LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 88, 24 January 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two letters which were sent to Pago Pago by air mail, being dropped by the Samoan Clipper when it carried the first Pacific air mail from New Zealand. reached Ashburton to-day. Ibey were addressed to Miss G. Teale and Master J. Teale respectively.

A proclamation made in June, 1905, prohibiting the importation of optanine, an article used in brewing in place of bops, is revoked by a proclamation published in the latest issue of the Gazette. Apparently the prohibition was imposed as a protection for hop growers and is no longer considered, necessary.

Colour films of Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, and the fernery will figure in a showing before a meeting of the Californian Institute of Horticulture at an early date. So impressed was Mrs Elsie Burr Overstreet, of Berkeley, California, U.S.A., when she visited the park recently that she left an order for a series of colour photographs of the place, which she intends to exhibit on her return home.

A rather extraordiilary incident occurred to a young jnan who went to a dance in Ashburton on Saturday evening. He lost his glove and : gave up hope of recovering it. He went to the railway station last evening, however, and was amazed to see the glove on the radiator cap of a car. a He did not know whose car it was, but there was no doubt that the glove was Iris, and he thankfully claimed his property.

Because the accommodation at the Christchurch Training College will be overcrowded when the new year starts, Ashburton students who Avill be taking up training this year have been notified that they will have to enter the Dunedin Training College. Advice to this effect was sent out on Saturday and has not been welcomed hv those who had already made arrangements for hoarding in Christchurch.

Though nothing definite can he ascertained in regard to the reconstruction of the Majestic Theatre, which was destroyed by fire, on August 9, it was learned by a “Guardian” reporter to-day that an architect in Christchurch is at present preparing plans that will utilise the Avails of the theatre, hut give a neAV interior layout. It is believed that Avork on the building will not be delayed for any length of time.

The first of the new season’s Avheat to' he delivered to merchants Avas received at Ashburton on Friday and Saturday. A line of 240 bags of a particularly good sample of Cross-7 Avheat from Riverside, sent in for immediate delivery, will slioaa' a yield of about 40 bushels to the acre. The first Tuscan wheat of the season also began to arrive in the stores on Saturday, about 200 bags being received. The rain Avill delay the rest of this line and the main crop, which is expected to arrive this week.

It is now approximately eight months since the famous Poliutu geyser at Whakarewarewa has given a display, but although the many visitors during the last few weeks have been naturally disappointed at not seeing the geyser in action there has' been much other activity to make their visit to the region interesting. Those Avho visited, the area last Monday afternoon were fortunate in witnessing the mud geyser to the left' of the entrance bridge in action for the first time for several weeks. The geyser ga\ r e an excellent display for some hours, throAving boiling mud several feet into the air.

“Dignity and impudence” Avas Avell illustrated on the Auckland Harbour on Tuesday evening (says the “Star”), when tAvo Unicn Company steamers left for Sydney at the same time. The regal liner AAvatea of 13,482 tons, in all the glory of its freshly-painted funnels, toAvering high aboA'e the rest oi the harbour craft, brushed past the cargo steamer Waitaki of only 2000 tons and somewhat Aveat'her-beaten. Down the Waitemata they sailed, the liner leading the way and the little old vessel tailing up the procession. But nearing the Heads, when the big boat AA-ent round Avith a stately flourish and challenge to all eyes to watch “the might lines of the deep blue sea,” it (happened that “Miss Impudence” (scored. Being of lighter draught, she cut the corner and took the lead as Auckland disappeared from vieA\\

Very good crops of peas and potatoes in the district east of Ashburton were viewed a few days ago by a motorist, Avho told a “Guardian” reporter today that barley crops in the same area AA r ere sliOAving signs of suffering by the wind and the rain. Along the seaboard, between Seaview and Pendarves, lie saAV seme excellent crops of reu clover that appeared to be flourishing much more vigorously than is usual with such crops on light land. Wheat crops generally seemed to be dirty in colour, but lie could not say if this Avas due to the mildew that has made its appearance in seA'eral places recently. They looked as if they might yield all right. A crop of Avheat at the Rakaia River mouth, however, could truly he called a crop of golden grain. Green crops that he saw Avere coming on Avell, and at Kyle there Avas a remarkably fine crop of turnips.

