LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 281, 8 September 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The new dress tunics for the Ashburton Salvation Army Band will be ready for use in about a fortnigm/s time. Most of the players have been fitted for the new uniforms, which will be worn on special occasions only.

At a recent meeting of the edmmittee of the Ashburton Tramping Club the next five trips were arranged. The proposed tramps are :—September 18, Treasure hunt; October 9, Scott’s Gully; October 30, Moorhouse Range 20, Alt. Somers or Staveley Lime Kiln; December 11, Mystery Trip.

“The great advantage of selling scenery is that it is the only thing I know that you can sell and still have ’ said the deputy-(Prime Minister of Australia (Sir Earle Page), in speaking at a civic reception in his honour at Auckland,. He advocated every effort in attracting increased tourist trade to New Zealand and Australia, and said this business was worth £10,000,000 to Hawaii.

.Efforts have been made for some time in the North Auckland area to gain provincial status, and the proposal has the support of all local bodies in the territory. The question was raised at a recent conference of local authorities at Kaikohe, and was carried a step farther when a. commitee was set qi> to pursue the matter and have it brought before the notice of the Government.

The Statutes Amendment Bill introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday gives authority for the appointment of women police. ine powers conferred by the Police Force Act for the appointment of members of the Police Force, including temporary members, are extended so as to include power to appoint women to he members of the force and to give them full authority under the original Act.

A small hoy started school this week and the teacher, thinking to make him feel he was in a friendly atmosphere, delegated another small newcomer to be his friend. The little chap was not impressed. “I’ve had a fight with him!” he exclaimed. A second boy was produced, but the five-year-old was still unimpressed. “I’ve had a light with him, too!” he said. Eventually, lie went off happily with a little girl as guide.

The monthly meeting of the Timvald Mothers’ Union, held in the Parish Hall, was largely attended. A short service conducted by the Ibev. H. A. Childs was held in the church. Later, at the Parish Hall, Airs Mariner '(Christchurch) spoke on her visit to the “Alary Sumner House,” London. Mrs O. Simpson (Palmerston North) was welcomed by Airs Jennings. The hostesses were IVlrs J. Houston and Mrs H. Bell.

Despite the recent unfavourable weather, the grounds at the Borough School are in excellent order, stated the report of the visiting committee presented at the meeting last evening. The stretch of ground between Winter Street and'Moore Street has been cleared and levelled and is ready for asphalting. The trees around the ground are in a, healthy condition and during the last month shrubs were trimmed and tidied up.

As there is a prospect of obtaining films on loan from various sources for the moving picture projector at the Borough School, members of the committee last evening decided to hold over the offer from a certain firm for the supply of films at 30s per tenn, until the beginning of next year. The headmaster (Air M. J. Leith) said that there was no need for the purchase of films just yet, but that it would be ot advantage to accept the offer from the first term of next year.

“Those of us with a fill l admiration for the tree growth around Rotorua sometimes think what a calamity it would be if a, fire got among it, remarked the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) at Rotorua. “I know there are citizens here who are ever .on the alert for the firestick, the lighted cigarette-end tossed on the wayside, and the camper s fire left smouldering. These citizens who guard the Dominion’s forestry! are rendering the district and their country a great will bo appreciated by the people *of to-day, and will he honoured by those who come after them.”

“Any New Zealander thinking oi coming out this way should be warneu that there is a great deal of fever breaking out in Shanghai and Hankow, and there are now many restrictions for visitors,” writes Mrs Beatrice V. Cassidy, a Ponsonsy resident, who is travelling in China at the moment. Anyone leaving Hongkong for any Eastern port, especially going to Japan, has to he inoculated for cholera, and smallpox, she adds. Japan consequently has suffered a great loss of tourist traffic. Airs Cassidy states that despite the attractions of tht East, she is of opinion New Zealand is the most attractive little country in the world,, and she hoples our -Government will take steps to secure the tourists who are forsaking Japan.

Preparations for the coming Congressional elections »in the United States were now a leading topic of discussion, said Air C. A. Hutchinson, United States Consul at Adelaide, who was a through possenger by the Monterey last week. The pre-election feeling was affecting business . recovery, and the general opinion held was that whichever party won conditions would he more favourable when the contests were over. There was a strong desire in America for steady rather than spectacular progress, and the i people had learned much from the sudden advance of two or three years ago. which would result in a general raising of the standard of living as well as industrial prosperity.

The annual tea and social for supporters of the Salvation Army Band who make a regular monthly contribution to the Band Fund was held last evening, Alajor D. B. Duggan presiding. An enjoyable programme was presented as follows : —ltems by the Band: March, “Exhortation” (Alillarcl) ; National Selection, “Scottish Gems” Varr. Jakeway); air varie (Kirk); march, “Brooklyn Citadel (Beachwell); cornet duet, “Captain and Lieutenant” (Jakewav) by Bandsmen R. E. Argvle and J. Ford ; euphonium duet, “Winning,” by Bandsmen C. E. Hopwood and J. Hayward; elocution by Aliss Iris Jackson; .vviophono solo by Bandsman H. W. Hayward, and club swinging by the gymnasium girls.

