LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 125, 8 March 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The appearance of policemen, and the ambulance in East Street yesterday niternoom suggested an accident. A man had, however, been overtaken by a fit and had to be removed by ambulance. Further interest-free loans and contributions to the war funds, acknowledged by the Minister for Finance (the Hen. AY. Nash) last night, jbrhig the total of contributions to £2,637,676 (says a Press Association message from Wellington). ‘•Closing clown at end of month owing to import restrictions,” is a printed notice which appears over the show windows of a Wellington midcity shop. It should be added that the goods usually retailed in these premises were foreign manufactures of a luxury or semi-luxury nature. A deputation consisting of six representatives of women’s organisations in the County will wait on the Ashburton Hospital Board, at its meeting on Monday morning to discuss the provision of further maternity accommodation by the Board. The deputation will 1 o led by Mrs A. N. Grigg. There were over 30,000 more radio licences in force in New Zealand at January 31, 1941, compared with the figure for the same date in 1940, according to: statistics * issued'- by the Director-General of the iPost and Telegraph Department. The total this year was 351,178, of which 348,753 licences were for receivers. Licences for receivers the previous year totalled 314,646. Spreading from a heap of straw that had been alight the previous clay, fire destroyed about 30 chains of gorse fence on the property of Mr O. Ward, at Dromore, yesterday afternoon. The fire was prevented from reaching Mr Ward’s house by the Ashburton County Council’s fire-fighting plant. A header harvester standing by the fence v\as undamaged although the fire passed round it. Facts are sometimes proved in, the courts of law v with an exactitude that seems to the layman to bo hardly necessary. During the hearing of a charge of murder in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, some evidence was given that made even the solicitors engaged on the case smile. The Dominion Analyst (Air lb. L. Andrew) was called into the witness hex. He testified that the liquid in a full beer bottle was beer. He had analysed it at the request of the police, he said.

Members of the eastern bays section of tbe Women’s War Auxiliary went to the rescue of market gardeners in the Hutt Valley by assisting to-pick the bean crop, much of which has gene to the canning factory at Petone for eventual use in a branch of the armed forces (says the “Dominion”). The male labour of the growlers was required to pick the tomato crop and had the women not come forward the bean crop would largely have gone to waste. Tbe women were paid reasonable wages, which they have devoted to patriotic purposes, >

A plea that New Zealand should make herself self-supporting regards seeds was made by Mrs Knox Gilmer at the opening of the Karori flower shop, Wellington. If, because of hardship, howeveir, people could not now order seeds as for previous seasons, ' they should not let this prevent them from continuing to, grow vegetables, for some varieties already in gardens could be maintained by taking the necessary steps after allowing them to seed. Not only should New Zealand be able to supply her own seed demands, continued Mrs Gilmer, but also she should lie prepared to export. She also suggested that more might be done in the way of preserving fruit and vegetables. The view that the employment of prisoners of war on farm work would be impracticable was contained in a letter from the National Council of Primary Production received at a meeting of the Auckland District Council (reports the ‘‘Herald”). The letter stated that farm labour required skill which prisoners of war could not in general be expected to possess and . the task of training them would be long and difficult. To be of real use in the present emergency shortage of farm workers, prisoners would have to be employed on individual farms, which would be quite out of the question in view of the incessant need for supervision. Prisoners could no doubt be usefully employed in large gangs on land development schemes, but the prime need of the moment Was routine farm maintenance and production. The degree of control necessary to eliminate sabotage and ensure useful work made the proposal unattractive. One measure toward relieving the shortage of housing accommodation in Auckland has been mentioned by Dr. R. G. Mcllroy, who has suggested to the Auckland City Council that it endeavour to obtain legislative powers similar to those contained in the Wellington City Housing Act, 1938. The two main, features of the proposal are, first, power to aid persons to erect houses by guaranteeing up to one-third or contributing up to one-quarter of a first, mortgage advanced for building, thereby enabling financial institutions to lend to approved persons up to a margin of 90 per cent.' of the value of the land and building; and, secondly, power to advance moneys to enable person lacking the necessary finance to repair or improve existing housing accommodation, such advances to be recoverable as and to be secured in the manner of rates. The proposal was referred to the housing committee for a report. The need for a public warning to visitors to ocean beaches against handling an unusual-looking canister they might find washed up on the shorei was suggested by a member of the <Paraparaumu Home Guard during a discussion, at the last parade. It w'as pointed out that a mine might be washed up on any of the beaches and if tampered with hv inexperienced: persons grave results might follow. He thought a public warning should lie given by the Government that in the event of anything resembling a mine being found the fact should bo reported at once to the nearest police station or post office to enable them to get in touch with responsible officers. Another member said he had seen a warning notice in a. post office, hut others who visited the post office daily said they had not noticed it, and agreed that a more effective warning was, desirable. The officer in command thought the suggestion was a. good one, and undertook to pass it on.

A picnic -was -held' in the linwaid Domain to-day for the scholars of St. Stephen’s Sunday School. The picnickers were - conveyed to the Domain, by bus this morning. An enjoyable day was spent, the programme including athletic sports and swimming.

About £l2 for mission funds was raised through a jumble sale held by the Baring Squa/re Methodist Women’s Missionary Auxiliary in the Baring Square Hall yesterday afternoon and evening. There was a large attendance, which patronised the stalls selling men’s, women’s and children’s garments.

The Ashburton Plunket Society met yesterday afternoon, the president (Mrs F. W. Sieldon) presiding. The nurse’s report recorded the following visits to rooms for February: Townadults, 362; babies, 3,33; pre-school children, 71. Country—adults, 101, babies, 92; pre-school children, 22. 'Hie nurse’s car travelled 660 miles during the month.

A /remit urging that while the present system of hospital board finance continues provision should 'be made for contributing local bodies to have direct representation on boards in lieu of the present method of election, was adopted at the conference of the Municipal Association. Speakers said it was only right that the local authorities which contributed a considerable portion of boards’ revenue should have direct representation.

His interest in trout-fishing was neatly expressed; by the GovernorGeneral (Sir Cyril Newall, in reply to addresses of welcome at the opening of the Municipal Conference at the Auckland Town Halt. “If by chance I am fortunate enough to catch a trout of traditional dimensions, I shall never doubt that it must have spent its early life under civic protection, and guidance in the hatcheries,” his Excellency said, amid laughter.