LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 290, 14 September 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Nine crates of homing pigeons, the property of the Dunedin 'Homing Pigeon Club, wcne liberated alt the Ashburton railway station at 10 o’clock this morning.

With thci improved weather of ihe last few days lambing is making bettor progress, nevertheless farmers have had some trouble this year. Although the steady rain of a week ago did not appear to inflict general losses, on some farms where lambing was in lull swing there were some: deaths. Olio tanner with not w very lujrge llock lost between BO and -10 during the storm.

There is a decided shortage of houses in Mothven at present and a number aire wanted for rent. There are several inquiries by possible purchasers but the difficulty of obtaining possession is preventing business. With the, advent of the factory for the processing of linen flax the shortage will be accentuated. The demand is for houses at a moderate rental, the rent of the houses already erected by the Housing Department being beyond the means of tlioi general run of applicants.

“There is a' false philosophy which teaches that because we are British we must the victorious” said Bishop Simkin in at sermon preached in Auckland on the occasion of the national day of prayer. This teaching, he; said, was ate interpretation of Scripture prophecy divorced from its true and historical setting and applied to quite different circumstances. Those who claimed that the British were the descendants of Hod’s chosen people, and on that account must win the present war, were resting their hopes on a false foundation. The results of such a belief might be disillusionment and possibly even disaster.

After several year’s successful work in bringing modern art under the notice of country folk, the Auckland Society of Arts finds that petrol rationing lias laid an almost complete ban on its efforts. Some time ago the society built, up a large collection, of colour-reproductions of paintings by tire greatest modern masters. These have been shown in all parts of the province and lectures upon them by members of the society have been greatly appreciated by women’s institutes, schools and the people,generally. Now petrol restrictions prevent farmers and others from providing transport for the lecturer and the pictures, and for the same reason most people who would attend the lectures are obliged to remain at home.

“I would be opposed to local bodies being asked to pay a share of repairs to private property.” said the. Mayor, (Mr C. It. Petrie, ,-M.P.) at a meeting of the Otahuliu Borough Council) when discussing the destruction caused by white ants to wooden buildings, reports the “New Zealand Herald.” It was suggested, he said, that the cost of rehabilitating properties should be shared by the Government, the local bodies, and the owners of the properties infested with the post. He would not object to the Government being asked to pay the suggested CO per cent, or the cost, hut he did think it desirable that, local bodies should have to find 25 per cent. The Mayor added tliat the council had already imposed an inspection fee fpr all used timber brought into the district.

The war has at present made but little difference (states the “Evening Post”) to the supply of vegetable and flower seeds imported into New Zealand from England. A shipment recently arrived, these seeds being the English 1939 crop, but it is not considered likely that in the prevailing circumstances there will bei any seeds of the- 1940 crops available. From now on there, is likely to be a shortage of imported English seed, but how farmers and others will be affected remains to be seen. More and more seed is being produced in the Dominion and in Australia, and at present there is a normal supply of flower seed, although a certain shortage in some vegetable lines. Seeds for root crops are what the farmers are most concerned about, and the future of supplies of these is rather nebulous. '

A humorous story related by the late; Sir Robert Stout regarding one of New Zealand’s former Premiers, the Hon. J. E. Fitzgerald, was (repeated by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, during an address to members of the Otago branch of the Iboyal Society of New Zealand on “Some Early New Zealand Prime Ministers,” states the “Ota&o iD'ailv Times.” The Hon. J. E. Fitzgerald, he said, arrived with the: first immigrants to Canterbury in 1850. He established the “Lyttelton Times” and was editor for two years and was at the same time immigration agent and inspector of police. The story went that one day Fitzgerald was walking with his cousin, who was a Magistrate, along the street when they met an escaped convict who’ was carrying a hand saw. The convict realised that he had been recognised and assumed a ill rente nirig attitude, whereupon Fitzfieiald, who had a. greeat sense, of humour, commanded His cousin-Magis-trate, in the Queeln’s name, to arrest the man. The cousin, not to be outdone, got out of the difficulty by telling Fitzgerald that if he as a police inspector, would take the hand saw from the convict he would proceed to execute the arrest. In the dispute which followed the convict was able to make a hasty retreat.

