LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 251, 5 August 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. More than 10,000 garments have been sent to British raid victims bv the Hastings branch of the Lady Galway patriotic Guild. There is no need to make excuses about Southland weather when strawberries can he grown outside and ripened in July! Two strawberries were brought into the. "Southland Daily News” office in Invercargill on Wednesday. The berries, though not a deep red, here more than a blush.

The women of India living dn the Noytii-western Frontier colour their finger-nails, the Rev. H. F. Ault M.A. told the congregation at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Terrace End, Palmerston North, when explaining the methods used by the Hindus to keep away evil spirits in their fear of them. “I do not knew if that is the origin of the habit that has become so pronounced m New Zealand,” lie added.,

Black-cut restrictions which are so generally disliked and criticised, have the approval of the honorary director of the Now Plymouth observatory (Mr F. J. Morshead), who said in his annual report to the society: "Incidentally, the black-out has eliminated skyglare' Caused by street illumination and advertising signs, making possible more detailed observation ol very faint comets and zodiacal light.”

The Waipukurau' Jockey Club’s racecourse has experienced its fifth lire since December, 1939. In the latest outbreak, the totalisator house and the grandstand wero completely destroyed, in March of this year, the secretary of the Jockey Club (Mr F. A. G. Dunn) ofFored a reward of £oo to any person giving information that would lead to a conviction for arson in connection with the series of fires.

Waterside workers from small ports where trade has greatly decreased since the outbreak of war are transferring to the Auckland waterfront (says a Press Association telegram). Men from Bluff, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Napier, Gisborne and Kaipara harbour have transferred to the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union to obtain more work. The greatest influx is from Wanganui, 16 men having gone to Auckland.

A woman who resides in Ashburton County and who was a Sister in the Nursing Service at the last war has joined the Ashburton Returned Soldiers’ Association. The books of the Association have been searched, but they do not reveal that any other woman has joined the Association. A special badge is provided for such members. Its design is similar to that worn by the men, hut it has a small red cross in the centre.

So far only nine, photographs of Ashburton Borough and County men uho have gone overseas in the present war have been received by the Ashburton Returned Soldiers’ Association for inclusion in the proposed photographic record of this district’s contribution to the services. The Association is making an appeal to parents for photographs and it is hoped that by the end of the war there will he a complete record at the Soldiers’ Club.

The Allenton School Committee mot last evening instead of on the regular meeting night (to-morrow), and there were present Messrs G. H. Rollinson (presiding in the absence of the chair-? man), G. H. Knox, B. 3. Evans, A. ‘C. Argyle and R. Turnbull. The Headmaster (Mr J. Southward) reported that there were 114 hoys on the roll and 123 girls, and the average attendances had been 105.5 hoys and 111.2 girls. Messrs Evans and Rollinson were appointed visitors for the next month.

The cases of three men returned from overseas in the present war and in need of assistance in their rehabilitation have been dealt with by the Ashburton Returned Soldiers’ Association lately, and the men have expressed appreciation of what has been done for them. In one case, a man was refused his former work and the Association made representations to the Government, the man , being eventually settled satisfactorily, it will become increasingly apparent that the Association will be able to do a- good deal ol work in this way, assisting men back to civil life and generally guiding and guarding their interests.

In a letter homo a Now Zealand captain formerly a resident of Ashburton, tells how he’ left Greece with only the clothes he stood up in and carrying only two photographs besides his revolver. His section had a portable gramophone and when it became obvious that this would have to bo left behind, the men wound up the machine and throw the handle into a river. They broke all hut one of the records, and this was placed in position on the turntable, the idea being that when the Germans arrived they might play the record over. The song on the record was "There’ll Always he an England.”

Difficulties which at times arise in enforcing Government regulations among foreigners, unfamiliar with the English language, were recounted by Mr L. B. Hutton, Lighting Controller, when addressing the Kilbirnie E.P.S. Some time ago, he said, City Council officials found that many Chinese shopkeepers could not—or did not —understand the lighting restrictions, so steps were taken to have the whole of the regulations translated • into Chinese characters. "I don’t know whether the translation was a. true interpretation of the regulations,” Mr Hutton said, "but it was certainly a work of art, and left no excuse for misunderstanding.”

A scheme for the raising of approved dairy heifers on development lands for the use of returned soldiers has been prepared by the Herd Recording Council, states a Hamilton correspondent. Describing the scheme to the annual meeting of the Auckland Herd Improvement Council, the. chairman (Mr R. A. Candy) who is also chairman of the Herd Recording Council, said that it was proposed that the Government should intimate the number of calves it required for the use of returned soldiers, and that delivery should he taken before February next. »Selected farmers, would he required to rear the calves, which would be the progeny of high-producing cows from tested herds. Umpires would he appointed to decide disputes as to whether the calves were sufficiently well developed and as to the price. Mr Candy said the scheme had been approved by Mr R. B. Tennent, Director of Primary Production, and Mr R.. G. MncMorran, Under-Secretary for Lands, hut it had been vetoed by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, who said ho saw many difficulties in it. It was decided to ask the Government to reconsider the scheme, and to enlist the support of the. Returned Soldiers’ Association «nnd the Farmers’ Union.

