LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 132, 17 March 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stock slaughtered at the Asliburto l municipal abattoirs last month was as follows:— Cattle 157, calves 3, sheep 830, lambs 82 and pigs 57. For unlawfully removing kauri gum from a State forest, two men were each sentenced to three months’ hard labour by justices of the peace at Rawene. The applications of two Ashburton residents for membership in the Volunteer Fire Brigade were received by the Borough Council last evening and both were approved. Asked .to state, in tons per acre, the quantity of water that fell on the Methven district during the recent rainy spell, the average man would probably greatly underestimate the figure. It was over 1000 tons, the rainfall having been over 10 inches, and each inch means 100 tons to the acre. Though the motoring year has only a few weeks to go, applications for driver’s licenses are still being received by the Ashburton Borough Inpector, who issued ten new licenses in the last month. This makes a total of 947 licensed drivers in the Borough.

The harvesting of the apple, hop, and tobacco crops of the Nelson district is now in full swing, and in the Stolce, Belgrove, Moutere Hills, Mapua, Tasman, Motueka, Riwaka and Valley districts about 10,000 men and women are engaged, in the orchards, the hop gardens and tobacco plantations. The Rakaia and Ashburton rivers were unsuitable for fishing during the week-end, and the Rangitata River was in a poor fishing order. Three salmon were caught at the Rangitata mouth and, about six were landed upstream. One of the fish taken at the mouth weighed 221 b, and the other two- weighed 101 b each. The salmon caught upstream ranged up to 241 b. About 30 rods were out. A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that while skimming over sheltered waters in Deborah Day, yesterday, the Otago representative Soar crew had an unpleasant experience of striking a submerged pile, which ripped a hole for about 14 feet in the boat in which they were training. The boat, valued at over £4OO, is that in which the six interprovinciai contests have been contested. It will be a costly matter to repair it as the insurance does not cover damage of this nature. Fortunately another boat in the harbour is reconditioned so that training will not suffer. The very unsatisfactory state in which the crossings in Ashburton have been left after recent work by the Railway 'Department was referred to by Mr F. J. E. Smallbone at the meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council last evening. He thought the Department’s attention should he drawn to the roughness of the crossings. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods) stated that the Department had agreed some time ago to tarseal the crossings, but the work had been delayed,, perhaps because of the extra work placed on the Department by the recent floods. It was decided to ask the Department when it is likely the tar-sealing will be carried out.

The next meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council will be held at 7.3 U o’clock instead of 8 o’clock to enable the Mayor to attend the concert to be given by the Auckland Congress Hall Salvation Army Band, to which he will extend a welcome.

It is understood (says a northern exchange) that the “bread war,” which has been in progress in Napier for several months, has been brought to a close. The bakers have succeeded in reaching an agreement among themselves and they have decided to conform to a standard price.

A sum of £3500, the difference between the values of the Courthouse site and that on which the new Courthouse is to be built within the next twelve months, has been paid to the Government by the Ashburton Borough Council.

Saint Patrick’s Day was observed, today by the flying of flags on the Ashburton Post Office and at local body offices. Pupils of the St. Joseph and Sacret Heart High School in Ashburton celebrated the day by holding a picnic in the Tinwald Domain.

An application for a close day for the Domain Oval for Labour Day, “in the event of the Labour Day Gala being held,” was received by the Ashburton Domain Board from the Advance Ashburton Association last evening and was granted.

Court Ashburton A.O.F. met last evening, the C.R. (Bro. It. B. Barnett) presiding over a good attendance. Four members were reported on the sick list and sick pay amounting to £4 was passed for payment. The annual bal-ance-sheet of the Court was adopted. Three candidates wore initiated and five proposed for membership.

Interesting figures were given by Mr H. H. Seaton at the annual meeting of the Wellington District Honorary Justices of the Peace Association concerning the number of people imprisoned in New Zealand for debt, and their cost to the State. In 1930 there were 319 persons imprisoned for debt; 1,931, 327; 1932, 262; 1933, 155'; 1934, 164. The cost to the State is £59 per head.

Twelve applications are being heard by the South Canterbury Mortgagors’ Adjustment Commission which to-day commenced a sitting for three days in the Ashburton Courthouse. Seven of the applications are lodged under the Mortgagees and Tenants’ Relief Act and five under the Final Adjustment Act. The members of the Commission are Messrs J. P. Stevens (chairman), R. Sinclair, and A. Gregory.

Extensive damage was done to the protective works at Hakatere, at .the mouth of the Ashburton River, by the rough sea recently. A large portion of the works was washed into the lagoon and the remainder has fallen away. The shingle bar between the lagoon and the sea has receded for more than a chain, and the terrace in front of the huts for five feet. As a result of the recent heavy rain an underground stream has emerged from under one of the huts.

A request for a refund of rental paid unwittingly over a period of 14 years was received by the Ashburton Borough Council last evening and was referred to the Finance Committee, members being doubtful if a refund could legally be made. It was stated that an area of about half an acre, an old. shingle pit, had been leased by a. resident . many years ago, but after his death 14 years ago, the land was not occupied. The widow, however, received the rental demand from the Council, together with the rate demand, and had paid the amount each year since. The sum involved is only £4 Os sd.

