LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 35, 21 November 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual cricket match between the Med bury (Christchurch) and Waihi (Winchester) preparatory schools will be played on the Ashburton Domain Oval on Wednesday, November 29.

Aii offer to defray the cost of bringing the two white swans and' the cygnet from North Canterbury to tho Ashburton Domain, was made: to the Domain Board last evening bv Mr E. who was heartily thanked for -his offer, which members of the Board stated was only another of Mr Buchanan’s gestures of practical interest in the reserve, of which he is chairman of committee. The- cost of capturing the swans and bringing them to Ashburton*will be about £5.

An unusual and impressive sight was witnessed last Monday morning at Foxton Beach. A sudden whirlwind on the .bank of the Manawatu River at Hartley’s Bend drew into the air what must have been tons of sand and boro it aloft to an estimated height of several hundred feet in the form of a huge column. The phenomenon .resembled a stone pillar and remained in that form for about 10 minutes, when it commenced to spread out over a wide-area and fall. There was a light southerly wind blowing at the time. ■ m

“Surf life-saving is the only sport that has an unselfish motive behind it. I have played nearly every game, but I must admit that I have taken part for a selfish motive, that of my own pleasure,” said the Rev. E. L. Gribble at a meeting of the Oakura Life-saving Club, New Plymouth., recently. “I will n'ot say that members do not derive pleasure from their work, but the high motive and purpose, that of saving and guarding the 5 lives of those bathing in the Surf, places life-saving on a higher place,” lie added.

Though- representations have been made by the Ashburton Borough Council to the Fire Underwriters’ Association for a reduction of fire, insurance risk rates now that an up-to-date fire engine has been purchased by the Council and fire risks have been greatly reduced, no yeply has been received from the Association. This fact was. reported by the Council by the Mayor (D ! r. G. I. Miller) last evening in reply to a. question by Mr A. A. McDonald. It was agreed to again write to the Association, pointing out the facts.

In addition to the problems of the opposing attack, a Whangayei senior cricketer recently was called upon ,to perform one of the functions of fatherhood :a.t a rather critical moment. He had just gone to the crease and taken guard when he was followed to the wicket by his three-year-old son. The youngster was determined to get a close up view of daddy in action, and it was only the combined blandishments of the square leg umpire and the father batsman which prevailed upon him to toddle back to the pavilion.

Estates of a value of £518,813 were accepted for administration by the Public Trustee during October. The total value of the estates and funds under administration by the Public Trustee on March 31 was £61,715,713, and the new business for the seven months ended October 31, was £3,509,683. Grants of administration made by the Court in favour of the Public Trustee numbered 261 for the month. During the month 520 new wills appointing the Public Trustee executor were prepared on behalf of testators and lodged for safe custody, and 336 existing wills were revised to provide for changes desired by testators. The total number of wills held in the Public Trust Office on behalf of living persons is 95,318,

Sparks from a burning rubbish heap caused a minor outbreak of fire in the right-of-way next to Kerr Bros.’ grocery store in Burnett Street to-day. A few packing cases caught alight, but the flames were extinguished by the Volunteer Fire Brigade before any material damage“was caused.

The Ashburton Harmonica Band will go to Burnham Camp on Thursday evening, and with assisting performers will give a conceit for the men of the Special Force.

There was an unusual procedure at the meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council last evening, when a brief adjournment was made at the request of the Mayor (Dr. G. I. Miller) while members listened in to an item, broadcast from Christchurch by the Ashburton Silver Band.

The danger to motor and "other traffic caused by the height of native shrubs at the corner of Baring Square West and Havelock Street was pointed out to the Borough Council by Mr S. Osborrifc last evening, when it was agreed that the larger shrubs (which have grown more vigorously than had been intended when they were planted some years ago) should be removed to some other site next autumn and replaced by other plants.

