LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 89, 25 January 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Education (the Hen. P. Fraser) has approved a grant to cover the cost of remodelling the school building at Lyndliurst, according to advice received yesterday from the Minister by Mr H. E. Herring, M.P.

At the monthly meeting of the Washdyke branch of the Crown Tenants’ Association a letter was received from the manager of the Ashburton Dairy Company enquiring if the matters complained of had been remedied. It was decided to reply that the position was now much improved and that he be asked how Caroline shareholders who had been transferred to his eomjrany stood in relation to a bonus.

As a result of the reopening of primary schools next week, rail traffic, which has been particularly heavy at Ashburton throughout the summer holidays, is again increasing, and many people are going through cn the expresses daily, mostly returning home. The south-bound express this morning was a typically large train. Drawn by two engines, it consisted of 14 carriages and five vans. The number of people on the station was large for a weekday.

“So you want the Government to find all the money; you have not a hope in the world,” said the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple), in reply to a deputation of Matatoki and Puriri settlers, Thames district, who asked for flood relief. The Government was not going to find money to protect private properties, continued Mr Semple. He asked if the farmers could not find some of the money. The speakers laid before the Minister the proposal to drain the lowvlying lands of the district.

The suggestion that the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was an organisation of big farmers was dealt with by Mr A. P. O’Shea (Dominion secretary) at a meeting of the Wairarapa provincial executive (says a Press Association telegram). There were about 2500 flocks of more than 2500 sheep'in New Zealand, Mr O’Shea said, and the number of holdings of 1000 acres or more was approximately 6000. Membership of the Farmers’ Union tc-day was well over 20,000, so it might be seen that the union must be thoroughly representative of the average New Zealand farmer. “There are not 2000 squatters in New Zealand, let alone 20,000,” he said.

A united practical protest against the heavy clothing customarily worn in New Zealand by men during tropical weather was made by the members of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council at a recent meeting. The protest was headed by Mr A. Rosser, who rose to complain of the way in which men slavishly followed the fashion in clothing regardless of the conditions. He proposed, with the chairman’s permission, to hang convention up on a hook for a while. The chairman (Mr I. J. Goldstine), raising no objection, Mr Rosser suited the action to the word and hung his coat up on the wall. In this he was promptly followed by every member of the council with the exception of the chairman, who continued to pay deference to the prevailing custom.

The prolonged spell of dry weather has had a serious effect upon dairy production in Manawatu, and the decline in output has been more marked than for several years. Normally, January is a good month for production, there being no noticeable falling off until well into February. This year, however, the peak was reached fully a month earlier and the decrease In production has been such that, unless there is an abundance of rain very soon, the season will end much earlier. It was pointed out that on the higher levels reasonably good autumn seasons were experienced and the grass had not suffered the same setback in growth. It is understood that the difficulty with most dairy farmers is not so much a shortage of succulent feed as it is a lack of water. The spring rains were not sufficient to replenish dams and many have dried up, leaving stock very short of water. Farms throughout the countryside are now feeling the shortage rather seriously, and in many instances vehicles have been commissioned to carry water to farmhouses. “The Monarch butterfly is again seen on the wing in Auckland gardens.” writes an Auckland naturalist, Mr T. Skeates to the “Auckland Star”. '-‘This large and beautiful creature measures abou four inches and a-quar-ter across the wings, and its caterpillar lives on the “swan” plant. It will not touch any ether plants, and is quite harmless. The public should protect the Monarch both in the caterpillar and butterfly state. It is an asset to any country.” Mr Skeate’s claim that the public is destroying the beautiful butterfly in ignorance is supported by the acting director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Mr A. W. 'P. Pcnveir, who suggests that instead of destroying the butterfly when they see it, naturelovers should note time and place and notify the museum. The insect has wings of an orange-brown colour, veined and bordered in black. Round the margin of the wings are two rows of small white spots. When the chrysalis reaches the caterpillar stage it has a tiger skin pattern of white yellow and black stripes. It has a pair of black whip-like threads near the head and a short pair at the tail. The drowning fatality at Pomahaka this week revealed at the inquiry before the coroner incidents which may prove of interest and benefit should similar circumstances arise. A wellorganised party had been searching and dragging the river for about 30 hours without avail when Mr Forrest, of Clinton, a motor garage proprietor, met Constable McCormick and stated that he was going: out to assist the searching operations. Mr Forrest (the “Mataura Ensign” says) had arranged an .electric light device by means ' of which he could search the bed of the river. He had with him several electric batteries, and the one first dropped in the water, a 12-volt, showed a certain depth. It was then decided that a 14-volt battery should be tried. This was weighted, let down, and the bulb, of course, protected. The whole outfit was carried in a boat. The electric bulb showed at 22 feet a good light of about five feet radius. After a few minutes the body was sighted in a hole five feet below the ordinary river bed level. The spot had been dragged over several times, and it was a melancholy satisfaction to have recovered the body in a few minutes after the application of the electric light bulb.

