LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 88, 24 January 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A relief express from Christchurch to Dunedin passed through Ashburton at 9.4 this morning, and carried 1 a good number of passengers. Another roliei train will be run next Saturday.

In the report of the sitting of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday it was stated that one of the civil cases was against C. H. Ireland, junior. lhc word junior appeared in error.

When Ashburton residents are in doubt as to which direction the wind is blowing, they will only need to look at the flag pole on the Post Office. A weather-vane has been placed on the top of the pole.

An annual bowling match, Ashburton and Allenton clubs against the Ashburton Club and M.S.A., which was to have been played this afternoon, was postponed until next week on account of the weather.

The “scorched earth” policy of the Russians, to defeat the advancing German armies a few months ago, has been emulated to some degree by Waikato farmers who had their hay spoilt bv the persistent rain of a fortnight ago. The bay had lost its nourishing qualities, .so the owners elected ,to burn it, rather than go to the expense of harvesting and stacking. A number of farms round Hamilton have paddocks showing where fire was used.

An increase of 15,210 in the number of all classes of radio licences in force on November 30, 1941, compared with the number at the, same time.,in. 1940, is shown in the returns prepared by the Director-General of the Pest and Telegraph Department. The new grand total is 365,554. Receiving licences showed the largest increase, new figure of 363,063 being a rise of 15,132. During the year the number of radio dealers has dropped.from 1029 to 931.

The three children who were injured in the motor accident at the corner of 'Havelock and Grigg streets, Ashburton, yesterday, were reported to be in a satisfactory condition this morning. They are: Kathleen and John Shea, iboth suffering from cuts and abrasions, and Patricia Hodges, suffering from concussion. Patricia Hodges is the daughter of Mr J. Hodges, of Riccarton. and 1 was spending a holiday with Mr and Mrs Shea at Fairton.

Advice has been received, by the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association that a suitable notification exempting Poppy Day from the operation of the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations will be gazetted shortly. When it became clear to the Dominion executive that the sale of poppies for the collection of funds for the welfare of former servicemen, including those returned from the present war and their dependents, it was decided to place the position before the authorities. The exemption will also apply to Rose Day, which has been, conducted by the .Wellington Association for some vears.

Conditions brought about by the collapse of the copra market are having an effect on the life of the people in many villages, states the Rev. C. T. J. Luxton, of Skotolan, Fiji, in the New Zealand “Methodist Times.” Usually a number of young men are away working on plantations, and their earnings come back to the villages. With the closing down of some plantations and the curtailing of the staff of others, large numbers of young men have been left without work. Others who have been working for years have been returned to their villages, so that a greater number of men than is usual are now found in the villages. The lack of income has thrown the native back on his resources, and after many years of easy access to trade stores this is causing something of a hardship.

The present rain in the Ashburton County is not very welcome to some sections of the farming community, particularly growers of ryegrass, as most of the crops are still out, said an Ashburton grain and seed merchant to a “Guardian” reporter this morning. At the same time wheat will benefit materially, and the heads will become plumper. When there are four grains across the head it is a clear indication that the yield is going to be a good one. Cocksfoot has practically all been stooked, and appears to be right up to last year’s yield, and the standard of the seed better. The Agricultural Journal for January, in an article on this industry, points out that English buyers ar;e not satisfied with the samples of New Zealand seed. In order to build up trade with, the Home Country, farmers should make a first-class job of the samples. Oats should show record returns this season, and peas were looking wonderfully well.

Annual deliveries of breeding ewes from Gisborne and East Coast districts to the Waikato commenced earlier than usual this year. In order to ease the position owing to fewer drovers being available, dry sheep were sent away as quickly as possible earlier in the season, and the first lots of two-tooth ewes were put on to the road in fairly large numbers. It is expected that more breeding ewes than usual will be sent. Most of them will be entrained at Taneatua, but a few of the early ruobs are being driven the entire distance, for there has been an abundance of feed on the roadside. Congestion has occurred at the railhead because of the large number of sheep awaiting delivery and the impos sibility of providing sufficient trucks at the required time. Several cases have keen reported of sheep waiting at Taneatua for several days, and in at least one case for a week, before the railway authorities could cater for them. A few of the drovers have lieconic impatient and have driven the sheep on toward stations to the north.