LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 136, 20 March 1948, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Picnic Postponed The Ashburton Silver Band’s picnic, which was to have been held at Lagmhor to-day, has been postponed.

National Savings National savings invested at the Ashburton Post Office during (he week totalled J 2120, or .£585 sliorl ol (he weekly quota of .£705.

Sealing: of Post (Mice Yard Work on the sealing of (lie- Ashburton Post Office yard is expected to begin next week. The yard will he sealed right round to tin* hack <u the building.

Silver Band Recording

One of the recordings in the band session from 3YA between 2 and 2.M0 o’clock to-morrow afternoon will be the test selection “Berlioz” at the Dunedin contest, ft will be played by the Ashburton Silver Band.

Fire Drill in Schools The Canterbury Education Board, at a meeting this week, decided to request teachers to practise evacuation and fire drill similar to that introduced cjuring the war in connection with the Emergency Precautions Scheme.

Application Granted The Lagmhor School Committee recently made application to the Canterbury Education Board for permission for a tennis club to use the -school court, and the Board granted the application, providing- the usual conditions are observed.

Food Coupons Details of food coupons handed in to the Ashburton Post Office this week were: Meat 3870, butter 61, sugar 6, tea 12. Pupils of the Technical High School accounted for 3261 meat coupons and 47 butter coupons. Schoolgirls, on behalf of the Red Cross, collected 597 meat coupons.

Allen ton Drama Club Members and friends of the Alienton Drama Club met in the Church Hall on Wednesday evening, when two one-act plays entitled “The Lady From Abroad” and “Idols” were read. Keith Lochhead gave two elocutionary items. Supper, provided by the vice-presidents, brought a very enjoyable evening to a close.

Easter Service

A special presentation of the Easier Story will be given by the Baring Square Choir to-morrow evening. The spoken word will be delivered by two small choral-speaking choirs, and the passion music will be given in the form of solos, duets, trio and choruses, some of which will be drawn from the “Crucifixion” and ’’Messiah.”

Visit To South Island

The chief scientist to the British "Ministry of Supply, Sir Ben Lockspeiser, who has been engaged in official discussions in Wellington, will leave to-night for the South Island, where he will inspect Canterbury Unh versity College and Wig-ram aerodrome.

Cricket Delayed The Bristol Cup cricket match between Technical Old Boys and High School (Timaru), which was to have started at 10.30 at the Domain to-day. was delayed to 1 o'clock. In a junior match between Tckau and Alpine (Timaru) a start was made in light rain at 11.30 a.m., but play had not started again after lunch, at 1.30 p.m.

Christian Youth Council At a special meeting of the Christian Youth Council, final arrangements were made for the Easter Dawn Service to be held at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday morning. The Salvation Army Band will accompany the hymns and the service will be conducted by the youth representatives of each church. The service will be of 45 minutes’ duration and should have general appeal.

Farms Balloted A ballot for farms for ex-servicemen was held in Christchurch yesterday morning. The successful applicant for one unit of G 65 acres at the Dromore farm settlement was K. J. Scott, of Timaru. Three sections of the Pyramid Settlement, near Hawarden, were also balloted, but none of the successful applicants came from the Ashburton district.

Rain Affects Tennis The Town v. Country tennis tournament, which was to have been played at the Te Marae courts to-day, was abandoned because of the rain. The Yankee tournament to have been played at the Ashburton courts was also abandoned. Trophies won during the season were presented at a function held in the Te Marae pavilion this afternoon.

Invercargill Butchers’' Plans A shortage of meat is not likely in Invercargill next week, as a result of a decision by butchers to buy at the schedule prices, 53s per 100 lb for beef and Sd per lb for mutton. Those are the prices to which they will be prepared to bid at the Lorneville stock sale on Tuesday, but if the market price goe*s much higher, butchers may prefer to seek supplies elsewhere.— (P.A.)

Holiday for Mr and Mrs Farmer “The idea is very much in the raw, and I am merely asking that the suggestion be considered,” said Mr H. D. Roberts (Fairlie), when moving at yesterday’s meeting of the South Canterbury executive of Federated Farmers that an endeavour be made to arrange for suitable married couples to go on farms for periods, so as to enable the farmer and his wife to go for a holiday. The meeting decided lo refer the matter to branches and to da-cuss it again at a later meeting.

Spraying Plant Explodes Starting with an explosion that sent a cloud of black smoke high into the air, a fire destroyed a large bitumen spraying plant and trucks at the Public Works Department’s tar depot near Urut.i yesterday. When the tanks of the plant, exploded, blazing bitumen was spread over a radius of 100 yard*?, and the lire burned fiercely for two hours. Both the plant and the truck were a total loss. The plant was owned by the department. This is the second bitumen plant to He destroyed by lire in tHe area this year.— (P.A.)

Farewell Social

Members of the Ashburton branch of the British Sailors’ Society met, yesterday afternoon to farewell Mrs 0. Robertson who is leaving Ashburton to take up residence in Timaru. Mrs R. Stevenson presented Mr<? Robertson with a bouquet and spoke of the good work done by her for the society. A musical programme followed, in which Mrs Stevenson sang solos. Miss M. Jennings gave a piano solo and piano duets were played by Misses Robin and Alteon Major. Afternoon tea concluded a very pleasant function.