LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 195, 31 May 1945, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A case of scarlet fever has been reported at Methven this week. The patient is a woman.

A new victory postmark for the cancellation of postage stamps on mail posted since V-E Day is being used in Britain, and the first mail bearing the new mark has recently arrived in the Dominion. The postmark consists of a large V, which extends across the stamps, together with ringing bells.

Statements made by members of the furlough draft which recently returned from Italy give proof of the popularity of the New Zealanders. The name of the principal street of the provincial town of. Sora, where the New Zealanders rested after the breaking of the Gothic Line, has been changed from Via Republicana to Via Nuova Zeolandia., in honour of the Dominion troops.

“If we could get 100 high-sided, flat waggons we could supply the coal, hut we are getting only 30 a day,” said a Westport business man who is interested in the coal trade. He added that, he was unable to catch up with orders. “Approximately 650 Q waggons are required daily for handling bituminous orders, but now .we are down to approximately 400 a day,” said another busines man engaged in the coal trade. —P.A.

A young registered pedigree Friesian bull has been donated to the Netherlands Government by Mr A. E. B. Richardson, the well-known breeder of Paeratu Stud Farm, Pukekolie, as a mark of sympathy for the people of Holland, in order to help in the rebuilding of their Friesian herds. The bull's dam has a V.H.C. classification and a record for production of 9691 b of butterfat and 24,0021 b of milk (4.04 per cent, test) in twelve months, being in that year, the highest producer under association test in New Zealand. The sire of the bull is a first-class animal with up to 10241 b of fat in his pedigree and is the son of one of the best. Sire Survey Friesian bulls of New' Zealand. Mr Richardson, who expressed the hope that other New’ Zealand breeders may follow’ his example, has also offered a pedigree Friesian heifer to the Netherlands Government. Both animals will be kept by Mr Richardson until transportation to the Netherlands can be arranged.

“Own Job Talk,” was the title of an address by Mr N. W. Corbett (Master of the Tuarangi Home) at the Ashburton Rotary Club’s luncheon to-day.

The fortnightly meeting of the 1 lakatcre Lodge, 1.0.0. F., was held last evening. Sick pay amounting to £l2 was passed in favour of 10 members. It was decided to cancel the social arranged for next month to avoid clashing with the victory hall. An invitation to pay a visit to the Rakaia Lodge was accepted.

Among other harvesting operations, pptato-digging in the County lias been considerably delayed by the wet weather, which, earlier in the season, caused the blight which affected many crops so adversely that they have returned little more than the seed planted. This is unfortunate in view of the strong demand from the North Island for potatoes.

So well have residents of the Counfy responded to requests to contribute toward patriotic funds that some of the 28 district patriotic committees in the County have already exceeded their quota for the current year. Committees not in this fortunate position are canvassing their districts or planning fixtures to raise the necessary amounts.

All members of the New Zealand forces overseas look forward to receiving the quarterly patriotic gift parcels contributed by each of the 14 provincial patriotic councils, states the May issue of the National Patriotic Fund Board bulletin. The unacklressed gift parcels service was introduced by the hoard early in 1940, and figures taken out recently show that since then very nearly one million of these parcels have been sent overseas. The raising of the necessary funds, the procurement of goods, some of which are in short supply, and the packing and dispatch of the gift parcels is in itself a big undertaking, but because of the individual personal note it strikes, it is a service greatly valued by the Service personnel. The value of the gift parcels sent overseas to date would be approximately £500,000.

Successful results have attended the efforts of the school children of Otago in a collection of disused motor tyres which was recently organised by the Otago Provincial Board for the Reclamation of Waste Material. Sixty-one schools contributed this figure, being exclusive of those in North Otago, and the number of tyres collected was 1065, made up of 949 car tyres and 116 truck tyres. Thirty-four inner tubes were collected. By arrangement with the National Patriotic Fund Board, each school was given the right of selecting members of the fighting forces overseas as recipients of gift parcels (valued at 10s each), to be dispatched on the’basis of one for 12 car tyres, eight truck tyres, or 20 large inner tubes collected. With each parcel a printed slip will be included, and this will be appropriately worded, according to whethev the parcel is from the school itself or from a pupil. The number of gift parcels earned in Otago, exclusive of North Otago, was S2.

After several gloomy days, when it appeared that an acute shortage of coal was going to cause a complete cessation of the Auckland gas service, prospects have brightened considerably, Bituminous e„oal arrived by train from Wellington yesterday, and the collier Rata, left Westport shortly after midday with coal, which will be sent by rail to Auckland from New Plymouth. With these two consignments the Auckland Gas Company expects to be able to maintain a restricted service until Tuesday. Gas consumers fared much better yesterday than they did on Tuesday. The holders were not drawn on iso heavily, and the morning service was maintained without interruption from 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. In the afternoon it started at 4.30 and continued for two hours. Tiie general manager of the company (Mr R. Worley) said that it was hoped that a similar service would he available to-day. Mr Worley said there would be an easing of the restrictions as soon as possible after either the Kiwitea or the Kartigi got away from Greymouth, hut even if they cleared the bar this morning, it was not likely that a full gas supply would be available until well into next week. —P.A.

“There’s many things a chap can do without at a pinch when times are hard and the clouds refuse to roll by, but tobacco is not one of them,” wrote a contributor to a London w’eekly not long since. “Hard times? Why, then it is precisely that the smoker craves more than ever the soothing, caredispelling influence of good tobacco.” So it is. Despite the w r ar, the demand for the weed in the Old Land is constantly growing. And it’s precisely the same in New Zealand, where nine out of every ten men smoke —to say nothing of women —yes, and most of them smoke one or other of the five famous brands, Riverhead Gold, Desert Gold, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Pocket Edition, and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), or tailormades. Once you try them you always buy them! —so sweet, so pure, so fresh and fragrant are they! The toasting does it. How's that? Because it eliminates most of the nicotine, and thus makes this beautiful tobacco safe for the smoker, w r ho can indulge ad. lib. w r ith absolute impunity! lx