LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 209, 17 June 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The breeding of the parasite of the white butterfly continues to occupy the attention of the Anekland- Young Farmers’ Club, according to the report submitted to the fourth annual meet—ing, states the “New Zealand Herald.” Many thousands of the parasite have been liberated in the Manukau dis—trict, while large numbers have also been forwarded to the pupils of prim—ary schools around Auckland; which have co-operated in the work by supplying chrysalids.

The playing out day of State pen—sions falls this month next Tuesday, which, being the King’s Birthday, is a public holiday. , The Minister of Pensions (the Hon, W. E. Parry) stated at Wellington last night that arrangements. had been made for State pensioners to receive the amounts to which they were entitled next Monday. “This concession, made possible by the pensions authorities,” said Mr Parry, "will be, I know, warmly appreciated by pensioners.”

In an endeavour to popularise the air mail service and establish a feeder service between Invercargill and Dunedin, it is proposed to commence shortly an air mail drive among the business houses of Invereargill and Southland. “At the present time we have the sorry spectacle of from 30 to 40 letters a. day carried in the air mail as against about 14,000 in the train mail,” said Mr P. Linton Hodge, out—lining the. idea to members of the Inverem'gill Chamber of' Commerce. “It is ludicrous and: something should be done to improve the position.”

Business generally is on the upgrade in Wanganui remarked a retailer this week. “There are few vacant shops in the city te-day and during the past three months quite a numb-er of new businesses have been opened up. The indications are that \Vanganui will soon be back to its former position as a lmsiness centre. Wanganui was one of the first. centres in New Zealand to he hit by the depression, and I am confident that it will he one of the first to recover fully. “’anganui people are prone to condemn their own city when they visit other centres when they should he proud of it. There is nothing wrong with Wangnnui, and I am sure that it has a great future ahead oi" it if the people only co-operate in any move for its advancement.”

Although the dog is generally con—sidered to lo the natural enemy and potential exterminator of the rabbit, in actual l‘uet this is not always so, as a recent Visitor to Seaton‘n (\Vellington) will bear witness. Glaneing out 01" an upstairs window during the afternoon the visitor was surprised to notice two (logs—an Irish terrier and {1 sheep (log-—and an Angora rabbit peneefu .r',’ enjoying the winter sunshine together in a neighhouring; backyard. (Suddenly the rabbit leaped up and made at (lush at the terrier, which darted away in simulated terror, racing round and round the large yard. Then the god tripped in the long grass and rolled over, the. rahhit jumping over the top of him. Positions were quickly re—versed and the chase continued, the terrier pursuing the rabbit with mock ferority. For a while the sheep dog watched the game and then, the ap—peal of a little exercise becoming too great, he too joined: in the run. Finally" as if by common consent, all three, ceased racing: and squatted down to recover hronthwrahhit and dogs lying side by side. - '

The evidence in the retrial of Eric Mareo, who is charged with murder—ing his wife, Thelma Marco by administering to her an overdose of veronal totalled 273 typewritten foolscap pages on Friday night (states the “New Zealand Herald”).' It was expected that this number would be increased to al—most 300 pages when the evidence for the defence was completed. In the first trial of Mareo the evidence of» the Crown amounted to 197 pages. On that occasion no evidence was called for the defence.

The monthly meeting of the Ashbur—ton branch of the New Zealand. Labour Party in the Orange Hall last evening was well attended. Mr Wm. Bryant presided. Mr H. E. Herring, M.P., delegate of the branch at the annual conference of the Party, gave his report. It was stated that the satisfactory position of the branch revealed itself in its rapid growth, the secretary reporting that 20 new members had enrolled during the last two weeks. It was arranged for Mr Herring to, address meetings at (D‘unsandel and Southbridge next week.

The first train over the new Rangitata railway bridge, which was opened for tragic yesterday, was the afternoon express from the south. The crossing was made successful and the train arrived i-n A-shburton on schedule. The switching over of the rails from the old to the new bridge was carried out in three hours before the arrival of the train, a large number of .workmen taking part in the operations. Until the bridge has time to consolidate a Speed limit will be imposed on trains on the bridge and approaches.

1 An exceptionally severe Irost was experienced in the Waikato on Friday, 14.4: degrees being registered at Rualcina.. It was the heaviest frost recur'led in the Waikato for three years. Record frosts were also experienced at illorrinsville, where 17.5 degrees were registered, and at ’lO Awanmtu, which recorded 15 degrees. There has been little rain in the Waikato for a month, and exeept for two days two weeks ago when light rain fell, a. long succession of frosts has been experienced. The rainfall in Hamilton last month was only 1.17 in while for this mohth to date only 0.15 m has fallen. 'The average rainfall for June is 5.19 m. Rain is urgently needed, and many people in rural areas are: carrying water for household purposes.

