LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 41, 27 November 1937, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was a clean bill of health in both Ashburton Borough and Ashburton County this week.

Glorious weather favoured the Baring Square Methodist Sunday School for its annual picnic to-day, after a postponement on account of the uncertainty of the conditions last Saturday. The outing was held at Mr H. C. B. WitheU’s farm at Ealing.

The St. Stephen’s branch of the Mothers’ Union met for the last time this year in the Parish Hall on Thursday afternoon, the Vicar (the Rev. J. F. Feron) presiding. It was decided to hold a picnic at Peel Forest, the date being left to the committee. The vicar gave an interesting address on “Influence.”

Heavy losses have been suffered by farmers in the Opotiki county this season among dairy herds, the chief troubles (says the “Auckland Star”) being bloating and milk fever. High producing cows appear to be the chief sufferers from the complaints, and a number of very valuable animals lias been lost. The cold and changeable weather during the past fortnight has also resulted in numbers of newly-sliorn sheep being .lost.

A witness who had. been seriously injured in an accident was giving evidence in the Supreme Court at Hamilton, and was asked by Mr Justice Callan if he had noticed any rise in the cost of living following the increase in his earnings. The witness replied that, being a single man, he had not. “Among all your misfortunes, you are at least fortunate in that you hare! not noticed the increase. As a person on a fixed salary, I have,” his Honor said.

“The value of the inorganic materials in a human being’s body has been estimated at Is 4d,” said Dr. T. H. Pullar, of the Palmerston North Hospital, during an address on “The Romance of Bio-Chemistry,” given to the Palmerston North Rotary Club (says an exchange. “That was in sterling,” lie added. “You can judge what it would be worth out here.” There was, he added, barely sufficient iron in a man’s body to make a decent-sized nail.

The Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) announced yesterday that a distinctive flag had been authorised for the New Zealand Naval Board, in conformity with, precedents established for naval boards of other Dominions. The design consists of an Admiralty anchor in gold, placed horizontally in the centre of a flag of. red and blue. The flag is bisected vertically, the red portion being nearest to the staff.... This flag is flown on ships only when the Naval Board is embarked.

A motorist involved in a collision had a uniqua experience recently (says “The Dominion”). U’n his way to give particulars of the damage to his ear for insurance purposes, lie purchased a ticket in the Art union run with the object of raising funds to provide Christmas cheer for children. The number of th'£i ticket coincided with the registration number of liis car. On the strength of tills coincidence he and several of his friends combined in a further speculation.

In conjunction with New Zealand’s centennial celebrations in 1940, an international scout jamboree will be held in Wellington if a satisfactory site is available. This decision was made yesterday at the annual meeting of the Dominion Council of the Bov Scouts’ Association of New Zealand. A suitable site has been found at the hack of Trentham racecourse, consisting of 75 acres of open park land, served by excellent facilities. An aplication for the use o the property will be before the Wellirjjtori "Racing Club soon. A deputation will wait on Ministers to ask the assistance of the Finance, Health, Railways, Public Works, Defence, and Tourist Departments.

“The generosity of church people in New Zealand is amazing. Our diocese attempts to contribute £2OOO a year to missions outside what is used for our own work,” commented the Rt. Rev. C. A. Cherrington (Bishop of Waikato) at a special function held in Hamilton last week in connection with the formation of a parish at Claudelands. The bishop stated that he could not support large jippeals for foreign mission work until the full demands of the internal missions were satisfied. “If the missions within oiir diocese , are unable to carry out their work, there will be no overseas missions at all,” he added,.

A brief break in the clouds which blanketed Blenheim one evening last week, during which the moon was observable - for several minutes, though light rain was still falling, resulted in a perfect lunar rainbow forming well to the south, of the town and very close to the hills about 10.30 p.m. The bow- was a perfect semi-circle, of very pale colour, and it could he seen at odd intervals for about half an hour, until the clouds closed in and shut out the moon’s rays. Lunar rainbows are rare occurrences in the Marlborough district, although they are fairly frequently seen in places where the rainfall is heavy, and, of course, owing to the feebleness of the moon’s light it is seldmon that any colours are to be observed.

