LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 147, 3 April 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

After several postponements the animal St. (Patrick’s Day picnic of the Ashburton Convent Schools was held in the T'inwald Domain to-day.

At the weekly luncheon mooting of the Ashburton Rotary Club to-day the chief speaker was the Rev. .1. M. MeJvenzie, of the China inland Mission, whose subject was “The Background to the Far Fasten) Situation.”

It was stated at a meeting of the central executive ol the Ashburton Emergency Precautions Scheme last evening that orders had been placed for 12 stretchers and it was believed that a stretcher had been ordered by Wakanui.

An interesting lecture, illustrated by moving pictures, oil customs and life in China and on the work of the Church Missionary Society, was given by tile Rev. 11. 1. Ault (organising secretary for Anglican Missions) in the Tinwald' Parish Hall last, evening. ' j; • : Though many owners of dogs in Ashburton nave carried out the registration; of the animals for the current year, there are many who have failed to do so, and ;the Borough Council will shortly carry out "a raid against unregistered dogs. All the that have no collar for 194-1 will be collected and impounded unless the registration i'ee is paid.

Regular fire-brigadesmen have to join the Emergency Precautions Scheme as a body, said the Superintendent of the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade (Mr H. Hett'ord) at the meeting of the central executive of the Ashburton scheme last evening. Mr Hefford said that this information had been given to him at the conference of the Fire Brigades’ Association at Blenheim, which he attended.

A number of small badges issued to members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association have been lost recently, but so far none of them has been returned to the Association’s office at the Soldiers’ Club. The secretary of the Association (Mr E. J. Daniel) told a “Guardian” reporter that it seemed likely that some of these lost badges have been found and are being retained by the finders; He pointed out that this was an offence, a fact probably not realised.

As part of the clean-up week which the Ashburton, Borough Council has asked residents to take part in, trucks owned by the Council yesterday started to collect extra heaps of rubbish put out by residents on the west side of the town. The object of the Council is to get backyards cleared of accumulations of rubbish that the average householder is not able to have removed without some expense. The whole town area will be visited by the trucks this week.

Good progress is being made with the conversion of an area, of over five acres of land at the north-western corner of the -Domain into a recreation ground. The filling in of some faiirly considerable depressions and the general levelling of the ground has been completed. The soil was yesterday being broken up by means of harrowing and it looked to be in excellent condition. The sowing, down in grass will be parried out very shortly, this of course depending on climatic conditions. The preparing of the ground is considered to he the biggest work undertaken at the Domain for a long time.

Tlio number of auxiliary firemen required by the Ashburton Volunteer Eire Brigade has been reached and training will start at am early date, according to a report made at the monthly meeting of the Brigade last evening. These firemen will be supplied with uniforms by the Government. Superintendent H. HefforJ presented a report on the annual confer-' enee of firemen; held at Blenheim recently. It was decided that mem heirs of the Brigade who are on active service shall remain financial during their absence'. It was stated that a further group of parcels would lie sent tc members overseas. The meeting agreed to make a donation- of one guinea to the Dr. G. I. Millar Memorial Playground Fund.

Miss Busfield, of the Auckland Company, who is captain of the Methodist Girls’ Brigade in the Dominion, attended am evening of the Ashburton Brigade yesterday, when there was an attendance of about- JO. Miss Busfield had an excellent collection of .arts and crafts and explained to the girls how flowers could he made from sea-shells and pictures from crushed papers. The members of .the Brigade did folk-dancing and drill, and took part in games. The Brigade made its first appearance in uniform. Miss Busfield arrived in Ashburton yesterday after haying flown to Christchurch from Wellington earlier. She left this morning for Dunedin. While in, Ashburton she was the guest of Mrs M. Money.

Since being handed over the mobile canteen presented .to, the National Patriotic Fund Board by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association for service with the New Zealand Forces overseas has been finally equipped, the work being carried out in Wellington (says a Press Association telegram). The interior of the vehicle is well finished. There are cupboards. other storage accommodation, bunks, and a small wardrobe for the canteen crew . Under the body is a 50-gallon water tank. There is a small pump with which to draw water from this tank to a 10-gallon tank installed over the sink, and a tap inside the vehicle. Oilier special equipment, in chides a benzine stove and an extra petrol tank. This mobile canteen is the first from New Zealand for men overseas.

