LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 256, 16 August 1950, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Twins Win £IO,OOO The first prize of £IO,OOO in an overseas competition has been won by Wellington twins —Mr John Robb, an employee of the Wellington City Council, and his sister, Mrs E. Painter. — P.A.

.“Glenelg" Health Camp The Ashburton Health Camp committee announces that four girls from the Ashburton district will return from “Glenelg” next Tuesday, and that four boys will enter camp on the following Friday.

Chimney Fire Attended The Ashburton Fire Brigade was called last evening at 7.45 to a chimney fire at 62 Cameron street, the residence of Mr A. R. Smythe. The outbreak was promptly got under control with a foam extinguisher, and no damage resulted.

Chifdren’s Fund Benefits

Speaking at an interval in the concert presented last evening by the Ashburton Vocal Study Group in aid of the Children’s Fund, the Mayor (Mr E. C. Bathurst), in thanking Mrs A. T. Smith for the assistance given, announced that the fund had benefited by the effort to the extent of £37.

Shows and Shows

The secretary of the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association has received from Mr W. H. Amos catalogues from agricultural shows he has visited overseas. That of the Sydney Royal Show was on view at the A. and P. Committee meeting yesterday, and indicated the size of that fixture—it had 635 pages and was priced at ss.

Races on Polling Day At question time in the House of Representatives yesterday Mr A. G. Osborne (Opposition, Onehunga) .gave notice to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. A. Bodkin) to consider the postponement of any race meetings set down for Saturday, November 18, on which day the local body elections will be held this year.

Quota Subscribed Pahiatua is the first district in New Zealand to reach its quota in the 1950 United Nations Appeal for Children. The Mayor of Pahiatua (Mr J. S. Judd) said last night that the quota of £1250 for his district had been over-sub-scribed by £53. He thought that by the time all collections had been received the total would be about £I4OO.—P.A.

Freak Lamb

There was brought in to the "Guardian” office yesterday by a young Tinwald farmer a freak lamb which was surely one of the strangest ever born. It had only one head, but had four hind legs, four fore legs, and two tails. Perhaps the most spectacular circumstance attending its birth was that it had a twin which was perfectly normal and is still flourishing, whereas the one brought in died at birth.

Cost of Living

The consumers’ price index in the July “Abstract of Statistics” provides town cost of living figures as at June 30 as follows (the base is, first quarter of 1949, average of 21 towns); -All food 1097; housing 1022; fuel and lighting 1091; clothing and* 1 footwear 1037. Ashburton’s figures for the same group are: 1028, 930, 1431 (no figure being given for clothing and footwear).

Olympic Games It is unlikely that more than 50 visitors from New Zealand will attend the Olympic Games at Helsinki in 1952, The executive of the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games Association at its monthly meeting in Wellington last night decided to send this reply to the Helsinki organising committee. The Helsinki committee advised that the programme would closely follow that of the 1948 Games in London. —P.A.

“Non-Competitive” At yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the general committee of the Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, a letter was received from the Ashburton Technical High School stating that it wished to enter in the next show a general non-competitive display in place of the entries it usually displayed. After some discussion on the merits and demerits of competition, it was agreed to allot the same space as usual for the new type of exhibit.

First of the Season? The first of the season’s oysters or whitebait are usually eagerly awaited by many people, but another specimen, which was brought to the “Guardian office and claimed to be the first of the season, will not have the same popularity, in fact, any eating will be done on its part. It is a white butterfly, fortunately for the cabbage patch, dead. It is perhaps a little smaller than the “ordinary” butterfly, but no doubt, had its existence not been shortened, would have played a destructive part in any garden.

Newsprint Test In the House of Represenatives yes terday Mr C. F. Skinner (Opposition, Buller) asked the Minister of Forests (the Hon. E. B. Corbett) to inform the House of the result of the newsprint manufacturing tests arranged, by the previous Government with the Southland Paper Mills at Lufkin, Texas. Mr Skinner said this company had agreed to test the suitability for newsprint manufacture of New Zealand grown pine by pulping sufficient New Zealand timber to stage a full 24-hour run on its modern newsprint machines. A. recent New Zealand newsreel had shown the present Minister watching some of this newsprint being used in a modern New Zealand printing press. More Children’s Efforts For the current Children’s Appeal the sum. of £lO 3s 6d has been handed in by the Schools’ Musical Society, being the proceeds of the third festival concert recently held. A particularly fine effort has been made by the Lauriston School. There are only 47 children at this school, but they raised £l2 10s by means of a play and a bring-and-buy stall. In addition to these, a Form I girl at the Allenton School on her own "initiative engaged the Kindergarten Hall and put on a Saturday afternoon with a community sing, games, competitions and stalls, the monetary result being £4 6d, which was handed to the headmaster “to add to the school effort.” Mr A. Roberts, F.S.M.C., England, representing Procter’s (Opticians since 1.877), Christchurch, arrives in Ashburton to-morrow on a professional visit. (Advt.)