Today is the anniversary of the Murchison earthquake, which took place in 1929. \Vith its death—roll of 17, it established itself as the most disastrous seismologieal upheaval that New Zealand had experienced. up to that date, barring the 'l‘arawera upheaval ,of 1886, which was essentially volcanic and not seismological. Be~ fore the Murchison earthquake, only seven people had been killed in New Zealand by earthquakes since it became a. British colony. The Murchison earthquake, which severely shook Wellington and which alarmed city dwelL ers with the Subsequent booming noises, brought the lDlominion’s total death-roll from earthquakes up to 24. But two years later the: more disastrous Hawke’s Bay earthquake put the Murchison upheaval comparatively in the shade.

Dishonest DOTSOHS out to make money out of unsuspecting philatelists have been turning, their attention to the Cook Islands Silver Jubilee stamps. Some of these stamps have been can~ celled with what purports to he firstday (late cancellations, but the forgeries, which are believed to have originated in London are easily distinguishable from the genuine first-day cancellations. The (late on the forgeries for instance, is May 6, whereas no Jubilee stamps were cancelled at Karatonga prior to May 7. 0n the forgeries, too, appear the let-ters N.Z., whereas such letters do not appear in the die of the Rarotonga date-stamp. There are other minor differences which dis—tinguish the forged cancellations against which the I’. and ’l‘. Depart—ment warns philatelists.

“George Walker” was the name of a morepork, which figured in proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland, when its captor was prosecuted by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society for being in possession of a. protected animal. Defendant, a resident of Henderson, admitted the offence. Counsel for the society said. defendant had kept a morepork in captivity at Henderson for about a year. He had obviously taken great care of it, and the society was glad to accept his explanation that the bird was caught when young. How—ever, if the door 'was opened to the public to keep such birds on the pre—tence of protectimg them, a. dangerous precedent would be established. There was a danger of the species becoming extinct. “I am a bird lover,- ” said the defendant, who stated that he had a. lot of birds at his home.

Twenty-nine blackfish, a small species of '\\ hale, were stranded on “’estshore beach, early on a [recent morning, and employees ef the Napier Harbour Board towed them out to .sea again. They _Varied in size from 12ft. to 16ft, amd some weighed more than a ton. Apparently finding the shallow water near the beach to their liking, they came close in. The falling tide. caught them and they were stranded in the sand. A launch was used to tow these which had died on the beach out to sea. A thiclg rope was tied to the tail of each, which was then towed backward to deep water and released. Some returned to the shore and were stranded again. A party of fishermen stripped the bluhber off one to boil it, down for oil. The cal-case was removed immediately.

A Press Association telegram from \Vellingtom states that a, denial that the State intended to search for oil on the East Coast has been made by the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. \Vebb). He said he wanted it made clear that he had made no such announcement. It is true he recently referred to: intensive investigation by experts of the East Coast oilfields, but he gave no indication that the. investigation or experts would. be in any way associated with the Government. The activities, if they eventuate, would be entirely sponsored by private interest. He had not been approached ‘with any request for financial assistance from the Gov—ernment toward the cost- oi’ investigation or any subsequent operations. The inter-island express steamer Rangatira. will resume running, on Monday, June 29, sailing rrom \Vellington on Momdays, “’ednesdays, and Fridays. The Manama. will. be withdrawn at \Vellingtcn on July 4 and will enter the inter-colonial service on July 10. The Maori will he withdrawn for survey from Tuesday, June 30, till July 4, when. she will replace the Marama. (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington).

Concern at the number of wandering stocks found on the roads recently has been expressed by several Taranaki local bodies. For the third meeting in succession the Patea County Council recently received complaints 'of wandering stock, and the engineer was again instructed to warn offenders. The menace of steel: on roads was. also referredto at the Whangamomonzt County Council’s meeting, and one. member said he was going to insist that offend—ers be prosecuted; they were a positive source of danger to the tra‘veiling public. At the Egmont County Council’s meeting the ranger reported that 41 head of stock had been found wan~ dering on the roads during the past month.

The proposed visit ”to New Zealand of the New South Wales State. Orchestra. has been abandoned. _Mr H. Gladstone Hill, who has been endeavouring to arrange the visit, said that he had seen the Minister of Education (Mr Peter Fraser), who had expressed ap—preciation of‘ the action of the New South Wales Government in granting permission for the orchestra to tour New Zealand. The Minister regretted that owing to the broadcasting policy being in a state of flux, it would be impossible to entertain the proposal submitted by Mr Hill. The Minister said he hoped, however, that the proposed: visit would be postponed for a year only, and later he would be pleased to assist to the limit of his capacity. “In View of this communication,” said Mr Hill, “the project is definitely abandoned for this year.”

Mr E.Cholerton, of Messrs J. R. Procter, Ltd., Christchurch, is at present in Ashb‘urton, and may be con—sulted on all defects of eyesight at the: Somerset Hotel to-morrow.—-Advt.