LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 299, 30 September 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is regretted that the necessity for conserving supplies of paper owing to war conditions has compelled the “Guardian” to suspend two of its popular weekly features, the Home Science notes and the Women’s Fashion page. The last instalments of these features appear to-day. War conditions are also responsible for the dropping of the sporting notes and farming notes hitherto published on Thursday.

A recent Olympic Games bulletin states that a number of Finnish artists put on an exhibition of paintings and sculpture in Helsinki to help defend the national borders against foreign invasion. All the proceeds from the sale of the exhibited works were contributed to the national defence fund.

Weighing over 3001 b, a wild pig was shot Mr. L. J. Webb in dense bush at the back of his farm at Helena Bay, Auckland. The kill was rather easily made, the dogs running the animal into position for the gun. The tusks were not large, measuring only 4in out of the head. Years ago there were a number of wild pigs in thjs district, tusks up to lOin having been secured, but few have been seen during the past year or two.

Though the general opinion has been that one man- could not handle more/ than 30 or 4.0 acres of irrigated land, Air T. G. Beck (irrigation engineer for the Public Works Department) told a “Guardian” reporter yesterday that it had been demonstrated that one man could look after the watering of 400 acres. That was a maximum, he thought, and it would be found that tile area one. man could look after satisfactorily would be about 300 acres.

The war is responsible for many, many things, and even some new ideas. The Seddon Memorial Technical College (Auckland) has arranged for a bottle drive for the purpose of raising funds for soldiers’ comforts. That, of course, is not new but to stimulate the collection of bottles the school authorities have created a new slogan, or rather adapted an old one. From “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” the Seddon collectors have coined: “A bottle a day will keep Adolf away.”

Farmers have been experiencing much difficulty for the past year or two, in getting extra labour for, the busy season (says the “Evening Post”). This is very marked in Taranaki among the dairying people, and with the war breaking out just as the milking season has got into its stride, the shortage of hands is more marked than ever. A reflex of the problem was noted at the monthly meeting of the High School Board in New Plymouth recently when the principal reported that a number of the older boys, sons of farmers, had been taken from school to help on the farm.

Registration of tin? following company is notified in the “Mercantile Gazette.”: Oatmeal Agency Co., Ltd. Registered as a private company, September 22. Office: 176, Hereford Street. Capital: £571 10s, into 5715 shares of 2s each. Subscribers —Ashburton : Buchanans (Flour Mills), Ltd., 435. Christchurch: Central Co-op. Milling Co., Ltd., 210, Fleming and Co., Ltd., 1.425, Langdown and Son, Ltd., 665, D. Hoare 80. Dunedin: Hall and Co., Ltd., 120, Harraway and Sons, Ltd., 580. Oamaru: J. and T. Meek 250. Auckland: Northern Roller Milling Co., Ltd., IOOQ. Arrowtown: W. Reid and Sons, Ltd., 50. Timaru: Timaru Milling Co., Ltd., 900. Objects : To organise and stabilise the milling industry and incidental.

A special day of prayer will be observed by almost all churches throughout New Zealand to-morrow. Most churches in Ashburton have arranged to join in the effort. A special service will be held at the Raring Square Methodist Church at'B a.m., the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church will follow a special order 'of service arranged by the Church Worship Committee, while the Anglican and Baptist Churches will co-operate by offering prayers for peace at the various services. The request for a day of prayer first came from his Majesty the King and was passed on to the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury. An appeal is made not only to members of the various churches but also to every citizen to join in by attending some church. It is anticipated that the day will be welcomed by most people and that all churches will have unusually large attendances.

The necessity for educating pedestrians in observance of the traffic regulations was emphasised at the annual meeting of the Automobile Association (Otago) by the chairman of the Safety hirst Committee (Mr A. E. Ansell). Many accidents on the roads and streets happened through the pedestrians’ own fault, Mr Ansell said, and it seemed necessary that some move should be made towards education them. Mr Ansell’s remarks were endorsed by Mr F. W. Mitchell, who expressed the opinion that something should be made towards educating cyclists also, and suggested that the association should urge all motorists to have more consideration for the traffic regulations and for those whose duty it was to administer them. Mr Ansell explained that his committee had been working along the lints mentioned by Mr Mitchell, arid gave an assurance that every endeavour was being made to educate members in their duties as citizens as well as motorists.

