LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 127, 14 March 1950, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Ladies’ Tennis Club Tlie Ashburton Ladies’ Tennis Club conducted a friendly tournament at the club courts recently. Mrs W. Drummond organised matches and Mrs B. Anderson donated a trophy, which was won by Mrs J. McDonnell. Afternoon tea was served. Magistrate’s Court Along with 10 other defendants, Clarence John ( Gunning and James William Kenny were chargecl in the Magistrate’s Court in Ashburton yesterday, before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., lyith being found on premises at 159 Wills Street, the premises at the time being used as a place of resort for the consumption of intoxicating liquor. . The defendants, who did not appear, were fined £2 and costs. Dunedin Wool Sale To-day is the prompt date for the recent Dunedin wool sale—rthe day on which buyers pay brokers and farmers for wool sold at the third auction of the season- in Dunedin on February 23, says a Press Association message. A total of 31,964 bales was sold at this sale, which was one of the best ever held in New Zealand, and the gross receipts should approach £2,000,000, while the average price may be £6O a bale. Rugby Coaching Film The Rugby coaching film taken when the All Blacks were in South Africa is expected to arrive in New Zealand within a few days, says a Wellington Press Association message. Advice to this effect has been received by the New Zealand Rugby Union. It will be necessary for copies to be run off the print received from South Africa, after which they will be available for distribution to unions, which may be in about a fortnight.

Calculating Frost The official standard for calculating ground frost has for some years been 30.3 degrees Fahrenheit and below, this' being the point at which plant damage occurs. For the ordinary method of expressing degrees of frost, freezing point will, so far as the Ashburton Domain Curator is concerned, in future be 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below. This is because there is a difference between degrees of frcwt and ground frost. There can be a frost between, freezing point and a ground.frost without apparent' damage to plant life.

Toe H Meeting At the meeting of the Ashburton branch of Toe H last evening several questions were discus'sed by a “brains trust” consisting of Messrs L. Cross, snr., W. Lynn and L. Moore. The topics were “Should cricket bats be made wider and wickets placed further apart,” “Should the Government provide some financial support for sectarian schools?” and “That the Government should do something to stop the migration of her own. specialists to other countries.” The topics evoked considerable discussion and Mr Moore was able to give some interesting facts on cricket in Australia. For the Children m To illustrate that wonfen will do anything for children Mrs H. Ross, Minister for the Welfare of Women and Children, speaking at the W.D.F.F. conference in Ashburton this morning, told of a trip to Kawliia made to investigate the difficulties Maori children were having in getting to school. It was necessary to cross two miles of shallow estuary, and as she could not ride a horse she had to mount in front of a Maori. “I shut my eyes,” said the speaker, “and was thankful that the horse was a sturdy one. It needed to be, to, carry my 10 stone and the Maori’s 15.” Doubter Convinced Mrs H. Ross, Minister for the Welfare of Women and Children, at the W.D.F.F. conference in Ashburton this morning, told of a visit paid by her to see her mother, in Auckland. An electricity repair man called at the home and, in the course of conversation, asked Mrs Ross where she belonged. . On being told “Hamilton” he rejoined: “Oh, that’s the place where they elected a woman deputy-mayor, isn’t it.” “Yes,” she said, “I am that woman.” The prompt answer was, “Oh nuts on that.” But Mrs Ross persuaded him she was speaking the truth, and ended her story.with, “He was quite a nice man really.” Belgian Award to New Zealand A Belgian medal has been placed in the vaults. where hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of stamps are kept in the bowels of the General Post Office in Wellington. It has a beautifully embossed engraving of King Leopold on its face, and was recently awarded to the New 1 Zealand Post Office by the Belgian Government in recognition of their participation in an international exhibition of postage stamps held in Brussels last July. • A set of New Zealand’s 1935 pictorial stamps was shown at the exhibition, which was held to mark the centennial of the first postage stamps issued in Belgium.

Allcnton Kindergarten Mothers’ Club There was a good attendance of members of tlie Allenton Kindergarten Mothers' Club at the annual meeting held recently. Mrs L. M. Breeze took the opportunity of introducing the new kindergarten director (Miss J. Harris) "who, in accordance with ,a general rule of the club, was ultimately elected president. Reference was made to the valuable work throughout the past year of the retiring secretary (Mrs L. A. M. McNair) who had shown an inflagging interest in the club’s activities. Mrs D. R. Davies ivas appointed to fill the vacancy. Miss Harris gave an interesting talk on the rules and routines of the kindergarten. Supper was served at the conclusion of the meeting by the social committee.

Sales of Pip Fruit If the Apple and Pear Board catches anyone making black market sales of pip fruit this season, they will be prosecuted. Mr Harvey Turner, the chairman of tlie board, made this plain at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ on Thursday night. He had been asked whether it were time that the board appointed an inspector to check black-marketing activities. “The board is investigating black marketing,” Mr Turner. replied. “I don’t want to discuss it at any length here, but growers will remember that at last year’s conferences we threw out warnings. The board is going further than giving warnings this year, and prosecutions will follow. But to say that the board has appointed an inspector for the express purpose of detecting black marketing by those who suffered through the hailstorm is less than fair.”—P.A.