LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16360, 24 February 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mrs E-. Spencer-Jones and Misses M. Dowell and li. Trembat.h made flights from the Sock burn aerodrome yesterday. Three degrees of frost was registered at Ashburton yesterday morning, after the very heavy southerly rain of tho night before, when 136 points of rain fell. The wind was exceptionally cold and towards the hills light falls of snow occurred. The ranges themselves were covered from base to summit in a mantle of white. Yesterday’s sun melted the snow rapidly on the lower slopes.

“ I believe I was the first man standing for Parliament that had the teinerity to say straight out 1 was a Farmers’ Union candidate,” said the Hon D H. Guthrie, when speaking at a function in Masterton a few days ago. He proceeded to say that he believed in the principles of the union, and he was not ashamed to espouse them. The success of the aerial passenger service is unqualified as far as Ashburton is concerned. From that centre alone tho receipts for fares has approximated £l5O in the last three •weeks (states the “ Star ” correspondent;. Bookings are now very

steady. Nineteen passengers have booked from Ashburton for the present week,, the majority making the trip to Christchurch. Six berths have already been booked for next week’s running. A meeting was held on Tuesday

evening in the Druids’ Hall, Woolston, in connection with the formation of a Workers’ Educational Association class in the district. Short addresses were delivered by Mr A. H. Tocker, ALA., tutor of Economics, Canterbury College, and Mr H. William-. It was decided to form a class in general economics and a committee, consisting of Messrs J. Rhodes (secretary), Davies, Trerise, and Garvia, was set up to carry out preliminary work. The meeting recommended that the class should commence on March 10.

As the 11.30 a.m. slow train from Ashburton to Timaru was entering Tinwald yesterday, several large iieav.v bundles of paper fell from one of trucks on to the rails, derailing two of the trucks near the passenger portion of tho train. The train was travelling slowlv at tho time and, when the mishap was noted by the guards the emergency brake was applied. The incident occurred inside the Tinwald points, so that there was another lino to work upon in clearing the obstruction. A relief quickly arrived from Ashburton and the Timaru train was sent on its journey again after a delay of about forty minutes. Later the ’two trucks were returned to the rails and brought into Ashburton. The bundles which caused the mishap comprised a quantity of brown paper wrappings from newsprint rolls, also several te cores” from the rolls and a package of stereotype 1 ' mats The delay would have been more serious, but for the abilitv of the train to shunt round the derailed trucks on the loop line. The annua] conference of the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Societv is to be held this year in Christchurch, commencing on March 8. The Mayor will preside at the opening function. The Canterbury Division anticipate a large gathering of pharmacists, their wives and daughters from all parts of the Dominion. Many important matters relating to pharmacy matters generally are to come up for discussion, the most important being the question of a School of Pharmacy. Opinions are somewhat divided upon this subject. It is evident that there is. a general desire to do the best for students, and as to whether the best interests will be served by having a school established in AVelhngton. or- that arrangements be made with the universities in the four centres, will be decided at this conference. The work of organising the conference is in the hands of Mr L. Bennington, who has undertaken the duties of organising secretary. Complete arrangements have been made for entertainment of visitors. A reception and bah will be held in the Choral Hall, and a motor trip will be taken to Ivaiapoi in order to accept the invitaGion of the directors of the Kaiaooi ’’ ooilen Company to view the mills. That a will need not always consist of written document was evidenced by tiie judgment of Mr Justice Chapman at Wellington on Monday, in granting of probate of a will made by word of mouth by a soldier to his fiancee before his departure on active service, where ho met his death in the field. The testator was Francis William Desmond, a soldier in the New Zealand Jsxpeditionary Force, fn his judgment his Honor said;—“Before leaving for foreign service, and when on his final leave he said to Iris fiancee, May Booth: May, take these papers and •?P thom * If Ido not come' back you will know what money 1 have. Before I leave New Zealand I will make a will in my paj'-book in your favour, and leave all to you-’ "When saying this he gave the girl his Post Office Savings Hank passbook, and a life insurance policy on big own >ife. Me was killed m action m Franco, and his pay-book was never recovered. Tn a letter lie wrote before leaving he said : ‘ Will you be surprised to hear that I have claimed you as my next-of-kin? If I h-ive taken such a liberty, will you be angTv? I have entered you as such, and plea's© don t Maine me. May. Whose name could 1 have used anyhow?’ ” “I satisfied ” said his Honor, “that the words deposed to were used and passages in the letter clearly show- that the deceased was sincerely attached to the girl, and meant to do whatever he conld do 111 her interest. Tho only question S • , e J£°T those words are testators-. X w n! s- thnt . t h<?y sho'l'ci bo so regarded W e do not know whether the, pay-hook will was ever made. Assuming that it was not, I do not think that the omission -would affect the matter. If the testator had met his death -when returning to camp we should have had the expression he used at parting, coupled with the very important act of dehvejyns: tno documents of title to the gvrl,-Os showing an intention which, according to tho language used, and the circumstances, was meant to operate there and then. The words could not oe plainer than they are.”

It is really pitiful to see so often m an account of an inquest, that tho broken piece showed a flaw. Professor "■ Scott said in an address to the Key Zealand Society of Civil Engineers yesterday. “This apparently is consioered an equivalent to an act of Cod and ends the matter. It is seldom or never decided whether the so-called flaw is due to faulty manufacture or progressive fracture. The binocular microscope has a great depth of optical penetration, and an actual fracture can be inspected through it satisfactorily with powers up to 80 diameters. It was originally introduced bv Zeiss for veinous work, was first used bv Hein on fractures, was shown by him to me and was taken by me to England.” Wo produce portraiture that pleases because of its naturalness. Our prices are moderate, too. Steffano Webb, 252, High Street. 'Phone 19811. 1 Ladies know them to have no equal. Martin’s Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold by all Chemists and Stores throughout Australasia. X