LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 22, 6 November 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“May this ,be made, into a. bullet for Hitler," said a note on a piece of paper wrapped around a lump oi lead placed in the scrap metal collection tin in East Street yesterday.

S’evon men were passed as fit when. 11 men drawn in th*> First Territorial Ballot were examined at the Ashburton Defence Office yesterday. Two were classed temporarily unfit and two permanently unfit, it is understood tnat- there is only one County man yet to. be examined.

Halfway through Egypt’s summer, the highest temperature this year was 118 degrees, writes Chaplain. G. A. D. Spence, who is overseas with the New Zealand troops, in a letter to. the “Outlook." He adds that in July he was stationed 300' miles from Cairo in the Western Desert. The redeeming feature of the camp was that it was on the shores of the Mediterranean, ar.d there were ample bathing facilities for all .ranks.

There has been an acute shortage or oranges and bananas in Ashburton lately, a condition that is ruling throughout Netty Zealand as a matter of fact, but a new shipment of oranges hold up because of shipping difficulties is due to reach. Ashburton on Friday or Saturday morning. Ripe bananas are expected to reach Ashburton c.n Saturday morning or on Monday. It is anticipated that the oranges will not be in very good condition.

A plea by counsel to a jury in the Auckland Supreme Court that “the quality of mercy is not- strained" gave occasion to Mr Justice Fair- to direct the jury that, however desirable that quality might be, it was no part of their function to exercise- it. “The jury is very happily excused' from taking the factor into consideration!," said his Honor. ‘‘They aye to weigh the evidence and deal fairly and justly by the accused, but to do no more. If questions of sympathy or mercy was taken into consideration, then there' would have to be evidence upon the facts that determine the exercise of that discretion; .bait there is no evidence of that kind before you, and you will be good enough to exclude that appeal altogether from your consideration. <T

,“I would rather take the risk of being bombed than spend a night down there," says a New Zealand airman, referring, in a letter to his parents, to the conditions which now obtain in London’s tube stations. Describing a visit to one of,the stations, he says: “Even at 4.30 p.m. the platforms were covered with men, women, and children. Each had brought some sort of sleeping mat, sometimes a few newspapers, sometimes blankets, rugs, or mats. The people were literally packed side by side like sardines in a tin. The atmosphere of the tubes is not exactly pleasant at any time, and under present conditions it is much worse. It is a pathetic sight to see women and children sleeping on the stairs, in the passages, and along the stations themselves. The only satisfaction they can have is that they are in the safest place they could be in London."

Tiie latest loss at the Auckland Zo> resulting from improper feeding by visitors is Punch, a valuable chimpanzee, who stood high in popularity among the exhibits. Punch became ill recently and died within a few days. A post-mortem examination carried out at the Auckland Hospital revealed that death was caused by food poison-, ing. Though notices of warning the public against feeding various animals are placed conspicuously .on cages and enclosures, the zoo periodically loses exhibits through the thoughtless and misplaced generosity of visitors. Animals and birds are tempted' with all sprts of articles, edible or otherwise, and often they suffer extremely as a result. Not many years age. a hippopotamus valued at £.500 swallowed a tennis ball which had been thrown into it’s jaws, and died as a result.

When a starling’s nest was being removed from under the tiles of a house in Ashburton several days agci one of the four young birds fluttered away and fell down in the hollow of the wall, whene it has since been creating something of a nuisance with its squeakings and scratchings. Tho householder thought the young bird would die very soon hut it has been discovered that the parent birds have been making their way down the inside of the wall and feeding the young one, who no doubt- one of these days will have feathers ienough and strength enough to follow the older birds to the top of its prison and so gain its freedom. The young bird is near the floor level, about 10 feet from this site of the nest, and tho parent birds make considerable noise as they descend with food for the captive and make their way back again.

The war has mot altogether silenced the jibe, “What is the Church doing, anyway?” states the “Church Chronicle,” official organ of the' Church of England in the Wellington IDiocese. -N ow, the Church is doing a very great deal in her unobtrusive way, the journal continues vSlie is ministering to the men in the camps both for their bodily and their spiritual needs; she is represented in the desert wastes of the East and at the watching battle-lines on the English coast; she is caring for the men wherever they may be on leave; she is giving succour and consolation to the civilian populations where the bombs aa'e falling thickest. The chaplains, clergy, and lay workers are in the front line wherever it may lie. For its part the; Church Army, now as in the war of 1914-18, is carrying on its magnificent job close into the heart of warfare.

