LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 159, 18 April 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Three were no notifications of infectious diseases in the Ashburton County or Borough this week.

The Methven loan proposal for. drainage and sewerage will receive further consideration at a public meeting m the township on Tuesday.

To lose a valuable ring iii the washbasin oil a railway carriage was the experience of a passenger travelling to Ashburton last evening. Although the pipes of the basin have been extensively searched the ring has not been recovered.

When a car driven by a man named Mclntyre was backing out of a yard in Cass Street this morning a collision took place between it and a bicycle ridden bv Mr M. Page, of 3 Saunders R.oad, Ailenton. Mr Page’s leg was imprisoned under the bar of the bicycle while the lorry ran over it, hut except for scratches he was net injured. The bicycle was extensively damaged.

When a total of 160 returns had been received from the Census and Statistics Office an idea of the trend, of the population could be gained. An analysis of these returns showed that, compared with the 1826 census, the total gain in the North Island was 18,156, the total losses 2903, leaving a net gain of 15,253, and in the South Island the total gain was 11,486, and the total losses 1250, a net gain of 10,236. Oi the 160 returns, 64 were from the South Island, 95 from the North Island, and the remaining one was from the Chatham Islands.

In fulfilment of a wish expressed when she first became engaged, a touch of added: romance was given to the marriage of Miss Phyllis Emily Way, of Rotorua, to Mr Percy Edward Thomason, of TaiP'h'i, on Easter Monday, when tiie ceremony was performed above the site of the historic missionary church at Te Mu, near the buried village which was destroyed Ig- the Tnrawera eruption on June 10, 1880, while for the first time for nearly 50 years the bell of the church, which was unearthed recently, was rung to herald the arrival of the bride for the ceremony. Mr C. Way, father of the bride, is a nephew of the Rev. F. Spencer, who was tiie first missionary of tiio church, and it was for this reason that Miss Way expressed the wish to be married on the site of the buried church. The ceremony was performed on a spot under which it is known the chancel of tiie church is buried, the bride and bridegroom standing on a carpet of fern leaves in the picturesquo hush-clad surroundings.

Relief workers in Ashburton who wili receive the sustenance payment next week number 276, compared with 289 last week.

The Ashburton County Council will make its annual tour of plantations on Tuesday for the purpose of deciding which area should be planted for the coming year.

Ashburton County rivers are reported to bo in good order for week-end fishing. The mouth of the Rangitata is poor, but conditions upstream are excellent. The sea is calm. Two salmon were caught in the Rangitata yesterday.

Five crates of pigeons were released from the Ashburton Railway Station at 10.30 this morning, to take part in a race to .Dunedin, under the auspices of the Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club. Ashburton is a popular centre for the starting of these races, and the stationmaster (Mr G. H. Chambers) has received a large number of letters from pigeon racing clubs expressing appreciation of the manner in which the railway staff has handled the birds.

Extremely little rain has fallen in Ashburton so far during April and the end of March. The result has been the increase to a mild extent of the dust nuisance. The dust that is lying about is particularly noticeable if grass is walked through at night. The heavy dews that have been prevalent cause it to stick to shoes, giving walkers the appearance of having crossed a road deep in mud.

The drama- school promoted by the Mid-Canterbury Federation of Women’s Institutes, and, conducted by Miss Elizabeth Lee, was concluded in St. Stephen’s schoolroom this afternoon. The attendances were again good. Miss Loe spoke yesterday afternoon on “Making Scenery and Stage Properties,” and this morning on “Speech Training Exercises and “Mime.” The final address was on “Make-up,” this afternoon. Miss Loe will leave for Timaru on Monday

The South Dunedin Fire Brigade yesterday was called on to extinguish an outbreak on its own premises. It is probably the first establishment of its kind in the Dominion to achieve this distinction. Moreover, a machine had to be dispatched from the Central Fire Station to assist the one which is kept at South Dunedin; The fire which caused all the trouble had broken out in the officers’ quarters, which consist of six rooms on the upper floor of the building, and it was net extinguished until several of the rooms and contents had been considerably damaged.

Although the Canterbury Provincial Brass Bands’ Association at their meeting last evening selected 'Christchurch as the place of the next provincial contest, there is a strong prospect that the contest will be held in Ashburton next year. Had Christchurch been selected instead of Nelson for the Dominion contest, the provincial contest would probably have taken place in Ashburtom Messrs E. R. Hop wood and L. Porter represented the Ashburton Silver Band at the meeting. Mr R. J. Estall was appointed to- select the provincial contest music and as soon as it is available the Ashburton band will commence practices for the contest in October.

