LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 119, 4 March 1950, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Youth Council Officers Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Ashburton Christian Youth Council were; —Secretary, Miss E. Scott; treasurer,, Miss P. Tucker; auditor, Mr T. E. Watt; choir conductor, Mr C. E. Hopwood; accompanist, Mr N. N. Harwood. The appointment of president was held over till the next meeting.

Anchorages All Full All anchorages in the stream at Auckland were again occupied by 10 overseas ships last night, and the 10,000-ton Panamanian tanker, Gray’s Harbor, was unable to enter port when she arrived from British North Borneo. The Gray’s Harbor went to an emergency anchorage two miles north of Rangitoto and will move into port this morning to berth. —P.A.

Snake Shared the Bed A live snake 30 inches long and one and a-lialf inches through was found in a bed at Oliope, near Whakatane, on Wednesday night, says a Press Association message. It was coloured black on top, yellow on the under part, and had a speckled yellow and black tail. It was killed by the finder* with a golf club after he discovered it crawling up the leg of his pyjamas.

Air Force Officers’ School A school in service organisation and administration has been opened at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Whenuapai. The first six weeks’ course in which 22 officers, including three from the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force are taking part, began this week. The school will instruct newly-commis-sioned officers and others on refresher courses in service organisation and administration. The range of lectures covers such subjects as the history of the service, drill, staff work, medical work, court inquiries, accounting, welfare, and catering.—P.A.

Cargo Left in Wharf Sheds Drastic action ■will be taken by the Auckland Harbour Board against importers who do not remove goods speedily from the off-wharf storage sheds, says a Press Association message. The board chairman (Mr W. F. McCallum) said that, the board intended to handle the cargo congestion problem firmly. Higher penal demurrage charges may be levied against merchants holding goods in board stores. A total of 6500 tons of cargo stored by arrangement at the board’s dock site and at the Halsey Street sheds must be removed by next Friday, or penal rates will then be charged.

Polynesian Medical Student s Two places in second-year classes at the Otago Medical School have been allotted for each year including 1950 to qualified Maori or whole or -part •Polynesians born in the island territories under the administration of New Zealand, says-a Press Association message. This decision was made by the council of the University of Otago yesterday. The successful applicants must undertake to serve in the Islands’ Medical Service for five years after qualification. The following allocation of places in second-year classes was agreed to: Preference, repeat students 13, graduates 3, graduands 16, former servicemen 4, Maori 2; non-preference, Otago 34, Canterbury 18, Wellington 12, Auckland 18.

Hail Damage to Orchards , The damage to fruit crops in the Twyford and Frimley areas in Hawke’s Bay caused by recent hailstorms may be much worse than was at first thought, states a Press Association message. Although a final summary of the survey by officers of the horticultural division of the Department of Agriculture has not yet been made, it seems probable this will point to a total loss of nearer 300,000 bushels than the original estimate of 200,000 bushels. Such a loss might mean that growers will be out of pocket to the extent of anything between £IOO,OOO and £150,000. Figures have now been taken out by two fruitgrowers whose properties were considered to be among those not so severely affected by the hailstorm. The results of these checks are such that the original damage figures may have to be drastically revised.

Week-end Telegrams In answer to inquiries made by people anxious about the transmission of telegrams on Saturdays and Sundays the Postmaster at Ashburton (Mr A. F. Wells) supplies the following information. On Saturdays telegrams at ordinary charges are taken at the public counter from 9 a.-m. to 11.30 a.m. After 11.30 telegrams may be presented at the telegraph branch (up-, stairs). Those handed in for the four main centres are at ordinary charge for the free delivery areas. For all other stations ordinary charges plus Is 8d are made, and in special cases a carriage fee of Is a mile after the first mile is also chargeable. Arrangements for Sundays and holidays are: Telegrams may be lodged at the exchange at charges of 6 words -.for Is (minimum) plus lid for each additional word, and these only for offices in attendance. For post offices which are closed an extra charge of Is 8d is levied, plus carriage charges if required.

Long Flight for Ducks Late last year a Wellington sportsman shot two fat ducks on Penrliyn Island, a New Zealand dependency in the Northern Cook group. He realised immediately that he was serving himself with a special treat. Ducks were rare visitors. He did not know, however, that he had stumbled across a rare’clue to the little-known, migratory habits of the American pintail duck. The ducks he shot had just made the longest recorded Pacific flight of any •of its species. One of the birds had been banded only three months before, 4000 miles away in a wild life refuge in California. The sportsman, -Mr L. T. Craig, who was the only white meteoroloigst on the island, removed the band, and sent it to the United States Government Fish and Wild Life Service. Thjs week in Wellington lie received a reply: “This is one of the most interesting and remarkable recoveries of the North American duck we have received,” said the letter. “We are particularly interested to note your comments that you shot two birds from a flock of six of the same species.” Mr Craig said that the natives on the island told him that the ducks called annually for one month of the year.—P.A.