LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 248, 1 August 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

H«mo Guard units in Mid-Canter-bury are to be organised into battalions shortly for administrative purposes, according to the Group Director (Captain E. A. Coekroft) The ambulance section ot the Ashburton Emergency Precautions Scheme continued its training at the Fire Brigade Station last evening. There was an attendance of about 30. Dr. A. E. «■ Fulton gave a lecture on. blooding and pressure points.

The raising of a loan of £9OOO, lor a term of 20 years, at a rate of interest not to exceed 3* per cent., was agreed to at the meeting of the Ashburton County Council this morning. The monev will provide the Council’s second contribution toward the cost of control work in the Ashburton River.

It is stated that for a whole month, in a period'which ended a-week or two ago, there was not a sale of a, new motor car in Ashburton. This is said to be the first time since motoring qanie into being that Ashburton has experienced such a month.

Maps prepared by the Greek Automobile Association, proved highly useful to the New Zealanders in Greece, according to Colonel R. A. Row in an address iii New Plymouth. Though they could Dot he used, for artillery work, he said, they so accurately marked the roads and tracks that they were extensively used for other work.

The effects of further petrol restrictions on the movements of. motor ears over long run are becoming more pronounced and a party of Ashburton people who went to Christchurch last evening overtook only one car all the way. On the return journey the- did not encounter any cars after leaving the suburbs of the city.

“That New Zealand’s future depends on the extensive development of her secondary industries’ ’ is the subject selected for the inter-district debate or Canterbury Young Farmers’ Clubs to be held in Ashburton on Thursday, August 21. So far the Ashburton and South Canterbury districts have entered teams and it is thought possible that Christchurch may also do so. The contest was won last year by South Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury being second.

Now t that corrugated iron for roofing houses is not obtainable a new class of dwelling is springing up, covered with asbestos substitute sheets or by tiles made in New Zealand. Supplies of these are fairly constant and though there have been some delays in the completion of houses in Ashburton, it was stated this morning by several builders that there had not been any undue hold-up in the work in hand, which includes a number of dwellings.

Members of committees of Women’s Institutes in the Ashburton County and Borough and prospective officers Will attend an officers’ training course, under the auspices of the Mid-Canterbury Federation, at the Ashburton Catholic Club rooms next Friday. Those attending will receive instruction in how to conduct meetings and' generally supervise institute activities on the right lines. Mrs Chisnall (president of , tho Booth Canterbury Federation and a former member of tho Dominion Executive) will be present.

On leave in Cairo, an Australian soldier viewed the lion: but resented the cage. While his mates watched, he sneaked round to the back of the •age and let himself into the sleeping quarters. In a few minutes he had established good relations. Then he opened tho door and the two of them went for a stroll round! tho grounds. “You should have seen the people scatter,” said one of his comrades in a letter home. “We asked him why he did it and ho said the British lion should novev be caged!”

When approached this morning on the subject of the further reduction of the petrol allowance an Ashburton reseller said, “W.c naturally do not.like this further per cent, cut, but I suppose if it has to be it lias to be.” He expressed some concern at the possibility of petrel licences being reviewed, as was intimated in the announcement by the Ministry of Supply (the Hon. I>. G. Sullivan) yesterday, for it was on licences to a. greater extent than on coupons that the resellers depended for their trad*.

There was laughter at the meeting of the Ashburton County Council this morning. A new member stated that he had been asked two questions and had not been able to answer cither of them. The Chairman (Mr S. P. Taylor): “Bring any questions to us and we’ll answer them for you!” The member stated his questions, which were somewhat tricky to the layman. The Chairman (hurriedly): “Tho County Clerk will answer the questions!”

“Regulations are in contemplation which will provide for the observance of occasions of national or patriotic Significance, and in sueli observance the flag will naturally have its place,” said tho Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, replying to « question in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr W. J. Broadfoot, who asked whether the Minister would seo that legislation was introduced to give education boards the necessary authority to see that the Union Jack was saluted by teachers and children alike.

