LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 85, 20 January 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An albino hedgehog, pure white and pink-eyed, has been inhabiting the greenhouse of Mr B. Roberts, New Plymouth, during the past fortnight. it is fully grown and very tame.

As the date for the payment of oldage pensions falls this month on Sunday, arrangements have been made to pay the pensions in Ashburton tomorrow.

When he was working the trotter, Pilot Peter, a few days ago, a severe bite on an arm, necessitating eight stitches was suffered by Mr D. McKendry ,the wellknown norse trainer, of Tinwald. He is confined to bis bed, and his condition is satisfactory.

The latest addition to the pedestrian crossings in Ashburton is one across East Street to the Railway' Station. The crossing leads from a culvert to one of the side entrances to the station, and will enable pedestrians to; go across by the most convenient route.

The first sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Ashburton for 1938 will be held to-morrow, and it is likely to be an all-day sitting, as a large number of breaches of, by-laws and, regulations will „be* ehatged,.'against -ipqfqrjsts,,, though none of the cases is of a. very serious nature.

Attacked and knocked off his bicycle by a bull while cycling on the main highway near the Paroa Native school, in the Whakatane district, a Maori (Mr Tau Apiata) received a oeep gash in the muscles of the leg before he could mount again and escape from the animal. Mr Apiata was cycling home from a dance at the time and the bull rushed out from a hedge as he rode past, striking him with its horn as he turned to cycle away from it.

At the annual sale of yearlings at Trentliam, Mr G. Holmes (Rakaia) purchased the brown filly by Gainscourt —White Bird by r White Eagle from Mr H. Hassall (Hastings) for 40 guineas. Two horses sold on account of Mr E. B. Newton were the bay colt by Valkyrian Fearsome by Shambles, purchased by Mr A. H. Danver for 50 guineas, and the bay filly by Valkyrian—Chivalry by Gay Lad, purchased ■by Mr A. Symes for 80 guineas.

It is explained that, contrary to previous report, three Ashburton returned soldiers will leave Ashburton to attend the celebrations in Sydney, being part of the passenger list of the Maunganui, which has been chartered by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. When it was found that there were still many men anxious to go to Sydney, the Association chartered the Monowiai. The Ashburton Association then selected the next four men on its list, but they withdrew, and when fresh applications were called there was no response.

As a result of the opening of the Queen Mary Maternity Hospital, one of the pioneer institutions of Dunedin, the St. Helens Hospital, will go out of existence on Saturday afternoon, when an official closing ceremony will take place. The Minister of Health (The Hon. P. Fraser) hopes to be present at the function. St. Helens was opened in 1905, and has rendered valuable service to the community ever since. There are still patients in the hospital, but no new cases have been admitted for some time, and the wards will all be vacant by Saturday. The future of the building is uncertain, and it rests with the Government Accomodation Board to determine its fate.

“Miss Mona Leydon is an example of disability overcome by grit and determination,’’ said Mr H. Pettit, when introducing the swimming representatives at a farewell function at the Auckland Town Hall to the Auckland athletes, chosen to represent the Dominion at. the Empire'Games at Sydney. “Miss Leydon took on swimming to overcome her physical disability,” he added, “and she has developed into the greatest woman swimmer New Zealand has ever produced.” Miss Leydon was warmly applauded by the other athletes and members of the public present.

An amazing escape from serious injury was experienced by a party of five people when returning to their seaside cottage near Parker’s Bay from Piet,on. Their car, a large sedan model, left the road on a bend near the bay and fell a distance of 25 feet, landing on its roof. It then rolled for some distance and proceeded to toboggan onward, finally coming to rest 150 feet down from the road. On its course the car cleared a path sheer through the undergrowth and light bush, which included several substantial trees, and to anyone regarding the scene, afterward it appeared amazing that no one was injured. Actually, however, all the members of the party emerged from the car practically without a scratch, and the only damage done to the car itself w r as of a minor nature. The use of a block and tackle was necessary to get the car back on the road.

While trying to rescue a pet canary belonging to; a friend after it had flown through the porthole; of a ship into the sea, a bedroom steward trom the Rwngitane, Mr Herbert Evans, aged 44, married,, fractured his left ankle (states the “NeiV: Zealand” Herald). Mr Evans while visiting a friend on the Tekoa at Queen’s wharf the other evening, was shown the canary, a fine specimen of its breed. The bird escaped through an open porthole, and the two men went on to the wharf from where they could see the canary fluttering on the surface of the water. Mr Evans tried to get down to a lighter beside the wharf, from which he thought lie could reach the bird, but in jumping down lie fractured his ankle. The canary was finally rescued by means of a bucket.

A cow at Greenhills has tired,, apparently of chewing its cud (states the “Southland, Times”), and finds more pleasant than grass wool and cotton fabrics, augmented by odd pieces of canvas and rubber, it began by devouring a woollen jersey, and on Sunday it showed that its appetite for this newi diet was keenly whetted. An employee of tire Awarua wireless station made the discovery. He went for a swim at Greenhills and left hi? clothing in a padd.ock. When he came cut of the water all that was left of his clothing was one sandshoe and the waistband, of his trousers, the latter very tattered. The cow had eaten two socks, one pair of underpants, one shirt, one singlet, and one sandshoe. The bather had to walk a mile over paddocks tc a house where he rang the radio station for a change of clothing.

