LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 43, 30 November 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlie Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association intends to present trophies won at the. annual show at a social in Ashburton, on the evening of Thursday, December 12.

Babies of the same sex were born to twin sistc<vs on the same day in the same Wanganui maternity hospital. Both babies were of 71b and /both are boys. A further coincidence is that the two fathers ana engaged in identical work, although in different firms (says a .Press Association telegram).

The fog which has enveloped many districts of Ashburton County on recent nights has turned into fine rain in some localities and has caused delays in shearing. In many of these places the shearers have been able, to handle only those sheep which had been placed in the sheds overnight. '

It is hoped to commence the extraction of starch from potatoes at the factory on Mr T. C. McLachkm’s property, "Corwar,” Barrliill, next week. Almost all the machinery required has been installed. Slight delay has been caused through one piece of machinery having to be imported from Australia.

There is a possibility that the MidCanterbury export lambs’ competition, arranged for Thursday, December 12, may be put off this year, said Mr W. H. Amos (secretary of the Ashburton: Agricultural and Pastoral Association) yesterday afternoon. He had learnt that other Associations were either taking or considering such an action. The reason was the desire to conserve petrol and difficulties arising from the shortage of labour. It was really a war measure.

“C’ould not the Defence Department automatically draft men who are, say, 80 per cent, fit, but who have been turned downi for the regular forces, compulsorily into the Home Guard?” asked' Mr It. W. Toomath at a Home Guard meeting in Petone. Mr Toomath said it seemed to him unfair that these men should escapte service while men who had “done their bit” in the last War were being called up. Major D. G. Johnstone replied that th*e point of view brought forward had not occurred to him and he would bring the matter before the proper quarter.

An indication that the Italian, people as a Whole were not in favour of a ; war with England was given by Dr. Morkane during an address to the Dunedin: Travel Club. “In the spring of last year, before war broke out, I was in Italy,” Dr. Morkane said, “and at that tune I was told that the Italian people looked on England as their great friend, and were intensely anxious to keep out of v’ar, especially' against England. I heard Mussolini give a speech from the balcony cf the famous Palazzo Venezia on tbe occasion of the taking of Albania, and there was obviously little real enthusiasm over the Albanian question, for although there was a great demonstration by the 70,000 who: heard the speech, it'was patently manufactured, and was at variance with the comments I hoard from the people round about me.”

A decision to advise the Director of National Service, that there was definite evidence that full time from bank to bank was not being worked in the mines, that there was an undue percentage of absentees, and that, the coal situation was desperate with regard to supplies was reached by the Hamilton Manpower Committee after evidence had been heard regarding conditions of work in the Waikato coal mines. The 'Director of National Service, Mr J. S'. Hunter, and the mine managers appealed on behalf of 41 workers employed in the Waikato collieries and carbonisation works who had been called up for military duties. The committee agreed that it could not see its way to release any of the mine workers for military service and it recommended that the Government should .make a thorough investigation into the position relating to the work being done in the mines.

The view that figures showing the number of permanently or temporarily unfit men among those called bv ballot for military service recently did not represent truly the physical standard of the young mem of New Zealand, was expressed by Auckland doctors and other authorities. They pointed out that thousands of volunteers, all perfectly fit, were already overseas, and as the ballot 'net brought in not only average men, but many who for various reasons could never be passed as fit, this was a reason for the high proportion of rejections. The doctors did not incline to the view that New Zealand was deteriorating into a, “03” nation. When asked to account for the much higher proportion of fit men among volunteers than among the men called by ballot, one authority said the, comparison was unfair. The volunteers were mostly young men who were supnsmely confident of their fitness, but the baHotted, men. included all and sundry who were single, and in the correct age-group. Some called for examination were found to be invalids, or cripples and some were nearly blind, and the obvious 'results was that a smaller proportion would be classed as fit.

The growing bitterness of the people of France against the leaders who surrendered to the Germans is exemplified 1 in letters received by a New Zealand resident from relatives who escaped from France to British countries. “One must have been in France to realise all the miseries and sufferings of the brave people of France.” says a cousin of the New Zealand resident, who escaped from Paris to England. by way of Bordeaux. ’“Perhaps vou will say ‘What of it new?’ It is not the people of France who capitulated. and I am sure you know it well enough. Your brother, my (brothers, would have gone on to the end, rather than give up.” From her father, temporarily ini Sydney, the New Zealander has had 1 news of a relative’s captivity in Germany as a prisoner of war. “I only hope w<V shall not finish in captivity ourselves,” the father writes. “After all, it might happen, if such beasts as that scoundrel Laval the arch traitor, or his friend Baudouin are allowed to live. I do hope to live long enough to see those scoundrels punished. Laval is the gem. I have known him for years, specially when I was manager of banks in Antwerp and Brussels. ’He was ready to sell his country, his friends, anyone or anything- not his soul, simply because he has none. When will they sweep away that dirty bunch? And poor Detain in that crowd! They have to take old, respected citizens for their ignoble work.”

Acceptance of the following tenders by the Public Works Department is notified in the Gazette: — Highbank power station, cottages and garage, D. Hall, £5850'; Methven linen: flax factory, tank retting unit, P. Graham and Son, £4OOO.

A very successful social and dance was held in the Technical High School Assembly Hall by the puoils of the school. Music was supplied by Mrs Mitchell’s orchestra, and Mr W. McKay was M.C. A lucky, spot dance was won by E l . Butler and partner and a Monte Carlo by R. Corbett and R. Small.

The sitting of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday was the longest for a number of years. Starting at 10 a.m., the Magistrate was conducting hearings till 6 p.m., with a luncheon adjournment- of an hour. The list of cases was not particularly long, but some of" the evidence occupied a great deal of time.

In the Ashburton, Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr H. Morgan, S.M., Albert James Holland was charged with having committed an incident assault and after long evidence bad boen heard accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Christchurch for sentence. *•

Writing to his parents, an Ashburton man who is serving with the forces in Egypt advises that they should number their letters in order that he may discover whether any go astray. He states that it appears that quite, a number do go astray. His eagerness to receive a letter from home is shown in the fact that one he had received lie had read over at least ten times.

The annual competition for platoons of the Ashburton High School was held yesterday afternoon. Four platoons took part and the winner was No. 1 platoon, under Sergeant M. H. Watson, with 72 marks and the second place was filled by No. 2 platoon (under Sergeant- S. J. Morrow) with 67 marks. The competition was for the Stew'art Shield and the judging was carried out by the officers of the company.

The Ashburton County Scottish Society’s Pipe Band is combining with the Methven; Pipe Band to take part in a band display at Lancaster Park. Christchurch, to-morrow in aid of the patriotic queen carnival. The local hand has lost six reliable pipers during the last few months through their being called up for military service, but several promising young players who will not be eligible for service for some time are being, trained to take their place. The band played at the Ashburton railway station this afternoon when the troop trains passed through.