LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 129, 13 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While the Rangitata River has been clearing slowly during the week, it is expected that it will come down dirty again over the week-end cn account of the north-west wind two days ago, and that it may not be suitable for salmon fishing. The mouth and sea have been rough recently, and few trout have been taken. The Ashburton River is still dirty.

An crder-in-council making provision for the appointment of an island council (or legislative council) for the island of Mitiaro was gazetted last night. It provides that the council consist of five ex officia members and three nominated members, the ex officio members consisting of the Resident Commissioner at Rarotonga, for the time being, the resident agent of Mitiaro for the time being, and, three ariki of Mitiaro for the time being.

A relic of the early Maori days in the Feilding district was unearthed last month on the farm of Mr W. E. Hills at Makino, writes the Palmerston North correspondent of the “Wellington Evening Post.” On an area which he had often ploughed he came across a stone adze or told. It was in perfect condition, possessing a- smooth Vmisli to a keen edge and was an excellent representation of Maori workmanship. The adze, it would appear, belonged to a member of the roving tribes which often journeyed across the country from the district of the Ngati Apa to that of the Rangitane.

He has crossed the Tasman 89 times, and has made six trips around the world, and has arranged his seventh, and he has attended 22 conferences of the newspaper proprietors of New Zealand. That is Mr Frank Goldberg, governing director of the Goldberg Advertising Agency, Ltd., who. was a visitor to Napier in connection with the Press Conference (says the “Napier Daily Telegraph”). Mr Goldberg actually holds the record, for the number of Tasman crossings, his total being four ahead <of the number attained by Mr John Fuller.

Over 100 extra men (says the “Wanganui Chronicle”) are employed by the Waitotara - County Council in the abnormal activity afoot to re-open access with the back-country since the floods. Except for the Rangitatau watershed highway at about the 33-mile peg, the major access roads are open. Authority will have to be obtained from the council before the Kauarapoa and Ahu Ahu roads are tackled.

A striking example of the work of three small children, a complete model farm, made a popular attraction at the National Flower Show at Auckland. The area was neatly divided into paddocks with toy .farm animals of all descriptions, while most realistic effects were produced with a man ploughing in a miniature field and another driving a sledge. The whole display was a, triumph of skillful arrangement and was specially done for the floral fete as a contribution to the attractions in aid of the crippled children’s fund.

Although 91 years of age, Mr J. Parsons, a son of an old pioneer family of Wanganui, and now a resident of Barcelona, retains a keen interest in tennis which was exemplified by him recently in his visit to Wanganui. Mr Parsons was one of the most enthusiastic spectators at the Wanganui courts on Saturday, when the annual contest between Taranaki and Wanganui was played. He has presented to the Wanganui Association two attractive cups for competition in the men’s doubles at the annual tournament. These trophies will remain the property of the association.

A request from Abyssinia for New Zealand-made superphosphate created visions of a large and possibly expanding trade in an Auckland office recently, hut they were quickly dispelled when it was found that the order was for only a few pounds of fertiliser. Writing from Addis Ababa to her father, Mrs James Robertson, of Remuera, Mrs Glen Cain, who is on the mission field, told him that it was possible toi grow there all the vegetables that could be cultivated in Auckland, but there was something lacking in the quality. Mrs Cain thought superphosphate would repair the deficiency, hence the inquiry in Auckland and' the dispatch by mail of two small packages.

‘The people of England are learning not to waste their money. There is a far more general tendency to save and to display caution in disposing of savings,” said Mr W. Barrington Miller, a visitor to. Napier from England, in the course of an interview with a representative of the Napier “Daily Telegraph.” Mr Miller said that entertainments in London still attracted large crowds, but these were not enjoyed in an expensive way. “The young people are not going in for the luxurious meals and entertaining that has been the custom in former years,” he added. “It is all done in a. cheaper way, and they are getting more amusement and fun cut of it than they did before.”

Astonishment at the suspicions with which New Zealanders treat foot-and-mouth disease in the importation of stock from Great Britain into the Dominion was expressed by Mr L. Macclean, Rochester, Kent, at New Plymouth. Mr Maclean is not interested in pedigree animals and is engaged in fattening stock. He is a member of the touring primary producers’ party. The germs of the disease could not live for more than four or five days, declared Mr Maclean, and this was covered by a six-days’ quarantine of stock entering Britain. By this time any animal which had come in contact with the disease would show symptoms, a fact, which seemed to make the elaborate precautions taken in admitting stock into New Zealand from England futile. He said that; the New Zealand fear appeared a little exaggerated.

