LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 126, 10 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Advice lias been received by Mrs Constable (secretary to the Mid-Canter-bury Federation of Women’s Institutes), that Miss Amy Kane (chairman of the Wellington branch of the British ■Drama .League) who recently returned from Europe, will be the principal speaker at the annual meeting of the Federation Council on April 3.

Rajah, one of the twoi elephants at the Auckland, zoo, was shot yesterday morning by order »of the zoo authorities, as he was considered likely to become a menace to the public safety. Lately he had “turned rogue,” which necessitated precautions. Rajah was valued at £SOO, but this amount will not be totally lost, as the skin will he stuffed for tlie War Memorial Museum, Auckland.

The flour section of the heat Committee, in a circular to clients, says: — “As some doubt seems to exist about the payment of flour section accounts, we take this opportunity of pointing out that the committee’s terms are strictly 1} discount for cash within seven days from date of delivery, otherwise net. These terms are set down by Government regulations and so payment must be made promptly on due date. If this is not done, we shall he compelled to refuse further supplies until invoices for previous supplies have been paid.”

“New Zealand is the only known nesting country of the long-tailed cuckoo,” states Mr L. W. McCaskill in an article in the “Forest and Bird” Magazine. “In winter the species is found in various islands of the South Pacific from the Solomons in the west to Tahiti in the cast. The ancient Maori explained its annual disappearanee by saying that the bird shed its feathers in the autumn, turned, into a lizard, and crawled into a hole in the ground and, spent the winter there. There is much to he learned of the migrations and nesting habits of the long-tailed eukoo.”

In what the usually the best months of the summer, Napier has experienced no fewer than 17 inches of rain since the beginning of the present year, Depite January’s high recording of 5.13 inches, it paled into insignificance by comparison with the February total, which was just 10 points short of 12 inches. Flood conditions on two occasions assisted materially in swelling the aggregate for the month, and in two days of last week the rainfall totalled nearly 2J- inches. The rain which lias been recorded in Napier during the first two months of this year is almost equal to two-thirds of the rainfall of an average year.

‘‘During tlie past twelve months there have been, many brightening signs towards business recovery and the improvement in prices for the principal products of the Dominion has had appreciable effect in reviving business activity and there is plenty of evidence of an upward trend that is a most welcome condition after the strain of the past few years,” states the annual report of 'die Wellington Chamber of Commerce. “With the more stable conditions ruling'most business activities them, and the recovery is well exemplified in the statistical figures hearing upon trade and business activity, internal and external.”

The Labour Party gained an extra seat on the Christchurch City and Suburban Damage Board to-day, when Mr T. H. Butterfield was elected unopposed to. the vacancy. This gives Labour six of 12 seats on the board, (says a Press Association telegram from Christchurch).

The driving force of the rain yesterday was shown in one case where the floor of a verandah and porch 14 feet deep was completely wilted. This had not happened before in the memory of the occupant, although the house has been in use many years. In another case the rain penetrated 10 feet- into a room through a louvre.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that elaborating his statement about the proposal to inaugurate an inland air mail service in the Dominion the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F; Jones) said on Saturday that arrangements would be made for inward overseas air mails to be conveyed by inland air services in the Dominion when the delivery of such correspondence would, be facilitated.

At the annual assembly of .the Congregational Union at Dunedin yesterday recommendations were adopted that the llev. A. C. Nelson, minister of the Bcresford Street Church, Auckland, be appointed warden of the College Council, and that the following officers he elected Chairman, the Rev. G. Heighway.; council, the Revs. F. de Lisle, G. Jackson, H. W. Newell, A. Mead, A. Johnson and Messrs C. E. Campbell H. Ennor, and J. M. Uott.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that although increased overseas bookings recently have had a corresponding effect on the number of passports issued by the Government, the Minister of Internal Affairs stated yestei’day that a comparison with last year showed a decrease in passports issued this year. Financial conditions prevailing in New Zealand were reflected in the steep decline noticeable from 1930 to 1934, the 4909 issued, in 1930 falling to 2455 in 1934.

Although water which overflowed from channels yesterday cleared up rapidly as soon as the rain ceased, there was plenty of evidence this morning cf the extent to which it had, covered streets. Little piles of heaped-up grass and rubbish in West Street indicated' that the depth to which water had been lying was comparatively great. In low-lying parts of Netherby there was a large amount of water still on the surface of the paddocks this morning.' In some eases pools extended for about 20 or 30 yards.