News of an encounter with bandits is contained in a letter received at the Missions Office from Miss Ogilvie, in China, records tlte “Outlook.” Miss Ogilvie says that M,r Jansen and the. party he was escorting from Kong Ohuen to Sai Kwan held a most disquieting encounter wKth a band of robibers. With Mr Jansen were Mrs Moore and her littk* daughter Margaret (the Riclv. and Mrs George McNieur’s daughter and granddaughter), ami. also a nurse belonging to the Methodist Mission. They were only a few hours from Kong Chuen Hospital and still in country supposed to he undo: Japanese* control, when a band of robbers appeared and robbed them of all tHeir most valuable possessions —money, watches, , glasses, fountain pens—but, fortunately, did them no physical harm Later messages vt-uc-ive:l at the hospital from Mr Jansen from a place still in Oh mete hands, relieved the fears of the staff as to their welfare. Miss Ogilvie also said that, after repeated applications to the British authorities in llong Kong, she had at last received permission te remain at her post in Shatin, Hong Kong, where tiro Sluing Ivei Bible Training School for women is situated Previously, orders. bad been -received hv her that she must be evacuated from Hung Kong territory.

Xu a paragraph yesterday the price of petrol was referred to as 2s 6jd. The price, of course, should have been 2s 7-id.

The electric tractor has gained in popularity in the Ashburton County during the last two years. It is expect od that six machines will he in use this season. They receive power by long cables carried clear of the mechanism by overhead arms. Their special advantage at present is that they save, fuel

Advice has been received from Mission headquarters in Wellington by tho St. Andrew’s and Ashburton South Phesbytcrian charges that their quotas for mission funds have been well oversubscribed. In view of the fact that their allocations were greatly increased this year this is considered very gratifying.

“Grandmother’s afternoon’.’ was observed at the monthly meeting of the Baring Square Ladies’ Church Guild on Thursday. There was a large attendance, including a good many grandmothers, to each, of whom was presented a floral spray. The guests provided an interesting programme, toward which the following contributed: Mesdamos A. Mcßeatn, »A. P. Warrincr, 9. G. Macfarlanc and H. Tinker. There was also community singing, and refreshments were served bv the hostesses for the day.

That there were a number of young women in Wellington anxious to do some work on farms in summer was mentioned in, a letter received by the Mnnawatu provincial 'executive of the Farmers’ Union from the head office of the union. The women would be prepared io do such work as hoeing crops, the letter said and the. executive was asked for an opinion whether the services of women’s organisations set up to assist the war effort would be required on, the land. It was decided to reply expressing appreciation of the gesture of the women and saying that if the occasion arose farmers would be nloased to make, use of their services.

The suggestion that a system of “liquor rationing” on the same lines as petrol rationing be introduced among Maoris to combat the drink problem was put forward in a humorous fashion, by Mr Bob Tutaki Hastings at the Anglican Synod last week at Wairoa. The men could be issued with coupons for each month he said, entitling them to purchase, so much liquor. If they gave their ' coupons away or used them in the first week of the month, like the motorist they would have to suffer. Although the proposal was not quite serious, its possibilities have caused a good deal of discussion among the Native people.

The need for a more adequate memorial to Captain William Hobson tbs first Governor of New Zealand and the, founder of Auckland City, was stressed by several speakers at the annual ceremony at Hobson’s grave last Tuesday. Pointing out that the centenary of Hobson’s death wioulcl fall in two years’ time Mr Spencelv Walker expressed' the hope that by then the war would have ended, and they would he in ai position to pay a tribute of respect worthy of the founder of the city. The Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis) said many people felt that a statue! of Hobson should be 'erected, and the R,ev. A. B. Chappell said he hoped that from these annual pilgrimages there would emerge seme memorial worthy of the man they were honouring.