LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 58, 18 December 1945, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Woman's Body Found Mrs Minnie Ranks, aged 68 years, of 29 May’s Road, Papanui, was found dead at Sumner yesterday afternoon. —P.A.

Shopping Hours Shops in Ashburton will close at 5.30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and re-open the following Thursday, it was stated in error in the “Guardian” on Saturday that they would re-open on "Wed nesday.

Tyres and Tubes Applications for 130 tyres and 74 tubes were approved by the Ashburton Tyre and Tube Rationing Committee last evening, at its final meeting for the year. The next meeting will be Hold on January 14, after the manufacturers have re-opened.

Dunedin Savings Bank A donation of £2OO has been received by the Forest and Bird Protection Society from the Dunedin Savings Bank. This sum is to he used in furthering the aims of the Society, namely the preservation of the native flora and fauna of New Zealand.

Seventh Birthday The Ashburton branch of Toe H celebrated its seventh birthday last evening, commencing with . high tea. This was followed by reminiscences, which proved entertaining, as well as instructive to new members. The president (Mr E. J. Wood) presided over a good attendance.

Naval Rating's Death The rating from the. aircraft-carrier Indefatigable who was drowned while swimming near Lion Rock,® Piha, yesterday afternoon, was George Sheridan Wallace, aged 24, a telegraphist, whose next-of-kin live in Northern Ireland, says a Press message, from Auckland.

Home'on Christmas Leave Private W. T. Houston, of Ashburton, arrived home on Christmas leave from Hanmer Hospital last night, travelling in a hospital car attached to the midnight goods train to Dunedin. There were about 15 personnel aboard. Private T. Whiting, of Hinds, has also arrived home on Christmas leave from hospital.

Second Traffic Inspector Notification of the appointment of a second traffic inspector at Ashburton was received by the Borough Council last evening from tlie Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. L. Laurenson). The Council agreed to offer 60 per cent, of the revenue from driving licences as payment toward the salaries of the inspectors.

Use of Health Stamps Inquiries at the Ashburton Post Office to-day revealed that, contrary to some opinions, health stamps' cannot be used for receipting accounts and similar documents. Enthusiastic supporters of the health camp scheme have been using them for this purpose but actually they cannot be, legally used for this purpose, as they bear the inscription “postage and health.” The distinction is that, the ordinary stamps are for “postage and revenue.

imported implements With the revocation of the Farm Machinery Control Order (1943), notice of which has been received from the Primary Industries Controller* (Mr E. J. Fawcett) by the secretary of the Mid-Canterbury Council of Primary Production (Mr W. H. Amos), it is no longer necessary for purchasers of imported farm equipment to apply for permits for release. Officials of councils of primary production need no longer furnish such applications.. >

Direction Order Flouted , . For failing to comply with a direction of the district, manpower officer to take up work ast a nurse aid at the Seacliff Mental Hospital, Carol Edna Drummond, nee McDougall, a> former employee of tho Invercargill Public Library, was lined £6 by Mr R. Abernethy, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court. The prosecution* was the first in Southland for a breach of the Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations. It was stated during the hearing that defendant was married on Saturday to a returned serviceman. —P.A.

£IOOO Stolen The sum of £IOOO, made up of 20 bank notes of £SO each, was stolen from the office of Walter Lambourne, Ltd., furnishers, at Three Lamps, Ponsonby, on Friday night, says a Press Association message. On Saturday morning it was reported that the premises- had been entered and a number of watches and £l4 in money taken. At first this was thought to be the only loss, but on hearing of the theft on Saturday a member of the firm went to the office, where he had left the bank notes in an unlocked drawer on Friday. It was then that the loss was discovered.

Cricket Grounds In accordance with a recommendation by the Ashburton Sports’ Association, the Borough Council last evening granted the Woollen Mills Sports Club a cricket groimd between the Returned Services’ Association’s ground and Walnut Avenue', the annual charge to- be £5. It was agreed to advise the Association that owing to the shortage' of labour, hand weeding of the wicket would have to be done by the Club. In connection with a complaint about the outfield of the R.S.A. ground, it was stated that the motor mowers had been out of action for a while, during which the ground could not be given proper attention.

Unsightly Pole Dump Exception to the state of the pole and wire dump of the Post and Telegraph Department beside the railway line in Ashburton was taken by speak* ers at a meeting of the Borough Council last evening. Mr S. W. Gower said the Department was not playing the game with the Council by allowing its yard, situated in the middle of the town, to become an eyesore. It was decided to ask the Department to clean the yard up. “It is very unsightly in its present state,” said Mr C. H. May* nard.

Quality of Milk Reporting to the Borough Council last evening on the quality of milk delivered in the Borough, the Health Inspector (Mr J. C. Kirk) said that of 29 samples taken during October and November, three failed to meet the requirements of the test for keeping quality, and two were below the required standard of butter-fat content, Offending samples taken in October' had been checked by samples taken direct from producers, but those taken during November had yet to be checked with the source of supply.