A 100-year-old Maori canoe has been placed on exhibition at .the Dominion Museum. It is of considerable historical importance, for it played an essential part in the early colonisation of Wellington. This is the mail canoe used in 1841 by Mr W. B. D. Mantell, first postmaster at Wellington. It was used bv him in the early days for'going out to meet the sailing ships on arrival, and taking ashore whatever mails they brought. Mr Mantell came to New Zealand bv the Oriental, which arrived at Port Nicholson in January, IS4O. He was then 20. After a. few months at Wanganui he returned to Wellington to bo appointed postmaster and clerk, an office which he held for three years. It is interesting to .recall that later in his career, after a lapse of 20 years, lie ivas again associated with the. postal services, this time as Postmaster-general in the Dommett Administration. Mr Mantell was closely in sympathy with Native affairs and was indeed Native Minister, and it is therefore fitting that this memorial of his first official position should be a Maori canoe. The vessel is about 30ft long, hewn from a single totara trunk. It has been presented to the Museum by Mrs W- Mantell, Wellington.

Thieves of flowers have been active in Allenton, according to a report this morning. One grower, who keeps an excellent garden, stated that last night a. number of hyacinths and bulbs were uprooted, a good deal of damage having been done to the plots. To take part in annual church sports about 80 members of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Bible Class visited Methven this afternoon, playing matches with the Methyen Presbyterian Bible Class. Basketball and football competitions were decided. The Ashburton Rugby Union’s last representative match of the season was played the country team travelling to Christchurch to play Canterbury. This was the second match with Canterbury this season, the first being played at Methven on August 5, when Ashburton won 6-3. The following item is taken . from our files of September 30, 1879:—New Ashburton Paper.—The first number of the new tri-weekly morning paper in Ashburton, the “Ashburton Guardian,” appeared on September 27. This paper is published by Messrs. Weeks and Dixon, the proprietors of the “Ashburton Herald.” .

The Ashburton County Council yesterday decided to call for offers of land up to 10 acres in the aggregate, within two or three miles of Ashburton, suitable for the growing of vegetables as a measure of national efficiency in war time. This is in reply to the Government’s appeal for the growing of vegetables in larger quantities than has been the casei in the oast.

During the last few days some of the most ancient wooden dwellings in mid-Wellington have disappeared. There were “Ye. Ancient Smithy” and the two dwellings that stood between the Terminus Hotel property and York street in Taranaki street. It was estimated that these residences were at least 70 years old, and were probably the first houses erected on the block when the Te Aro district was originally settled.

Enthusiasm has been aroused among expert judges of spring bulbs by the outstanding champion bloom displayed at the annual flower show of the St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish. The bloom, a yellow trumpet seedling was grown by Mr D. Ede, of Ashburton, by his own hybridising. The flower has no name, being a hybrid of Fortune and King Alfred seedlings. All who saw the specimen were greatly impressed by its excellence.

After being carried over 6000 miles a small part of a shipment of Californian onions which was landed at Auckland in September has ended its journey on a dump at the top of Mount Eden, states the “New Zealand Herald.” Two lines of the consignment in particular were discovered to be in poor condition when shipped, and had sprouted during the voyage through the Tropics. It was decided by the Internal Marketing Division to reject these as being unsuited for the retail market.

Members of Te Hapu Koa Tramping Club arrived by bus from Christchurch this afternoon, and will accompany the Ashburton Tramping Club on a trip to the Mount district tomorrow. The visitors will give a moving picture show at the Catholic Club rooms to-night, the films depicting various tramps that the Club has undertaken. Members of the Ashburton Club will billet the Christchurch trampers. Some weeks ag„o the local club was ente<rtained in Christchurch by Te Hapu Koa.

“We dare not fight this war x on a debt system” said Mr R. C. Burgess in the course of an address on war-time finance, which he gave to .the Dunedin Junior Chamber of Commerce. “Normally the system of debit and credit is perfectly sound for times of peace, hut war-time economy has a very different purpose. If we build up our debts and fail to make full use of the national income, we will go along way towards losing the war. Had there not been the financial collapse of 193033 in Germany, it is doubtful if Hitler would have arisen.”

The sum. of £344 was raised from the spring flower show and sale of goods held by the St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish yesterday and Thursday. “It was an outstanding effort and far surpassed our expectations, ’’ said the secretary of the Flower Show Committee (Mr C. H. Amos) this morning. It was aimed to raise £3OO by the function to pay off the existing overdraft. Excellent business was done yesterday and an auction sale last evening satisfactorily concluded the- show. All goods left over last night were given to the Ashburton East flower show committee, which held its annual display today.

A special thanksgiving service will be held at the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to-morrow. The services, will be general throughout New Zealand, the object being to help to contribute the last £IOO,OOO required to attain tbo church’s objective in connection with the' centennial effort. At the end cf the church’s financial year, the total contributions received or promised amounted to £200,000, or two-thirds of the amount aimed at. The fund is to he applied firstly by each congregation paying off the debt of its own church, in the aggregate £200,000 and the last £IOO,OOO is- to assist the work of Missions (Home, Maori and Foreign); to aid the Beneficiary Fund; to help in T crease the stipends of lower paid Ministers and Home Missionaries; and to build up a Sites and 'Buildings Fund.