LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 55, 14 December 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Flags were flown on several public buildings, in Ashburton to-day. on the occasion of - the birthday of His Majesty, King George VI.

Wool buyers who are operating in New Zealand were passengers oil the south-bound express trains this morning. on tlveir way to Timaru.

'Disguised in a whisky case, a quantity of coins "arrived by the express this morning for an. Ashburton bank. Other similar cases were conveyed further south in a special compartment.

Only four or five Ashburton people joined the farmers’ excursion to Lincoln College to-day, and the number from South Canterbury was very small.

“No, this'is a peace conference,” said one of the assessors jocularly at a sitting of the Conciliation Council in Wellington, to a latecomer who was looking for the meeting which was held m the Government Buildings. Taking the remark literally, the new arrival promptly withdrew and one of the. assessors had to chase him along the corridor.

Flax is blooming very profusely at Stewart Island, signifying a good summer according- to the Maoris, who say that when the kornri blooms tile summer will lie long. In bygone da.As tlii? Maoris made use of the koran honey r witch 3iiey caught in milk dishes by shaking too bunch of flowers vigorously. The honey thus obtained they boiled for several hour.*;, and the result was a thick syrup with a particularly sweet flavour.

Sonne particularly fine sheep were included in the 20 entries in tne Eiffelton, Flemington, Winslow, I.ynnfoyd Schools’ Agricultural Club group pet lamb competition judged by Mr J. Cocks, of Eiffelton, the other day. The lambs were a wonderfully good lot. Mi Cocks told a. “Guardian” reporter and some of them were about 80lbs live weight. Some of the animals were as near perfect as one could wish. The second and final judging will he carried out in about two months.

In speaking on physical education at a Y.M.C.A. sports dinner in Auckland, Dr. H. T. Pettit, a member of the National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation, drew a comparison between the Road Safety Week campaign in progress and the loss of life through drowning. The speaker, in urging wholehearted support of the work being undertaken in teaching schoolchildren to swim, stated that the number of lives lost in five months through inability to swim was only two or three below those lost through road accidents during the whole year.

Profound admiration of the British aristocracy was expressed by Mr 11. H. Nimmo when speaking at the weekly gathering of the Palmerston North Rotary Club. Ho spoke of the force of character and personality borne by members of the aristocracy, and related some of bis memories of a stay at Murray Castle and a scene in which [Lady Elgin, standing at a window draped with the Murray tartan, looked through the mist and the purple heather towards the Isle of Skye in the distance. “That was a scene that is imprinted on my memory,” he said, “and I hope that I will carry it for a very long time.”

Some New Zealanders can expect to receive besmirched and water-soiled within the next flew days, as advice has been received from the British Post Office that mails from the Imperial Airways flying-boat Calpurnia have been salvaged and reconditioned and are being forwarded by air. The Calpurnia, which took off from ‘Southampton last month with Christmas mails for Australia and New Zealand, crashed while making a forced landing in the south-west corner of Lake llamadi, near Bagdad. The mail, which included 60 bags for the Dominion, has been almost completely recovered. Many letters were retrieved while floating on the surface of the water by members of the Royal Air Force Sailing Club in boats.

The possibility of commercial seedgrowing in Canterbury developing into a new industry was referred to at last night’s meeting of the Canterbury District Council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture. The prospects for such an industry were discussed by Mr T. D. Lonnie, who said that experiments had been made hut nothing more had been heard of them. On his recommendation a remit was framed asking the New Zealand executive to place before conference the latest developments in testing the possibilities of establishing such an industry. A brief description of the experiments in the past was given by Mr M. J. Barnett, who said that with tests carried out only near the city and not in the clearer atmosphere of the country, much success had been achieved with soiree seeds.

The preference for New Zealand lamb by English householders, and the difficulty in purchasing New Zealand butter ’at the lietail shops in Great Britain were commented on by Mr Edmund Cross, who returned to Christchurch yesterday from a trip abroad. That New Zealand lamb could not be beaten was the populai verdict, lie said. In buying butter, however, if a person asked for New Zealand butter the retailer would invariably tiy to sell “Empire” butter, which. Mi Cross* understood, was a blended commodity. “Although we send a lot of butter there it is very hard to find it on the market,” he said. The cost of living at Home was generally lower than in New Zealand, with the exception of meat. It was not uncommon to find a leg of mutton priced up to 9s, lie added.

Is rowing had for hoys? This question was raised at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Hutt High School when a letter was received from the Petone Bowing Club stating that it was disposing of two practice boats. One boat was offered to the High School a.nd the other one was being Oifered to the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College. Mr A. !-• Spencer said he spoke with some years’ experience as an oarsman and it was the worst thing a bov could take on. Mr C. B. J. Dowland said that he had not known of a man straining his heart during the long period he had been associated with the sport. Christ’s College and Wanganui had school eights, hut boys did got “hearts” irom rowing said Mr D. A. If wen. The matter was held over pending! a deputation from the Bowing Club.