The explanation of the fact that the professions did not advertise, said Mr H. Nankervis, addressing the Wellington Rotary Club, was that, members of a profession offered services, not goods. “Goods are tangible, and the law of caveat emptor (the buye»* should be on guard) apnlies,” lie said. “It is the business of thei buyer to protect himself bv requiring, warranties and guarantees. But that which the professional man offers is not tangible. It comprises mental ability, accumulated knowledge, and advice. To these the law of caveat emptor cannot apply They must be taken on trust, and the only protection the buyer has is the integrity of the mswi with whom he is dealing. The merchant advertises goods; the professional man has nothing to advertise but himself. That is all lie has to sell. Therefore, advertising by a. professional man is simply self-laudation', and all reputable professions have rightly condemned that as unbecoming and undignified.

For the benefit of the Blind Institute the Ashburton. Rotar 3’ Club will conduct a stall at tins Ashburton Show tomorrow at which articles made by the blind will be on sale.

Six hours of training, revision of the work carried out during the period of intensive training some time ago, will ? o undertaken b\' the Ashburton Territorials next Sundaj\ This will be the first parade of the mem since they returned from camp.

Thirteen stud sligep from Ashburton County were included in a shipment of 63 sent recently to South America, where they are to he distributed over a. wide area of several countries. Six of the sheep were two-yiear-old stud Merino rams from Mr It. O’. Todhunter’s stud at Blackford, “and seven were Corriedale full-wool ram hoggets Ijrom the flock of Mr Douglas Johnston, Mayfield, v

Very much out of his bearings a man stopped an Ashburton resident in the street the other evening and inquired the location of Mr ——’s hotel. The resident could not recall a 113' suca name in connection with an Ashburton hotel till after some minutes the inquirer said. “This is Methyen, isn’t it:"’ Ho was profoundly disgusted to learn, that he was about 20 miles off his track.

Men failing to pass the eyesight test at the medical examination 1 fpr tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force are to be provided with spectacles at the expense of the Government, provided they are able to pass all other aspects of the examination. Am instruction to this effect has been sent to regional deputies. The men in this category are to be graded Class 1, but the issue of spectacles will not be made until they reach camp;

Fearful that her tomato plants which hjayfc just recently been put in the ground will' be frosted! an Ashburton )ad3 r has struck upon the bright idea of placing paper dunces’ caps ov€jr the plants. Conditions were such at about 10 o’clock last night that there/ seemed to be a likelihood of a frost, so the lad3 r again placed the caps in position!, not bargaining, however, for the strong wind. This morning the caps were scattered hither and thither even into the gardens of neighbours.

In spite of incessant night bombing, which deprives them of. their sleep, the people of England are undeterred, writes a member of the League, of Pals to a friend in Waihi. “We ajr'e.ih the thick of it here and this week (August 29) bombs have been dropped here. People are not getting much sleep these days, but that does not deter us —we are fully determined to win, and our Air Force is doinig wonderful work Pals realise that, although they hate nvlirs, they have not alternative but to do their utmost to beat Germany, otherwise there will he no Pills.”

A Mount Albert- woman completed a lucky month by winning third prize of £250 in the “Who’s Next” art union, which was drawn on Thursday of last week. She started in a small way by winning a bedspread in a raffle. Persuaded I)3* her friends that her luck was “in” , she invested in a raffle‘for a rug, upon , which was a design of two dogs, and again drew the winning ticket. Aspiring to higher things, she then bought a ticket in the art union under the pseudoiqym of “Two Dogs,” and ran true to form by annexing the third prize.

Through the co-operation, of the teachers the school children of Ashburton are to- be organised in a house-to-house scrap metal drive in aid of the patriotic' funds. The town is to be divided into blocks and groups of children will be detailed to call at every house to pick up trifles of urgently-needed metals, of which it is believed a fairly large quantity can be gathered if the householders of the town will do their pajrt. Even cast iron, which previously was not wanted, is now required. In some cases this metal is in large pieces, too large to be handled by boys, so 'arrangements are being made to have this removed!' by men. if some indication is given that the metal is available.