With Hamilton sweltering in the lieat during the past two weeks, when in-door temperatures have been often in excess of 100 degrees, parched residents and parched gardens have taxed tp the utmost the supply of water in the borough. Daily 2,000,000 gallons of water are taken from the Waikato River, filtered and consumed within the town. Hamilton is using at present its maximum daily output.

A relic of the recent disaster to an Imperial Airways aeroplane off the coast of Italy has been received by Mr E. F. Nicoll, of Ashburton. Mr Nicoll sent an air mail letter to London on the aeroplane, which was wrecked and the passengers lost their lives. The mail was, however, salvaged from the bottom of the sea and sent to its destination. Mr Nicoll had the letter he sent returned to him by the recipient as a matter of interest. The envelope shows traces of its immersion under water, and is stamped “Found opened or damaged” in English and French.

Estates of a value of £513,185 were reported and accepted for administration by the Public Trustee during December. The total value of the estates under administration hy the Public Trustee on March 31 last was £60,770,814, and the new business for the nine months ended December 31 last was £4,358,566. Grants of administration tnade by the Court in favour of the Public Trustee numbered 180 for the month. During the month 421 new wills appointing the Public Trustee executor were prepared on behalf of testators and lodged for safe custody, and 361 existing wills ‘were revised to provide for changes desired by testa--tors. The total number of wills now held in the Public Trust Office on behalf of living persons is 89,867,

Additional costs totalling £80,340 would have to be met by fire fighting organisations' in New Zealand as a result of Government legislation, said Mr D. S. M. McCartney at the quarterly meeting of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade. Mr McCartney mentioned the pending industrial award, that .would have far-reaching effects,, especially on the volunteer system. The increase cost last year, as a result of Government legislation, was £32,340, said Mr McCartney, and the estimated effect of the amalgamation of fire boards with local bodies was a further increase of £28,000. If the demands of the Wellington Fire Brigade Union came into force throughout New Zealand, it would cost at least £20,000 more, bringing the total additional cots for the coming year to £BO,OOO for ratepayers and insurance companies in New Zealand.

Farmers and others handling wheat are reminded of the wheat quality competition that takes place at the Christchurch Show in November of each year. (Points are given for general appearance of the sample, its bushel weight, and the baking quality of the flour milled from it. There are separate classes for Tuscan, Cross 7, Hunters, Jumbuck, and Marquis and Garnet, and every variety of wheat has an equal chance in the competition. Farmers or others noticing a good-looking line of wheat of any variety should therefore reserve half a bushel of it now for the competition. Beside the class prizes there is a valuable challenge cup for most points in all the classes. There have in the past been few entries from Ashburton, but there is every likelihood of lines from this district taking a good place in the competition.

With the pleasing absence of dry rot this season, stone fruits are ripening in good condition in Gisborne orchards. It is one of the best years for this class of fruit experienced for some considerable time. Crops are not unusually large, but the wastage has been minimised considerably. This is largely due to the freedom of the fruit from dry rot, the ravages of which have been responsible for big losses during the past few seasons. The hot weather has resulted in a strong demand for fruit. The growth of crops was checked a little by the succession of cold nights experienced earlier in the season, but the weather now is regarded as ideal. It is considered too early yet to predict the result of the dry weather on pip fruit, although, if the present unbroken spell continues, a slight reduction in the size of the fruit is thought possible.

“Ycu may rest assured that the whole position regarding petrol prices is receiving my close attention, and everything possible is being done to prevent any suggestion of exploitation by the oil companies,” said Mr D. G. Sullivan (Minister of Industries and Commerce), in reply to the Automobile Association (Auckland) regarding petrol prices in the Auckland district. The letter was received at a meeting of the council of the association. The Minister added that he had been approached by oil companies fur permission to advance prices in controlled areas by ald a gallon. His department had investigated the position thoroughly. Mr A. Grayson said the price throughout the Dominion should be fixed by regulation. By raising the price of petrol in uncontrolled areas the oil companies could force the Government’s hand in regard to rates in controlled areas. It was decided to protest to the Minister against the right enjoyed by oil companies to raise the price in uncontrolled areas.