LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 123, 6 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was no business to come up before Justices of the Peace at the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning.

In the first two months of its service, ended on February 29, the Cook Strait Airways machines travelled appioximately 60,000 miles. They flew over Cock Strait 600 times and carried 202 U passengers.

Of a total rate of £B6l 17s 2d, struck by the Wakanui Road Board, £551 "17s 3d had been paid up to to-dav, leaving £299 19s lid outstanding. A penalty of 10 per cent, will be imposed on all rates not paid after tc-day.

The Ashburton County Council’s rabbiter has been employed for two weeks at Council Reserves at Cavendish and Laghmor, a total of 756 rabbits being destroyed. An application for blocks to poison for the skins are coming in, the Council rabbiter has been suspended in the meantime.

Twenty-five drivers’ licenses have been issued at the Ashburton County Council’s office during the month, while 11 have been issued at Methven, making the total 3088. Fourteen new drivers have be'en examined and licenses issued, making a total of 151. Heavy motor vehicles have been checked as to weight of loads and licenses. An information is pending against one motor lorry owner for operating a lorry without a license.

Publicity given in the press a month ago regarding the Napier Airport Board’s difficulty in procuring Verey pistols has Borne fruit. An Auckland firm and a Wanganui resident have written to the hoard offering information concerning thorn. An ex-pilot from Gisborne has offered to sell a Webley-Seott pistol—a war souvenir—for £5, and an Ashburton resident, Mr Albert Corbitt, of Havelock Street, has offered to donate a pistol to the hoard. The board decided to make inquiries regarding the possibilities of procuring cartridges, before deciding which pistol it would have. Mr Corbitt has forwarded the pistol to Napier. It was one lie acquired during the war and had retained as a souvenir.

This is the story of a kindly act which saved the life of a sheep, and restored it to its owner (says the Wellington “Evening Post”). A train passenger travelling between Wellington and Upper Hutt noticed when passing through the Haywards district a sheep vainly struggling in a barbed wire fence. When the passenger arrived at Upper Hutt be passed the information on to the stationmaster, who took the trouble to ascertain by telephone the name of the owner of the sheen. This obtained, he at once conveyed to him the information as to the sheep’s plight. The result was the speedy release of the sheep. The owner how desires to express his gratitude to the unknown passenger and to the railway officials for their courtesy and trouble.

No fewer than 161 calls for .donors of blood were received by the 'Wellington Blood Transfusion Society last year, according to a report presented to the annual meeting of the society. There are now 133 donors enrolled. Work on the conversion into a cabaret of the stables in Wills Street, formerly occupied by Mr J. J. Lewis, has commenced, workmen being engaged in covering in the ceiling. The cleaning of the front of the building will commence to-morrow. It is hoped to have the work finished in five or six weeks, and to do this 15 or 16 men may he employed at one time. February was the wettest month in Wellington during tbe 75 years for which records are available, stated Dr. Kidscn, director of Meteorological services. The total rainfall was 9.90 inches, the previous wettest Februaries being 8.89 m 1869, 8.76 in' 1868, and 8.42 in 1889. The temperature last month was also below normal, and the sunshine was about forty hours below the average. The last two girders for use on the new Rangitata railway bridge passed through Ashburton yesterday. Owing to a hotbox and a broken buffer on the engine bringing it another engine had to be brought from Ealing to convey the girders. Manufactured in the Addington railway workshops, the girders have attracted interest on account of their large size whenever any of them have been passing through- Ashburton. Each weighs 22 tons. “I have learned with much satisfaction that considerable progress has been made since my last visit in alleviating the sufferings of the unfortunate crippled children of the Dominion,” said Lord Nuffield yesterday, after his return to Auckland from a yacht cruise as the guest of the Mayor (Mr Ernest Davis). “I warmly commend this service to the people of New Zealand. May 1 take this opportunity of saying how much I appreciate the invaluable help which has been given by Mr C. J. 13. Norwood in the administration of the fund, which I established when I was here last year, and I would like also to thank all those who have been associated with him in this work.”

Titanias Palace, the exhibition of which has probably raised more money for charity than the exhibition of any other bit of craft or handiwork, will be in Wellington, from next Wednesday onwards according to a statement made at Wednesday’s weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club" * This fairy palace took many years to construct and is a work of amazing beauty and skill. For the last twelve years or more it lias been touring the world and has been instrumental in raising over £50,000 for crippled children’s funds. The New Zealand visit of the palace follows an Australian one, and across the Tasman the palace created such interest that its journey to this country was deferred for* some months.

Poppy Day arrangements have been commenced, according to a report at a meeting of the executive of the Ashburton Returned Soldiers’ Association last evening. During the month, it was stated, a large number of pension cases had been finalised, and the secretary (Mr F. A. Hickman) was congratulated on bringing to- a successful issue, as a result of persistent effort over a period of six or seven years, a case where there was practically no evidence available, it is reported that a fair number of applications under the War Veterans’ Allowances Act had been handled success r fully in cases where disability could not be attributed to the war, and also that the first appeal under tbe new Act had been lodged by the association, with a reasonable prospect of success.

