LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 125, 9 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Outdoor relief administered by the Ashburton Hospital Board m the last month totalled £49 14s 2d.

A Maori conference it to be held at. Tahoraiti, near Dannevuhe, - month, when it is expected that tlieie will be 2(XX) visitors present.

Gross takings at the Allenton School flower show on Saturday were £42 3s sd, of which a profit of £3o Ss 4d will be available for the school library and general fund,. The sum raised would have been larger but for unfavourable weather on Saturday evening.

“The pioneer spirit is by no means a tiling of the past,” said the Rev. D. ij}i McLauchlan at the Tmwald Presbyterian Church service last _ evening. “Quite gratifying congregations have met at both services here to-day in boisterous weather, and some have come many miles. Such devotion is most encouraging to any preacher.

An example of the great number of languages spoken in India was given b„> the speaker'at the Napier Rotary Club luncheon the other day, when lie said that at his Theological College there were 45 pupils, among whom 16 different Indian langauges were spoken. The only medium for the purpose of teaching was English.

Much amusement and some inconvenience was caused by the behaviour of an unusual type of tractor at the junction of Khyber Pass and Symonds Street, Auckland, about five o’clock one evening. The engine and cab were mounted on four steel rods about six feet high, so as to allow timber to be carried between the body and the wheels. The machine stalled at the intersection whereupon the driver crawled round from his seat and, by standing on the starting handle, about seven feet above the ground, endeavoured to make the stubborn enpine turn over. A crowd gathered and traffic was held up for several minutes until success attended the driver’s efforts.

The unusual sight of nearly 300 seagulls standing, in the road was seen by a DeYonport (Auckland) resident who cycled home along King Edward Parade between 2 and 3 o’clock yesterday morning. The birds were of all sizes and were standing along the road for some distance. They appeared dazed when the cyclist shone a torch at them, and finally, he was forced to get off his bicycle, as they made no effort to move. Devon port residents ahe unable to account for the presence of the birds, which were not on the road at midnight. There was no need for the birds to seek shelter as the weather was not stormy, and it is a mystery why they preferred the hard pavement to the beach or sea.

The railway hiking excursion which was to have been_held at Mount Scmers yesterday was cancelled owing to the unfavourable weather.

Owing to delay because of slips on the railway in Otago, the north-bound express was late in arriving at Ashburton afternoon. When the “Guardian’ -7- went to press it was expected the train would, be about an hour behind schedule.

Tomato growers (says the Hawke’s Bay “Herald”) did not have cause to enthuse over prices obtaining for their products in Napier last week. A 121 b case of really choice fruit (or is it “vegetable?”) could be purchased wholesale for Is while tomatoes of lesser quality sold for lOd. A more recent sale saw a very much firmer market, but even so, Is 9d for a case of firstgrade tomatoes is not a very rich reward for the grower.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that the following resolution was carried by the Congregational Union of New r Zealand yesterday “Deploring the impetus given to vice through the unrestricted sale of contraceptives to juveniles, this Assembly pledges its people to support immediate legislation designed to prohibit the pernicious traffic, which is fast developing into a national evil.” •

The claim that the comparatively few people living in New Zealand have produced a greater volume of really good literature than any similar number in any part of the world was made by Mr O. N. Gillespie, essayist and speaker on litearary subjects, in the course of an address to the Gisborne Rotary Club. He instanced a large number of New Zealand writers who had produced works of great value, and stated that of the 3001) authors of New Zealand origin whose work had been traced producers of literature of importance in the world at large.

Eight candidates were admitted to the purple degree at a Past Grands’ lodge held at Tinwald on Saturday evening by the Ashburton district officers of the Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. There was a very good attendance. The officers making the degree were D.G.M. Bro. J. H. D. Donaldson, D.D.G.M. Bro. H. C. Patterson, I.P.D.G.M. Bro. J. A. England, and D.G. Bro. A. C. ITardie, assisted by P.D.G.M. Bro. E. H. Childs and P.G. Bro. R. H. Biggar.

One of the amusing s(des of the life of ltudyard Kipling was mentioned by the Rev. J. Patterson in an address to the Wanganui Rotary Club. He said that on one occasion when Kipling studied his bank book be discovered that bis account was in credit to a far greater extent than lie expected. Investigation proved that most of the small cheques he had drawn were not presented. The secret was that Kipling’s autograph was worth about three guineas, and people who wanted the autograph and were in possession of he cheques for less than that amount, kept the cheques. That procedure meant quite a let of money to Kipling in a year.

There will he no sitting of Parliament on Good Friday. April 10. It is probable also that the House, in view of the fact that the Easter Holidays will he observed by many people well into the following week, will not resume until Thursday, April 16. The Prime Minister (Mr Savage) said that the Government had not vet given any consideration to the question of what might be called Easter Holidays for the new Parliament. “It is certain. of course, that the House will not be asked to sit on Good Friday. Then it is obvious that Easter Monday will be a non-sitting day. If members express a desire to go home for the Elaster holidays, the Government will not insist upon resuming on the Tuesday. There will be plenty of work for Parliament to do, but it need not be suggested that a curtailment of the usual Easter holidays will be necessary.