LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 143, 30 March 1948, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rich Milk Yield

After pouring milk from the bottle on a recent morning a Hawera householder was astonished to find in the bottom a £1 note folded over a 10s note. Being honest, lie advertised: “Sum of moneq found in our daily milk supply. Write giving details to Rich Milk.” The claimant was a man who stated he placed £1 10s in a bottle, rembered it later and hastened to the milk depot, but could not find it there. Rabbit Pest

About 14,000 rabbits have been exterminated on the Ahuriri Lagoon development area, Napier, since the beginning of December. Trying io check this close encroachment of the pest on the town itself, rabbiters in one kill last week-end destroyed 1100 rabbits. Last winter two rabbiters ‘killed between 12,000 and 15,000, and a special campaign has been launched against the rabbits again this summer. Burn-ing-off of the stop banks has greatly assisted the killing.

Never-Never Road

High on the crest of the hills to the east of Lower Hutt, north of the long, sloping scar which marks the road to the Wainui-o-Mata Valley, is a road which appears to lead nowhere. Only a section of the road can he seen from the Hutt Valley. It marks the efforts of two returned servicemen who found a. stand of rata (first-class firewood) and bulldozed a road a mile and a half over the top of the ridge to get to it. The rata available is estimated at about 1000 cords.

Use of Cosmetics “I am certain it is part of women’s duty in life to be as attractive as possible, and if the hand-maiden of art can be brought into use then well and good,” said the Rev. E. Blackwood Moore at the annual meeting of the Auckland Y.W.C.A. He deplored criticism of things which were not in themselves bad —even if make-up was sometimes applied by the young with rather too much enthusiasm. It could provide quite a “moral uplift” as well as improve the appearance of things, he commented, amid laughter. Ambition Fulfilled A small book on New Zealand plants which was sent to him from his cousins in Christchurch when he was eight years old interested Dr. Martin Holdsworth. of London, so much that even as a. hoy lie decided then and there to study botany and visit New Zealand. His ambition has now been fulfilled, as he has arrived in Dunedin to take up a position as lecturei in botany at the University of Otago. He brought with him to New Zealand the hook that first aroused his interest in the Dominion.

Exhibits for Zoo An offer by the Canadian Government to present bison and wapiti from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, to the Auckland Zoo has been received at the Town Hall from the Canadian High Commissioner in New Zealand, Mr A. Rive. He said caribou were not available at present. Mr Rive also said the expenses of capturing, crating and transporting the animals would be charged to the Auckland City Council and he has been asked to obtain an estimate of thcee costs. .The matter is expected to be discussed at the next meeting of the council’s Parks Committee. Remand on Theft Charge

On the application of Senior-Detec-tive E. M. Thomas, Eden John Grainger, a labourer, aged 23, of 59 Wakanui Roacl, Ashburton, was remanded in the Magistrate’s Court in Timaru yesterday until Thursday on a chaige of breaking and entering by day the house of Percy Sefton Green, at 18. Sarah Street, Timaru, and committing theft. Grainger appeared before Messrs J. G. Rattray and J. Olliver, Justices of the Peace. Mr Thomas said that further investigations were being made. Bail was allowed on two sureties of £SO each, or on one sui'ety of £IOO.

Cruiser’s Propeller Freed Ml four propellers of tlie 10,000-ton cruiser Australia are again serviceable. A diver from the Devonport naval base worked during Easter to free the outer starboard screw from the 2’.in wire rope with which it was fouled when, the ship was leaving Lyttelton earlier in the New Zealand cruise. After using an underwater torch to cut away the rope guard outside the propeller housing, the diver severed and removed each of tne tightly-jammed turns of wire until the screw was again free to run. For almost a fortnight of her New Zealand cruise, the Australia used only three engines.—P.A.

Pacific Aircraft Delayed The Pail American Airways elippei Australia, which was due at Whenua.pai in the course of a routine flight yesterday afternoon, is delayed at Canton island. The cause of the delay was not known in Auckland, but advice was received that a relief aircraft, the clipper East Indian, had been sent from Honolulu to bring the Australia’s passengers to Auckland. The clipper East Indian left Honolulu yesterday afternoon, and is expected lo reach Auckland with the Australia s 2 9 DRS'Senters cincl others waiting m FU "XSt 1 o’clock this afternoon. The time of her departure with passengers and mails had not been decided to-night—P.A.

Week-End Flying . Hi'hi winds cut down Iho hying activities of the Mid-CanterbuiT Aero Club over the Easter holidays A Tiger Moth was flown ' from Christchurch by Mr C Fantham on Saturday, and one on Sunday by the chief flying instrue (or of the Canterbury Aero Club, Mr L F. Poore. Two Tiger Moths arrived at Ashburton from Christchurch on Monday, one being piloted by Mr ,y Neave and the other by Mr I. Brain ley an Ashburton member of the Canterbury Aero Club. The cb'ib's twin-engined Dragon-Fly arrived a (lie Ashburton ’drome at dusk last night. after flying from Invercargill ami left to-day for Christ church.

Novel Penalty .. A novel penalty was imposed ny -M-i S L. Paterson, S.M., on three youths who admitted taking trout by unlawful means from the Utahina stream, Rotorua. A ranger had caught the youths using a stick and wire netting and chasing the trout into an open net. Tt was~time that juvenile anglers took some interest ill the future of the sport, which was a valuable national asset, said the Magistrate. He ordered the youths to accompany the conservator of fish and game at Rotorua, Mr S. A. McNamara, on a tour, during which they would he shown just, what the department was doing to maintain adequate stocks of trout hi the district. Each of them must then write an account of what he had -seen and hand it to the child welfare officer.