The Medhurv and Wadii Private Schools played their annual football match on the Ashburton Domain today.

The. latest gift to the Ashburton Soldiers’ Club is one from a member of the R.S.A. It consists of six cigarette ash. stands turned in wood and varnished. They have been found very useful already and add to the furnishings of the social rooms.

A mixed cards social was held in St. Stephen’s Hall last evening by me Girls’ Club, in aid of a stall to be run in conjunction with annual flower show on Setpember 18 and 19. There was an attendance of about 60 and the evening showed a profit of about id 10s. This is one of a series of efforts hol’d lately for stalls at the show.

Material for -1000 soldiers’ handkerchiefs has been supplied to the Hamilton Women’s Patriotic Committee by Hamilton primary school children. The material gathered consists of flour and oatmeal bags, which are boiled, dyed and hemmed before being sent overseas.

Two donations for patriotic funds just paid into the Ashburton County Council office will be retained for the next patriotic appeal. The donations comprise £lO from the Public Works Hall Committee at Oarcw and £4 hs 2d from the Matapuki Public Works Basketball Club, Carew. . :

In India there is a native sect which carries out the command “Thou shalt not kill” in such a literal manner that' its members refuse to kill anything, said the Rev. H. F. Ault, of Christchurch, who spent some years in India, in an interview in Palmerston North, “I have seen members of this sect even feeding ants on sugar, dropping it into their nests,” he added.

Approximately £2,000,000 was paid out by dairy companies in the Waikato to. suppliers on Thursday. Of this amount, £1,422,243 was paid out by the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, to suppliers to the company’s butter, cheese, milk-powder and evaporated milk factories. The payments represented surpluses on the 1940'41 season’s operations.

A sum of £7l 17s, the capitation allowance to Home Guard units in the Aisjifcfurton County for t(he quarters ended on December 31, - 1940, and March 31, 1941, has been received by the (County Council. The amounts due to the various units will be paid to tho committees on application to the Council.

Returned men in Ashburton were entertained at the Soldiers’ Club last evening by members of the Buffaloes’ Lodge and there was an attendance of about 50. Billiards and cards were played and supper was served. Appreciation of the services of the returned men was expressed by Mr A. B. Simpson on behalf of: the Lodge and the thanks of the men for : the entertainment were voiced by the president of tlio Returned Soldiers’ Association (Mr W. IG. Welsh). .

A written account of tho Ashburton representative Rugby team’s visit to Timaru on .{Saturday to play South Canterbury, prepared by the manager of the team (Mr A. Doig), was read to the Management Committee of the Ashburton Rugby Union last evening by the secretary (Mr G. A 7. Furby). It was stated that after attending a dance the team left for home at 12.15 a.m. The secretary paused with his sentence incomplete and every member of the Union waited intently to hear what promised to bo an interesting piece of information in view of the alleged times of arrival home of previous County teams. ■ But the disclosure was not made and the secretary concluded, amid laughter, “and the team arrived home safely.”

“It was a very wise thing to start rationing food and other goods at once, not to have waited to do so,” writes a former resident of Ashburton* l)r. Russel Rendle, from England. “So far we have really suffered very iTttle as to food. It will do the bulk of the nation much good to eat less than it has been doing. Most people have been accustomed to overeat themselves, but we have certainly been inconvenienced and we shall bo more so. Rations are not gigantic as I daresay you know.” Tobacco and cigarettes are very short, says the writer. “One factqry was totally destroyed, hands are scarce and I think they have ceased to manufacture any more “baccy” for the duration.” Meat is also a sore point for the writer. The. writer quotes tomatoes as being worth 10s (3d a lb and early strawberries 15s a basket.

To be washed in and out of the sea by successive waves and pounded by heavy seas, yet suffer no apparent illeffects, was the remarkable experience of Stephen Vautief, aged' IS months, son of Mr and Mrs W. Vautier, of Wainui. When the child was missed, states a report from Gisborne, an immediate search was made by the mother, but since it was unusual for him to go near the beach it was some time before she looked in that direction. Finally she saw the child left high and dry by a receding wave, and she reached him in time to hold him up while another wave swirled about her to a depth of 2ft or 3ft. Residents of the locality had watched an object thrown about by the sea for the best part of a quarter of an hour without realising that it was a little boy.