LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 185, 19 May 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Recent developments in aeronautics and individual achievements in flying the Atlantic leave no doubt that the day of the regular service of Atlantic air liners is net far ahead. So the latest story of Leslie Beresford, the well-known novelist, is not much in advance of its time. In “Man From Tire Airport,” the first instalment of which will appear in the “Guardian” tomorrow, Mr Jjeresford visualises air liners plying between Great Britain and the American continent as a commonplace daily occurrence. The plct, however, is not wholly concerned with flying. The past joins the very modern present when the story turns toward an old marriage certificate, which would make Peters heir to a fortune then enjoyed by a. very attractive but very determined young woman who is net minded to relinquish it.

An invitation to the Mayor of Ashburton (Dr. G. I. Miller) and. members of the .Council to attend a special service at' St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church next Sunday after their assumption of office, was received by the Council from the Rev. R. S. Watson last evening and was accepted.

The following officials have been appointed by the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association for the flock ewe competition which will be held in Ashburton on.,Ttine 16 and 17. Judges, Messrs H. C. B. With ell,, S l . G. Lemon, J. M. Johnston. Supervisor, Mr R. D. Cochrane.

Because a late start was made in the representative Association football game at Blandford Park, Auckland, on Saturday, the final stages of the match were played in semi-darkness and both players and spectators had difficulty in following the flight of the ball. The .floodlights in front of the grandstand were turned on in an effort to assist players, but they were not powerful enough to cause any noticeable improvement.

Railway transport improvements were announced by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), at Wellington. New cars, he said, were being built in the Government workshops to meet the demand for sleeping accommodation on runs where normal requirements did not call for the standard sleeping cars. The new vehicles have been specially designed to provide sleeping accommodation for ten passengers in each car, while the remaining portion would give seating accommodation for 12 persons.

Because of the great numbers of large quinnat salmon killed by debris in the Rangitata River during the recent high flood, many anglers have expressed the opinion that salmon fishing in that water will be affected for several seasons. After the flood, an observer noted hundreds of salmon, some scaling 35lbs, lying dead among the gorse and broom on the edge of the riverbed, while others have seen large numbers of young salmon among the bushes. A suggestion 'has l>een made that a heavy stocking of the river should be carried out to save the situation for anglers.

Reviewing the evidence in a ease in the Supreme Court in Auckland, in which the statements aiid cross-examin-ation of important female witnesses were being considered, Mr Justice Fair reminded the jury that they might consider that a woman’s mind was more active than a man’s. When a question was put to a woman, his Honor said, she saw and considered a great many more things than an ordinary man did in the circumstances. Thus,' when she came to give an answer, she had a number of things in her mind, and so was apt to give an in,accurate account with regard to some of them.

Because of an alteration in the time, a number of residents last evening missed seeing the installation of the new Mayor of Ashburton, a ceremony that was to have been performed in public for the first time. The alteration was made at the eleventh hour, to enable two members of the Council to attend another meeting. Only one resident saw the brief ceremony, but there were about 20 others who were waiting outside and were not aware that the ceremony was over till someone went out and made the to them. When he learned of the disappointment of these people, the Mayor voiced an apology and stated that meetings of the Council were always open to residents if they cared cO attend and watch the proceedings.

The intention of the Government to invite Air Chief Marshal Sir Edward Ellington (Inspector-general of the Royal Air Force) to be its guest during his forthcoming visit to New Zealand, was announced on Monday by the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones), who is visiting Auckland. Sir Edward, according to a recent announcement, is about to make an Empire tour in connection with defence, and will visit, India, Singapore, and Australia before coming to New Zealand later in the year, “We hope that Sir Edward will liavo the opportunity ot seeing what lias been done and what is proposed to be done in connection with the defence of the Dominion,” Mr Jones said. “We think this will be helpful to the New Zealand Government, when he returns to Great Britain in connection with supplies.”

Teachers whose working hours are increasing while those of other people are being shortened should be Heartened by a remit passed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association, on the initiative of the Masterton branch. The remit was:—“That in view of the fact that while in general the length of the working week is shortening the length of the teacher’s week is lengthening, due largely to the amount cf outside work required of teachers, especially in post-primary schools, the time has come when a much more liberal scale of staffing should be allowed for these schools.”