“Credit to-day is a very different thing from what it used to be in the old days/ said Air A. J. Hutchinson (chairman of directors of the New Zeealand National Creditman’s Association, Auckland, Ltd.), at a luncheon meeting of the Auckland’s Creditman’s Club. “It used to be almost an entirely personal affair a lew years ago, hut credit is now very much a study and a business. lam sorry to say there is not very much honour in credit transactions nowadays,” Air Hutchinson continued. ‘ ‘There is always someone out to heat others, and perhaps, after paying 5s in the £, will start in business soon afterward. Bankruptcy in the past was a shameful matter, hut now we find men who are proud of getting away with it time and again.” Air Hutchinson went on to refer to the various methods of handling credit which were unknown some years ago. He also spoke of the deliberate practice “of some persons who maintained a good reputation with one or two firms for the purpose of obtaining credit from others.” “The sooner creditmen get together and put a stop to the systems'which have arisen, the better it will he for business and business prestige,” Mr Hutchinson concluded.

Through coming in contact with tho propellers of the Awateri during her voyage from Sydney, a whale was killed. The blades of the starboard propeller struck the flank of the whale, and its blood stained the sea r,ed for some distance in the wake of the ship.

Members of the St. Stephen’s Tennis Club visited Timaru to-day to play against the St. Mary’s Club there. The party, numbering 18 or 20, made the journey by motor-car.

Sixty-five undefended divorce petitions and a number of petitions for the restitution of conjugal rights werei granted by Mr Justice Ostler and Mr Justice Fair in the Auckland Supreme Court on Thursday. This is believed to be a record number for one dav.

The abolition of the unemployment levy of £1 a year was urged in a resolution carried by the Southland Provincial Executive of the New, Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday. Members described the levy as the most hated taxation of all. “It is an iniquitous tax. I do not knew why it was levied,’’ said Mr It. Sim. “People are so embittered and prejudiced against it that they pay quarterly instalments of os rather than pay the £l.”

Speaking of conditions in Britain from the business and manufacturing aspect, Mr T. C. Lowry (manager of the New Zealand Cricket team) said on his arrival at Wellington that there was definite evidence of a boom of a sound nature. Most industries were exceedingly busy, particularly the wool, cotton and metal. The shipbuilding yards were full and there was a tremendous amount of building going on and a lot of “de-slumming” in the big cities.

In order to mark the centenary of ,the arrival of the Rev. James Watkin, who founded the first mission station in the South Island in 1840, the Synod of the Otago-Southland District of the Methodist Church decided strongly to recommend that the 1940 conference of the church be held in Dunedin. As the position is at present, the 1939 conference would, be held in Dunedin, but it was thought that it would be highly appropriate if - the location could be rearranged.

Typical of Babu unconscious humour, the following letter came in the Government Tourist and Publicity Department’s mailbag at Wellington the other day:—“Dear Sir, —I regret to inform you that I am an inhabitant of Ceylon. I have a great desire to visit your country, and to drive the best of results. I hope that you would kindly forward me with your particidars at your earliest' convience to the address bellow. Wish your country very success,. I am, yours faithfully, S. H. David, Galapama, Induruwa, Ceylon.”

One of the experiences to which Mr and Mrs Arthur Barnett, of Dunedin, looked forward very eagerly in Great Britain was a series of visits to the old countryside taverns, or “pubs.” But, Mr Barnett told an “Otago Daily Times” reporter yesterday, that is an experience which it is almost impossible to obtain nowadays. Modern transport has wiped out the quaintness and sleepiness of the wayside taverns. Mr and Mrs Barnett visited two very well-known old liostelries, one 500 years and the other 400 years old, and found that they were crowded every night by visitors from the cities. The “pub” atmosphere was entirely gone. Many of the proprietors were doing such good business that they had; made alterations and improved their service to the point that it compared favourably with that of any city hotel. “It is a great pity,” said Mr Barnett.