LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 23, 7 November 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New nool clips are beginning to make their appearance in Ashburton, and several large lorries laden with bales of wool from back-country stations have gone through the town, bound for Christchurch.

Thirty thousand rainbow trout fry wore liberated in Lake Camp last week, in excellent condition. The fry were brought from T'emuka and every one was alive when the liberation was effected. Fishing in the lake commenced last Tuesday.

The Union Airways Lockheed Electra monoplane which recently took uvei the Auckland-Dunedin service from the de Havilland liners, made its first appearance over Ashburton this morning, flying very high through the clouds about 11 o’clock.

While the rest of Hawke’s Ray is green with spring vegetation, the siltcovered Esk Valley remains a wilderness of sun-baked mud, flood debris and brown, dead trees. Although six months have elapsed since the flood disaster, the once fertile valley sun presents a scene of ruin and desolation .

“The policy we have adopted is to make larger* the district over which an applicant can operate,” said Mr E. J. ipiiekm, No, 1 Transport Licensing Authority, at Auckland, referring to the granting of J licences lor the carriage of material and equipment for the Public Works Department. The authority did not want to issue more licences and so cause overlapping, Mr Phelan added.

A case of history repeating itself was mentioned by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) in extending a welcome to the officers of the United States destroyer at a State luncheon at the Grand Hotel, Auckland, on Tuesday. Mr Jones recalled that, wnen the American destroyers Preston and Smith visited Auckland some months ago the train on which he was travelling from Wellington in order to meet the> visitors broke down and he arrived late, “The same thing has happened to-day,” Mr Jones added, “and i will possibly have to talk to on£ of my colleagues about the matter.”

Some remarkable features of tne Hawke’s Bay flood of last April were outlined by*Mr A. P. Grant, of the Public Works Department, Napier, to the annual conference of the North Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Civil Engineers. During the three days of-the flood, said Mr Grant, 38.4 inches of rain fell at Puketitiri, 12 inches fell at Tuitira in 14 hours, silt scoured from the 93 square mites of the Esk River catchment area represented an average of inches over the area, and the rate of discharge of the Mohaka River was 22 feet a second, or 15 miles an hour, with a mean depth of 30 feet. Tutira Lake, which covers an area of 480 acres, rose 10 feet during the flood.

“Externally, the New Zealand Court at the Glasgow Exhibition suffered, in comparison with those of the other Dominions by reason of its unimaginative architecture,” said Mr J. L. Mclndoe, who spent several days at the Exhibition, in answer to a question by an “Otago Daily Times” reporter. “Inside, however, the display was comprehensive and the outlay was good. Some o; the features were really excellent.” He added that he had been particularly impressed with the schemie of selling samples of New Zealand products such as butter and apples, and tinned specialties such as whitebait, oysters and toheroa soup. The advertising that was done by this means must have been highly effective.

The danger of the use of celluloid lampshades was emphasised by the superintendent of the Invercargill fire brigade, Mr E. S. Simpson, at a meeting of the Fire Board. “These shades are a distinct fire hazard, but they are being displayed for sale in Invercargill shops,” said the superintendent. In June, 1937, hit attention, had been drawn to a decorated celluloid lampshade which had been damaged by the heat from the lamp, and he informed the ,hoard about it, he said. The board in turn informed the Underwriters’ Association,' but beyond agreeing that sudhi articles were a fire hazard the association appeared to have done nothing.

Some good bags were obtained by local fishermen during the week-end, and sportsmen who plied the rod at the mouth of the Rangitata had a failrun of luck. There were about 30 to 40 enthusiasts on the scene on Saturday night and reports state that most of them enjoyed good sport, hags of seven and eight being the average. The weights made up to seven pounds. A pair of fishermen returned with a hag of IB good ones, while another enthusiast had the luck to land a ImijVpound rainbow trout. No good catches were reported from the Ash Inn-ton, River. A few Ashburton anglers visited Lake Coleridge, wh)ere conditions were good and the fish 'mere biting frequently. Few of the men returned with empty hags. Rainbow trout up to ten pounds and salmon up to six pounds wqre taken. One Christchurch mail captured an excellent hag of four salmon, each making the six-pound mark. Good fishing was reported from Lake Clearwater during last week.

