LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 186, 21 May 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho committee of the Methven Trotting Club at its last meeting decided to donate £SO to the Mount Hutt District Patriotic Fund.

Medical Boards will sit in Ashburton on Friday and next Tuesday to examine Ashburton men drawn in the third ballot for overseas service.

A pure white wild duck, which for many years has been a well-known inhabitant of the private lake and sanctuary on the property of Mr W. Langdon, Ijaletta, was shot at the, end of the shooting season. The duck is being sent to Christchurch where, it is understood, it will be mounted.

Work is continuing on the formation of the pathway running along the lake from the entrance at the corner of Wills and West Streets to the centre of the Domain. On the lake-side the pathway is to have a rock edging as well as an iron rail and it is also intended to grow rambling roses along the edge of the lake.

After a rather rough crossing on the inter-island steamer last night, Mrs Elizabeth Knox, aged 55, of Torquay Street, Abbotsford, Dunedin, became ill on the south-hound express this morning and had to he removed from the Ashburton railway station by ambulance to the Public Hospital. Mrs Knox, who was travelling from New Plymouth, was attended by a doctor on the railway station. Her condition was much improved this afternoon.

Several months ago the-Ashburton County Council considered the question of providing lighting for use of Home Guard units during the winter. The question is still under consideration and the County Engineer '(Mr H. A. Vezey) and the Engineer of the Ashburton Electric Power Board (Air H. G. Kemp) have to report to the Council what equipment is required.

A good deal of time was spent yesterday by the Returning Officer at Ashburton (Air R.. C. Alajor) in tracing several cases of what looked like dual voting, hut all but one were cleared up. In the exception a man was found to have voted twice deliberately, hut under a misunderstanding. After hearing his explanation, the Returning Officer decided that it was not a case for action to ho taken against the elector. Tho votes cast were not allowed.

While working among the ruins of a row of houses after a raid on a town in the west of England, six members of a rescue party discovered what is believed to he a miser’s hoard. (I hey recovered £6OO in Treasury notes and nearly £2OOO in share certificates. The damage to the houses was so greqt that there was no indication exactly where the hoard was hidden. It is believe the owner was a man who lost his life in the raid, and who for many years had posed as penniless.

A relic of tho days when the handling of the weights and measures portion of tho Labour Department’s activities was the work of the police in Ashburton has come to light in the course of work being done in preparation for the tar sealing of the street around Alona Square. Guided by Sen-ior-Sergeant J. F. Cleary, who had learned of the relic’s existence, the workmen were able to remove surface soil on the side of the street adjoining tho Police Station, to reveal two slabs of concrete which had been used as an official chain measure.

Bottles similar to ordinary milk bottles were being used for storing and transporting blood in England, said Dr. V. E. Cable at the annual meeting of tho Dunedin Voluntary Blood Transfusion Society. The bottles were of a standard size and had ordinary alu-minium-screw-tops, and they were carried in metal containers, which usually held four or eight bottles. A mobile blood transfusion squad had been formed, and it was sent to places where heavy casualties had occurred, or where people had been imprisoned beneath fallen masonry. Dr. Cable added that, after the evacuation of Dunkirk, blood donors had keen working throughout the day, not only for tho British soldiers, hut for all the wounded members of the Allied Forces,

Up to the end of last week 23,700 cases of apples had been marketed in Canterbury compared with 53,300 cases, more than double the quantity, at the same period last year. This information was given by the Orchards Instructor of the Department of Agriculture who stated that the expected yield in Canterbury was roughly 100,000 cases. Alost- orchardists, he said, had finished picking and ' were now engaged in grading and packing. Supplies of the Lord Wolseley and large quantities of the Delicious varieties were now coming forward from orchard storage. The Jonathans were almost Finished, he said, although it would be a while before Stunners are put on the market.

Strange ideas held by some people come to light when the voting at an election is being analysed. In the contests on Saturday there were several unusual features, but-the limit seems to have been reached by a person living in one of the country districts who suddenly had the fancy to vote for one of the candidates in the Ashburton Alayoralty. There are no absentee votes in the municipal elections and of course there were no town voting papers at the country booths. Nevertheless, the officer in charge of the booth was not going to be the one to stop the exercise of a person’s right to vote, so ho tore a piece of foolscap off a sheet, pencilled in the names of the candidates in tho Alayoralty and gave the result to the would-be voter. The “vote” came to hand, but the only purpose it served was to raise a smile on the face of the Returning Officer.

For 12 years Air and Airs T. Sargeson, Pence Avenue, New Plymouth, have had a kettle continuously on the boil. More than that, they have maintained an endless supply of hot water for baths, at the sink, and for household washing. This in itself is not unusual ,in. a modern house, but what is remarkable is that all this time the efficient heating service has cost the family exactly nothing. Soon after Mr Sargcson built his home his attention was attracted to possibilities of exploiting the natural gns from a disused bore. He investigated the sealing cap and bought a quantity of inch piping, which be led into the bore and carried to an iron tank established in a far corner. From the tank, which serves as .a miniature gasometer, he took another pipe to the house and the job was done. The supply of gas is regular and seldom varies in pressure.

