LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 247, 29 July 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

‘‘British Influence in American Development” was the subject dealt with by Mr E. J. Wood, tho speaker at the Ashburton Rotary Club’s luncheon today. Tho early spring flowers of tho pussy willow are much esteemed by many people as an indoors decoration, but there are places where the plan is not looked on with favour. Tho St. Kilda Borough Council, Dunedin, has recently taken the necessary steps to have the pussy willow (salix eaprea) declared a noxious weed within the borough, Tho transfer of skilled tradesmen to defence construction works, restrictions on building materials and manpower demands for war purposes curtailed the board’s housing activities during tho year, says the annual report of tho Board of Native Affairs, Forty-nine houses were erected, purchased, or repaired under the provisions of the Native Housing Act, while on the farm development and settlement schemes 32 dwellings wore completed and 1-5 were renovated. Cottages and other dwellings erected or renovated for Maoris by the board from tho inception of this work totalled 2854. Further progress has been made in tho dehydration of moat in the Dominion, states the annual report of the Now Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. The first large-scale dehydration plant to be erected in New Zealand was recently put into operation. This plant was built at the request of the British Ministry of Food, and has a production capacity of 5000 tons of dehydrated meat a year. Contracts with the United Kingdom Government provide for tho export of 2500 tons of dehydrated meat this year, and it is Imped to double this quantity in 1914. It is estimated that the contract quantity of 2500 tons is equivalent to 14.000 tons of carcass meat, so that the export of dehvdrated meat, which is shipped in unrofrmorated snnee. will save this equivalent of refrigerated space in overseas vessels. A view that rabbit hoards in tho Wanganui district, were just holding their own against the pest was expressed by tho secretary of the Wanganui, Wangaehu, and Paten-Wai-totara Boards (Mr G. Darby shire), reports the “Wanganui Chronicle.” He said that war restrictions had made it difficult to obtain labour, ammunition, poison, and traps. There was little trapping or shooting being done by persons other than tho hoard’s trappers. Mr Darby shire said that an average of 30,000 rabbits a year was being destroyed in the Wanganui Board’s area, with a similar number in the Patea-Wnitotara district. All possible methods were being used, including cyanide gassing of warrens. Those were not dug out. so that the number of rabbits killed by that process. believed to be considerable, is not included in the other totals. A motion which raised the subject of the constitution of the Church of England in New Zealand, particularly the obstacles to co-operation between and united action by dioceses, was discussed by the Wellington Diocesan Synod in committee. The motion, which was carried, was as follows: “That in the opinion of this synod, the gravest disservico is being done to the cause of the Church in this land by the existing lack of unity and co-opera-tion between its several parts, and that without prejudice to the working of the diocesan system, tho diocesan representatives of General Synod ho requested to meet and to consider how they can best exert their whole influence toward securing a common policy and united action on tho great problems with which the Church of the province is faced.”

Light sleepers and people who did not retire till late last night report that there was a sharp earthquake shock at about 11.20 p.m. No damago of any description was done.

A lecture on the history, customs and language of the Maori was given by Major A. Armstrong to a largo audience in the Ashburton Salvation Army Citadel last evening. Colonel G. Dry was chairman. Colonel Dry and Major Armstrong are retired Salvation Army officers, and were missionaries among the Maoris in tho early days. Tho lecture was greatly appreciated, and Mr E. Gray moved a vote of thanks. •

Not all appeals lodged on conscientious grounds w r ere by those seeking exemption, said Mr L. N. Harris (secretary of the Auckland Appeals Division) speaking to the Auckland Rotary Club. A largo proportion, lie said, asked merely for non-combatant service. Some of these men bad impressed him by their gameness and sincerity. They deplored killing, but willingly offered to undertake duties in the medical or other non-combatant units. “They are prepared,” said Mr Harris, “to take what the enemy fires at them, but not to hurl it back again. Tli at calls for a real degree of courage, and many of them have already exhibited it in actual warfare.”

After being missing since the campaign in Greece, Sergeant L. N. Northover has advised his mother, in Wanganui, by cablegram, that he is safe and well and has rejoined his unit in Egypt. Sergeant Northover left for overseas in 1940 and was taken prisoner by the Germans in Greece, but escaped. After the evacuation of Greece nothing w r as hoard of him until 12 months ago, when unofficial word was received in Wanganui that there was reason to believe that he was safe and well. This word came through a Palmerston North soldier who also escaped from the Germans in Greece and, after being at large for five and a-half months, succeeded in returning to Egypt.