The formalities in connection with the general election of members of the House of Representatives are completed. To-morrow is the date fixed for the return of the writs by the various .returning officers. The Clerk of Writs is required to fonv/ard a list of the members of the new Parliament to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The writs wlere issued on September 22, returnable in 40 days. A writ is a formal document authorising a returning offioejr “to proceed according to law to the election of a member of Parliament to slerve in the House of Representatives” for the particular electoral district concerned. It sets out the dates for the closing *of nominations and for the taking of the poll. The scrutiny of the rolls and the official count must he completed before the return of the wirit, the final formality being the publication in the Gazette of the detailed voting figures. All voting papers ane finally sent in sealed packages to the Clerk of the House of Representatives. They are kept unopened for a year, except m cases where they are required for the purposes of a* magisterial recount. When the year has expired the unopened packages are destroyed by fire in the presence of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the Writs. Thus is the secrecy of the ballot preserved.

It was stated at a meeting of the Gisborne Borough Council bunt, provision was made in legislation whereby borough council members could, bo insured while attending to council business or while travelling to and from council meetings. The council decided to take out a policy covering the Mayor and councillors.

Air Force ’planes stationed at Wigram Aerodrome have been carrying out operations over Ashburton on several days lately, usually working in pairs, and frequent landings have been made at the Ashburton aerodrome. Two bombers did a good deal of lowflying on the eastern outskirts of the Borough this morning.

A lizard, grey green in colour, and with remarkable jumping powers, has .been discovered by Mr J. D. Cummings, of To A roll a. About eight inches long, the lizard is unlike any seen locally, and is causing considerable interest in Te Aroha. Its body is completely covered with scales, and it is armed with a heavy jaw and welldefined teeth.

“Motor vehicle drivers must realise that as the Act is worded they must have a warrant of fitness in their vehicles,” declared Mr H. P. Lawrv, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston North, when evidence was given that a defendant had told a traffic inspector he had a warrant of fitness at home, hut not with the car. “It does not matter,” said the Magistrate, “if they have a dozen of them at home.”

A Taieri poultry farmer who lias been using Australian wheat for fowl feed for some tim'e past received a pleasant surprise when lie opened a bag of the imported grain recently. After removing a bushel or so of the wheat he came across a hard shiny substance, which on investigation tuerned out to be a, bottle of beer. It had not been opened, and the contents, which according to the label had .been brewed in Geelong, gave general satisfaction to those who partook of them.

Over 100 applications for the 25 places in the Ashburton Health Camp at Staveley in January have already been received by the secretary of the Camp Committee (Mrs M. A. Constable), who has been Camp Mother each year. Letters were sent to all schools between Rakaia. and Ealing and it w/is pointed out that children to he recommended had to be nine years or over, hut. not over twelve years. The School Medical Officer made recommendations to the headmasters, who have sent in their lists to the committee. Every medical man in the County is consulted in regard to the children on the lists and the fortunate 2o will then be selected. When the committee puts up its permanent buildings 40 children will be taken to the camp, which lasts for four weeks, starting the first week in January.

Delegates from Australia and New Zealand will hold the first AustraliaNew Zealand Cancer Conference in Wellington between February 15 and 18 next yea,T. For the last nine years an annual conference of those interested in the conquest of cancer lias been held in one of the principal cities of Australia, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Government, which suggested that New Zealand should take a part in the organising of them. The proposal found willing acceptance in the Dominion, which has always been represented at the Australian gathering's, and the coming conference will hie conducted by the Now Zealand branch of the British. Empire Cancer Campaign Society; under the auspices and with the co-operation of the New Zealand Government. Sir James Elliott (president of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society) will preside, and one of the most prominent delegates will lie Dr. F. A. Maguire, a leading Sydney surgeon, who is especially interested in cancer.

Commenting on the announcement of tine retire-njent of Archbishop AveriH in 1940, the lit. Rev. C. A. Cherrington (Bishop, of Waikato) stated in the current issue of the Waikato Diocesan Magazine that lie-thought it was a pity that bishops should retire. “That a synod should appoint a coadjutor bishop with the right of succession on the death of the diocesan would, in mv opinion, hie definitely preferable/’ Bishop Cherrington wrote. “To be a bishop of a. diocese is a life-work and it is only after years of experience that a. bishop can gfve that wise guidance and- counsel that are so necessary. From that hp is precluded if he retires. No bishop can or would presume to advise or dictate to a successor. Having been chosen and having accepted a call, a bishop should retain the sphere to which he has been called till God removes him. We wish the Archbishop many years of rest ana peace when the time comes for his retirement to take place early in 1940.”