LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 212, 19 June 1944, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr J. H. Twentyman, organising secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, yesterday conducted the morning service at the Ashburton Baptist Church, the afternoon service at the Greenstreet Presbyterian Church and the evening service at St. Andrew’s Church at Ashburton.

About 40 members of the Girls’ Life Brigade paraded at the morning service at the Baring Square Methodist Church yesterday, when Flight Lieutenant A. B. McDiarmid took the service. The Rev. A. M. Costain, of Rangiora, conducted the evening service.

f Sex-vices at the Salvation Army yesterday were conducted by the Youth Study Group, under the leadership of Corps Cadet N. Collins, all Corps Cadets takiiig some part. The main address at the morning service was given by Corps Cadet B. Argyle, while Cadet D. Jackson addressed the children. Cadet E. Joyce gave the address at the evening service, at which a quartette, Cadets Collins, Argyle, Jackson and C. Kirkman, sang “Jesus, Thou Art Everything to Me.” Cadets had tea with Adjutant and Mrs L. L. Lindsay.

The report on development of power supply presented to the Ashburton Electric Power Board to-day, said: “In general, experience shows that snowstorms seriously affect only those lines running from south-east to northwest* directly across the path of south-westerly storms. A fairly small deviation from this line seems to leave the lines fairly safe. The area affected by snowstorms seems to be limited by the contour 300 feet above sea level and the work proposed is practically all concentrated in that area.”

Forceful terms were used by MajorGeneral Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., about Italian mud in a letter to a friend quoted by the “New Zealand News.” . The mud of Flanders and France, he said, was mud mucilage in contrast to the tenacious stuff with which the troops in Italy had to contend. No mud in any other part of the globe with which he was acquainted —and he was a widely-travelled soldier —could compete in holding and bogging qualities with the Italian variety. lie wondered whether a scientific inquiry into causation would yield interesting results.

The Minister of Railways (the Hon. R. Semple) announced yesterday that a start had been made with a railway work which will serve the large new housing areas in the I-lutt Valley. This is an extension of the present railway line from Waterloo to Naenae, a distance of one mile and 50 chains. Mr Semple said that the formation and ballasting for the line had been started. The formation along this length was very easy and should be completed in a very few weeks. The Railway Bepartment would then follow on with the platelaying. Plans for station buildings and overbridges were in hand.

Consideration to the making of representations to the Commission of Inquiry into apprenticeship is urged upon members in the annual report of the Wellington Employers’ Association. “Owing to the demand in the Dominion for labour and the high wages that have been offered and paid to lads to enter unskilled industries, it has been found, generally speaking, that very few apprentices have offered their services or shown any desire to enter into apprenticeships in most of the skilled trades, and this has created the thought in the minds of employers, educationists, and others as to whether the apprenticeship laws of New Zealand should be amended,” states the report.

Mid-year examinations at the AshCarton Technical High School com.nenced to-day.

The inspectors of the Canterbury Education Board concluded their annual visit to the Borough and Ashburton East Schools last week. They were Messrs A. Lake and J. Hawke. Miss Sheet (Supervisor -of Special Classes) also visited the East School on Friday.

Single women between the ages of 30 and 40 and married women without children in the same age group called on early this year to register for essential under the National Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations, 1944, are now receiving notices to report to the district manpower officer. Each notice emphasises the fact that attendance at the office is compulsory under the regulations.

A small, blue-eyed, curly-headed girl taking part in the children’s pet parade at the Fanciers’ Society's annual winter show on Saturday exhibited a dog almost as big—and considerably stronger —than herself. Fortunately it, was very docile in the ring. When she had received her prize, however, and made to lead her pet away the animal took matters into its own hands and instead of being led from the ring, did the leading itself, dragging the breathless hut triumphant owner behind. Magna CartaT" key s tone of many of the dearest rights and privileges of democratic life, was 729 years old last Thursday, it is believed, and the Royal Society of St. George in Wellington observed the anniversary and was addressed by Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P. Though the charter had not done some of the things it was loosely claimed to have done, he said, it had established some fundamental rights of farreaching effect. To-day it was the duty of British peoples to make themselves worthy of their liberties and freedom. The chairman, Sir James Grose, commented that, in effect, it was Magna Carta that Britain was now fighting for. '