The marking of plans in motor collision cases in an attempt to show the positions of vehicles \vas the subject of comment by Mr Justice C'allan in the Supreme Court at Wellington during the hearing of an appeal against the (lecision of a magistrate. Counsel for the appellant produced a plan of the scene of tne accident, and was using it to illustrate the positions ot the vehicles concerned, when his Honor expressed the opinion that reliance could not always be placed upon this method. Great skill obtained from long practice, he said, was necessary to indicate the positions of vehicles accurately. lie had watched witnesses carefully, not only since his appointment to the Supreme Court Bench, but also while he had been practising at the Bar, and he had formed the opinion that in 19 eases out of 100 the marking of plans was a waste of time.

New Zealand is practically free from poison-inflicting pests, the katipo spider being about the only one of any moment. Recently, however, a poisonous insect has mad,© its presence felt in the vicinity of Wellington. Although the victims have not been able to give a clear description of the pest it would seem that in general appearance, it resembles a small house fly. During the past month at least six people in the neighbourhood of Seatoun have been affected, iff each case the symptoms being the same. The sting is followed by a rapid swelling of the part afflicted —usually a limb —and there is a certain amount of discoloration, generally of a reddish tint. In the case of one man, who was stung on the right band, the whole arm swelled alarmingly, and a lump appeared in the armpit. There does not seem to be much pain as a result of the sting, which, after a time, yields to treatment consisting chiefly of hot fomentations. Although several of the victims have had to seek medical aid, doctors have not been able to identify the cause of the poisonous action.

The prospect of the commercial utilisation of Patea iron sand was discussed at a meeting of the Patea Harboui Board when enquiries were received from English and Japanese firms about the deposits. The chairman, Mi' A. T. Christensen, commented that the request from Japan for a sample might well lead to important developments, while the letter from the English firm reported satisfactory tests and requested the signing of an agreement. Members decided that further negotiations should he conducted through the hoard’s solicitors and confirmed the secretary’s action in forwarding the required particulars to the representative of the Japanese Company:. “The demand for iron ore in Japan is increasing,” wrote Mr G. lizuka, representing Mitsui Busan Kaisha, “and the imports during last year were 2,150,000 tons. Our Japan people are seeking a new source of supply of iron ore. If the quality and price of iron sand are satisfactory, we think there would he a good prospect of exporting the same to Japan.”

“Land in New Zealand is expensive, ajid compared with standards in South Africa labour costs in your country are unduly high,” said Mr John Fisher, principal of the School of Agriculture, Cedara, Natal, and a member of the Empire primary producers’ party of British and South African farmers, when interviewed at Wanganui. “In South Africa we pay natives up to £2 a month, for farm labour, which is considerably cheaper, and for land where we pay about £3 to £5 an acre, the price in New Zealand would he about £3O to £40.” These contrasts, he said, made comparisons between the two D'ominions’ farTning practices difficult.

The novel donation of a large kauri plank, considered by many to be hte plank, considered by many to he the the crippled children’s fund by Mr G. F. Saunders, of Lincoln Sti’eet, Pomsonby, Auckland. The plank has a superficial measurement of 220 ft. It is SSjJin. in width, 13ft lOin in length, and 2iin. thick. Learning of the donation, Lord Nuffield autographed 1 the plank and made a special donaton at the inauguraton of a collecton to be made in connection with the plank. It is intended to make a small charge for the privilege of signing the planlc, and by this means it is hoped to supplement* the fund by a substantial amount.

Means of raising a fund, of from £IOO to £l5O with which to enable the Cawthron Institute to procure sufficient ragwort: seed-flies from England to liberate in ragwort-infested districts in New Zealand were discussed at a meeting of the Waikato executive of the Farmer’s Union on Friday (states the “New Zealand Herald”). It was stated that the institute had the organisation and facilities in England to secure the large supply of flies necessary for New Zealand, and that from £IOO to £l5O was all that was required to enable the experiment for the extermination of ragwort to be carried out on a large scale. The bigger the supply of the parasite the bigger the chance of obtaining probable control of the weed. After suggestions for a local appeal to the dairy companies and farmers were discussed, Messrs S. N. Ziman and C. J. Pierce were appointed to interview the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) in Hamilton and to ask that the Government provide the funds required.