LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 289, 17 September 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Six crates of homing pigeons dispatched to Ashburton by the Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club were liberated at the- railway station this morning in ideal conditions for flying.

Notifications of authority to local bodies to raise no less than £260,33U by loans appear in this week’s Gazette. Twenty-two local bodies are concerned and the sums to be raised range from £7BO to £IOO.OOO. Other sums authorised are £40,000, £25,000, £46,500, £50,000 and £15.000.

The mistaken belief of several motorists that warrants of fitness held good for a year was commented on by Air J. Miller, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Napier, recently, when inflicting a penalty on a motor cyclist- charged witn this offence. His Worship said that several defendants who had appeared before him had advanced the excuse that they thought the warrants good for 12 months. They would learn on inquiry, that they were good for six months only.

A rate of somewhere between 8d and 9d for the first lambs is the forecast of one Hawke’s Ray exporter (says the “Daily Mail”). He holds that present indications are not exactly bright in this direction, and that a price considerably below tlie opening raies which have ruled for the past two seasons may die expected. “If it is much over the 8d mark I shall be surprised,” he said.

The multiplicity of designs of bungs on, petrol drums, necessitating farmers ’supplying themselves with as many different implements with which to unscrew them, was discussed 'by the AlidCanterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday afternoon, when several speakers referred to the great difficulty they have experienced in removing the bungs from drums. It was decided that representations to the on companies should be made with the object of having the bungs of drums made to one pattern.

Three of the four Eclipses which will occur during 1939 wll be visible in New Zealand, according to information supplied by the Government astronomer. The eclipses will bo as follows: —April 20, annular eclipse of the sun, invisible in New Zealand; May 4, total eclipse of the moon, visible in New Zealand; October 13, total eclipse of the sun, visible in New Zealand as a partial eclipse; October 28, partial eclipse of the moon, partly visible in New Zealand. The total eclipse of the moon, which occurred this year on May 14, was visible throughout New Zealand.

A band of wild dogs roaming the slopes of Parahaki Mountain, on the outskirts of Whangarei, has caused annoyance to residents in the vicinity, and a suggestion has been made that the Whangarei Acclimatisation Society should organise a party of sportsmen to hunt down and exterminate the pack before it increases to a. large, band, when it would probably be a serious menace, states a Whangarei correspondent. Even at present parents living in the vicinity fear that the dogs may attack their children. The band originated some time ago wljen a pair of domestic dogs went wild.

An investor an the last race at the Wanganui Jocky Club’s meeting last Saturday had the mortification of seeing a good “recovery” investment vanish as a result of a misunderstanding between him and the totalisator clerk. Intending to invest £1 on each of two horses, No. 2 and No. 5, be proffered £2 and asked for “two and five.” Apparently the ticket seller thought he said “Two on five,” for when the tickets were examined after the race both were on No. 5. This was the second horse, Hunter’s Eve, on which the investment showed a small profit, hut, unfortunately for the investor, No. 2, Lifeguard,, proyed to be the winner, and the dividend was not far short of a score. Between 7 and 8 o’clock last evening the Aurora Australis threw a spectacular curtain of light across the southern, skies, the display being remarkable for its brief duration and vividness. These southern lights first took the form of an arch spreading across, and high above, the horizon, then gradually streamers of pale light shot up almost to the zenith, while from the arch fell a curtain of green-ish-hued spangles. Shortly after 8 o’clock the sky was clear again but for one lone beam of light above the Peninsula, and this, incidentally, caused a good deal of speculation among those who had Avitnessed the original display. Shortly after 10 o’clock the aurora again appeared, but only for a short period.

“The trouble with Africa is that she has too many diamonds,” said Air E. A. Creed, a South African mining engineer, who arrived in Auckland by the Maetsuycker to spend a holiday in the Dominion. Production of diamonds Avas being strictly limited by the Government and large firms controlling the industry, All* Creed said. The famous Premier mine at Pretoria had, been closed doAvn for over touiyears. Kimberley Avas operating again but at a .very greatly reduced output to avoid spoiling the market. Tlie alluvial Namaqualand field, at- the mouth of the Orange River, which Avas discovered under sensational circumstances five years ago Avas not being worked, and Avas under guard by the GoA-ernment. This was stated to be a phenomenally rich field, the diamonds being brought down by the river and deuosited at the mouth.

