LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 140, 24 March 1944, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A representative meeting of the collectors for the Spvingfield-Oan-n----brae section of the Mount Hutt PMU’ otic district decided to make a personal canvass of the section, and Messrs J. McAnulty and McClay were appointed collectors. Mr MeAnu ty presided.

Already there has been <a> good response to tlie appeal for so rags for the Armed Forces, several large being banded into the Ashburton Reclamation Depot during the week. Paper has also been brought in freely, eight bales having been packed since the last consignment a week ago. However, clean waste paper is still urgently required.

The big rivers in the county are reported to be in better condition than they have been since the opening of the salmon season. Recent freshes in the Rangitata and Rakaia have improved the condition of each mouth, and fish have been entering during the week. The Ashburton is in good condition at the bridge, but appears to be scouring towards the sea as it is discoloured at the mouth.

An unfortunate habit among a certain section of the public—particularly children —To leave bicycles balanced precariously against verandah posts lalong footpaths can have sei ious results for passers-by. This was clearly shown by an incident in East Street this week. A cycle leaning against a post fell over as a woman was passing, the pedal cutting her leg deeply. Four stitches were put in the wound 1 and the victim was forbidden to walk for 10 days.

The current meat coupons No. 20 and 21 will expire on Sunday, March 26, and Sunday, April 2. respectively, and a new set of coupons, No. 22, will become valid for ia fortnight from next Monday. Tea coupons 21 to -4 for a total ration of Soz, and sugai coupons for a total of 31b are redeemable until April 16. An additional olb of sugar for jam-making may be obtained on the Y 6 coupon until June 11. Butter coupons A2l and 22, each tor Boz are available until April 1. Hosiery coupons XlOl and JXI62, eacb available for oue pair of fully-fashion-ed silk or art siillt stockings, are si ill current.

Because of confusion among farmers as to what they should produce to aid the war effort, the Wanganui District Council of Primary Production has decided to ask the National Council to publish a statement giving details of foodstuffs most urgently required in the order of priority. Mr G. L. Marshall said that in t.lie Rangitikei district farmers had grown a fairly large extra area of wheat, which was an exhausting crop, but they could equally well grow peas, beans, carrots, swedes and probably cabbages for canning, if meat was needed most, farmers would sow grass and breed from more ewes, but they must have information before it was too late for the coming season.

The Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) stated to-day that the civil postal service between New Zealand and certain provinces of Southern Italy, part; of which had recently Deen restored, had now been extended to include the provinces of Avellino, Benevento and Naples. The service was still restricted to unregistered letters not exceeding two ounces or postcards of a purely personal nature. —P.A.

Raising more than 5000 dollars by direct donations and from special entertainments, a battalion of New Zealanders on Mono Island is establishing a fund to aid the dependants of its five mem killed during the Treasury Isyand operations. Fourteen hundred dollars were received in direct donations from the battalion and neighbouring units, and entertainments realised several hundreds more than was required to re:;icli the 5000 aimed at. Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.

The extent of the work oi the department which fixes the price of prescriptions submitted by chemists for social security claims was described by the Auckland district chief clerk of the Health Department. (Mr S. E. Watts) before the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee, A staff of 12 trained women was engaged in initial pricing, and dealt with 60 prescriptions each an hour. The pi iced prescriptions were checked by four women, who had had two years’ experience on pricing, three qualified male pharmacists, and six unqualified male pharmacists. The male members of the staff checked 90 prescriptions each an hour. With the exception of one man, the male staff worked eight hours overtime a week and the female staff six hours a week.

Estates to the value of £479,141 were reported and accepted for administration hy the Public Trustee during February. The total value of estates and funds under administration hy the Public Trustee on March 31 last was £60,777,793, and the new business for the 11 months ended February 29 was £ 5,713,808. Grants of administration made by the Court in favour of the Public Trustee numbered 270 for the month. During the month 521 new wills appointing the Public Trustee executor were prepared on behalf of testators and lodged for safe custody, and 431 existing wills were revised to provide for changes desired by testators. The total number of wins now held in the Public Trust Office on behalf of living persons is 125,002.

An urgent appeal to New Zealand to procure and export the greatest possible number of rabbit carcasses lias been made by the British Government. The importance of the appeal was emphasised by Major G. F. Yerex, of the Internal Affairs Department, and Mr G. Simpson, of the National Service Department, Wellington, during a visit to Invercargill. They met representatives of organisations dealing with the destruction of rabbits. Major Yerex said that one rabbit carcass was equivalent to the total amount of meat consumed by a small family in Britain for one week. Consequently rabbit -carcasses would assist greatly at the present time toward feeding many thousands families in Great Britain.

A scheme of immigration which would give homes in this country to thousands of the orphaned chiklien from Britain was advocated for adoption after the war by Mrs T. Barrel’ (Dominion vice-president of the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union) in an address at Hunterville. “After the war,” she said, “we cannot expect to go on holding vast areas in this country just for ourselves. We will have to face up to the question of populating and developing the country, and what better way can we lay the foundation for a far-sighted immigration scheme than by offering homes to those who are without homes and parents in Great Britain, or even on the Continent?” In New Zealand to-day, Mrs Barrer stated, one home in every four was childless, and in many homes tliero was only one child.