The work of installing'the underground drainage in the Nether by area of the Borough is proceeding satisfactorily and a. little more than half the scheme has been completed. The work in King Street will be completed by the end of nextweek.

The lake in the Ashburton Domain is at- present almost dry in order that the bottom can be cleaned out-. Siltof a varying depth in different-parts of the lake is to be removed to the shingle pit near the entrance at the corner of Walnut Avenue and West Street. This pit has long been an eyesore and with a covering of silt it should be possible to grow something there and so turn it to some useful purpose.

Oamaru is taking its black-out restrictions very seriously, and the churches there are co-oporating in the reduced lighting scheme. Several of the churches in that town are now holding their evening services at 4.30 in the afternoon instead, of at 6.30 or 7 o’clock as formerly. This avoids the use of strong lights that cause a distinct sky glow and at the same time the danger of accident in the blackout is reduced.

Official advice has been received in New Zealand confirming earlier cabled advice that in view of the large number of Rhodes Scholars-elect whose scholarships have been suspended for the duration of the war, the Rhodes Trustees have decided not to held elections for 1942 scholarships (says a Wellington, Press Association telegram). This means that no Rhodes Scholars will be selected in New Zealand during 1941.

No advice has been received about the six machine-guns, presented to local road boards and the County Council at the end of the Great War as trophies, by the County Clerk (Mr G. Kelly) since he appealed through the “Guardian” to persons knowing their whereabouts to notify him, as the Defence Department requires their return. Mr Kelly said to-day that the matter would be raised at the next meeting of the Council.

There has been an excellent strike of grass on the area; of ground at the north-west corner of the Ashburton Domain that is being prepared for use as a sports ground. So thick is the strike that the- Curator (Mr D. H. Leigh) to-day expressed the opinion that it may be possible, to play cricket tb.ero next season. The extended ground will also be a boon to golfers who practise there, as from corner to corner the ground will allow a drive of about 440 yards.

Many herbaceous plants -have lately been acquired by or donated to tho Ashburton Domain and these are to he utilised to beautify the western banks of the lake. Many varieties and types are to be used in a siy-foot border which is to be edged in astilbe and kaffir lilies. Previously tussocks and flax plants formed the border, presenting a rather unkempt appearance. The new border, it is anticipated, will provide a colourful display and will be visible from Wills Street. Being so near the lake the watering of the plants is not likely to prove a problem. • '

The American Consulate-General in Wellington has been informed by the Minister for Justice (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) that- his department will consider exemption from tho Aliens Emergency Regulations, 1940, of nationals of the United States resident in New Zealand, and that applications for exemption by such nationals will be favourably considered in all cases except where such nationals are of enemy origin. or associations. The Minister further states that American nationals resident in New , Zealand may apply to the Justice Department in writing for the exemption referred to. —Press Association.

A girl about eight years of age went to the Ashburton Borough Council offices this morning and handed in half a dozen small pieces of lead, saying they were for the patriotic scrap metal appeal. Asked where she got the lead, the little donor said that she saw 'Some boys throwing them about so she picked them up and thought she would give them to the fund. Her gesture was greatly appreciated, by the Town Clerk (Mr It. C. Major), who stated later that it showed the great spirit that was evident among the children, whose efforts on behalf of the patriotic funds had been the means of considerably increasing the collections.

Reporting on his work at the naval braining school, H.M.S. Tamaki, the Rev. G. M. McKenzie, Church of England chaplain, wrote that “the spiritin this establishment has been truly amazing; men and boys alike have put their hearts into the work, so that the first term has been a great success. The trainees have had the spirit of true pioneers, and have laid down a foundation that will bo enduring.” Mr McKenzie added that a very fine feature had! .been the number of candidates that had come forward for confirmation. The number of men and boys confirmed during the term had been 37.

Good progress is being made by the physical training instructors for the Home Guard, according to Mr A. Colder (Physical Welfare Officer under the Department of Internal Affairs) from whom they receive tuition. Last evening the instructors received training in the second phase of the course. Mr Calder says the first part of the course is little more than preparation while the second part is really physical training Mr Calder has expressed his willingness to commence a course of physical training for footballers on Tuesday, June 3, and in Ashburton Clubs have shown great interest- in the idea. Mr Calder hopes that the class may be extended to other sports as well.

Thanking the electors for his return on Saturday evening a candidate in Ashburton referred to the large number of “kisses” that had been placed beside bis name on the voting papers, the reference being to- the cross which has replaced the old system of voting. When the voting papers were being gone through yesterday two were found that were amusing in view of the remark about kisses. One of the papers had 10 small crosses (like the kisses on a child’s letter) against the name of one candidate and two against the name of another. In the second paper the same thing had happened, except that the most favoured candidate had 11 “kisses” beside his name. The voting papers were in order, as under the law on the subject, if the intention of the voter is clear, the paper may be counted as a valid vote.