“Because of the improved Aveather, beekeepers haA’e had an opportunity to examine their hives, and in most cases the bees haA’e been found to have come through the Avinter in an exceptionally good condition,” Air A\. JFix, apiary instructor for the Department- of Agriculture, told “The Press” yesterday. “Although the winter Avas extremely cold, the bees AA’ere not affected adversely,” lie said. “In Aden of the heavy rainfall during the Avinter, the coming season in Canterbury should prove good, but of course it is yet too early in the season to make a "forecast as everything depends on the Aveather during the summer months. In the Canterbury province, beekeepers, rely mainly on cloA'er for feed, and practically 80 per cent- of the crop comes from this source. As the nectar secretion of clover is goA'erned to a great extent by the general weather conditions, it Avill be seen that it is very difficult to estimate the crop ar tliis early stage. Beekeepers generally seem to be perfectly satisfied with, the marketing conditions and prices received for last year’s crop- on the local market,” he concluded.

“There is only one way in which wo can increase our home market and that is through greater population,” remarked Mr N. S. Hunt, of Wellington, when addressing the Wanganui Rotary Club on the question ot population.

A hapuka, which tipped the scales at 1151 b, measured oft lin in length, and was 48in in circumference, was landed with a handline at Portland Island by Mr Allan Nevill. It is claimed tp be the largest hapuka ever recorded as having been caught off this coast. Altogether Mr Nevill and a companion caught 10001 b of fish at Portland Island.

“We all have experiences of that kind,” said Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., in the Police Cburt at New Plymouth recently when a motorist in a letter to the court explained that his wife was in a draper’s shop and kept him waiting longer than he expected. The charge against him was of parking a car so as to obstruct traffic or the view of traffic.

Because of the uncertainty of events in Europe, several shipping companies and travel agencies report a slight falling off in Continental bookings, although this experience is not general. According to the manager of one company, many inquiries about European travel had been received, but it appeared! that a number of people were postponing their- decisions until they were sure that trouble would not develop in regard to Czechoslovakia. It was generally agreed, however, that bookings by all routes to the British Isles hnly were as good as, and probably better than at the same time last year.

Not only did they discuss the rights and, wrongs of democratic government among the students of Smith College (America’s largest college for women only), but they practiced it within, Dr Ralph Harlow, of the faculty of the college, told the Wellington branch of the English Speaking Union. The ideals of democracy were inculcated into the students during the whole of their sojourn at school. The discipline of the school was left in their hands. There was an avenue of appeal to the faculty, but only on two occasions were the decisions of the students vetoed, and in both cases the veto was exercised because it was thought that the students had been too severe.

“I take off my hat to Germany uh one thing,” said. Dr. W. M. Thomson, Hawera, at a South Taranaki School Committees’ Association meeting at Hawera. “She has cut out all jazz and all crooning from her radio programmes. There is enough good and enjoyable music in the world without the beastly stuff.” The meeting decided to support a remit to the annual conference at Christchurch that the attention of the Minister for Broadcasting and the Minister for Education be drawn to the alleged undesirability of some commercial stations’ programmes, in relation to the morals of children, and that more material of educational value be broadcast from all stations.

An interesting discovery 3ms been made at the Balfour Lime Works at a depth of about 12 feet. This is the complete skeleton of a fish, between six and seven feet long and, two and three feet in depth. The vertebrae of the backbone are between four to*five inches through. Since the works have been in operation at Balfour (says the “Southland Times”) several complete and well-preserved sea shells have been found from time to time, these, in some cases, being of the same species as those found to-day in Stewart Island waters. The discovery of the fish skeleton has caused wide interest in the district, and Mr D. L. IPoppelwell, of Gore, has agreed to ascertain if it would be possible to identify the fish. It is thought that some new light may be thrown on the district’s already highly interesting geological history as a result of the discoveries at Balfour. I