A number of women bowtars from Christchurch passed through Ashburton this morning on their wav to play a match at Tetnuka.

A Government grant for the repair of the road leading to the Mount Harper ice-skating area has been used to good advantage and the road between Peel Forest and Forest Creek is in excellent order, though still narrow. One of the creek fords that caused much trouble to motorists has been concreted.

A grant of £25 8s 4cl for general purposes has been made to the Ashburton Health Camp Cbmmittce by the Ashburton branch of the Sunlight .League. The amount represents the balance of the funds of the Sunlight League which has now suspended operations.

“Let us not say that a man is unemployed because lie has been displaced from work by the introduction of machinery,” said the 'Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr \Y. 10. ’Carry) in an address to representatives of public and sporting bodies. “Let us rather say that he has been released from tifj production of goods because of the development of machinery.”

The survey for the charting of the special area in connection with the £30,000 scheme of control in the Ashburton River is well under way and the plans of the land to he included should be ready by the end of January. As soon as this work has been completed the survey of the southern portion of the County in connection with the proposed big surface drainage scheme will be started.

A Press Association message from (Palmerston North says that the possibility of a New Zealand Federation of Operatic Societies being formed in the nerr future was referred to at a meeting of the Operatic Dramatic Society ibv the president (Mr J. A. Nash). The main object, he said, was to make a combined effort to secure a reduction in the payment of royalties by each society. The movement is extending throughout the Dominion.

Only 33 chains of streets in the west side section of the Borough Council’s paving scheme remain to be dealt/with by the contractors, and the whole sec' tion will be completed (before Christmas. The portion finished up to to-day extends over 210 chains of street. The chief thoroughfares have been paved for a width of-24 feet and the others for 21 feet. The east side of the Borough will he started as soon as the holidays are over. The full distance of stiwets to be paved is just on 10 miles.

Reference to the frequency of stoppages at the Westfield works was made in the Otahuhu 'Magistrate’s Court by an appellant who sought a. variation of a court order. Questioned as to his employment, lye said he w r as now working at Westfield freezing works. <‘We don’t get full time,” he continued. “Every other day there is a strike or a hold up of work while there is an argument about something or other.” Mr W. R. McKean, who was on the Bench, remarked: “You want Mr Semple to come and see you about it.”

Through backing into a lime kiln, a motor loiyy caught fire and was damaged extensively at Napier the other day before it could be lifted out by a crane. The accident occurred in the Amners Lime Company’s works, when a lorry driver was backing into the kiln to empty a load of stone. The vehicle went too far and fell into the kiln, the driver being able to scramble out. The damaged lorry was lifted out by crane, while the Napier Fire Brigade kept the flames in check.

An epidemic of thefts has been occurring on yachts and motor launches at moorings in Auckland harbour, says a Press Association message. Alexander Harvey, junior, from the motor boat Valsan lost a ,radio set, camera and binoculars of a total value of £IOO. A. T. Grandison, from the auxiliary yacht Aotiea, lost binoculars valued at £3O, also a gramophone and records. Thieves visited the yacht Morewa, owned by the mayor,. Sir Ernest Davis, used a crowbar to gain entrance and carried away a quantity of goods. Yacht and motor launch owners suggest that tine Government, through the Police Department should provide two patrol launches to protect small craft valued at £500,000 in Auckland Harbour.

The Ashburton, Tinwald, Hakaia, Pendarves, Methven and Mayfield branches of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union were represented at the meeting of the Ashburton Pvesbyterial Association at Ashburton yesterday afternoon. Mrs. D. B. Ashford (president) presided. A letter of sympathy was directed to be sent to the relatives of Mrs M. E. Gunn. The president reviewed the recent ID'omnion conference of the Presbyterian Church, making special reference to the meetings in connection with the girls’ auxiliary. Mrs L. V. Bibby gave a talk on the decisions of the conference about youth work. A sale of Oriental goods by the secretary of that department (Mrs A. C. Nicol) was well supported.

An interesting exhibit which is being prepared for the national flower show in New Plymouth next February is a section of a large rimu tree, on which will he recorded important datjes in history. The tree is estimated to be considerably more than 1000 years old. A cross section six 'feet in diameter is Being taken out and! both sides will be dressed and polished. The annual rings will then be plainly visible. Notable dates in Maori history have been prepared and will be recorded on the corresponding rings of the tree. Maori history will be related by one side of the section and the othei side will bear a record of important events in British history. This record will, after exhibition at the national sho.v, find a permanent place in the Taranaki Museum at New Plymouth.

Mr W. B. Bland, F.8.0.A. (Hons.), F. 1.0. (London), of Messrs J. R. Procter, Ltd., Christchurch, is at present in Ashburton, and may be consulted on all defects of eyesight at the Somerset Hotel to-morrow and Friday.—(Ad vt.)