LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 276, 3 September 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Over £427 was at the credit of scholars attending the Borough School in the school savings bank at the encl of the financial year. Over £96 was saved by the children during the year.

At the request of the Advance Ashburton Association the Railway Department has begun to cut back the fence between the East Street reserve and the railway property. The fence is about four feet thick, and will bo reduced to less than half this width.

Half-past four each evening seems to be the signal for hundreds of birds to collect in a few trees at the Kennedy road entrance to Nelson Park l Napier, and commence an evensong that is almost deafening. Several. thickly foliaged trees occupy that corner or the narlc, and it is in them that the feathered songsters congregate and commence: their din, which rendeis speech in the neighbourhood a matter of difficulty.

A pineapple plant grown m a glasshouse at the residence, of Mr W. H. W hite, Camel on street, Hawera, has borne fruit during four years. Although the plant is comparatively rare in New Zealand, even in subtropical areas, the growing of the plant was a simple matter. The leafy top ot a pineapple purchased at a fruit shop was removed and planted. Occasional watering, and a little ordinary.manuie were all the encouragement given the plant, which now bears a pineapple that appears to he within a few weeks of maturity.

Although the oak trees planted in the old Borough School grounds to commemorate* tho jubilee of Queen Victoria, are to disappear to make way for the new St. Stephen’s Parish Hall, the oaks may not be completely exterminated. The Borough School Committee decided at its meeting last evening that a search should be made for a young tree, spring from tho oaks, and that it should he planted when the commemoration stone is transferred from the. church grounds to the school property. The committee considered olanting acorns from tho oaks, but could not do this as they were out of season.

The kiwi at the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society’s hatcheries at Greenmeadows was an object of interest to several cf the visiting Australian footballers on Sunday when, armed with cameras, they attempted to obtain a snapshot of New Zealand’s Rugby emblem. The kiwi, however, resented the Australians’ advances and had to be held by the visitors while the snapshots were taken. Immediately it was released the bird made for its burrow in tho ground, where in its efforts to regain its interrupted seclusion, it dug furiously into the ground in a similar manner te a rabbit.

The secretary of the Canterbury Education Beard, (Mr L. E. Rowley) has been advised that a grant lias been approved for the erection of a new residence for the head teacher of the Rakaia School.

Old Maori relics handed in recently to thp Te Awamutu Historical Society include a ko (wooden digging implement) presented by Raureti Te Haia. It was dug up at Rowuttu, the old pa on the l’unia opposite the gates of Tokonui Mental Hospital. Another article is a pangapanga made of pumice stone, and used for tatooing, with ink obtained from the deep roots of the kahikatea tree, and mixed with charcoal and water. Two other articles aie a stone pata maka, used for beating flax, and a patu arulie, an implement for beating fern root, Theie is also a solid shot b in weight and l?in in circumference, which was found on a farm near Orakau.

“Men are not entitled to get drunk and get into a car, and they are not going to do it; up they go sky high,” said the Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Transport) during a speech at a social gathering at Wellington (says a Press Association telegram). “The most sacred thing on this earth is human life,” he continued. “My first duty as Minister of Transport is to save human life. I am going to use the surgeon’s knife on the transport system of this country. I am amazed at the number of people slain by motor-cars. In the last seven weeks, we have killed in New Zealand 53 people, and maimed hundreds—needlessly slain, due entirely to Rafferty’s rules, no control, no proper method, of organising our transport. It’s not the fault of the motorcar ; it’s the fault of men.”

As the result of a bus skidding over a bank a narrow escape from serious injuries was experienced by a party ot footballers rear the Narrows Bridge, over the Waikato River, at Tamahere, oil Saturday morning > states aTe Kuiti correspondent. The party, members of a Thames Valley JRugby football team, were travelling to Te Kuiti, to play a match in the afternoon. When near the bridge tho bus skidded on the. slippery road and went over a bank. A belt of trees checked its progress before it had fallen far. But tor the Dees the vehicle must have overtvi.'ned several times down the step bank. The windows of the vehicle were broken and several of the players suifered cuts and bruises, and were unable to continue, one being admitted to Hospital. Tho bus was extensively damaged and another vehicle had to be obtained to enable the rest of the team to continue tho journey.

Several members of the visiting Australian Rugby team had their first experience of an earthquake during their stay at Napier (states a correspondent;. They were not aware of the occurrence until breakfast time on Saturday morning. All had been ill bed hours when, (it one o’clock on Saturday morning there was a very sharp earthquake of sufficient intensity to awaken the majority. Mr R. J. Walden, vice-captain of the visiting toam, heard tilings falling in the room and wondered what had happened. Mr riarold Judd, a former Australian international, who toured tho Dominion m 4905, said he thought one of tiie team in the next room had fallen out of bed. When the players realised later on Saturday morning what had actually happened some of them expressed their desire to get away from the area as quickly as possible. However, they were reassured that this was only the second shock experienced in tho past twelve months. The occasion was rather unusual because* tJf the fact that on the previous >«ft<*noon the itain had been shown round the area wnue mo.'t of the damage had been done during the devastating earthquake of 193 J. Some of them had then joei.irrly remarked that they would lixe to experience a light one, just i > see what it was like. Those whose slumbers were so violently disturbed early on .Saturday morning, however, were satisfied that one such uncanny feeling was quite sufficient.