Three youfig Maori children were poisoned on Sunday afternoon through eating tutu berries. They were taken to the Thames Hospital and are now reported to be out of danger. The children, who were between the ages of four and seven years, had unknown to their parents, eaten a number of the berries, which are deadly poisonous.

Demonstrations of moving-picture projectors were held at ®the Ashburton East School on Tuesday evening, members of the committee and parents being present to watch the apparatus working. It is likely that a projector will be purchased for use in the school, and prices of the different models will be submitted to the next meeting of the committee for consideration.

Lightning struck a large puriri tree on the property of Mr J. Kennedy, of Putiki Bay, Waiheke, at the height of the storm on Friday night. So severe was the impact that the tree caught fire and burned like a furnace throughout the night and during the following day, until it was totally destroyed. The blaze was watched by many interested residents of the district.

Some support to the belief that marriages performed by a registrar are, on the average more likely to turn out unsuccessful than those solemnised with a religious ceremony was given by divorce proceedings in the Supreme Court at Auckland last week. About one marriage in five is made -at a registry office, but of the eight in which the intervention of the Court was sought on Friday, exactly half were marriages by a registrar.

The St. Stephen’s Ladies’ Guild met yesterday afternoon, Mrs F: Curtis presiding over a good attendance. Final arrangements were made in connection with the cake stall ai> the forthcoming flower show. It was decided to hold the annual garden party in aid of the Guild funds at the residence of Mrs M. Knox on December 6'. Musical items were given by Misses E. Erin and Noeline Parsons. The competition was won by Mrs Coldicott.

There was a large attendance at the weekly meeting of the Tinwald Girls’ Friendly Society. A welcome was extended to Mrs H. A. Childs, and a silver serviette ring was given to her for her baby. Arrangements were made to entertain the Hinds and Mayfield Girls’* Friendly Societies on September 20. Many of the girls decided to enter in the competitions open to all members of Girls’ Friendly Societies. Games and dancing were then enjoyed by members. Miss E. Tod was hostess.

“This is to inform you that'a Rotary meeting was held to-day in the East Tasman Sea on board R.M.S. Aorangi, and was attended by 100 per cent, of the Ilotarians on board,” states a letter received by the Wanganui Rotary Club from Rotarian S. S. Stubbs, acting secretary of the Oamaru Club. ‘‘Rotarians were present from a number of clubs in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Rotarian Burchall, or Halifax, Nova Scotia, was in the chair. Rotarian E. G. D. Eden, of Wanganui, was present at the meeting.

Reference to the fact that three New Zealand Cabinet Ministers and the Leader of the Legislative Council were all Australian-horn was made by the Minister of Lands, (the Hon. F. Langstone) in an address at a civic reception at Auckland to Sir Earle Page, (deputy-Prime Minister of Australia). Mr Langstone said the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, as well as the Hon. R% Semple, the Hon. P. O. Webb and the Hon. Mark Fagan were all Australian-born. “We are indebted to Australia in many ways,” he added.

That the brigade enter teams in all events at the Canterbury lire brigade competitions at Geraldine on October 24, was the decision at the monthly meeting of the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade last evening, when Superintendent H. Hefford presided. Training will commence on Monday evening. A challenge was received and accepted from the Allen'ton ton Brigade to a table tennis niatcn. Mi' H. King was elected an honorary member of the brigade. Fireman o. Preddy was thanked lor organising the social evenings. Fireman C. Bax reported on the fire brigade conference held at Christchurch recently. Firemen L. Solway, S. Johnson, and S. Preddy passed the first aid examinations.

Trams, trains, lifts and all electri-cally-operated services on direct current were halted in Wellington yesterday for several minutes shortly after 1.30 p.m., and again a few minutes later. The source of yesterday’s trouble was a blow-out of an 11,000 volt /brush at the Thai power station, at Waikaremoana. The blow-oui caused a surge of power throughout the inter-linked systems of the Morin Island and in Wellington it had the effect of cutting out the rotary condensers and shutting off the direct power. Trams stopped unexpectedly, and lifts were suddenly stopped where they were to the annoyance of business people returning to their offices from lunch. The services soon resumed, but a quarter of an hour later came to a second stop for a slightly longer period. This time, however, they resumed their normal operations for the rest of the day.

Three modern novels of social protest and criticism were reviewed by Dr. Helen M. Simpson, M.A., Pli.D., at the meeting of the Ashburton branch of the Workers’ Educational Association last evening. The books spoken about were ‘’Death of a Hero” by Richard Adlington, '‘Love v>n *.*o Dale,” by Walter Greenwood, ana “Brave New World,” by Aldous Huxley. The first, a story of pre-war England, and of the Great War itself, voices the bitterness and cynicism that experience bad engendered in many sensitive young men. Victorian and Edwardian society ,» with conviction and violence in mm*., of its aspects. The second book describes the life of the very poor factory and mill workers, and written by one who had himself suffered the distresses he relates, is deeply impressive. It is one of the most powerful and moving pieces of social criticism in modern literature. “Brave New World” has as its scene London hundred of years hence, ana me story concerns a society of men and women scientifically bred and “conditioned.” It constitutes a challenge to social reformers.

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