With the object of gauging the amount of traffic that uses the level crossings in Ashburton on the busy days, a tally of traffic over these places was taken to-day by tho Borough Council, which will make use of the information obtained when it meets tho Railway Department officials at a special meeting on; Monday afternoon to go into the question of the closing of two of the crossings and the placing of warning devices at others. Ten men wore engaged in relays at the. Havelock, Burnett, Tancred Moore and Ivormode Streets crossings, the first taking up positions at 0 o’clock this morning. The tally will continue till M> o’clock to-night.

Two highly-interesting samples of turf taken from a paddock in Central Otago have, been sent to Mr M. S. Turton, who displayed them to members of tho Ashburton. County Council this morning. They were from undulating country, and wore taken from spots about a. yard apart. One, which had not been irrigated, was covered with a short scrub weed on poor, sandy soil, with a carrying capacity of about 10 acres to cue sheep. The other sample was from land that had been irrigated but not given any application of manure. It is covered with a good carpet of grass, the carrying capacity being 44 sheep to tho acre all the year round. The difference in the two samples were striking,

After many months of delay a m-w heating system is.being installed at the Ashburton High School.

The Ashburton County maintained its good record of freedom from disease between June 27 and July 20. No eases of infectious diseases were reported to the Health Inspector (Mr J. G. Kirk during the period.

An appeal by John Desmond Marr, a farm hand, of Methven, against Territorial service, was adjourned sine die, by the South Canterbury ManPower*’Committee at a sitting at Timaru yesterday.

AH .JOG rifles impressed in MidCanterbury for use by the Home Guard are being inspected by an armourer. The Titles are being classified and any damaged are repaired where possible. The plaintiff and two witnesses in a Supreme Court case in Palmerston North recently all possessed a common surname, but each one spelt it differently, namely, Mead, Reid and Reed. Counsel commented on the coincidence, which was unusual, but they overlooked the fact that there was another Reid taking a part in the proceedings, the Court Registrar.

In a private letter received in Ashburton, Lady Reading (chairman of the Women’s Voluntary Service organisation in England) expresses appreciation for gifts sent to England, but adds that one gift received in a package was not appreciated. It was a little mouse that was still, alive when the contents of the package were opened. It had lived on the greater part of an overcoat.

At a meeting of the Council of the Ashburton Savage Club the question of holding the annual ball this year was discussed and it was unanimously agreed that the function should take place, September 9 being fixed as the date. It was held by the Council that despite war conditions it would be in the best interests to carry out the programme as in other years.

With the placing in position of the beams for the roof, the new front portion of the Ashburton Club and M.S.A. premises has taken a big stride forward. Good progress has been made with the building of tlio walls and oven at this stage it can be seen that the structure will have an imposing appearance when it is completed.

Applications are again being called for the positions of adjutant-quarter-master and instructor for the Home Guard in Mid-Canterbury, according to a statement "by the Group Director of the Heme Guard (Captain E. A. Oockroft). Captain Cockroft said that the men selected would he attached to the temporary staff of the Army and there had also been a change in the payment to be made to them.

Snow-covered peaks on the first range of hills behind Ashburton were standing out in several places to-day above a sea of fog, like islands in a dark grey sea. The sun broke through the clouds at several places above the hills and the snow, viewed from Ash!burton for a few minutes about v o’clock, glistened brightly before the angle was changed by the climbing sun. Just above the peaks there was another bank of dark cloud, with blue sky beyond, giving a rather artificial looii to the scene.

The Aliens Tribunal has investigated the case of Rudolph Hirter, a man of (Gorman descent, who was found on a defensive area with a pair of powerful field glasses in his possession and was subsequently sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment. This information was given bv the Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) ‘in reply to a question in the House of Representatives by Mr H. S. St Kyle (National, Riccarton), who asked if the Government contemplated any further action in the case. Mr Mason added that the tribunal had come to the conclusion that there was no reason to suspect Huber of being of enemy sympathy or of having any tendency to assist the enemy. It was also satisfied that there was no ulterior motive connected with Hirter’s trespass on a defence reserve. The tribunal reported that it could not detect in Hirter or any of his family any trace of interest in Germany. Hirter, and also his parents, were born in New Zealand.