LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 280, 7 September 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tender For Dog Collars Three tenders for the supply of 2600 dog collars were received by the Ashburton County Council yesterday, and that of Disabled Servicemen, Ltd., at £149, was accepted.

Poison For Pests

Sales of poisoned grain by the Ashburton County Council during last month comprised 171 tins, and, during the same period, 121 packets of rat poison were also disposed of.

Aria Contest The New Zealand final of the ‘Melbourne Sun” aria contest was won by Miss Gwendoline Minogue, of Christchurch, says a Wellington Press Association message. She will compete at Ballarat next month at the grand national eistedfodd of Australia and New Zealand for which there are 127 entries.

Seed Certification Closing Dates Dates for the closing of seed certification entries for the Canterbury Provincial District have been announced as follows:—Potatoes, September 20; broad red clover, Montgomery red clover and subterranean clover, September 27. Entries will be received at the office of the Department of Agriculture at Ashburton.

Children's Footwear Imports The Minister of Customs (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash) has advised the Associated Chambers of Commerce that consideration will be given to applications from regular importers for licences to import children’s footwear within the size ranges 10 to one and two to five. Licences will be granted subject to early delivery being effected.— P.A.

County Ratepayers Commended “It is a pleasure to see how the ratepayers are actively clearing off gorse,” commented Cr. H. A. McKenzie, at yesterday’s meeting of the Ashburton County Council. “Everywhere you go, you find them .busy on the job.” Other members agreed, and it was decided to place on record the council’s appreciation of the excellent manner in which ratepayers are tackling the problem.

Decrease In Coupons Saved There was a very marked decrease in the number of food coupons cancelled at the Ashburton Post Office this week, the figure of 771 being much less than half, of the 2023 surrendered in the previous week. Of the total, 751 were meat coupons, against 1920 last week. Eight sugar, four tea and eight butter coupons were also cancelled. Last week butter coupons totalled 81 and tea 22.

Meat For Dogs Referring to the ’protest by the Wairarapa Coursing Club against the reported cut in rations for dogs other than shepherds’ dogs, the Rationing Controller (Mr A. J. Costelloe) said that no changes in the meat allocation for dogs in commercial’ kennels or used by farmers had been made recently, says a Wellington Press Association message. No special allowances, of course, had ever been made for domestic pets.

Air Mail Rate to America Notice to ask the Postmaster-Gen-eral if there was a possibility of a reduction in the air-mail postage rate to the United States was given in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr C. M. Bowden (Opposition, Wellington West). The rate, he said, was 4s a half-ounce from New Zealand, whereas the rate from America was 10 cents. Mr Bowden said that parents whose daughters went as brides to the United States found the cost of sending a weekly letter to them a heavy impost. —P.A.

Bulk Sending of Parcels When the House of Representatives met yesterday, Mrs H. Ross (Opposition, Hamilton) gave notice to ask the Postmaster-General if the Government would consider arranging with the Internal Marketing Department to send food parcels in bulk to Britain to be delivered to nominated friends of those New Zealanders who subscribe to a voluntary fund for the purpose, thus reducing the cost of postage and helping to relieve the food situation in Britain. Mrs Ross said that if postage were reduced in this way more of these parcels which, were so appreciated in Britain could be sent.

Complaint Over Valuations “In my case I am paying rates on a valuation just 50 per cent, higher than what I paid for the place five years ago,” wrote Mr G. A. Rountree, of Alford Forest, to yesterday’s meeting of (lie Ashburton County Council. He went on to point out that, since the last valuation in 1938, “the P.W.D. have taken a lot of land and chopped farms up' considerably; I consider the casual amendment made to valuation subsequently grossly unfair and a complete re-valuation should be undertaken.” Mr Rountree also suggested that, where water races were on the boundary, tlie maintenance costs should be shared equally by all neighbours. The letter was received and no action was taken apart from an instruction to the engineer to rdport on any cases where the burden of race costs was inequitable. <

Appointment of Engineers So that national undertakings may not suffer through the transfer of engineers to the employ of catchment hoards, an agreement has been made that appointments shall be made through the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, the chairman (Mr W. Machin) announced to the North Canterbury Catchment Board yesterday. The establishment of the boards had increased the already heavy demand for highly-qualified engineers and some Government departments had suffered, he said. Under the agreement, considerations of national interest would be taken into account. At least one society of engineers had approved the plan, which was for three years, subject to termination at six months’ notice.

Bequests to Orphanages Several bequests have recently been made to orphanages and other charitable organisations by three women who for many years lived in Christchurch. Portion of the residue of the estates of Misses L. T. and F. A. Palmer has been left to St. Saviour’s Orphanages and South Island Methodist Orphanages, and the Methodist Women’s Missionary Union. Under the terms of the bequest each organisation will receive about £1250. The Nurse Maude District Nursing Association, and St. Saviour’s Orphanages will each receive about £4250 from the residue of the estate of Miss Annie Hill, who died' in 1937. Her parents were among the original settlers of the Shirley district, and Hills Road was named after them.