An interesting find was made in the gullet of a blue cod caught in Queen Charlotte Sound by a. Grovetown resident the other day. It was a twoinch; hook, with which some previous fisherman had. failed to effect a catch. The find was unusual (says the “Marlborough Express”) on account of the state of the hook. Upon examination it proved to have still adhering to the barb end the skiff and scales of the original fish bait. More remarkable still was the condition of the shank, which for three-quarters of an inch between the eye and the curve at the barbed end was worn —not corroded, —till it was as slender and smooth as a fine sewing needle. Two deductions to be drawn from the state of the hook were first, that there was no saliva or digestive juice in the gullet to act on the old bait; and, secondly the shank of the hook was being worn away by the passage of the hard food such as shellfish, on which the fish subsisted.

Swordfishing in New' Zealand and tiger-hunting in Indo-China are two ways of spending a holiday that have been selected by Mr William H. Phelps an American merchant from Caracas, Venezuela, who arrived at Auckland by the Akaroa (states the “New Zealand Herald”). Mr Phelps vyho lived in Venezuela for nearly 40 years, first discovered that New Zealand provided splendid snort for the big-game fisherman by reading Zane Grey’s book on the subject. Discussing conditions in Venezuela, Mr Phelps said there had been some rioting alter the death of General Gomez, who had ruled the country as a dictator, but there had been no real trouble, and everything was now normal. Congress would meet in April to elect a permanent President. Mainly through the oil industry, Venezuela had no debts and very little taxation, added Mr Phelps. T here w’as no income tax or real estate tax, and no ioreign domestic debts. The major oil companies had large interests in the country, but they played no part in its control. Mr Phelps is accompanied by bis wife, and bis son, Mr \Y. Phelps, jun.

The fortnightly meeting cf the Loyal Ashburton Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held last evening, the N.G. (Tiro. E. W. Perrin) presiding over a very good attendance. One member was granted a clearance to the Loyal Hand and Heart Lodge, Dunedin. Two candidates were elected and one initiated. Sick pay amounting to £l3 8s 4d was passed, for payment. P.G. Bros. R. H. Riggar, E. H. Childs, A. Dellow, C. M. Inncs, J. IT. Stevens and W. Iv. Waters were appointed ledge delegates to the District Conference, to be held on Saturday, March 21, the agenda and balance-sheet for which were received. It was decided to enter a team for the district ritual competition, entries for which have been extended to March 15. The Lecture Master (P.G. Bro. E. H. Biggar) admitted one member to the Blue Degree. P.G. Bro. D. P. M'oodie extended, fraternal greetings from the Loyal Johannesburg Lodge (South Africa) and the District Grand Master cf Transvaal. These were heartily appreciated, and a reciprocal message was entrusted to Bro. Moodie.

The percentage of Ashburton County rates outstanding is only 5.2, equalling a sum of £1526. Tile total rate demand was for £29,269, of which £27,743 has been paid. This percentage of payment (948) is the highest since 1939. Final notices are being prepared, and will shortly he sent out to ratepayers who are in arrears. A program me of planting for the coming year, involving an expenditure of £1262 ss, was outlined to the Ashburton County Council this morning, and was held oyer till consideration is being given to the estimates. Refilling is estimated to take 13,000 trees at a cost c-f £65. Ornamental planting will cost £66 7s 6d,' and fencing £367 10s under this programme. The expenditure would be £l7Bl-2s 6d.

Copies of a colourful brochure which has been issued by the Lyttelton Harbourt Board, in conjunction with the Railway Department and the Tourist Department, for distribution overseas, in an endeavour to attract a greater share cf tourist traffic to the South Island, were presented to members of the Ashburton County Council this morning. Favourable comment was made regarding the publication, which contains a large number of excellent photographs and much useful, information touching on the scenic value of the South Island.

It has been reported to the St. John Ambulance Association officials in Ashburton that a man has been making a house-to-house canvass in some country districts, soliciting donations for the St. John Ambulance Association, stating, in at least one case, that the fund was to provide ambulance outfits for country schools. Tire Ashburton officials have made inquiries, and 1 find that the man has no authority to act on behalf of any of the Canterbury branches. It should he noted that the St. John Ambulance Association is the only organisation cf the kind in this province, consequently the man can have no official standing.

“We are no longer a young country ; in four years’ time we will be celebrating the centenaryi of organised government in this country,” declared the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry), when opening the Municipal Conference at Napier. “We have problems ahead of us which befit a nation. I think it is high time that we realised fully that instead of being a young country, we are one of the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. We stand on an equal footing with the other members of that great Commonwealth of Nations. Our future actions must be carried out on the standard of a nation, and not merely that of a young country.”

Damage which it is impossible to assess in mere pounds, shillings and pence has been caused by deer in the forest lands surrounding Waikarcmoana, where the depredations of these animals are most marked at the present time, especially in the southern, western and northern sectors. With the exception of manuka (says the Poverty Bay “Herald”), there are few seedlings in these areas which have been left untouched—all have been eaten out, and trees, all the tender growths have been cropped by the deer as far as they could reach. Judging by the height to which the growths have been eaten away, it is apparent that the animals must have stcod on their hind legs in their search for food. On the eastern side of the lake, owing to its proximity to the traffic route, the deer have left the shrubbery untouched and in consequence it has made goed. headway.