LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 130, 14 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The main body of officers and men of the New Zealand Field Artillery passed through Ashburton on the south-bound express this morning on the way to a camp at Dunedin. A cablegram from Sydney states that the incoming British air mail is 48 hours late, not arriving at Sydney until to-morrow. It missed the Monowai tor New Zealand, yesterday. The Empire Primary Producers’ Party, which is making a world tour, passed through Ashburton, in two. reserved carriages on the south-bounci express this morning. The party was travelling to Invercargill alter spending two days in Christchurch, and will return in about a week. The tour was organised by the British National Union, in association with the Overseas League. The St. Stephen’s Sunday School annual picnic was held at Corsair Bay to-day, a large number of children, teachers, parents and friends, in addition to children from the Hampstead and Allenton Sunday Schools, travelling by special train this morning. The day was spent in games and bathing in pleasant surroundings, the weather being excellent. The train will arrive back in Ashburton at 7.20 this evening. A meeting to consider the formation of a boys’ brigade company in connection with the three Presbyterian Sunday Schools of Ashburton was held in St. Andrew’s Hall last evening. The Rev. D. D. MncLachlan and officers and hoys of the Timvald Company gave a display. Mr MacLachlan explained the aims and methods of the brigade, and drew attention to the rapid growth of the movement in New Zealand during the last seven or eight years. A committee was elected, with the Rev. R. S. Watson as chairman and Mr F. Shearer as secretary. At a meeting of the committee possible officers were selected, and plans for immediate action were approved. Already a number of boys haye expressed a desire to join.

| Sustenance payment will be given to 238 relief workers in Ashburton next week.

There were no notifications of infectious disease in the Ashburton Borough or County this week.

An interesting gift to mark the appreciation of the business men of Thames at the visit of the Minister of Mines, Hon P. C. Webb, was made at a dinner in his honour at Thames. Mr C. S. Donovan, president of the Thames School of Mines, presented Mr Webb with a rich piece of-quartz which came out of the famous Waiotahi patch of 1904. “I am afraid I have made myself very unpopular with counsel because of the awkwardness of the hour,” said the District Coroner (Mr E. C. Bathurst) at the inquest held in the Ashburton Courthouse at 6.15 o’clock last evening. He added that he had endeavoured to hold inquests at convenient hours and would be prepared to alter his arrangements to suit all parties if they conflicted with prior arrangements made by counsel. Counsel expressed appreciation of the Coroner’s declaration.

At the March meeting of the Canterbury Land Board cases were submitted for consideration, which included two applications to transfer and seven applications for land. The following application to transfer was approved : Section 13, Reserve 1769, Blocks IV., VIII., Ashburton S.D., M. Spring to J. Downes. The following application for land was approved: Sections 1 to 4, Block VI., and Blocks VII., VIII., and IX., Winslow township, year-to-year license, to G. H. Keen.

The “pocket boroughs” of British history have their counterpart in the Dominion, there being nine municipalities with popultaions of less than 700. This fact was brought to the notice of the Mount Eden Borough Council at a meeting by the Mayor, (Mr T. McNab), who reported on the recent Municipal Conference at Napier. The borough of Arrow, in Hawke’s Bay, had a population of only 270, he said. These small boroughs were in existence before the act came into operation.

The Tinwald branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union met in the Tinwald Methodist Church cn Wednesday afternoon, when Mrs Jennings (vice-president) presided over a good attendance. The meeting opened with the singing of a hymn, and Mrs Hight offered prayer and the Lord’s Prayer was repeated. After the reading of Moffat’s translation of I. Corinthians, 13th chapter, the pledge was repeated in unison. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr and Mrs Clark for the ust of their grounds for the cradle roll garden party. Mesdames Hopwood, Morse and Oakley were also thanked for help in connection with the garden party. Mrs Jennings welcomed Mrs Bryan, o: Ashburton, who gave an interesting address. Mrs Jennings thanked Mrs Bryan for her address, and Mrs Clark presented Mrs Bryan with roses.

A statement as to the progress on the elimination of dangerous level crossings throughout New Zealand was made yesterday by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D-. G. Sullivan) in reply to criticism which mentioned that a programme of joint action was discussed by the Main Highways Board, Railways Board and Unemployment Board last July, and expressed a hope that in the change of administration the work would not drop out of view. In reply the Minister said that 34 crossings were selected as requiring attention first, and of these 23 regarded as most urgent were approved for the commencement of the programme, it being considered that this portion of the programme would take approximately 18 months to complete. The position in regard to works in Christchurch was:—Styx : Proposals practically complete and work should be advertised shortly.. Sockburn: Plans are well forward, and proposals should be completed, in the next three weeks.

Nine officials and six witnesses had a sample of the antiquated appointments of the Ashhurton Courthouse last evening. An inquest was in progress, but by 7 o’clock the light was so bad that 'artificial aid was _ sought. As it was about seven years since the gas lamns were last used, mantles were conspicuous by their absence. The Sergeant of Police found the meter and turned the tap but attempts to obtain light failed. He had the assistance of the Coroner and two of the witnesses who patiently held matches above three globes for some minutes and the Coroner succeeded in obtaining a. very faint gleam. “It is time we had the new Courthouse/’ declared one official as he burnt his finger trying to light a lamp. After a while the surplus air in the pipes cleared, good light was obtained and the proceeding continued.

“It seems to me that there does want to be action in some of these districts,” said Dr. I. W. Weston, of Lincoln College, in his address to members of the Farmers’ Union at Ashburton yesterday. He referred to deteriorable lands in. the foothill areas. Some of these areas now in gorse might be taken over for afforestation by the County while the settlers obtained more profitable work elsewhere, such as in public works. Some might be laid down in good grass and handed back to the settlers as economic propositions. These lands had been settled for historical reasons, he said, work once being plentiful on the hill stations. This work had disappeared, and the lands were no longer profitable. Something on these lines had already been carried out on deteriorated lands in the North Island, but the problem had to be tackled carefully, as the requirements of the individual had always to be watched.

The Tinwahl branch of the Presbyterian Women’s -Missionary Union met in the Church on Thursday afternoon. Mrs MacLachlan presiding. Motions of sympathy were passed with Mrs W. Mac Kay and Mrs McMillan in their illness. Mrs Norrish gave an address on Dr.- Grenfell of Labrador. Mrs Iloffey sang a solo. Arrangenments were discussed about the visit of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand (the Right Rev. H. H. Barton), and the part which the Ashburton South charge was to take in providing a Presbytery luncheon with other charges in the Presbytery. The matter was left to Flemington, Lagmhor and Tinwald women, the desire being expressed on behalf of the branch to help in any way the central executive might think best. The prospect of having a suitable celebration for the 21st birthday of tho branch was discussed and definite arrangements left to next meeting. Oriental floods were on display on behalf of the Indian and Chinese churches and missions in general.