LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotary Club Delegates to the recent Rotary conference held in Dunedin reported on the meetings held, at the Ashburton Rotary Club’s luncheon to-day.

Seddon Railway Wreck Inquiry The hoard of inquiry appointed to take evidence on the Seddon railway wreck on February 25 will hold its opening meeting at Wellington on March 30 —P.A.

Daphne Rebekah Lodge A meeting of Daphne Rebekah Lodge, 1.0.0. F., No. 34, was held last night. The N.G., Sister P. Donn, presided over a fair attendance of members. Three candidates were initiated into the Order. Quarterly and halfyearly returns were presented by the secretary. Three sisters were reported on the sick list. A social hour followed the business of the lodge, and supper was -served.

Accepted Secret Payment On a charge of accepting on September 26, 1946, a secret payment of £l2O from Gordon Stevenson Harris over and above the price shown in the application to* the Land Sales Court for its consent to the sale of two sections at Green Lane, Riccarton, Reginald Stanley leaac Colin Rudd, a soldier, was fined a total of £l6O in the Magistrate’s Court in Christchurch yesterday when Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., gave his reserved decision.

Ram Fair Concluded in Darkness With the use of torches and matches auctioneers endeavoured to continue 'the sale of sheep at the Ashburton ram fair after darkness last evening. It was too dark to induce the sheep to run along the races into the selling ring so the rams were offered in the pens. Although 33 pens were put up in this way, purchasers could not view the sheep, and pen after pen was offered without any bids being received. Only six lots were sold.

Veterans’ Home in South Island At the nieeting of the Canterbury Provincial Patriotic Council, held yesterday in Christchurch, a letter was received from the Christchurch branch of the R.S.A., asking that a Veterans’ Home be established in the South Island. It was decided to forward the letter for favourable consideration to the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board. Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon mentioned that the board had discussed the establishment of veterans’ homes at previous meetings.

Hurricane Damage The mission house at Tonga in the central New Hebrides was so severely damaged in a hurricane on Sunday that it will have to be rebuilt, according to advice deceived by the Rev. D. N. Macdiarmid, director of Presbyterian Missions, from the Rev. R. W. Murray. Roofs were blown away from churches and schools and many native houses were destroyed. Winds of 97 miles an hour were experienced when the centre of the cyclone passed New Caledonia early on Sunday afternoon. The barometric pressure was 28.6in.—P.A.

Tasman Flying-Boats The overheating of engines of the Tasman-class flying-boats of Tasman Empire Airways is expected to be overcome by modifications designed after three weeks’ research and experiment. This was announced at Auckland yesterday by the general manager of the company-(Mr G. N. Roberts), who said it was hoped the aircraft would resume operating in April, one at a time at fortnightly intervals. Modifications had taken much longer than was expected, but the company would sacrifice anything in the interests of technical perfection. The company felt now that the trouble had been overcome. —P.A. Cowan a Total Loss The Lyttelton trawler Cowan, wrecked in Starvation Bay, off Port Levy, on March 9, is now presumed to be a total loss. The Cowan lies op the bottom at a depth of about seven fathoms, and wreckage, including the top of the wheelhouse, has come ashore. It had been proposed that salvage would be attempted by the crane ship Rapaki, but this is now considered impracticable. Starvation Bay was visited yesterday by representatives of the Lyttelton Harbour Board and of Lloyd’s, Captain G. Mouncer (master of the Cowan) and a Harbour Board diver (Mr V. Nelson). Mr Nelson was not able to make a descent.

“Rushed Legislation” The introduction of .“rushed legislation” in the dying stages of Parliamentary sessions was condemned by delegates at the conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce in Dunedin yesterday, says a Press Association message. The conference adopted a motion “deploriiig the Government practice of introducing important and contentious legislation late in the session, since the effect is to produce Acts of Parliament which have not received sufficient consideration.” Mr Stronach Paterson, Wellington, said the congestion at the end of sessions was due as much to the lateness of the Budget as anything else. In Britain, he said, the Budget closed on April 3, to be delivered on April G.