LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 280, 8 September 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Headers who have Leen awaiting resumption of the serial feature In the Steps of St. Paul” will he pleased to learn that the missing copy came to hand to-day. Publication will be Resumed to-morrow, the series concluding next Saturday.

Under the 40-hour week two extra porters, both local men, have been added to the staff at the Ashburton railway station.

The Industries and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives will begin to-morrow to take evidence on the petitions about the operations of chain stores (says a Wellington Press Association message). Hie House has already' given authority' for the P 1 0" ceedings to. be open to the press, and the whole chain store question will receive consideration.

The south-bound express this morning, consisting cf 17 cars, three vans and ; drawn by two engines, was one of the largest trains which has passed through Ashburton recently. Among the passengers were the Australian Rugbv football team, bound for Dunedin, members of the New Zealand Rugby team, which will play at Timaru to-morrow, and several women's hockey teams returning from Blenheim after the recent New Zealand tournament.

Arising out of the conference at Wellington last week on Maori welfare, representatives of the Arawa and Kahunguna tribes, at a meeting at Daimevirke, presided over by Mr H. T. Mitchell (Rotorua) decided to form a New Zealand Maori and pakelia Federation, with a definite spiiitual basis, entirelv 11011-political and 11011sectarian, to'further the interests of the Maori race. The first meeting will be bold at Rotorua on October 1 (says a Press Association telegram). Pakelia and Maori leaders are to be invited to attend to help in framing a constitution and deciding future activities in the interests of Maoris.

"This is a beautiful country, but you could miko much more of it,” commented Frau Lily 'Krug, a German journalist, in an interview recently. More extensive advertising would, she added, b© very advantageous, because people overseas often had not the slightest idea of what the country had to"offer. To demonstrate how ignorant American people were concerning New Zealand, she said that she liad been informed by an official in a shipping company before leaving the United States that there was no need to take any winter clothing, because this Dominion experienced warm weather all the year, but she had since been rather sorry she had accepted that advice.

The Ashburton Convent School opened this morning after the term Holidays.

Good progress has been made with the erection of the new refreshment booth at the saleyards railway siding, a work being carried on in conjunction with the building of the new stock siding. The booth will be opened for the first time for the race meeting at Ashburton on September 19, and will also be open on Ashburton sale days.

It is usual for the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society’s ranger to lish the Hawke’s Bay rivers some time before the opening of the fishing season in October, to endeavour to ascertain the condition of the fish and the prospects for the coming season. Owing to the rivers being discoloured, the ranger has not so far been able to do this.

Some months ago a young New Zealander, convinced that the distant fields of Australia were greener than those nearer home, ventured across the Tasman. He found that the labour supply there greatly exceeded the demand, and failing to secure work ot any kind, spent the last ol his funds m buying his return ticket. _On the day of his arrival in the Dominion the Placement Officer got |n contact with him, a farm position was offered and accepted, and next evening he arrived at the farm in time to assist in the evening,’s milking.

Fourteen cases of notifiable diseases in Canterbury during the week ended, noon yesterday were reported tot the Health Department in Christchurch, compared with 12 in the previous week. Two cases were reported from the West Coast, compared with, seven in the previous week. The detailed figures, with those for the previous week in parentheses, are: — Canterbury: Scarlet fever 7 (8), pulmonary tuberculosis 3 (4), erysipelas 2 (0), chronic lead poisoning 2 (0). West Coast: Puerperal fever 1 (0), scarlet fever 1 (5). Two deaths were reported in Canterbury—both from pulmonary tuberculosis.

Members of the Management Committee of the Ashburton Rugby Union assembled at tne railway station this morning to greet and convey souvenirs of Ashburton to T. P. Pauling, a member of the touring Australian team, and a son of Mr T. Pauling, formerly of Ashburton, and a New Zealand and Australian Rugby representative. The Australian footballer did not accompany the other members of the team on the train, however, as ih.e was injured in the test match at Wellington last Saturday, and will not make the South Island tour.

Both the new railway and highway bridges over the south Rangitata River will be the same length as the existing railway bridge, according to advice received from Mr F. Langbein (District Engineer of the Public Works Department, Christchurch) by the Geraldine County Council yesterday. Mr Langbein said that the District Engineer of tho 'Railway Department had advised him that the new railway bridge would be practically the same length as tho old one, about 1000 feet. No benefit would be derived by making the highway bridge longer than the proposed new railway bridge. A councillor: That will satisfy one deputation but not the. other. Or. F. R. Flatman : The position will be practically the same as it is to-day.

Mr Edgar S. Day, an elderly New Zealander, who is making a walking tour of Britain, showed a. Glasgow interviewer lijs treasured autograph book, on which he has been collecting municipal and civic seals. “1 noticed the bright red seal of Birmingham, comments the interviewer, “and the bright blue seal of Glasgow. They told me that the mayors would not receive me in my khaki shirt and nannet trousers,” said Mr Day, “but they have never refused. Indeed, they have been most kind and helpful, and one Lord Mayor introduced me to his wife and asked mo to sign his personal autograph book.” Mr Day’s first glimpse of Scotland was disappointing. He did not think much of Gretna Green on account of the way in which it is exploited, but ho has formed xnoie favourable impressions of Scotland since.

