LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 173, 4 May 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bucket pumps were used by the Ashburton. Fire Brigade to extinguish a rubbish fire which occurred at River Terrace shortly after 7 o’clock last evening. No damage was done.

Five cases of infantile paralysis were reported in the Canterbury Province last week, none of them in Christchurch, and one was reported from the West Coast. Other infectious diseases were: Septic abortion 1, erysipelas 1, cerebro-spiiial meningitis 2, tuberculosis 4. Tliero were no deaths from infectious diseases last week.

The special series of meetings ia the Salvation Army Hall, conducted by Padre Guy Gooday, commenced last Sunday with a series of three meetings. The subjects dealt with were “Crowding out Life’s Best,” “Taking the Hard Way” and “The Great Entrustment.” Last night the Padre spoke on “Courage, the Cardinal Virtue.” The meetings will ho held nightly until next Thursday.

For the first time since the introduction of district quotas for National" War Savings all the postal districts last week succeeded in attaining their full quota. Individual towns attaining or exceeding their local quotas totalled 177, the 18 chief post office centres being included in this number. In the Blenheim postal district all places attained their quotas for tho fourth week in succession.

Because of the difficulty of getting suitable sheet steel for the replacement of worn-out chutes which feed coal from automatic conveyors in the roof gables to the furnaces at the Evans Bay power station at Wellington, tho electricity department a year ago had a trial chute built of wood, tongued and grooved and clamped with angle iron. The life of steel chutes is not much more than a year, and nearly all are now changed over to wood, probably permanently, for wood is cheaper to buy and build and by all the signs has a longer life than steel.

Tho growing of soya beans in New Zealand on .a more extensive scale was advocated by Mr Earl A. Emrnerson, representing tho United States War Production Board, and a member of the Anglo-American Mission which has been touring Now Zealand. During a visi to Eltham Mr Eirnnerson said that from what he had seen there was no reason why soya beans could not be grown in New Zealand, hi the United States the growing of beans was becoming a great and expanding industry. Full advantage should bo taken of their food and oil production value. He emphasised the need for moro production of butter, cheese, and meat of all kinds.

A tribute to the behaviour of children during air raids is contained in a letter which has been received by women members of the staff of a Dunedin firm, from a mother in Norwich, England. She wrote to express her thanks for some bed covers which were among articles made by the staff in their spare time and sent to England for distribution in bombed areas. “My children, aged 10 and 6, were marvellous during the blitz,” she stated. “They did not complain or whimper once. All the children were like them. While the guns \Vere still blazing, the elder ones tried to man the stirrup-pumps when the men were tired, and they also ran for pails of water and carried out other tasks.” The writer added that the shock of the raid and the loss of her homo were followed by a feeling of thankfulness that the family was still together and safe.

An interesting. lecture on blood transfusion, accompanied by a demonstration, was given by Dr. W. R. R-y----buvn to the Ashburton Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade lasi; evening. There was a good attendance.

In order that the pupils can begin their winter sports at the beginning of next term, the Allenton School Committee last evening decided to purchase a football and basketball during the holidays Those present wove: Messrs Messrs G. H. Rollinson (chairman), J. Gowans, W. J. T. Lochhcad, R. N. Hughes, G. Knox and H. Vartha.

A joint appeal is being made by the Mayor (Dr. J. Connor) and the County Chairman (Mr S. P. Taylor) for billets for American servicemen on leave. This appeal follows tho receipt- by the Mayor of a communication Irom the Homo Hospitality Bureau in Wellington, asking for nis co-operation in finding hospitality for these servicemen. Arrangements will be greatly facilitated if those willing to assist communicate with the Town Clerk (Mr R. C. Major) at the Municipal Chambers.

Many offers of assistance with the catering have been received from various organisations by the sub-commit-tee of the Ashburton Patriotic Committee which, is arranging tho patriotic ball to be held to-morrow night. Included in these offers are two dozen loaves of bread from the bakers of Ashburton and a ham from the Ashburton Garage Proprietors’ Association. Reports presented at a meeting of the sub-committee recently indicated that the ball would bo a great success.

“It is no use disappointed applicants for tyres annoying the cycle dealers,” said the chairman of the Tyres and Tubes Rationing Committee (Mr S. G. Macfarlane) this morning. He said that lately there liad been allegations of favouring and hoarding stocks of tyres. These were totally untrue. A considerable proportion of this month’s quota of 162 tyres and 104 tubes was granted last evening. In conformity with instructions from headquarters children who have to travel long distances to school were granted tyres.

Further arrangements for tho Ashburton Fanciers’ Society’s show on June 18 and 19 were made by the general committee last evening. The chairman (Mr G. H. Nicoll) presided. All profits, it was decided, will be given to patriotic funds. The following judges were nominated:—Leghorns and Sussex, Mr P. A. Cornish j Minorens, Mr W. Tiilloch; bantams, Mr D. Edo; other varieties, Mr T. Findlay (Mothven); caged birds, Mr G. Street (Christchurch); working sheep dogs, Mr J. Radcliffe (Mount Somers); other dogs, Mr J. Soler (Masterton).