The congregation of the Flomington Presbyterian Church have unanimously adopted the “Church Hymnary” to replace “Church Praise.” Members decided to purchase their own hooks and <1 s the children worship with 3 the adults only in the early part of the service they will continue to use the Church Praise, saving the cost of fifty books. A limited number of hooks for use of visitors will be provided and the purchase of choir books will be subsidised by the Choir Fund. The change over will not he costly to the church due to the generosity of the choir and congregation.

The supply of 1000 dust covers a month for five years, for hooks in the Ashburton Public Library was last evening accepted by the Borough Council, which will not he put to any expense in regard to the covers. The Council also agreed to adopt the deposit system of lending books as a means of further popularising the Library, on the shelves of which a great many new books have been placed in the last year. Visitors and others may, under the new system, deposit a small sum and become members of the Library, taking out books on payment of twopence or threepence for each book taken away.

The conditions under which' some of the children were being taught at the Kaitaia District High School were disgraceful, said Mr Lloyd Peace' to the Kaitaia Town Board, when reporting (says the “New Zealand Herald”) on the unsatisfactory state of the buildings. There was overcrowding »nd the lighting of the dairy company’s, old offices, where two classes were being taught, was most unsatisfactory. Mr Peace said the department had been asked for a new school, hut there did not seem much chance of getting one. He thought it strange, that, while the Government could not find money to remedy such a state of affairs as existed at the school, it could spend £70,000. on a new radio station.

Tenders for the disposal of the stranded steamer Port Bowen are to be called in New Zealand and Australia next month. Main interest will be taken by tenderers in the steamer’s fittings, which have a commercial value., while there should be competition for the steamer’s hull for. scrap iron. The 'Port Bowen went aground off Castlecliff Beach at midnight on July 19, when inward-bound from Picton, and more, than a month ago the Wanganui -Harbour Board- gave notice to' the owners to remove the ship from the beach. All the members of the crew have left Wanganui, but two officers remain to attend to settling up accounts contracted during the time the attempts were made to move the liner from the beach.

When a more detailed scheme has been sutbmitted, the Ashburton Domain Board will permit the Ashburton Rugby Union to place hot showers in the Pavilion near the Oval and carry out small alterations in the building in preparation for next football season. One of the rooms will, under the scheme, have a concrete floor put down. It was stated at the meeting of the Domain Board last evening that th.a New Zealand Rugby Union had decided, because of the war, to withdraw its offer of a loan for the building of dressing sheds on the top ground. The Ashburton Union had certain funds in hand to assist the dressing shed proposal, but it feared this sum might be used for other purposes unless it was spent at once, and the Pavilion scheme had been put forward..

The five returned soldiers who are o-n coastguard duty in this locality are to have a new look-out house. The Defence .Department would supply a sentry box for the men, for their twohour shifts on watch, but the; men would be more happily housed in a larger structure which they will build themselves. It will have- a glassed-in front. It has been suggested that the Ashburton Borough and County Councils should find the cost of the materials, but since then, the Mayor (Dr. G. I. Miller) told the Borough Council last evening. Mr A. J. Brealnvell of Tinwald, had offered to supply the timber free, Messrs Tucker’s, Ltd., dress it, the County Council would cart it from the plantation to the mill, and Mid-Canterbury Transport, Ltd., would take it, to the coast. The Council agreed to share with the County in the cost of nails, paint, putty, glass and other items required, the total amount for each body being about £2 10s. /

“Making work” and “rod tape ’ were terms used by members of the Auckland Education Board when a letter was received from the postal authorities in Auckland stating that school teachers should in future make other arrangements for the redirection of mail when city and suburban schools closed for vacations. It was pointed out that the practice in the past lias been to forward to the Post Office a list of holiday addresses of teachers with a request that correspondence be redirected. The Chief Postmaster stated that under the Post and Telegraph Regulations the Post Office did not undertake, the redirection of correspondence. Members, of the board stated that instead of the Post Office, getting several lists of changed addresses they Avoukl in future have to handle hundreds of personal applications from teachers, a procedure that was considered wasteful of time and material. The matter was referred to the Auckland branch of the Teachers’ Institute.