An unusual case in the Eltham Police Court last week brought to hglit the strange fact that there is no provision in the motor regulations lor a penalty for breach of an order prohibiting a person from driving a motor veniele, otner than tiio usual penalty lor driving without a license. Norman Finney was charged with diiving a motor vehicle without holding a 01 iving licence. Senior Sergeant J. Homy said that in 1931 Tinney was convicted 111 the Supreme Court at W anganui of recklessly driving a motor car and causing a person’s death. On this charge he was sentenced to year s imprisonment and. prohibited iioin hording a driving licence for 10 years. 011 a count of negligent driving lie was convicted and ordered to come up tor sentence if called upon within 10 years. "1 am not sure 1 should not refer this to be dealt with by the Supreme Court on the reserved sentence,said the magistrate (Mr AN . H. Woodward}. • *Mr Justico Blair knows of the seriousness or the charge in 1931, and there is defiance of the condition 111 tne sentence he imposed.” 'llie magistrate, however, decided to enter a conviction. Regarding the offence as serious when a, man drove a motor vehicle alter having been responsible for the death of another, he fined Tinney the maximum, £lO.

"Some of Wellington's hotel buildings would be a disgrace to any city in New Zealand and are allowed to stand at the present time only because they comply with the letter and not the spirit of the law,” said Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M. (chairman of the Wellington Licensing Committee) at a special meeting of the committee yesterday (says a Press Association telegram)! Some of Wellington’s hotel buildings were of a. high standard and there were some of which any city might be proud, continued Mr Luxford. So seriously, however, did members of the licensing committee consider their obligations regarding many of the other buildings that during the next three months they were going to inspect every one cf the 47 hotels in the Wellington district and would prepare a comprehensive report upon hotel buildings. Mr Luxford also spoke of after-hours trading. In the last three weeks, he said, there had been eight convictions for after-hours trading, which was slightly more than one for every eight hotels. The Court had decided it would make use of the provision in the Act allowing the endorsing of licenses, and he suggested that licensees would probably realise that it paid while the law required them to close at 6 p.m. to observe the law rather than put their licenses in jeopardy.

• The first shorn sheep of the season were offered for sale at the stock market in tne Ashburton yards to-day.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that the Union Steam Ship Company r s cargo steamer Kanna has been sold to Japanese buyers, and it is understood she is to be converted into scrap metal in Japan. She is a steel steamer of 1948 tons gross, and was built at Leith, Scotland, in 1911.

Although this season of the year is regarded as a slack period for railway goods traffic, the volume of goods at the Ashburton railway station lias been well maintained, and trains for this time of year are carrying unusually heavy loads. Among the goods being loaded is a large quantity of lime from Mount Somers, timber, and coal.

A decision to start within the next three weeks a scenic drive in the Waitakeres to be called Coronation UJrive, was reached at a conference between the Minister for Public Works (the Hon, K. Semple) and Auckland local bodies. The work is estimated to cost £93,ODD. The Government ottered a subsidy of £78,61)0, the local bodies to find tfio balance (says a Press Association message).

Clearing of the slums of London, according to information given in a letter from Mr C. H. Wilkie, of papier, who is on a trip to Great Britain, is being rapidly completed in spito of opposition irom tfie people who are being assisted in this way. “The slums are being cleared at cue rate of 0000 people a week,” said Mr W ilKie, “apart from the great deal of private building. Many of the slum dwellers object to moving, as„ it breaks up parties oi neighbours who have lived together for generations.”

Representatives from all over New Zealand met at Wellington yesterday to consider reports and irame a policy for tee guidance and development of Toe Hin New Zealand. It was decided to apply to headquarters in London tor tne appointment to New Zealand of two start teaders, a padre and an organising secretary, for a period of ttiree years. A scheme tor oirering assistance, where desired, by tne headmasters of colleges and nigh schools in promoting ideals or civic and social responsibility, especially among boys at tiieir leaving age, was unanimously approved (says a Tress Association telegram).

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that 27 teams, including representatives from Christchurch, Wanganui, and Dunedin, took part in the first Dominion and interdistrict cadet competitions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade on Saturday. It was announced that a new trophy had been presented for competition among the cadets of the Dominion on behalf of Sir Alfred llobin, Knight of Grace of the order. The trophy is to be known as the Sir Alfred Robin Memorial Shield, and has been won for the first time by the Christchurch Young Men’s Christian Association Cadet Ambulance Division.

A stubborn door completely disorganised the usual smooth running _ of tne Napier branch of the Bank of New South Wales on Friday, and successfully resisted the efforts of the staffs to open it. It was the door of the strongroom, and behind it were the books and money of the bank. When officials tried to open the door in preparation for the day’s business, they tound it would not respond to the combinations employed to lock it. Until a later hour at night they awaited the arrival of. an expert hastily summoned by telephone from Wellington. The safe is ordinarily locked by two separate combinations, ahd when they were dialled in the usual way nothing happened and the door lTeniaincd firmly closed. Unfortunately, Friday happened to be the bsuiest day of the week for banking officials, and hasty arrangements were made with the assistance of the other banks to procure sufficient money to carry on. At a lato hour the position remained unaltered, and officials at the bank still waited for the expert to overcome their difficulty.