LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 2, 13 October 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

About 50 pupils of the Ashburton Content Went to Christchurch this morning to attend the Solemn Pontifical Mass for the idte Bifihop Brbdie.

Two minutes’ silonce in lionotir of tfid late Bishop Brodid and of Private P. Flannery, a member of the club, was observed at a meeting of the Ashburton Catholic Club on Monday evening. Mr F. X. McDonnell presided.

Ignition keys were removed from three motor-cars in the streets of Ashburton on the night of September 19. It Was announced today by the police that those hat® been, recovered and will be returned to the owners on application.

Last week 175 towns attained their National War Savings quotas. Seventeen of the 18 principal centres were successful and in 15 postal districts the full district quota was obtained. The Blenheim district again recorded 100 per cent success, all places within the area having attained their allotted quotas.

The unusual experience of having matches proffered and having to resist sales taik heifell an Auckland business man one day last week. In marked contrast to a few mouths ago; when matches could be had only with other purchases and wives developed ©xtra'cunning in hiding the household supply, matches are now being openly exhibited in the shops and there is little difficulty in buying several boxes at a time.

The length some people go to get something for nothing is amazing. For some considerable time shopkeepers in Palmerston North have been troubled with the theft of ornaments off frocks. In speaking about this kind of theft, a well-known frock specialist in Palmerston North said: “They just rip them off the frocks, leaving a hole. We have tried sewing the ox* namehts oh, but it makes ho difference. Our latest loss is a particularly striking ornament, one which could be recognised anywhere, so I have informed the police, and we will see what they can do about it. I only hope the thief wears it.”

A member of the Merchant Navy now in New Zealand, who was formerly connected with aviation in Britain, considers that the de I-lavil* Jand Comet aircraft with which Scott and Black won the 1934 London-Mel-bourne. air race, belongs either to James Mollison or to the estate of Mollison’s former wife, the late Amf Johnson. A. cable message published recently said the plane was now lying derelict in a field at Gravesend, and the d© Havilland company, if the owner can be found, will purchase it for presentation to the Science Museum, where Amy Johnson’s “Jason,” in which she flew to Australia, is exhibited. The man who offered the opinion about the plane’s ownership is a George Medallist, being given the award for his part in making 25 consecutive trips to Dunkirk during the evacuation. He says that when he last heard of Mollison the latter was engaged in the air ferry service between England and America.

Both the appeal by the Napier Borough Council and that lodged by Mesjsrs Thompson Hills, Auckland, for a. canning licence to enable the latter to establish a canning factory in Napier have been dismissed by Sir Francis Frazer, -who heard the appeals at a- sitting of the Industi’ial Efiiciency Appeal Authority.

‘“I think the National- Sendee Department should Issue you with a medal .for meritorious service,” said Mr J. J. Scott, chairman of the Wellington Industrial Manpower Appeal Committee, when the mother of 18 children appeared on behalf of one of her daughters. It -was stated that she had four sons with the fighting forces, four girls in essential work, five children going to school and fiVe daughters married, some of these being in essential work.

“I know there have been complaints about, the non-arrival here of mail from men in the Middle East,” said Lieutenant-Colonel L. F. Rudd, D. 5.0., addressing business men in Auckland; “but you can take it from ine that the Postal Unit With the Second N.Z.E.F. is most efficient and works just like a big post office. Once a letter gets into the post properly addressed its gets to its destination, and only twice have we had mail destroyed by enemy action. Of course, we do get the fellow who thinks he addresses the enevelope properly, but doesn’t,” he added with a smile.

Assisting the constant efforts to trace New Zealanders still classified as “missing” from the campaigns from Greece onwards the “N.Z.E.F. Times” publishes a list of more than 400 names. The “Times” emphasises that members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. khowing those whose names appear may have information -which is not available to 2nd N.Z.E.F. records, but which might have a vital bearing on the fate of those concerned. The majority of the personnel are classified as missing in Greece and Crete, but there are many who Went missing in the breakthrough at Minqar Qaim, and the first days of El Alamein.

The killing of lambs by some kind of a bird, which was reported last week to be puzzling farmers in the Wataroa district of South Westland had also been puzzling at least one Gore district farmer until Thursday last, when he discovered a spar-row-hawk in the act of killing a lamb, states the “Southland Times.” Mr E. G. Wallace, who has a farm at Artliurton, has lost about 20 lambs from his flock recently, including four killed on Thursday. Most of the lambs had been found dead with their ears torn off, arid Mr Wallace states that the lambs killed on Thursday had suffered in this manner. Part of the jaw had also been torn away. It. is his intention to conduct a war against hawks from now on. All the lambs killed in the Wataroa district were stated to have been found with a hole hi the centre of the skull. No one had beem ablfe to discover What kind of a bird was responsible.

Mr E. Cholerton, Proprietor of “Procters,” The Opticians, Christchurch, is at present in Ashburton and may be consulted on defects of eyesight at the Somerset Hotel tomorrow and Friday.—(Advt.)