LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 124, 10 March 1950, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Choral Society’s Request Granted

The Ashburton Technical High School Board of Managers, ■ at last evening’s meeting, acceded to a request from the Ashburton Choral Society for the use of the school hall for its weekly practices.

Condition of Rivers The Ashburton Acclimatisation Society reports that the Ashburton River is clear and fishable, and the Rangitata and Rakaia Rivers, though milky, are clearing and are , fishable.

School Board Affiliates

The Ashburton Technical High School Board of Managers decided to affiliate with the Ashburton Community Centre. The chairman, Mr H. Watts, undertook to attend the centre’s annual meeting, and the appointment of a representative was left over to the next meeting.

S.P.C.A. Street Day Stalls at the patriotic depot are splendidly stocked and well staffed for the street appeal by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Up to early afternoon the response of the public to the sale of badges had been excellent. A good sum was also raised by tlie liouse-to-liouse collection.

Ashburton Boxing Association

There was a good attendance of members at a recent meeting of the Ashburton Boxing Association. Mr A. W. Argyle presided. All members and trainers expressed a desire for as many tournaments as possible this season, and trainers were asked to gert boxers in form. It is hoped that the first tournament will be held in the middle of April or sooner.

Napier Becomes a City The borough of Napier,, which now has a population of 20,038, which is 538 more than the official estimate last April, has been proclaimed a city as from March IS. A formal claim that the borough’s population was more than 20,000, was sent by the Napier Borough Council in January to the Government Statistician, who has now certified that this is correct. The borough will celebrate Its seventyfifth anniversary this month. —P.A.

Caravan Club Rally The A.A. Canterbury Caravan Club is holding a rally in conjunction with the South Canterbury Club at the Ashburton Domain camping ground tomorrow and on Sunday. The official •opening will take place to-morrow at--2 p.m., and in the absence of the Mayor (Mr E. C. Bathurst), Mr A. A. McDonald, Deputy-Mayor, and Mr H. G. Ferrier, chairman of the Domain Committee, will welcome the visitors. There is a varied and interesting pro : gramme prepared for this, the last rally of the season.

Beer Drinking Record The feat of a Sydney weighbridge operator, Mr H. Fulton, who claimed a world record after drinking 60 halfpints /of beer in eight hours, was bettered recently by a Kumara bushman, Mr E. Case, who drank 61 10ounce glasses in seven and threequarter hours. Not until -Mr Case was in his final hour did he begin to show the effects of the four gallons of beer already consumed. He carried on, although feeling a little sick, to drink his sixty-first beer at 4.35 p.m. Records Broken •> ' Reporting on the boys’ and girls’ swimming sports to last evening’s meeting (if the Board of Managers of the Ashburton Technical High School the principal stated that both senior and junior students, had put up excellent performances. New records were established on the girls’ side by Helen Stewart in the plate dive and Endeavour House in the relay event, and T. Boag set up a new record in the 25 yards freestyle, of 13 seconds. The same swimmer equalled the school record of 33 1-5 seconds for the 50 yards freestyle.

Free Auction of Houses

A five-roomed rough-cast villa residence on nine poles of land in Douglas Street, St. Kilda, Avas sold by auction yesterday for £1450, says a Press Association, message. Valuers and builders said that this price represented a big increase on Avhat could have been expected Avhile the Land Valuation Act Avas in foi-ce. The bidding began at £BOO, and there were 12 other bids. The first free auction of a Wellington city property took place on Wednesday. A vacant 45 to 50-yeav-old seven-roomed house on a small section in Hobson Crescent, requiring repairs, Avas passed in at £2300.

Sale of Truck Not Registered Prosecutions instituted by the Transport Department for failure to notify Avithin seven days the deputyRegistrar of Transport of the sale of motor-cars, Avere heard by Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court ,in Timaru yesterday. James Craig, of Ashburton, Avho was charged Avith a breach of these transport regulations did not appear. The charge involved the sale of a truck. The evidence showed that a Mr Cameron purchased the truck from Craig but had difficulty in securing OAvnership papers. The vehicle Avas sold on behalf of John Herbert Me Alpine in August, 1949, and the register Avas not made until January 18, 1950. Craig Avas fined 10s. McAlpine Avas ordered to pay costs when convicted on a charge of failure to notify a sale.