LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 44, 2 December 1940, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The compilation of the permanent roll of the Ashburton section of the Home Guard was started to-day. There are 198 members on the roll so far.

Persons recently confirmed, accompanied by relations and friends, filled St. Stephen’s Anglican Clnirch for the communion service at eight o’clock yesterday morning.

Mrs A. N. Grigg, of Surrey Hills, has accepted toe invitation of the Ash - burton Patriotic Committee to open the street fair next Friday evening at 8 o’clock.

The Hinds’ Young Farmers’ Club held a social evening last- week. Items were given Iby Messrs E. Rhodes and W. Heetey, and Mr E. Wit-hell showed motion pictures of his tour of the North Island.

To discuss the organisation of the Home Guard, Major G. E. F. Kingscote (Canterbury District Commander) visited Ashburton on Friday and Saturday. He met the principal officers in Ashburton and in the surrounding districts.

Although there was not a sufficient number of members of the Ashburton: Motor-Cycle Club at the Rakaia Gorge yesterday to hold! the grass-hill climb, there were a number of 11011-members and all spent an enjoyable afternoon on Mr R. G. Gerard’s property.

A reception, service was held at the Baring 'Sqnare Methodist Church lastevening prior to the Communion service, when 18 members of the Young Women's Bible Classes were received into, membership. The Rev. A. MeBeam conducted the service, and there was a large attendance.

Am unusual contribution under the waste metals reclimation; scheme has been received by the Auckland Patriotic Council. It came from Miss C. Kemp, of Kerikeri, who sent the committee a collection of family jewellery, comprising 11 silver brooches and other articles, a gold brooch and several other pieoes of gold.

It is evident that there is not a great diamond for draught horses in Ashburton County these days, for a good-conditioned draught whose only fault was a slight limp was put up at auction at the Flemington pound on Friday and brought only one shilling. The pound fees and’ the advertising of the sale cost nearly £l.

An increase in New Zealand’s maize acreage from 7600. to, 11,000 in order to dispense with importations Seems likely to be attained, states the Director-General of Agriculture (Mr A. H. Cockayne) in the Journal of Agriculture. He commended 1 the efforts to Maori farmers for the enthusiastic and energetic way they tackled a maizegrowing programme as part of the war effort.

Two well-filled troop trains passed through Ashburton at four o’clock and five o’clock on Saturday afternoon and the six o’clock express also carried troops. The Ashburton County Scottish Society’s Pipe Band turned out for both the troop trains and entertained with Scottish airs. The Ashburion Silver Band was on. the railway station when the express passed through. Large crowds assembled to give the men an enthusiastic send-off.

All indication of the efforts of. the Government in the establishmient of the linen flax industry in New Zealand is shown by the announcement in the latest Gazette that tenders far the, construction of retting factory units, costing a total of £-54,-570, have been passed by the Public-Works Department. Details of the expenditure and the sites of the proposed factories are: —Tapanui, £4370: Maldkihi, £3123: Balclutha. £9670: Otautau, £10,665; Oxford, £5899- Methven, £4900; Washdyke, £5573 ;• Liaeston, £4370.

“Renting houses is out of the question these days,” said a land agent to a, “Guardian” reporter this morning. “There is a surprising number of people living in two or three rooms rented from other families in Ashburton and in most cases they would prefer to have houses of tlueir own, but it is next to impossible to find places for them.” He added that recently he advertised a house to pent at the end of the week and over Saturday evening and Sunday he was inundated with inquirers at his home.

The law regarding the disposal of animals that are found wandering and are placed in the pounds, subsequently being sold because the owners have not claimed them in time, is not understood by many people. If the owner of the animal is located after the sale he can be made to pay the costs incurred by impounding the# animal, hut the surplus money from the amount received through the sale must be handed over to him. It is not retained by the local body which holds the sale.

Appreciation of the gift of a parcel of knitted articles sent through the Ashburton R.ed Cross is conveyed in a letter which Driver R. A. Lloyd has written to bis family in Ashburton from England. Driver Lloyd says that the articles were very welcome. Incidentally, he says that the smoking material available in England “is terrible,” and he adds that too much tobacco or cigarettes could, not be sent from home. He also says that writing materials need not be sent as they, are easily obtainable’ near his gamp.

Entries for the Mid-Canterbury pasture competition will close at the end of this month and as weather conditions have changed considerably in the last week or so and pastures are looking very well it is anticipated that interest will be increased in this important contest. Already, the prompters have received a number of inquiries regarding the conditions of the competition and the commercial firms have recognised the value of the idea, assisting with the distribution of entry forms and in giving advice.

Keen demand for house properties has again set in after a dull period of a few weeks on tine Ashburton market, but agents report that they are totally unable to supply the needs of prospective purchasers. The properties most in demand are those valued at from £SOO to £6OO, but such places are very scarce in Ashburton. There is also a good demand for properties nearer the £IOOO mark, but here again there is a dearth of supply. In, many cases the main difficulty is finance, one agent told a “Guardian” reporter to-day.

The Ashburton; H-igh School Board of Governors this morning decided to call for nominations of candidates to represent the parents on the Board 1 in place of Mr J. W. Bowden, who has resigned.

The Lauriston school-house, which was destroyed by fire about 12 mouths ago, has been replaced by a modern fiv.e-roomed dwelling. This has just been occupied by the head-master (Mr J. A. Maekie) and his family.

The State Placement Officer in Ashburton reports that one teamster, .one rouse-about, one married couple, two labourers and one shearer were placed permanently during last week. Two two labourers are on gorse-cutting.

A special train from Auckland to Wellington passed through Palmerston North recently loaded with bananas, the weight of tips* train being well over 400 tons. A shipment of the fruit arrived in Auckland recently from the Islands.

The erection, of a. cool stqee in Hastings for Hawke’s Bay fruit was discussed at a conference of representatives of the fruitgrowers with officers of the Internal Marketing Department and the Public Works Department. As a result, it is understood that constructional work will be commenced at an early date, so that facilities will be ii'oady for use during the approaching season.

A suggestion has been made in Napier, where ants are multiplying to an alarming degree, that school children may be able to assist in checking the pest. Footpaths in several parts of Napier harbour millions of the scurrying insects, and nests are to be found under tar and wood foundations. It is suggested that children from each house could pour boiling water, kerosene or disinfectant over the, affected parts. -

Since petrol restrictions have shortened the trips made by Ashburton motorists the resort, at the mouth of the Ashburton Diver is becoming more popular, and the number who went to Hakatere yesterday was one of the largest for years. Many of the visitors spent some hours watching fishermen trying their luck in the surf, while others indulged in strolling in: the vicinity of the huts or in swimming in the lagoon.