LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 16, 29 October 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A double stock sale will be held at the Ashburton saleyards next Tuesday, there being no market the following week fin account of the November racing and show carnival a't Christchurch. .

After a week of light railway traffic through Ashburton, there was a heavy week-end rusii to-day, and the south express consisted of two engines and a lull complement of carriages. A party of girls from the Ashburton High School travelled, to Christchurch by the first north train to play tennis matches against the Christchurch Girls’ High School.

A fight between a whale and a shark was witnessed on the Te Kaha side of Waihau Bay, near Cape Runaway, by several Opotiki residents. When the whale 'was first saen it was making in the direction of Opotiki, but as the battle progressed it changed direction and made off toward Te Kaha. The whale was very close inshore and came up to blow on several occasions, while the shark was seen to leap fight out of the water.

At a recent meeting of the board of the Wellington Free Ambulance, application was made by a private firm for leave to print a book setting forth the activities of the organisation, and asking consent to devote other sections of the hook to advertising. The offer was rejected. The president, Sir Charles Norwood, said that'he fplt that lie did not wish to see the Free Ambulance exploited for commercial purposes. Another member of the board characterised tine proposal as “a trading or speculative venture.”

Dr. F. Ehrenhaft, of Vienna, wrote to the Otago University Council, applying for a position in the university. The applicant stated he had been professor in the physics department of the University of Vienua for 25 years, but political events had compelled him to leave. The Chancellor remarked it was, regrettable that one who had given such service to science should have been compelled to leave the country of his birth. Other members of tiie council expressed sympathy with the applicant’s position and after various suggestions had been put forward, it was resolved that the matter lie, referred to tliie Department 01 Scientific Research.

“At present there would seem to be little excuse for a. boy or giyl to be idle if fit and not waiting for a special type of work,” said an officer of the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association. “A decided shortage of boys for industrial work and for errand boys’ jobs is reported, although sometimes difficulty is experienced in filling apprenticeships for unemployed boys who possess considerable working experience. The position to-day is in striking contrast to that which existed in the depths of the depression, for at one time then tine association had over 800 unemployed, girls and boys bn its register seeking employment.”

Unless the child concerned is taking part in organised games or other' school activities, an education board is not bound to accept liability for injuries received by a pupil at school. This information ’was contained in a letter received from the secretary of the Auckland Education Board at the quarterly meeting of the Whangarei Sub-provincial Executive of the„ New Zealand Farmers’ Union, in reply to a question on the subject. It was decided to forward, the question again, asking for a definition of the liability of school committees in such cases. The chairman (Mr A. Briscoe Moore) said it appeared that in the case of injuries through faulty playing gear, such as swings, etc., a school committee would he responsible.

A miraculous -escape was experienced by three adults and a child when the car in which they were travelling was destroyed by fire on Monday afternoon, 17 miles north of Taupo, on the main highway to Auckland, says a Taupo correspondent. The car contained Mr H. Kuchin (driver), Mrs Thompson and her daughter, all of Island Bay, 'Wellington, and Miss Goodrich, of Palmerston North. It was proceeding from Auckland to Wellington when it skidded and overturned and immediately burst into flames. Mr Kuchen had some difficulty in opening the door, but eventually succeeded and quickly got the other passengers out, but not before they had all received minor burns and scratches. Mrs Thompson’s daughter, a child of 12, also suffered a. fractuned right shoulder.

The curious pet of a Wellington household is a tunnel spider, whose size and appearance unpleasantly shock visitors unaware that New Zealand contains such formidable creatures. Its body alone, without taking into account its legs, measures fully two inches. The tunnel spider inhabits burrows or crevices in sunny faqes of the hillsides about Wellington. In this case it lias found a habitat in one of those tubular perforations in a concrete embankment to prevent seepage from breaking, down tine wall. When a fly or other insect crawls across the meshes at the rim of the entrance the spider feels the slight vibration of the web and rushes out, sometimes even leaving the hole to chase its victim. The poison fangs of these spiders, with which they paralyse and despatch their prey, are a quarter of an inch long, sharper than needles. From the ease with which the spider deals with even large and horny insects, there is no doubt that it could administer a painful bite, even if of less serious effect than that oi a Katipo.

“Here is a man with eight children who asks the Court what is going to become of them if he is turned out of his house,” said Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the To Arohn. Magistrate’s Court, when informed by the defendant in a case for the recovery of £B4 rent and the possession of a house that it was impossible for him to get a house in the town owing to the acute shortage. The defendant asked the Court 'what would happen to his wife and family. Counsel said the fact that the defendant owned eight cows prevented him from obtaining relief. The Magistrate: “On the one hand, we have a section of tfie community crying out for population, and. on the other hand, they have no houses for them.” Counsel for the plaintiff said that the owner of the house was himself only a 'working man, and there was a mortgage of £550 oil the house. It was a definite hardship to him while the tenant remained. After deliberation, the Magistrate said he would consult with a colleague in Hamilton before giving a reply. The case was adjourned for a month,

The secretary of the Ashburton Acclimatisation Society reported tins morning that the Rangi'tata and llakaia Rivers .are clear and fish able, but the Ashburton is discoloured.

A swarm of bees passing over the Hamilton railway bridge proved

source of considerable inconvenience to pedestrians about mid-day due day last week. The swarm was not thick enough to make a. complete blockage, but those who elected to run the gauntlet had an anxious few minutes while bees circled perilously near.

Most of the digging and levelling work in the Courthouse grounds has been completed and it will not be long before a start is made with the planting of flowers. Specially prepared sections for garden plots have been made ready at regular intervals around the building. The present uncared-for area, between the Courthouse and the Public Library, will also be taken in hand shortly, so that the whole appearance of the locality will be greatly improved. New records have been established at Massey College this year in total enrolments, figures presented at a meeting of the Board of Governors the other day showing a total of 383 students, as against the previous highest figure of 265 in 1934. The docinestie science course has reached the limit number, 30. The details, with those of 1937 in parentheses, are as follows Degree, 32 (23); farming, 43 (43); dairy diploma, 71 (70); wool classing, 20 (26) ; short-course dairy farming, 20 ( —); herd testing,so (15); city milk course, 51 ( —); refresher course for teachers, 42 ( —) ; domestic science course, 30 ( —) ; special 2 (4); poultry,

Referring to an article which appeared recently in the Brisbane Courier during his recent visit to that city, Mr Marcus Marks, of Wellington said recently that such stojries should not be allowed to go uncontradicted. This article said that the fish known as Pelorns Jack was protected by Act of Parliament. Mr Marks states that such was not the case. It seems that on one occasion someone had attempted to shoot this friendly fish from one of the steamers. There was at once an outcry against such an act of vandalism, and the Government became concerned to such an extent that the Governor of the day signed an Order-in-Council protecting the fish known as Pelojvus Jack fron? interference of any kind.

After an all too short season of bloom, flowering trefes and shrubs in Ashburton are beginning to fade, and it takes but a light wind now to send countless blossoms scattering to the ground. Baring Square East and West have attracted particular attention during the last few weeks for the displays here have been remarkably beautiful this season. Perhaps the most admiyed plant of them all is the Azalea, which is still in. colourful bloom around the plots in the centre of the West Square. An excellent specimen of the flower is also growing in Baring Square East. The flowering apple trees are rapidly letting fall their blossoms, and the grass on the outskirts of the plots is in places covered with a light white mantle.