“Calling all cars. . . This call signal now familiar to police and other organisations in cities overseas may become a common place to official routine in Auckland in the near future if arrangements contemplated by the Auckland Electric Power Board are carried, through to completion. For some months the board has been steadily advancing plans to install equipment to provide two-way radio communication between a central station and its service trucks and at a recent meeting it decided that when the plant was ready it would be prepared to consider the making of its new service available to other organisations, such as the Police Department and the St. Jehu Ambulance, if this could be conveniently arranged. From inquiries made, it was revealed, that both the police and ambulance authorities in the city are interested in the board’s proposition and it was admitted thav discussions concerning the matter had already, been held. In the case of the police it was stated that the scheme had not been submitted to headquarters in Wellington, but it was believed that two-way radio communication ■with the night patrol car would be a distinct advantage and assist in the work of crime detection in the city.

A number of wheat crops that were threshed by header harvesters in the Lismore district during last week are said to have returned very good yields, in some cases above the average. The samples are said to be very good.

A first statutory offender for drunkenness was convicted and fined 10s in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning by Mr A. H. Fenn, J.iP. Sergeant J. F. Cleary explained that the man was on bail and that this was the amount of the deposit he had left. Tne man was arrested by‘Constable T. T. Harris on Saturday afternoon.

■Some damage was done in East Street by an irresponsible person over the week-end. A notice board belonging to a local Rugby team, and .-'looted outside a shop, was torn down and damaged, and an attempt was made to remove a sign outside Mr A. Mitchell’s shop. This was not successful, but the sign was badly twisted and its hold loosened. \

With the temperatures in some of the streams as high as 77 or 78 degrees, there have been losses of trout in Bay of Plenty rivers. Several fine fish in splendid condition have been found dead, and it is expected that many more dead fish will be picked up as long as the hot weather continues. The rivers principally affected are the Waimana, Waioeka, and Whakatane. The Rangataiki, owing to its length and depth, is not so hot, and the Tarawera, which is lake fed. is also cooler. Fishing is very difficult at present and will continue so until rain cools the water.

A statement was made in Ashburton this morning that a County farmer west of the town and lost 100 sheep as a result of the bad weather over the week-end, but numerous telephone calls in all sections of the County failed to trace a farm where there had been deaths among sheep. It was ascertained that very rough and bitterly cold weather has prevailed since Saturday night, especialy along the hills, where snow has fallen high up, but none of those communicated with could give any information regarding losses of sheep.

There are indications that the demand for State houses built in Invercargill has not been so great as in other centres. The first group of 18 houses, providing for 20 families, is nearing completion (says the “Southland Times”), and although applications from prospective tenants were invited several months ago, the State Advances Corporation is how calling for further applications before taking steps to let the houses. A start with a second group of a similar number of houses was made last week, and in view of the apparent paucity of suitable applications for the first group, the question whether the full quota • of nearly 50 houses will be required is raised..

The high rents which many people are prepared to pay in order to secure city or suburban houses irrespective of the state of repair, was illustrated by an Auckland, business man who acts for the owners of a five-roomed dwelling at present unoccupied owing to necessity for extensive renovations. The house urgently needed painting, and every room required to be prepared, door handles, 'window sashes and other fittings were broken, while a considerable amount of plumbing work was necessary in the bathroom and kitchen. Parts of the roof and the water spouting needed renewing, and almost a score of other repair jobs were required. In spite of the dilapidated condition of the house, however, a prospective tenant, earning less than £6 a. week, offered to rent the place for £1 17s 6<l a week.