LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 18, 1 November 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tina butter production of Northland this season is expected to be at least 10 per cent, less than that of last season, notwithstanding that last season showed a decline over the figure reached in the 1935-30 season.

Resolutions aimed at the preservation of the periodic referendums on the liquor issue \and demanding that no transfer of a licence be allowed without a vote being taken among the people likely to be affected were adopted by the New Zealand Baptist Union at Wellington yesterday.. This action was taken after the assembly had heard in committee a statement made by a deputation from the New Zealand Alliance dealing with its proposed future policy.

Several outbreaks of what were reported to he fresh cases of facial eczema have occurred in the Waikato, but on investigation such cases have provfed to be either very mild cases of the disease or some other disease. Considerable alarm was expressed m some quarters when it was thought that the disease was making its appearance so early, but investigations carried out by the Department of Agriculture have helped to allay these fears.

In the High. School Assembly Hall on Monday evening Form IHb gave a. delightful concert It was a. form effort, assisted by the school orchestra. About two hundred people paid for admission, there being among these many parents of members of the form. The items included the play, “Eldorado” (for four .characters), dancing, singing, topical and otherwise. The proceeds of the concert are to go toward the fund, being built up for a “talkie” outfit.

The new entrance to the Ashburton Show Grounds, on the Main South Road and next to Saleyards, will be open for some traffic next Thursday. Ine new gates erected at the cost of £6O have been completed, 'while the drive up to them has been shingled and young trees planted on each side. The entrance will be open only to pedestrian traffic and taxis on Thursday, as a system of traffic control has not yet been devised. There will be no official opening of tine gates.

When the School [Dental Service began in 1921-22 its officers extracted more teeth than they filled. In every year since the proportion, of teeth extracted has been smaller, and last ylsar, according to the annual report of the Dental Hygiene Division, for evqry 100 teeth filled, only 12.9 were extracted. These figures included both permanent and deciduous teeth,; for permanent teeth alone the rario is 0.8 extractions per 100 fillings. The practice now is to extract only those teeth which are “unsaveable.”

An assurance that the operation of the Social Security Act would not interfere with the operations of the Manuwera Children's Honle, which is carried; on by the Baptist Church, tv as given by Mr ,T. K. Archer, M.L.C. of Christchurch at the session of the New Zealand Baptist Union in Wellington yesterday. Answering a. question put by a delegate, Mr Archer said: “On the contrary, the scheme, far from hindering the work, 'mill put the orphanages; of New Zealand on a (better footing than, ever before.”

The extent of the State housing scheme is shown in the return of building permits issued by the ID'unedin City Council for the month of October. More than half the amount involved represented dwellings which are being erected by the Goveirnment Housing Construction Department. Permits of a total value of £89,900 were issued, and of this amount Government houses were valued at £56,758. In October last year the value of building permits issued was £131,849, while the total for the year to date is £400,034, compared with £439,575 for the first 10 months of last year.

“When we left -New Zealand I thought war was as far away as it had been for 20 years, hut conditions ovea\ the last six months brought us face to face with a crisis so serious that war was averted only at the last moment,” writes Mr John D. Emmett from Portsmouth, England. He mentioned that Portsmouth, which possessed the largest naval dockyards in the British Empire, would have been an easy target in the event of an air raid. Wap was so close, he said, that everybody .had been advised to dig splinter-proof trenches in their gardens where possible. Quite close to where he was living, Mr Emmett added, there 'was a first-aid shelter costing £6OOO, the first of 10 to be built in the city.

With a flash that sent children playing nearby to shelter, and was Steen from the hills across the harbour, an electric power line snapped in the M gab aura nga Gorge, Wellington, one evening last week. There was a momentary flicker of lights in Welling-ton-and, the Hutt Valley as a changeover was made on the panel at the sub-station to provide an alternative source of supnly to that interfered with. The break occurred 200 yards from the Hutt Road, and is believed to have been caused by some object •having been thrown over the wires. Theda was blasting a mile and a-half up the gorge about the time of the break, it is possible for rock thrown into the air and striking lines to cause a short-circuit and breakage of lines. Because of the distance of the blasting from thf3 scene of the break it is considered more probaible that the fault was caused in the immediate vicinity of where the line was shortcircuited.

