Bones have been the traditional diet for dogs since time immemorial, since the first cur received as its share of the cannibalistic orgy the shin-bone of the unhappy victim.. In Invercargill, however (says an ’exchange), there is a young, dog whifch rebels against the established canons, and likes nothing better than to frequent the garden, picking gooseberries and peas, which are selected one by one and consumed with every appearance of enjoyment. During the last session of Parliament an important amendment was made to the Law Practioners Act. The amendment extends the qualification for admission as a barrister to any person who is a solicitor of the court of not less than five years’ standing, and, who being an officer employed in a Department of State has been engaged therin, for at least five years contihuously preceding the date of his application, in the performance of jyork of such a character as in the opinion cf the court qualifies him to be admitted as a barrister. Applications were made in Wellington this week on behalf of Mr F. W. Aiekeir, railway law officer, and Mr J. H. Carrad, first assistant solicitor, Public Trust Office, for admission as barristers. These were the first applications made under the new law r .