LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 39, 25 November 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There is a clean hill of health in both Borough and County this week.

Sustenance payments will be made to 72 men on the Ashburton unemployment register, next week. The figure .fhis week was 88,

Only one entry has been received for the John lieil Scholarship, tenable for two years at this Ashburton High School.

An omission in the typewritten notes of evidence in the Supreme Court, Wellington, on Wednesday was repaired by reference to the . dictaphone record, and yesterday, when the case was resumed* the Chief Justice (the :Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers) commented on the value of mechanical notes. He drew counsel’s attention to the omissions. “I knew he had said it; but I took the precaution of sending for the mpciiamcal note. It shows the value the mechanical mote/' said his Honor.

“We have been scolding our young people too long for doing things which we regard as objectionable, said the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) when referring in an address at D lined in to the tendency ot elders to criticise youth unduly. “When we have scolded them we think we have done our part, hut that is shirking the real job. It there ajre activities of our youth to-day which we consider objectionable it is our duty to replace them with something better to engage the attention, of our young people.”

The value of home reading on proper lines was emphasised at the recent meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, when it was decided to forward a circular to nil school committees pointing out the, advantages of home reading. The question arose when excerpts from the inspector’s reports on some schools were read, drawing attention to the necessity for more home reading. Reference was made to xne success attending the rural libraij scheme, which it was hoped would shortly be extended to cover the whole of Taranaki.

A bottle containing a note tossed overboard from the Maunganui in the middle of the Tasman Sea on July 26, 1937, was found on the West Coast, near Maule’s Go-rgie, recently by Mr C. F. Shaw, of Dajrgaville. The note was written by Mr Bernard Conway, of Ireland, who was on the way to Sydney from Auckland. The writing was well preserved. The object of Mr Conwav was to discover where the bottle wo lid drift, and how long it would take to be discovered. Mr Shaw is writing to Mr Conway and to Mr F. H, Choate, of Sydney, a passenger who watched whilst the bpttle was thrown overboard.

The problem of the non car owner who desires the advantages enjoyed by the private car owner, but without the attendant worry and' expense, seems to he well solved by the development of the rental car business. Mutual Rental Cars, Ltd., whose Ashburton Agents are Drummond and Etheridge Ltd. now announce their through booking system. The Company’s chain of rental car depots throughout the South Island assures an excellent and reliable service. To the commercial man and the tourist there is the added advantage of being able to book a car out at Ashburton and check it in to any of the Company’s other depots in the South Island.

Although: the contract for the .new Invercargill Post Office provided foi its complteion in March next, it is likely to he some months after that date that the building is ready. Constructional tvovk has been slowed down (the “Southland Times” says) because ot difficulty iu securing the steel required from Australia So work on the front ot the building was also held up until the colour of the texture to be used bad been determined. The stone is not expected to be ready for about a fortnight. Excavation work on the Post Office site was begun a little move than a year ago. During the first six months the contractors were able to keep to schedule, but as steel did not arrive until nearly 12 months aftei it was ordered the same rate of progress could not be maintained. Between 30 and 40 men are employed on the job when operations are in full swing. The conrtact price for the new building, which will contain three storeys, was £74,000. Work on the new courthouse in Invercargill has also been held up because 1 of the non-ar-rival of steel ordered from Australia.

The shortage of suitable farm labour in New Zealand has been alleviated to a small extent by the arrival of a small party of Eurasian youths at Millington under a scheme arranged by the St, Andrew Homes in Kalimpong, India. Several Eurasian girls also arrived to take up positions as domestic workers in New Zealand. The youths who have all been placed on farms, were of a very fine type. They all speak excellent English and lane well educated, several having matriculated, while two have taken studies beyond matriculation. The scheme under which they have been brought to New Zealand was originated some years ago and is under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth and is sponsored by many influential persons in England and India. After the youths and girls are trained they are sent to all parts of the Empire and have always proved excellent citizens. A committee in New Zealand looks after the welfare of the workers brought here, and they aie placed in positions by the Labour Department.

Restrictions on the sale of petrol at week-ends in Victoria, are now in force, stated Mr H. Black, a well-known Wellington golfer, who has just returned from a. visit to Australia. He said that a, now law enforced the closure of all petrol stations in Victoria, from 2 pm. on Saturday until Monday morning. That meant that the motorist who intended to tour during the week-end would have to purchase all the petrol Jie thought he would need bet one 1 p.m. on Saturday, and if he ventured too far into the country and his tank ran out he would have to borrow a supply or wait where he was until ’Monduv. It would he illegal for any station to make a sale during prohibited hours. A (reason given for the action was the growing congestion at week-ends on the roads of \ >ft°na. Whether it would lessen that trniiic, Air Black said, was doubtful, as such action might induce people to purchase spare supplies in tins and cany them in their cars, thereby bringing about another potential source ot danger.

The flower show held this week by the Timvald Presbyterian Church realised £2B. This is regarded as being most satisfactory.

Of all the major primary production countries in the world New Zealand is definitely freer from animal disease than any other, and you will agree that the work of the live stock division, which is the main departmental section 'responsible for the health of the animals, is something to be proud of,” said Mr R. B. Tennent, director of the fields division of the Department of Agriculture, when speaking in Palmerston North last week.

Objection against the Dunedin Society having again been granted the same date as the Ashburton Fanciers' Society for its annual show, will be made by the Ashburton delegates to the annual conference of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association at Dunedin. At the last •meeting of the Ashburton Society the delegates were instructed to take a strong stand to oppose Dunedin being granted the date on which Ashburton has its show for over 30 years. This year the two shows wejre on the same date and entries were seriously affected.

‘‘l do not want anyone present to think that 'life or she is too old to take part in physical instruction and to benefit! from it, said the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon W. E. Parry) when addressing a meeting o! representatives of sports bodies at Dunedin. “This is a matter of which affects -every man and woman among us, no matter what their age. I. am convinced that most men and women go to seed years before their time, and there is no reason in the world why ev-ery person in this hall to-night should not take part in some form of physical training. The human machine is a wonderful thing.”

With the advancement of the construction of the new road over the Ruahine Ranges, just north of the Manawatu Gcfge, which will be an alternative route to the gorge when a bridge near As'hurst has been built, there has been provided a new scenic drive for motorists. Th|e road is nearly up to main highway standard, and offers an attraction, because of an excellent view which is to be obtained from the summit.. The plans for the bridge have been completed, and it is anticipated that when is it opened residents of the city and district will avail themselves of the opportunity for exploring this new routs. At puesent the summit can be reached only from tne Woodville side.

On the way to the Dunedin Summer Show a year ago a motor-truck containing several members of a travelling show and performing monkeys accidentally went over a bank on the Upper Junction road. The vehicle was badly damaged and the occupants injured. One of the women of the party had six gold rings among her belongings on a hair-pin, and these, with other things, were lost when everything on the vehicle was thrown over the bank. Last Sunday, another party, friends of those who met with the accident a year ago, stopped at the scene of the accident, and leaving the car, found traces of the smash at" the foot of the bank. Noticing something sticking out of the ground, a young lady pulled it up and, to her surprise, it was the hair-pin with the six rings still around it. An examination showed that two stones were missing from one of the rings and further search resulted in those being found.