Electric power was cut- off in the Hu,rford Road District, New Plymouth, in an unusual fashion- recently. For an hour and a half work in the dairy factory on the road was delayed until repairs could be made temporarily. The inquisitiveness of an opossum was the cause. The opossum climbed a power line service pole, came in contact with a live wire, and was immediately killed. The chained body of the opossum acted as n, short circuit, which ignited the pole and cyoss-amis, with the result that the top part of the pole was burned right through. The location of the scene of the trouble was made in an equally unusual fashion. Just before the power failed the wife of Mr D. Krutz, a farmer in the district, noticed, a strange noise in the radio set. At the same time a Pull tied in a paddock broke its tether and rushed up to the house. Sensing that something had frightened the bull, Mjr Krutz investigated and soon found the damage to the power pole,

Tho measles epidemic at Rarotonga is now in its-final stage, and once more passengers on visiting vessels are permitted to go ashore. For the last four months this ban has been imposed by tho health authorities. The Matua, on her recent visit arrived at Rarotonga earlv in the morning and sailed at midnight, which allowed the passengers to spend the whole day on the island sightseeing.

The Tinwald Presbyterian Church was filled to capacity on the occasion of the annual floral service. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers. The choir sang “Spring Thanksgiving,” and Mrs Roffiey sang the, solo “God’s Garden.” Mrs Millar and Miss Margaret Ross sang the duet “In the Garden,” with choir accompaniment. The Rev. D. D. MacLaciilan spoke on “The presence of God in Nature, Providence and Redemption.” Miss E. Lowery was the organist.

There is one motor-car to every two persons in Los Angeles County, said Mr M. J. Rodney, a former Melbourne resident now living in Los Angeles, who passed through Auckland en route to Sydney by the Monterey on Saturday. Mr Rodney was discussing the enormous motor traffic of Los Angeles city and stated that within the county, which had a population of about 2,000,000 people, there wore 1,000,000 motor-cars. Practically every family possessed a car, which, wliei. second-'liand, could often be purchased for from 15 to 25 dollars.

In spite of the difficulties of rearing such animals in captivity, good progress is being made by the pair of jaguar kittens which were born at the Auckland Zoo nearly a fortnight ago. Although female jaguars .are poof mothers and frequently kill their young, the one at the zoo is looking after the new arrivals in accordance with the best maternal traditions, ana has in no way harmed them. Up to the present tne kittens have remauiea hidden within the don attached to the jaguar enclosure, and have not been seen by visitors.

The United States destroyer Maury arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon from Pago Pago and berthed at the western wharf, 'five visit is informal. The destroyer, which was launched early this year, has been on a series of long-distance exercises in the Pacific with other vessels of the United States Navy. It will remain in port until November 9. A State luncheon will be giyen at the Grand Hotel to-day to the captain, .Lieutenant-Commander E. M. Thompson, and his officers. The Hon. F. Jones (Minister for Defence) will officially? welcome the ship to New Zealand,. Extensive arrangements have been made for the entertainment of the officers and ratings (says a Press Association telegram).

At the (recent meeting of the Ashburton Model Air Sub-League it was decided to form an Organisation Committee, and the following members were appointed:—Lieutenant Childs, Lieutenant Beatty, Leaguer G. Berry and G. McNatty. Certificates were presented to the winners of the competitions held on Labour iD'ay. It was decided to register all ’planes in the Club. Leaguer N. McCrea was elected Club Librarian. Leaguer N. Butterick was appointed assistant flightrecorder with Scribe Halliburton. Lectures on. aviation will be commenced by Commander C'oldicott at the next meeting. The second open field day will be held at the Ashburton Airport on Friday, November 11.

During the last week Maoris wno are to complete the. large war canoe being built atKerikeri, Bay of Islands, for the Centennial celebrations, have been busy erecting living quarters on the site where the three parts of the canoe now lie. The 701’t- midships section and the tw-o end sections, each 33ft long, are already hollowed out, and have been lying in water for three months. They are now ready for the exterior trimming, and shaping, a task that will take about 15 Maoris some months to complete. When completed, the sections will be laced together in the old Maori style. Not a bolt or nail will be used. All the carving for the canoe, including the 14ft bow piece, a carving of the great chief Hongi, will be done on the site. The canoje will accommodate about 150 paddlers.