ASHBURTON.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18307, 14 February 1925, Page 4

ASHBURTON.

GENERAL NEWS.

The gates in course of'construction at the East Ashburton War Memorial Swimming Baths will be completed to-, day. They are erected, in concrete, in the form of an arch, while a marble slab, about three feet long, bearing the names of those. who ; sacrificed their lives in the Great War, is inset on each side. •'■''.■'

No further developments , were reported yesterday . in. connexion With the two suspected cases of infantile paralysis in the Ashburton County. The recent reduction in the price of sugar will be reflected in Ashburton on Monday, when sugar will be reduced from 4d to 34 d per lb. . Owing to harvesting operations in the country being general; the meeting of the Mid-Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, fixed for yesterday afternoon, lapsed for want of a quorum. Rural Mails. In connexion with the Ashburton County rural mail scheme, official advice has been received from the Postal Department to the effect that the Ashburton Alford Forcst-Mt-Somers* Laghmor service will commence on Tuesday. .The advent of this service will bring about the closing of the Ashburton Forks, Alford Forest, Staveley, Arama and Valetta Post Offices, while the Mt. Somers, Springburn and Westerfield offices will remain open.

There is a possibility of the Ash-burton-Willowby Eiffelton and Hinds-Lowcliffe-Coldstream services being merged into the one delivery. Definite information upon this proposal will boavailable in the course of a few days.

Fire Brigade. At the annual meeting of the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade, Superintendent P. T. Barber presided! Foreman W. W. Tilley reported.that during the year there had been 52 musters, including 17 alarms, with. an average attendance of .14 members. .

Engineer Dolman .reported that all tie gear was in good, order. The resignation of (Mr W. tW. Tilley) was received and • accepted with- regret. The superintendent referred in eulogistic terms to Mr Tilley 's work for the brigade. ■'.-,...

The election of officers resulted:— Superintendent, Mr P. T. Barber; firstlieutenant, Mr L. Kidd; second-lieut-enant, Mr W. W. Tilley; senior foreman, Mr H. Hefford; junior foreman, Mr J. Hickey; secretary and treasurer, Mr C. Solway; auditors, Messrs. W. Patterson, J. Donn, J. Hickey; finance committee, officers, secretary, foremen, and Fireman E. Meredith; general committee, officers, secretary, Driver T. Gibson, Fireman F. Looms and W. Denby. ... It was decided to grant an honorarium of £5 5s to the retiring secretary. On behalf of the Borough Council Cr._W. G. Hillier (chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee), congratulated the Brigade on its success during the year, and presented awards as follows: Superintendent Barber (37 years' service), extra two years' gold bar; Driver-Engineer Leslie (21 years' service), extra two years' silver bar; Fireman F. Fussell (three years' service), certificate.

A vote of thanks was passed to Cr, Hillier for the interest he had displayed in the Brigade's welfare.

Magistrate's Court.

Mr E.'D. Mosksy, S.M., presided at yesterday's sitting of the Magistrate's Court.

Judgment for plaintiff, 'by default for the amount claimed with costs, was entered in each of the following cases: —Ashburton Mail and Guardian Co., Ltd., v. W. Painter (Methven), £2; same v. Painter and Son (Methven 1 ) £l6 18s 3d. s -

No order was made in a judgment summons issued by Eobert Tedford against Eobert Gibson for £3 .7s:

James John and James Allen, farmers, of Dromoro, claimed from Arbuckle Napier, raihvayX employee, Ashburton. the sum of £3 17s Cd,. consisting of £1 17s M as one week's rent,of a dwelling rented, by the defendant from plaintiff and £2 being an amount due upon a ,gig purchased by" defendant from plaintiff . about October, .1923 Judgment for the plaintiff for the amount paid into Court, 16s lOd, was given, while no costs were allowed '■ . on either side.

Mail Notices. Mails close to-day for northern ports at 0.10 p.m. late fee letters 5.46 p.m., guard's van '» :>.m. ■ Mails for Chatham Islands, per Tees close at Ashburton to-day. ' . Mails for United Kingdom, Central America and Europa, via Panama (specially addressed correspondence only), per Eotorua from Wellington, close at Ashburton on Friday next.

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