The testing of the first connections under the new drainage scheme at Methven Avas carried out this afternoon. The septic tank has been tested and npproA r ed and the scheme is ready for use as the houses are Jinked up.

A first statutory offender for drunkenness, Avho appeared in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning, AA'as convicted and discharged by Mr G. Kelly, J.P. Sergeant J. F. Cleary said that the man, who was a stranger to Ashburton, was found drunk in Moore Street last night and AA'as arrested, by Constable Hearsey.

Fifty nurses and trainees will be in residence at the Bishop Julius Hostel, Christchurch, from to-day until Sunday for the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Nurses’ Christian Union. Miss T. Is*. Gibbs, of Christchurch, is president of the conference (says a Press Association telegram).

In the absence of the occupiers on hloiday over the last week or so, a number of houses in Ashburton have been broken into. In most cases cigarettes and sweets Avei’e stolen, and in two cases money was also taken, the sums being £2 and £1 12s respecth’ely. It is suspected that a youth. Avas responsible for the thefts.

, Heiplock, r a jyhichj: is ..cansing concern v in-some parti of’ Cdhtethiity, is not very prevalent in the Ashburton County, but aa’hs declared a noxious weed by the Ashburton County Council a feAV months ago. A feAV patches that had grown in the County Avere successful eradicated Avith a A\eed destructor, but in cases Avliere the w eed A\ r as not very prevajent, the method used was to cut it out by the roots. These are the most effective methods of dealing Avith the pest.

“That, of course,, is cnly guesswork,” said the prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), when asked to comment in an interview at Wellington last evening on the message from Australia suggesting the possible range of action to be taken under the neAV Australian-New! Zealand trade agreement. Mr Savage said that the time Avas not right for the disclosure of the details, and described the Canberra story as “neAvspaper kite-flying.”

Local bodies of Canterbury have been cited for an award by the Christchurch Clerks’ and Office Employees’ Union, and the hearing of the dispute before the Conciliation Council Avill take place at Christchurch on February 7, theAshburton County Clerk (Mr G. Kelly) said, yesterday. He added that the aAvard Avas for clerical workers employed by County Councils, Borough Councils, PoAA r er, Town, Eoad, Hospital, Fire, Drainage, Domain, Water Supply, Plantation and Kiver Boards.

Although one or two long-distance swimmers haA T e covered the three miles of water that separate White Island from Ocean Beach, Whakatane, Saturday afternoon was the first occasion on which a party including Avomen have visited the Avell-known landmark by means of a raft. The voyagers comprised Misses Verna and Morma Gore and Messrs Hugh Devlin and William Kaler. Conditions Avere practically per r fect, and, after the party had effected an easy landing, its members obtained a magnificent vieAV of the coast from Taieri Mouth to Harrington Point.

Igonrance displayed by some Americans and the inhabitants oi' certain remote European States regarding the whereabouts of New Zealand is taken as a matter of course, and no New Zealander now expresses anything but pitying contempt when he hears that some stranger thinks the Dominion is part of Australia. The people of the British Isles, however, are expected to know the situation of the “Dominion that is more English than England.” That New, Zealand means little to* some of them is shown by the wrapper sent out on a publication from a wellknown Dublin office addressed to a Wellington journalist. In this the full address is given, followed by the words “New Zealand, U.S.A.” 1

An unusual excuse for riding his bicycle without a light at night was advanced in the Utahuhu Magistrate’s Court by a youth, whose definition of “darkness” created amusement. The defendant pleaded not guilty, and in reply to Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., said he could see to ride through the Otahuhu streets at the time. He admitted that the hour,was 10.30 p.m., and said: “I understand darkness to mean an absence of light.” He added that with the new system of lighting he could see 500 feet ahead of him. The magistrate explained that darkness was held under the statute to fall half an hour after sunset. The defendant was convicted and fined.

The fire danger period in the Ashburton County is now approaching. The recent rainfall encouraged growth, and a good deal of rank grass is now evident, and it will not be long before a grave menace exists. The Council is taking precautionary measures by prohibiting the lighting of fires in Council plantations, on roads, river-beds, or in any place where any danger exists and any person trespassing on a Council plantation for shooting or picnicking will be prosecuted. “It is not generally known that it is an offence for any person to light a fire on a road or plantation, and any person doing so will be liable to a heavy penalty and the damage which may be caused by fires. The Council is appealing to the public to observe the greatest precautions.”

The skull of a rare whale, Mesoplodon densirostris, was recently found on the beach near Nukumaru, and has been presented to the Wanganui Museum. This is the first official record of this whaje having been found in New Zealand. It is an exceedingly rare variety of beaked whale, between 15ft and 16ft in length, and only seven of the species have ever been recorded, two only in the Pacific, one at Lord Howe Island and the other on the Queensland coast, north of Brisbane. The Mesoplodon densirostris is outstanding owing to its great size in comparison with other whales of the same group. It is pelagic in its habits, and, unlike most whales, does not spout when it conies to the surface to breathe, this being accomplished by raising its nostrils just above the water. Owing to the fact that this whale has only one and a-lialf inches thickness of blubber and produces only between 51b and 61b of oil, it is not sought for commercial purposes. Only the female of the species has ever been recorded, due perhaps to the fact that they come into coastal waters in order to bear their young.