LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 277, 4 September 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“The Saleyards parking area is now ready for parking purposes on sale days',” reported the engineer (Mr H. A. Vezey) at the meeting of the Ashourton County Council to-day. A vocal item will be given from 3YA at 9.24 o’clock this evening by Mrs Charles O’Keefe, of Timvald, Mrs O’Keefe gained several awards in the vocal section at the Ashburton Competitions. The original mile posts on the military road constructed from Auckland to Drury in 1860, are being restored and indicated by signs erected by the Auckland Automobile Association. A road was constructo*d south of Auckland and metalled as tar as Drury to enable stores to lie taken to the military redoubts during the Maori War, and it is stated that the mile posts were erected by General Cameron s men. At the jubilee banquet of the Pahiatua Methodist Church last week, 500 pennies and halfpennies were handed in as a contribution Toward the cost of the new school hall from the children of a pioneer of the district. The chairman, the Rev. C. M. Roberts, said the coins weighed 101 b, and ho characterised the donation as a great effort of self-denial. To raise funds in the queen carnival being held in connection with the diamond jubilee of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, a. cake stall was conducted in the Arcade to-day. There was an excellent range of cakes, and good business was d,one throughout the day. The stall was conducted by the committee working for Mrs M. E. Ruddock in the queen carnival.

A resident in tho Waitakere Ranges, near Auckland, was astonished on running some tank water into his porcelain hand basin on a recent Saturday morning to find a beautiiul pale cobalt blue liquid. It bad previously been noted that the water was unusually soft, but this was thought to be caused by the continuous rain having displaced tho whole of the former contents of tho tank with freslily-fallen water. Tho roof is painted the usual red, and though a bath full of water has sometimes been noticed to be tinged slightly with blue, nothing else anpeared to have accounted for this decided increase in colour, especially in a small amount of water, than the large amount of oxygon brought into the*tank by a heavy "downpour.

Mr W. Alloo, of Dunedin, who is tho inventor of a machine which automatically slices bread and makes up sandwiches, has been approached by a firm of patent brokers in Pondon with a view to placing bis invention before British manufacturers. The letter in which the offer is made states that the writers are of tho opinion that Mr Alloo’s machine may be of value to certain concerns in the Homeland, and sets out the terms on which negotiations may bo undertaken. Among the items of information regarding the patent which are rcnuested is the extent of the success realised in this country with the invention. The writers also offer to exploit anv American or Canadian patents Mr Alloo may own in respect of his machine.

At tne Asnburton County Council unices 76 drivers’ licenses were issued during the month 14 at Methven, eight at Rakaia, making a total of 98 lor th month and a total of 3099 for the period. Tillrtj-two new drivers have been tested. '73 licenses issued and nine have been t'.eiured, making a total of 147 new drivers

The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade received a call at 7.15 this morning to a chimney lire in the residence attached to Air 11. Jennings’ shop in East Street, near the traiiic bridge. No damage was done, lire fire nad almost burned itself out when the brigade arrived.

The tender of Mr D. It. T. Hall, building contractor of Christchurch, has been accepted for the alterations to the Ashburton Club and Alutual School of Arts. It is understood that the contract price was very little more tnaii the estimated cost of £3500. Tuere were only four tenders for the work, which will be completed early in December. Preliminary work m the altering has already begun.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland announces the opening sitting of the Commission set up by the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) to inquire into the marketing of New Zealandgrown and imported fruit and vegetables. The proceedings are not open to the public* though evidence is to bo taken from those whose interests are involved. Members of the Commission arc Mr A. Coleman (Stratford), Mr J. A. Campbell (Director of Horticulture) and Mr J. E. Thomas (Department of Industries and Commerce), who arrived from Tauranga last night.

The connection between the marketing of produce from the Dominions and tne problem of th© under-nourishment of a large section of tho population ox Great Britain was emphasised by Air John Aiorgan (agricultural editor of the “Daily Herald,” London), who arrived at Auckland by tho Niagara from Vancouver to investigate marketing conditions in the Dominion. “There is no question whatever that an expanding market is stiil available in Great Britain for wholesome food products such as dairy produce, and reasonably spaced supplies of meat, stated Air Aiorgan. “Within recent months the one social issue that has stirred the national conscience of Great Britain has been the recent revelation of tho scalo of under-nourishment that exists among a largo section of the population. There is little doubt that some organised effort will have to be mado to meet this state of affairs.”