In a letter which relatives on the East Coast have received from George Nepia, now resident in London, the famous ex-All Black football star expresses his feeling of loneliness, which he feels most keenly, even in crowded London. He mentions, among other items of interest, that his life-story has been written on a royalty basis, and that lie is also paid a royalty for gramophone records which he made during recent months. Another string to his financial bow is baseball, which is being introduced into London and for which he, receives payment in addition to his earnings from the League football engagement on which he left New Zealand in August last for the United Kingdom.

The Timvald branch, of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union held its monthly meeting in the Methodist Church on Wednesday. Mrs Jennings (vice-president) occupied the chair, and Mrs Hight (vice-president) conducted the devotional exercises. The pledge was repeated and two temperance facts were given. It was brought to the notice of the meeting that in the schedule of the Waikato Winter Show Association no space would be sold for advertisements of wine or spirits. The secretary was instructed to write to the association expressing the admiration and appreciation of the meeting of the stand, in this connection. A reply was received to a letter of cheer sent to Mrs W. H. Robinson.

The form of the call which is being presented by the Mount Eden Presbyterian Church to the Rev. J. A. Allan, of Christchurch, won much favourable comment at .the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery, when it was handed round and described as a model for all congregations to follow. Frequently little trouble is taken by congregations to present the signatures in attractive form, blit in this case the names have been incorporated in a most attractive document. The text of the call has been beautifully engrossed, and the whole is bound in soft blue leather, which in turn is enclosed in a blue case.

The statement of the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) that the Gisborne railway is to he the first majoi item in the Government’s programme of public works, and that this programme is to be put in hand dining the next three weeks, has bad a definite effect upon the employment, •.dilation in the Poverty Bay district, where (says the Gisborne correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald”) hundreds of men are waiting word to outer the railway, camps and take up the construction of the line whoie it was suspended in 1930. Workers who hope for employment under the Public Works Department are on their toes for a “flying start” in the full belief that the resumption of the railway will usher in not only a new prospect of prosperity for Poverty Bay and the east coast, but a new cycle of developmental works which will dismiss for years the spectre of unemployment. Artisans and unskilled workers ald'e are enrolling as propective employees of the department and already the list has reached such proportions that it ; s impossible for all whose names appear on it to secure employment on the line. From North Cape to Bluff, and from scores of points between, men have written to register their qualifications and previous experience on "ailway jobs, and when official sanction is given for the selection of the workers required there will be little difficulty in finding the right type of man for every position offered. Preference is to be given, however, to local men.

The Ashburton County Council rabbitters in the Mount Hutt district poisoned, shot and ferretted 200 rabbits and 11 hares last week.

Railway traffic through Ashburton this morning was heavy, the southbound express, which was drawn by two engines, being made up of 16 carriages and three vans.

After having finished, missionary work in Fairton for two weeks, the Church Army van in the Ashburton County is stationed at Seafield. Captain fe). Kee will visit Ashburton in connection with Church Army work on Monday.

The St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Choir held' its annual meeting on Thursday evening,' the Veil. Archdeacon A. J. Petrie presiding. The balance-sheet showed that the yeai closed with a credit of £l2 3s od. Miss 1> McEaehen was appointed secretary, and Mrs R. Id. Biggar and Mr C. Guilds were re-elected treasurer and librarian respectively. Mr W. B. Thomas was appointed to look into the repairing and binding of anthems. It was decided to nominate Mr G. H. Carson as choir representative on the Vestry at the annual meeting of parishioners to be held on May 4.

It is estimated by Mr F. Langbein, District Public Work Engineer, that the Lewis Pass Road will be completed in about a year’s time, and Canterbury motorists will have shorter and more convenient access to iGreymout-h, Reefton, Westport and Nelson. Heavy rock opposite the IDoubtful River was providing an obstacle to the work atpresent, but in about six weeks it should be passable, and access given to the Boyle flats and across the Boyle River, ’where a temporary bridge had been constructed. About 200 men were employed on the job, 60 being engaged beyond the Boyle River. The Department took over the work in March of last year. Previously it had been done by unemployed labour.

An interesting addition to the customary voting paper for the election of officials in the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association this year is an Anzac Day voting sheet. “It is statutory for An’zao Day to be observed as a Sunday and a close holiday,” states the form. “With the passing of the years and the growth of a new generation, puolic opinion has varied. Returned soldiers will probably always desire to have Anzac Day commemorated, and wnh a view to ascertaining the feelings of returned soldiers on this question we submit two questions for you to answer:— (1) Are you in favour of the strict observance of Anzac Day as at present? (2) Ars you in favour of holding all ceremonies in the morning, closing at 1 p.m. ?” The membership, amounting to 3304, includes men in almost every trade and profession, and of ah shades of opinion, and the poll will provide an 'answer representative of the community. Whether any change will be made in the observance, should the general vote of R.S.A.’s favour one, will be a matter for the Government to decide.