LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1740, 14 January 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some oi the residents interested petitioned Government some time ago to ereot a Btook bridge over the North Bangitata river, but the Minister will only commit himself to the extent of agreeing to build tbe bridge should j the neoessary funds be provided by the looal bodies. Under these circumstances there does not appear much likelihood of anything being done m the immediate future. At next meeting of the County Oounoil a motion will be discussed having for its objsot the division of the Ashburton county into two counties, the river to be the dividing line. The Gounty Oounoil have agreed upon taking stepa to eradioate the Oalifornian thistle, whioh has already obtained a footing m two or three parts of this distriot. At yesterday's meeting it was resolved, on the motion of Mr James Brown, that the thistle be deolared a noxious weed within the mean* ing of the Counties Aot, which gives the Oounoil of any county power to contribute out of the general funds any sum of money that may be neoessary to eradioate or pre* vent the growth of any noxious weed or plant. It was deoided to obtain a live specimen of the thistle to be kept on view at the Counoil Chambers, m order tbat any landholder unacquainted with the appearance of the pest may have an opportunity of see ng what it is like, so that if it makes its appear* anoe on his land he may be able to deal with it before it gains a firm hold. A few weeks ago a speoial Committee meet* i ing of the County Council was held for the purpose of considering ways and means and effecting retrenchment where possible. A day was oooupied m considering the matter, and the results of the Committee's labours I were shown m a report presented to the Council yesterday. The main features were reoommendations that the salaries of the Olerk and Engineer should be reduoed, that the Clerk should henoeforth undertake the duties of Returning Offioer to the Counoil, and that no new works be undertaken after the expiry of six months, until the Counoil'a overdraft be paid, with the exception of special works m accordance with Clause 152 of the Counties Aot, whioh provides that where any such works are oarried out, the district deriving benefit from them shall b_ speoially rated. It was also recommended that tbe dog registration fee be a uniform one of 10.. All tbe Committee's suggestions were approved, and will be given effect to. lt will be remembered that some time ago. a slaughterhouse at Methven was the subjeot. of a good deal of consideration m the County Counoil, it being alleged that muoh of the sickness prevalent last summer at Methven was due to a pit at the slaughter* bouse polluting a water rale from whioh a number of families obtained their domestic | supply. The matter again oame up yester* day when Mr Baker applied for a renewal of the lioense for the slaughterhouse. The Mount Hutt Boad Board asked the Counoil to graflt the application, stating that theoesspit, wbioh had been the cause of oomplaint, had now been removed. The Oounoil were also informed tbat iv plaoe of the cesspit, there was now a conorete tank, whiob was reaularly elelred. and that there was no ground of complaint m regard to anything about the yards or slaughterhouse. A Methven rest* dent, who stated that he wrote on behalf of | a number of persons living m the vioinity, urged tbe Oounoil not to grant the applioation, as a reourrenoe of last year's siokness was feared. One of the Oounoillors stated tbat he had been informed by a medioal man who attended several of the eases of illne.B last summer, tbat these were m no wise duo to pollution from the slaughter yard, but were attributable to the proximity of stagnant water to some of the dwellings. The Counoil deoided to ask the Inspeotor to visit the yard and report. Last night a fire ooourred on the North East Belt, by whioh an unoooupied --roomed house, Baid to belong to Mr MoOabe, of Blen* heim, formerly eoboolmaster at Shand's Traok, was destroyed, aud an adjoiniog oottage owned by Mr Oawsey, and oooupied by Mr Tsaao Cooper, had a narrow esoape of meeting a similar fate. Mr Cooper, who is employed at the gasworks, was away at his work, and Mrs Cooper and the children bad retired to bed. About 11 o'olook a passer-by tapped at ths window of Mrs Cooper's bedroom, telling ber to get up as the house next door wbb on fire. Mrs Cooper immediately got the ohildren out, and with tbe assistance of neighbors, removed all the furniture. An alarm was given on the fireballs, and the brigades turned out. Before they arrived on the Bcene, however, the flames had obtained oomplete possession of the empty house, and began to menaoo Mr Cooper's oottage, whioh is only a few yards distant. The gable of tbe Utter house caught fire, and there seemed but small chance of its being saved had not Messrs Leohnor, Felton, and one or two others pluokily got qu to tbe roof, tbe iron of which waß very bot, and pluokily attaoked with green boughs the fire, whioh they managed to keep m control till the arrival of the Brigades. When the latter reaohed the Boene it was found there was no water for the engines, and recourse waa bad to hand-pumps supplied witb water i from neighboring pumps. With these the fire, whioh had caught tbe gable of Mr Cooper's house, was put out, though of oourse nothing oould be done for the other house, whioh was then one mass of flames. The houae whioh was destroyed has been un- | oooupied for some time, and was insured m the Viotoria office for £100. Mr Cooper's residence is but slightly injured. There is no clue to the origin of tbe fire. Mr Leohnor and those wbo assisted him are entitled to the highest credit, as, but for their endeavors Mr Cooper's house would almost certainly have been destroyed. That invalid wife, mother, sister or child oan be made the picture of health witb mtrioeo CtVi Hop BlU»ri. Obi . .ti

There is no improvement m the oondition of the woman Dalzell, who still lies at ths Hospital m a comatose state.

The Bangitata Traffio Bridge was' the subjeot of a disoussion at a mooting of the County Council yesterday. The Engineer* m reply to questions, said that the bridge was almost solely used by stock and by carts conveying firewood from Peel Forest, and that altogether the 'raffia was not very exten* Bive. Mr Coster desired to know whether it was desirable for thn Counoil to go on paying large sums of money annually for the main* tenanoe of this bridge, when it did not appear to be muoh used.

Following out a oustom whioh now appears to be of annual recurrence, and whioh is worthy of imitation, about thirty of the inmates of the Old Men's Home were yesterday afternoon tbe guests of Mr D. H, Brown, who kindly plaoed his grounds at their disposal and regaled them with a most sumptuous tea. Tables were Bpread under the trees, and no effort was spared to make the enjoyment of the visitors as oomplete as possible. Before the old men retired, several members of the Wesleyan Ohuroh Ohoir sang a number of Jubilee melodies, whioh were muoh appreciated, after whioh Mr Fox expressed the thanks of the old men for the liberal entertainment whioh had been so generously provided. Mr Brown, m acknowledging the compliment, said it gave him great pleasure to see them all at a gathering of tbat kind, and he hoped to have the oppor* tunity of meetinp them m this way m suooeeding years. Three ringing cheers for Mr and Mrs Brown were given and the visitors dispersed.