The following sales were made on behalf of Ashburton County clients at the Addington stock market yesterday:—Fat Ewes: On account of E. E. Oakley (Rakaia), 35 at 29s lOd to 35s 7d; Harrison’s Estate (Rakaia), 60 at 30s Id to 32s lOd; G. B. Murdoch (Mayfield), 88 at 24s 4d to 30s 7d; E. B. Horsey (Ashburton), 69 at 27s Id to 32s 7d; W. Shellock (Rakaia), 12 at 20s lOd. Fat Wethers: On account of R. A. Magson (Rakaia), 60 at 30s lOd to 32s Id; F. J. Hydes (Mount Seiners), 66 at 28s lOd to 34s Id; Ashburton client, 15 at 32s 4d to 34s lOd ; Ashburton client, 20 at 30s lOd to 33s Id; J. Clark (Ashburton), 59 at 34s 7d to 37s lOd; E. B. Horsey (Ashburton), 51 at 33s Id to 35s lOd; H. J. McCosker (Ashburton), 122 at 31s Id to 33s lOd; A. J. Wilson (Methven), 59 at 27s lOd to 32s lOd; J. J. Johnston (Rakaia), 60 at 31s Id to 33s Id; O. Johnston (Ruapuna), 77 at 24s Id to 27s 10d. Fat Cattle: On account of Colonel J. Findlay (Eiffelton), 4 steers at £l2 2s 6d to £l4 2s 6d, cow at £l4 2s 6d, 2 heifers at £3; I. Jamieson (Dromore), 2 cows at £l4 7s 6d ; J. Campbell (Methven), 2 cows at £lO to £ll 7s 6d, heifer at £6 17s 6d, steer at £5; Ashburton client, 11 heifers at £6 12s 6d to £lO 12s 6d ; Mrs W. J. Doak (Rakaia), cow at £l3 7s 6d.

In view of the unrest in Europe and of fears that have been stated regarding tho possibility of an invasion of the Dominion in the event of hostilities in the Pacific theatre, the lecture on protection against gas attacks to be given in St, Stephen’s Hall this evening should prove to be of unusual interest. The lecturer will be the Officer Commanding the 3rd Field Ambulance, who is an expert on the subject of poison gas, and the lecture has been arranged by tho Ashburton Trcop of the Legion of Frontiersmen. Returning from a prospecting expedition in tho back country beyond To Arolia Mountain a party of prospectors led by a well-known mining engineer reports the discovery of an embryo kauri forest, covering an area of approximately twenty square miles (states a Te Aroha correspondent). The country traversed still carries some of tho original standing bush, including old kauris, some of which, it is stated, run to 80ft high in the bole before branching. By the process of natural reafforestation the entire area is now more or less covered with young kauri trees, ranging in height from 6in to 3ft. While particularly impressed with the possibilities of the area the members of tho party, after spending some days on the ground, have returned convinced that unless immediate action is taken tho area will lose all its potential value. Numbers of goats are in possession of the territory, and are destroying the young vegetation. It is considered that the position could be met by the organisation of planned shooting drives with the possible incentive of a Government royalty for the animals destroyed.

In conformity with the action of Palmerston City and neighbouring boroughs, the retailers of Feilding decided to change over to the Saturday halfholiday (says a Press Association tele gram).

In metalliferous mines, at whiclx 6746 men wero ordinarily employed, five persons were killed, and three seriously injured, states the Mines Statement presented to parliament by the Hon. P. C. Webb (Minister of Mines). At stone quarries, under the Stone Quarries Act, • employing 2002 men, there were four fatal accidents and 10 serious accidents. In coal-mines, where 4231 persons were ordinarily employed, two were killed and 20 seriously injured. The Minister stated that one of the greatest concerns of the Department was the safeguarding of the lives of miners and that a scheme for the establishment of rescue stations would be provided for.

During a hurricane early in February, the railway station on the Wanganui line at Terrace End, a suburb of Palmerston North, was completely destroyed (says a Press Association telegram). The matter o,f a new station was taken up by the Terrace End Progressive Association, which was promised by the Department that it would erect a station which, in the words of the district engineer, would not give any cause for complaint about the design. Six months after the destructive gale a new building had been erected, much smaller than the previous one, and of most unpretentious design. "It’s an absolute disgrace,” the chairman of the Association declared when reference to the matter was made at a meeting yesterday. "And we are sorry the Railway Department has not carried out the promise to Association.” He added that the design did not conform to the Association’s proposal to beautify the land adjacent to the railway line, by planting shrubs. It was decided to express in strong terms to the General Manager of Railways, the feeling of residents on the very poor type of building erected,.

St. Stephen’s Literary and Social Club met last evening, when the final arrangements for the forthcoming debates were arranged. The club is to visit the Ashburton High School Debating Club on Saturday, September 19, when Messrs A. Osman, C. Childs, and O. Moore, who will represent St. Stephen’s, will take the negative side of the subject "That civilisation has increased the happiness of mankind.” On September 21 the club is to visit the Ashburton Catholic Club for a debate and ping-pong tournament, the subject being "That the prevalence of lotteries and art unions is against public interest.” Messrs L. Armstrong, H. Cox and J. Hamilton will take the negative side of the debate. Another debate is to be held on September 23, when members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association Debating Club (Christchurch) will visit Ashburton and take part in a debate w'ith St. Stephen’s. On this occasion the club will be represented by Messrs S. M. Cassidy,' L. Armstrong and C. Attwcod, who will take the negative side of the subject "That a full; measure of liberty is necessary to human happiness.” The club is also busy collecting books for the book stall it is in charge of at the parish fete, and also making arrangements for the sideshows. Two members were appointed to a committee arranging a dance and reported their progress. Supper urns served and games played as usual.