The opinion that the people of Italy were solidly behind Signor Mussolini in his Abyssinian venture was expressed by Mr H. A. Sieger, a retired jute merchant of Calcutta, who arrived in Auckland, by the Akarca, Mr Sieger, who has lived in Italy at Bordighera for the last 10 years, said that when he left the country there was still a very friendly feeling toward British people. That was just before the enforcement of sanctions, however, and he had no knowledge of the present position,

The seasonal influx of pickers for hop gardens lias begun in Nelson. It is estimated that mere than 100 arrived from Wellington on Saturday morning, and many more are expected. Local pickers are preferred generally, as they are more experienced. The apple orchards also absorb a good, number of workers. The canning factory has attracted many workers from the West Coast, Marlborough and Wellington.

A conference of representatives of all sections of freezing works in New Zealand will be held in Wellington this month, probably on March 17 or 18. The Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) has been invited to preside, but in view of pressure of business it is probable that he will be able only to attend the conference to hear what the delegates have to say and give a short address. The object of the conference is to consider questions involved in the relationship of the freezing companies to the Workers’ Unions in the industry.

The vast difference in farming costs between New Zealand and South Africa was the subject of comment by Mr John Fisher (principal of the School of Agriculture, C'edara, Natal), who is travelling with the touring Empire producers’ party. Labour in South Africa is purely native and, as is land, is cheap. Land, in New Zealand Mr Fisher regarded as expensive, and compared with South African standards, labour costs were unduly Jjigh. This disparity, said Mr Fisher, was one which made comparisons difficult between the two dominions’ farming practices. After seeing the lands between Auckland and New Plymouth given prolonged growth by unusual rainfall, Mr Fisher referred to the splendid pastures grass plentiful to superfluity. In Natal the country received summer rains and dry winters, but New Zealand was fortunate in a more even distribution.

The Star of Ashburton Lodge, U.A.Q.D., met in the Masonic Hall last evening, the A.D. (Bro. T. H. Pennall) presiding. Sick pay in favour of 10 members was passed. The Grand Secretary forwarded particulars of the jubilee celebrations to be held in May, also asking what support would be forthcoming in the event of a church parade being held in connection with the function. It was decided to ask for further particulars about the date and time of the parade. The clearance of a member from the Ivy of Linwcod Lodge was accepted. One candidate was initiated. An invitation to attend the next meeting of the Success of Ashburton Lodge, when-a “bring-and-buy” evening will be held, was accepted. The secretary reported- c-n the annual meeting of the United Friendly Societies’ Association, and Bro. Ives on the Saturday night social. The secretary was authorised to arrange for the annual meeting of the R.A. Chapter.

A record, in the number of new radio licenses issued was established in New Zealand last year. This information was given at Auckland by Mr E. C. Hands (manager of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board), who said 35,546 new licenses were issued in 1935, a record for the Dominion, where there were now nearly 12 licenses per 100 of population. The only three countries having a greater density of licenses than New Zealand were Denmark, Great Britain and Sweden. If the European estimate of four listeners per license were accepted, one half of the Dominion’s population were listeners. It was estimated that practically every other house had a radio receiver, as there were now approximately 184,000 licenses, while the number of houses was estimated to be 370,000.

Of the total amount of £58,432 levied by the Napier City Council for rates £54,062 was received before the 10 per cent, penalty came into operation. '1 he sum received "represents 93 per cent, of the collectable rates.

In the, annual report of the Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, to be presented at the annual meeting next month, it is stated that the society has offered, to participate with some acclimatisation societies in paying a bounty on the destruction of German owls, exotic pests which are proving extremely harmful.

A Wellington horticulturist, who was much troubled with w ood-lice (slaters) in his greenhouse, put in a hedgehog and a, number of chickens to eat the insects. That night (states an extract from the February issue of “Forest and Bird”) he slept with an easy mind, satisfied that the wood-lice were in for a bad, time. When he w*ent next morning tc view the results of his policy lie saw a happy hedgehog and headless chickens. Hedgehogs are fond of the chicks of wild birds as well as domesticated kinds.

The congregation in St. Andrew’s Church, Epsom, Auckland, on Sunday night had, the unusual experience of listening to an actor’s testimony to the change that religion, had wrought in his life. The speaker was Mr Iran Menzies, principal comedian in the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, now playing in Auckland. After his lastvisit to New Zealand in 1931, Mr Menzies became a deeply-convinced member of the Oxford Group Movement, and he is devoting much of his leisure on the present tour to expounding its principles and testifying to the faith that is in him.