The. need for an advisory committee which could give free guiefanoe to the relatives of men who are at the front has lately horn stressed in Ashburton. There are a surprising number of cases whore widowed mothers and wives of soldiers have been faced with financial and property troubles, and it has been shown that often, unnecessary worry nnd 'trouble has been occasioned to soldiers’ relatives through lack of assistance in how to handle seme form of business. Some of these people have appealed to the Returned Soldiers’ Association for help but that organisation has not. the facilities for handling such appeals. It was suggested some time ago that a. committee consisting of a solicitor, an accountant and a land agent would he set up in Ashburton in an advisory capacity, hut so far nothing definite has been done,

A moving picture in colour of activities in and around the Ashburton Borough School, was screened for members at the close of the meeting of the Committee last evening, and it was found to be a very interesting jiecord of events.

Among members who have latfelv been signed 1 on by the Ashburton Rcturbed Soldiers’ Association are several who had not previously been members. Two veterans of the South African war have been enrolled lately and their old Army numbers showed a difference of only 20.

The Borough Council has to meet the expenses of the Ashburton Emergency Precautions Scheme at present, said the Mayor (Dr. J. Connor) at the meeting of the local central executive of the scheme'last evening. Should a state of emergency arise, however, a Government fund of £750,000 could be drawn upon by Emergency Precautions organisations. Tenders few the erection of a further group of 12 State houses in Ashburton will be called almost immediately. They will be built on land revently acquired by the Housing Department at the corner of Beach Road and Willow Street. '"When these have been completed there will bo a total of 71 State houses in the Borough.

Inmates of Taurangi Old Aren’s Home were taken for an outing to the Ashburton 'Domain to-day by members of the Ashburton Rotary Club, who provided two buses and private cars to convey the men from the home.* A programme of entertainment was provided at the’Domain and afternoon tea was served.

The Ashburton Borough main roll of electors was returned to the Council offices this morning from the printers and is open for inspection by residents, who are being urged to make sure that their, names a,re on this roll or are placed on the supplementary roll which will close oil April 19,

So great has been the use made of the facilities at the Ashburton Soldiers’ Club since the war started that extensions that were, carried out last year awe being found to. be not too large to accommodate the numbers of men who visit the rooms. The membership has been steadily advancing and overseas men in uniform are admitted, while the premises will ho available for the Territorials who will come to Ashburton this month for manoeuvres. A sum of £4O haS been granted for the (renovation of the billiards tables at the club.

An inquiry whether the central re- .... ting paints chosen bv the various committees of the Ashburton Emergency Precautions Scheme were equipped with telephones was made at a meeting of the central executive of the scheme last evening by the Postmaster (Mr 0. Ward), who is controller of Communications. Mr Ward said he made the inquiry so that telephones could be installed quickly and the material would be available should the need arise. It was .stated that most of the reporting points, chosen were already on the telephone.

According to inquiries made at the Ashburton Borough Council offices lately there are‘still many people who are under the impression that because their names are on the general election roll they aire also on the municipal roll. The municipal roll is a separate list and the onus is on the elector to see that his or her name is inducted. The supplementary list will be closed on April 19. British-born subjects who have resided in the Borough for three months and who are oyer 21 years of ago*are eligible to vote, but- their panics must be handed in to tlie Borough Council office.

When the system of ono-mnn onevote came jnto force shortly before the. last election in Ashburton Borough, firms and companies appointed members* of their staffs who lived outside the Borough to vote lot them, as occupiers of town property. Many of these deputies resided in Allenton, which is now part of the Borough, so that everyone there has a vote in his own right and cannot vote for firms or companies. It has bc.cn pointed out by the Town Clerk (Mr R. C. Major) that fresh arrangements will have to be made by the firms for people outside the enlarged Borough to vote on the occupation right.

Mr. E. Cholerton, of Messrs J. It. Procter, Limited, Christchurch, is at present in Ashburton, and may be consulted on all defects *of eyesight at the Somerset Hotel to-morrow. —(Advt).