The Guardian. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1935. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 89, 22 November 1935, Page 4

The Guardian.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1935. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Printed at Leeston, Canterbury, New Zealand, on Tuesday and Friday -afternoons.

The Southbridge Swimming Club's income for last year was £16 18s 4d and expenditure £15 lis, leaving a credit balance of £1 7s 4d.

To-morrow evening a social in aid of the hall furnishing fund will be held at Lakeside Hall. An attraction will be an exhibition of tap-dancing by Mr Richards.

One of the questions asked of Mr P. C. Webb, M.P., at Southbridge on Wednesday evening was whether, if the Democrats moved a vote of noconfidence in the Government when Parliament met again, would Labour vote with the Democrats? "I thought the age of miracles had passed," said Mr Webb in his reply, "but in event of another miracle happening and the Democrats being in a position to move a no-confidence motion against the Government, Labour would certainly vote with the Democrats."

Extensive alterations have been made to the stage of the Town Hall at Leeston by the proprietor, Mr Bernard Brown. It has been extended about a foot and a new front built, with doors on either side leading on to the stage. A new floor has also been built, raising the level of the stage another 10 inches, and sloping upwards to the back of the stage. This will enable those at the back of the hall to gain a better view of what is taking place on the stage. Permanent footlights have also been installed. These improvements were utilised last night for the production of "The Middle Watch," and were greatly appreciated.

In the course of his address at Southbridge on Wednesday evening Mr P. C. Webb, M.P. for Buller| quoted a statement made by Dr. Gunson, of Auckland, as to the effects of malnutrition, worries and troubles caused by the depression upon the physical and mental health of the people and to the effect that a large number of children attending the schools were suffering from the consequences of malnutrition. The last municipal elections resulted in the return of a Labour council, which decided to supply the school children with milk every day. After two -months the teachers reported that the mental and physical efficiency of the children receiving this ration of milk had increased by 25 per cent.

To-morrow afternoon the Ellesmere Gun Club will hold its annual shoot for the Robert Patterson Memorial Cup.

Next Tuesday evening, in St. James's Parish Hall at Southbridge, another popular euchre and dance social will be held.

Mr Charles F. Eddy informs us that Coe's ford is not negotiable for motor traffic and will not be so for about a week. At present it is impossible to reconstruct the footbridge on account of the depth of water, and it will not be put into place before the end of next week.

The supervisor, Mr J. Adams, reported to the Thames County Council meeting that a slip on the coast road had proved to be an earth movement. Volcanic rocks had intruded through the sedimentary grits. The pressure was working northward, and the volcanic rocks were shattering and falling. One prominent portion of the volcanic rock was observed to rise some six inches, tremble, and then settle back into place. It was necessary that the boulders should be watched for sudden falls, thus requiring a considerable amount of attention. It was not unusual to find the road covered with spoil which had fallen during the night, said Mr Adams. It was estimated that the roadway in the vicinity had risen at least six inches. The movement was undoubtedly a fault in the making, and would be interesting to watch.

A political campaign in a large country electorate is no holiday matter, but one involving severe physical strain, as the Labour candidate for Mid-Canterbury, Mr H. E. Herring, confessed at Southbridge on Wednesday evening. He had arrived late after addressing a meeting at Lakeside. In the course of a few remarks he said that he had already addressed three meetings that day and the one at Southbridge was his fourth. His total speaking time that day was over five hours. The candidate went on to say that in his previous meetings he had said that the Government had taken from the Labour Party's policy the proposal for medical service and insurance. Mr Coates recently stated in the North Island that Labour had lifted this plank from the Government policy. He (Mr Herring) had made inquiries and found that this was so; it was in the Reform Party's policy in 1914, but nothing had ever been done with it. Mr P. C. Webb: "It has come of age now."

The developments in secondary industries in New Zealand possible with the proper utilisation of the country's natural resources, were emphasised by Mr P. C. Webb in his address at Southbridge on Wednesday. He said that there was enough iron ore in the Dominion to supply all its requirements and for export purposes, while its coal deposits were becoming increasingly valuable. A ton of bitumenous coal contained 80 gallons of petrol or oil for diesel engines, and a country with large coal deposits was indeed a fortunate one. In the hydrogenation of coal every element except ash and moisture was valuable and was utilised. No less than 500 different chemicals and dyes could be obtained from coal, and the present method of using it was extravagant, for science had discovered what great potential wealth coal contained. Even now the New Zealand Air Force had arranged for a supply of benzol from the Christchurch gasworks, to be mixed with petrol for fuel purposes, and he knew from experience that such a mixture gave much improved power. In England one hydrogenation plant, which had been erected at a cost of £3,000,----000, gave employment to 2000 miners as well as to hundreds of men at the works, and was supplying one wing of the British Air Force with petrol. At present in New Zealand 10,000 men were engaged in the search for and production of gold. Flax was another commodity with great potentialities. Largely through the energies of the member for Wellington East, Mr R. Semple, a factory had been built at Foxton for making woolpacks, and this article was of a quality and nature which had received the endorsement of Bradford experts. Even if the industry received half of the Australian trade as well as New Zealand's, it would in future absorb over 30,000 of the population. There were wonderful possibilities before secondary industries in New Zealand provided they were developed on the right lines.

I London had 25 air-raids during- the Great War, in which altogether 922 bombs were dropped, 524 people were killed and 1264 injured. Tests of road noises are said to prove that the various vehicles offend in the following order:—Tram-car, steam waggon, sports car and motor cycle.