Possibly a record, has been created by the return cf Mr J. "NV. Laid unopposed as Mayor of Featherston. This term of three, years will make nearly 42 years of continuous service given to the borough, and former town district, by Mr Card. Mr Card has always been returned unopposed since he was first nominated as Mayor by Commissioners A. C. Holms (then treasurer to the Tcwn Board) and M. B Tait, both of whom are still active in public affairs. Mr Holms, now of Waipukurau, was the founder of the borough and later treasurer,, also Deputy Mayer. Miss H. Card, the Mayoress, and sister of the Mayor, has jnst been elected to represent Featherston and Martinborough on the Wnirarapn Hospital Board,

“It is a strange thing these days when there is a cry of prosperity everywhere that our homes for indigent men are packed to the doors,” remarked Lieutenant-commissioner F. Adams, divisional commander, of the Salvation Army, during an address in Hamilton. Mr Adams said additions had been made to the homes, but all were still filled.

“The Motoring . Eye” was the subject of the address given at the weekly luncheon of the Ashburton Rotary Club to-day. The speaker was Mr F. Curtis. Mr Curtis mentioned the difficulty the motorist has in always maintaining a clear vision, and referred to the danger of the modern blinding headlights.

Rapid progress is being made with the new block of shops in the course of erection next to the Courthouse in East (Street. With the assistance of tlie Power Board’s crane truck, ten huge and cumbersome rafters were put into place yesterday. There were interested spectators watching the work practically all day and for a while in the afternoon the activities were quite a big “draw.”

Parrakeets are to be seen with increasing frequency in the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland, and their musical cries are heard in parts where they have been rare in recent years. A Heck of 20 or more was observed one recent morning flying over the bush near Titirangi road. Whether they were the native bird or the imported rosella is unknown, as they were flying high and fast.

That a ladies’ committee be organised by the Returned Soldiers’ Association was suggested by Mr F. A. Green at the annual meeting of the Association last evening. Mr Green said, he considered* such a committee would greatly help the Association in its work and that more funds could subsequently be raised. It was decided to leave the question for the general committee to consider.

An original and effective change from the orthodox paper streamer used in shipside farewells was used by a young woman at the departure of the liner Awatea from Auckland for Sydney recently. Instead of rolls of streamers, she carried a'large ball of string, which long after the paper emblems were broken unrolled as the liner went astern,and away from Queen’s wharf. About'loo yards of string crossed the water to the Awatea before the cord, fouled a projection and snapped.

The largest shipment of lamb loaded by any ship in New Zealand for years left Wellington in the Port Caroline for London. The ship bad in her insulated holds the great total of 205,887 carcasses of lamb, in addition to 16,630 carcasses of mutton, 18 bags of beef, 3900 crates of rabbits,. and 3206 packages of frozen sundries. The Port Caroline’s shipment of lamb was made up of the following loadings: — Bluff 88,905 carcasses, Port Chalmers 34,778 carcasses, Timaru 44,773 carcasses, Lyttelton 31,266 carcasses, Wellington 6075 carcasses —a total of 205,887 carcasses.

The right-hand rule is a muchcriticised regulation, but it is my opinion that if there was less criticism of it and more strict observance there would be fewer accidents,” said Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Magistrate’ s Court at Pukekohe. It was submitted by counsel that, although the right-hand rule was against his client, no blame was attachable to him in regard to a collision which occurred. “Every motorist should know that he is under statutory obligation to see if the way is clear on the right,” said the Magistrate. “The rule was particularly framed to prevent accidents on intersections.”

People who have to appear in the Supreme Court should be properly dressed for the occasion. A litigant who entered the witness-box in the Court at Wellington dad in a blue blazer and an open shirt, was asked by Mr Justice Reed whether they were his best clothes, and the man replied in the negative. “Why do you come to Court in a thing like that?” asked his Honor. “Surely you must see that the Court must be treated with a certain amount of respect. It is not a very difficult thing for ,a. person to put on rather better clothes than a blazer and an open shirt. It is not much of a compliment to the Court.” &

Mr S. H. Mayne, F.S.M.C., F. 1.0. (London), of Messrs J. R. Procter, Ltd., Christchurch, is at present in Ashburton, and may be consulted on all defects of eyesight at the Somef 1 - set Hotel to-morrow. —(Advt.)