According to his own statement, which he maintained before Air J. H. Luxford,, S.AL, Louis Bruno, aged *24, is a New Zealand citizen, but he was ordered to be removed from the Dominion at the first opportunity, when charged at Wellington yesterday with landing without a permit. The Collector of Customs said that accused arrived at Wellington on Monday as a ■stowaw'ay by the Alakura from Sydney. He claimed he was born in Ponsonby, Auckland, and left some years ago on an oil tanker. Sinco then he had server! on several American vessels. He had returned to Auckland in 1933, he said, by the tanker New Zealand, from which he deserted, and he later went to Australia. An exhaustive search of the records between 1909 and 1917 failed to reveal any record of the accused’s name and date of birth, added the Collector. The accused did not give evidence on oath, but said that ho signed on for New Zealand under another name in order to avoid deportation from America.

Members of .the Auckland Builders’ General and other Labourers’ Union passed tho following resolution:—“This Union desires to draw' the attention of the Prime Minister to certain portions of the recent legislation which make impossible of fulfilment many of Labour’s promises, and requests that consideration he given with a view to removing anomalies. In Union circles it has been generally understood that the 1931 industrial standards would not be re-established, resulting in tiie abolition of a good deal, of youth exploitation and consequent displacement of adult workers. As far as this Union is concerned, the recent Finance Act appears to legalise the retention of this bad policy, for it says that if any alteration in the classification of workers has taken place since 1931 it shall not lie interfered with. Hence, while the 1931 agreements prevent the exploitation of youth, it crept in afterwards, and is thus to be maintained thereby in a measure nullifying the 1931 standards.”

The cable news regarding the issue in England of new stamps hearing the portrait of King Edward V 111 has raised the question as to what New Zealand is going to do in the way of King Edward Vili stamps. While the Post and Telegraph Department is considering the question of issuing, at tho timo of tho Coronation next car, stamps hearing a portrait of his Majesty, it is not yet in a position to make any definite announcement in the matter. The same applies to the replacement of Kink George’s portrait by a likeness of King Edward on the one shilling stamp for Cook Islands and .vine. As the Dominions pie: torial set contains no Royal portrait amongst its designs, it has not been put out of date by a change of Sovereign. In many parts of the Empire where stamps bearing tho Royal portrait are in use, steps are being taken to issue as soon as possible new sets with a portrait of King Edward V 111 on them. Some of these are expected to appear before tho end of the year, and others at tho time of tho Coronation.

An application for the right to employ female workers for 44 hours weekly in dairy factories was heard in the Arbitration Court at Auckland yesterday. Mr W. E. Anderson appeared for tho employers and Mr J. I'. John for tho workers. Mr Anderson said that between 35 and 40 females were employed by the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Daily Company in various factories. Male workers were allowed, a seasonal 48 hours’ week and it was necessary for the girls to be in attendance 44 hours weekly. Saturday morning mas necessary. Replying to Mr Page, Mr Anderson said that although the application related to the whole Dominion, he had no evidence from the south. Evidence was given on behalf of the employers, after which Mr Anderson announced that if the application. were granted the company would give a 10 nor cent, increase in wages during the months in which a 44-hour week was needed. Subsequently it was stated that the company would he prepared, to give the 40-hour week a trial provided that Saturday morning work he permitted and that the company could reopen the question if necessary. The Court said it would take timo to consider.

Tiio test pieco chosen for the Tucker Trophy contest at the Ashburton Competitions Festival for 1937 is “Oarnaval,” Opus 9, by Schumann (Augener Edition).

The scaffolding on the new Cavendish Chambers building was being removed to-day and the front of the building cleaned. It is hoped that the building will be ready for opening in the middle of next week.

The three-act play, “Pedro, the Merciful,” written hv Mr L. A. Charles, of Ashburton, and accepted by the publishing firm of French (London), has been issued. The first copies arrived in Ashburton by the English mail this week.

Several cases of infectious diseases have been notified in Ashburton County since last month, including one of scarlet fever from Pendarves, three of diphtheria from Rakaia and two of erysipelas, one from Fairton and one uom Tenehaun. One case of tuberculosis has been removed to Christchurch.

The elaborate means which some nations had taken to protect their gold supplies were commented upon by Dr. W. Pascoe Goard in his lecture in Hamilton. France had devised ingenious vaults protected by electric current. America had gone further and had secreted her hoards in the desert wastes of Arizona. “May it rest in peaco,” added Dr Goard amid laughter.

“I ant completely befogged about how the accident happened,” declared the Coroner (Mr E. Gilbertson) at the conclusion of the inquest at Wellington yesterday into the death of Edith Alma McNabb, aged 18, who died in Wellington Hospital after a fall from a motor-car driven by Lewis Donald Jenness on the Lowry Bay Hoad early on the morning of August 22. The verdict was that she died from very severe injuries to her head, received in jumping or falling from a motorcar. The Coroner said it was clear from Jenness’s evidence that his car went into a ditch and he received a. blow on the head which made him unconscious.