A Press Association telegram states that tlie Christchurch 'City Council last night, after hearing a deputation from the Returned Soldiers’ Association in opposition, declined the request of the picture theatre proprietors to open the theatres on the evening of Anzac Day. Only one councillor supported the request of the theatre proprietors, but his motion that the request be granted lapsed for lack of a seconder. In the discussion it was stated that the action of the Dunedin City Council in granting permission for theatres to open was illegal, and the Returned Soldiers’ Association had requested the Attor-ney-General to act in the matter.

“There is a very decided movement toward the establishment of up-to-date aerodromes, and this must continue if aerial transport is to progress,” stated Mr L. B. Hutton, chief engineer of the Southland Electric Power Board, in his report on the recent civil engineers conference. “We are concerned more particularly with the equipment of aerodromes for night flying. I expect it will be some time before the finances of aerodromes are such as to provide first class lighting of aerodromes, and first class night beacons for flying in the dark. It is all the more important, therefore, that anything done to.day may fit in with future extensions, and' it is a study which might well occupy the attention of power boards.”

Letters of thanks for the facilities that had been placed at their disposal on the occasion of their picnics on the Oval, were received by the Ashburton Domain Board, last evening from the Ashburton District Women’s Institute and Messrs Duckworth and Turner, ol Christchurch. The Hampstead (Ashburton East) School Jubilee Committee wrote thanking the Board Tor its ofFcr to supply hot water, milk and sugar for the children’s picnic on Easter Monday, as part of the jubilee celebrations. The Defence Department has written to the Board expressing its appreciation of the assistance given by the Board in placing at the disposal of the Department a. portion of the Domain for the assembly of horses that were on their way to the recent camp at Staveley.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Tinwald Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held last evening, when the N.G. (Bro. M. G. Hampton) presided. Four members were reported to be still on the sick list, and sick pay amounting to £5 was passed, in their favour. A welcome to P.G. Bro. R. -A. Downie, who had been on a visit to Australia, was extended by the N.G. A copy of the agenda for the Annual District Conference, to he held on Saturday, together with the district annual balancesheet, was received. P:G. Bros. S. Culverhouse, R. S. Harkness and A. E. Tate were appointed the lodge’s delegates to the conference. It was decided not to enter for the ritual competition. The secretary (P.G. Bro. H. D. Gunn) reported on the annual meeting of the United Friendly Societies’ Association, and also on the last meeting of the U.F.S. Dispensary Committee of Management.

The south-bound express was 20 minutes behind schedule at Ashburton this morning on account of the late arrival of the inter-island steamer at Lyttelton. A, close day for the Domain Oval for next Saturday, when the schools’ annual athletic sports will be held, has been granted to the Combined Schools’ Sports Association by the Ashburton Domain Board. That the art of sewing is not altogether the prerogative of woman was demonstrated at the Matamata Show (says the “Waikato Times”), when one of the most successful entrants in the needlework classes was a young man whose work was .very favourably commented upon by. the judges. Building permits issued by the Ashburton Borough Council between January 17 and March 14 were:—Reconditioning (after five) £2BO, dwelling and motor shed £648, alterations and additions £SO, a total of £978. It was mentioned by the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) at Wellington yesterday that final decisions had, not yet been made as to the appointment of two Public Service Commissioners, the new Administrator of Western Samoa, and the two Government nominees on the directorate of the Bank of New Zealand. “In all probability,” said Mr Savage, “we will he able to: make an announcement some time this week about several: of the prospective appointments mentioned. Many names have been submitted for consideration, and all that is required now is to make a final selection.”

“New telephone connections last month in the Dominion totalled 1154,” said the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones) at Wellington yesterday morning, “and except for October, 1935, it is necessary to go back to December, 1930, to find a higher monthly figure. Allowing for relinquishments, the net improvement for February was 549, and the total improvement compared with the previous February was 5051, bringing the number of telephone subscribers to 128,723, or only 3.1 per cent, below the highest- peak ever reached in telephone connections in the Dominion.”

A remarkable feat of memory was performed at the annual conference of delegates to the United Fire Brigades’ Association by Captain T. J. Watts (secretary of the association). A break was made in the conference deliberations for the purpose of holding the annual meeting of the Accident Assurance Society, and as not all the delegates present were to he represented at the society meeting, a roll call of the 143 brigades was called. Without reference to any records, Captain Watts indicated who should remain and who should leave by saying “Stay” or “Go” as each brigade was called,. Only once did the secretary make an error, and even then he made the change in the space of a split-second. Delegates were particularly interested in the feat, which Captain Watts apparently performs at every conference.

“While we hope and pray that the British nation will never have to make war on another civilised nation again, we cannot delude ourselves into the belief that an emergency might not arise” said the Governor-General (Viscount Galway), at the, presentation of prizes after the national rifle meeting at Trentham. “We are living in extremely difficult times, and although New Zealand is at the far end of the world from troubled Europe, all New Zealanders are following with interest the news sent to them at present. We hope and pray,” said his Excellency, “that wisdom will he given to the statesmen who are now studying the European problems. We hope they will be able to disperse the dark clouds that are banging over Europe. In these difficult times it is essential that we should be prepared, ancl an accurate knowledge of rifle shooting is a great asset to any country.”