LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3567, 29 September 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cavse of diphtheria in the' Ashburtou Borough was reported to the Hospital Board to-day.

The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society has been advised by the Minister of Justice that the society's rangers, under section 45 of the Animals Protection Act, 1908, have all the powers of a constable, and are therefore entitled to carry firearms for self-protection.

• ■;. ■■ •. •■-..;•. v Last week Mr C. Branigan, Government Fields Inspector, distributed poisoned pollard iix the Ashburtdn river-bed, in the Greonstreet district. On making investigations later, he found a large number of dead rabbits, including several young ones, which pro%'es conclusively "that, .although feed is plentiful, poisoning can still b© carried out with good results.

Throe years ago. Mr C. Branigan, Government Fields Inspector, discovered a weed with a yollow flower in the Valetta district, and forwarded it to Mr A. Cockayne, Government' Biologist, in tho hope that he could identify it. Mr Cockayne was unable to do so, Imt said ho'thought it belonged to j.the potehtilla 'variety.. Another sample was procured early this year,' nnd if was, sent to Kew (England) for ' identification. /Mr Cockayne has now been ndvised that the weed belongs to the potentilla recta, obsciinv variety, and that it had never before been recorded as being established in Now Zealand. ' "'

Tho majority of tho grain crops in the district* between Rakaia and Methven have now been sown, and in nearly every instance, good results have been obtained. Wheat has not been so extensively sown this season, farmers in many instances having paid more attention to growing oats. A number of teams may now be seen working along the.railway line preparing for sowing rape and turnip crops. Some of tho earlier oat crops are being utilised for sheep feed before the fields 'are finally closed up for the main crop. In the Rakaia district the early oat crops have made phenomenal growth.

In a recent issue of tho Sydney "Morning Herald," there appears the following message from Melbourne:— "It was announced this afternoon by the Assistant Minister, Senator^ Russell, in charge of tho wheat pool, that arrangements had been completed for the further payment of 6d per bushel to tho wheat-growers of Australia. This will be payable in Victoria and South Australia, and probably also to tho New South Wales farmers, on Thursday, September 21. The payment in Western: Australia will, Senator Russell added, be made a little later and the total amount to bo distributed will reach £4,000,000."-

I The medical officer of'health-for> the City of' li'ond'jn hiis {tinted out that shaving brushes may easily be the !.vehicle of anthrax germs. An officer on I a, iTicrchant sbij) waa found to be suffering from-anthrax, and an examination of his shaving brush snowed the presence of tho spores of the disease. Othor brushes wero obtained from the same shop, and investigation showed the same result. They were all aifected. It was discovered that two firms had shipped quantities of tho brushes-— thctir entire —to Australia and New Zealand. In view of the serious results likely to follow their use, tho firm? cabled at cmce to the dominions to have thorn destroyed.

V .niii-ifcwto. signed "A. P. Graynd!r,-,' ■;--onv^ry oF A.P.U.," is_ being i«;iKMI t-:> workfMs cnga.ged in- the sb.cn.rin.ee industry in regard to the rato of wi'L'ies. In it :(• is jx>inted out that tha sheop-ownors have rofußod to giant any increase in tho rate, oxcept a war bonus of 2s 6d per 100 for shearers, and nothing at all for shed hands. It is stated that wool is selling at Is . 9Jd per lb, and tlie contention is that the men aro entitled to an increased wage in' order that they may be better able {■n meet the ever-increasing covst of living. Workers are advised not to accept engagements unless the undermentioned rates are conceded :—Shearors, 25s por 100; shed haads, £2 10s por week : pres-sor -i, £3 per week, Is ] 9d per bale, or 7d per 100; cooks —under 20 men £4, over 20 and under 30 men £5, over 30 inon £6 por week.

[ Among the joint stock companies recently registered is the following: — Canterbury (New ' Zealand) Aviation Company, Ltd. ftegistered September 14, 1916. .Office: Christchurch. Capital: £20,000, in 20,000 shares of £1 each. Subscribers: H. F. Wigram, 11. A. Chaffoy, J. Anderson, L. M. lsitt, G. T. Booth, A. W. Beaveu,' C. H. Hewlett, S. G. Raymond, C. W. Reid, R. Allen, G. Humphreys, T. G. R. Blunt, W. 11. E. Wanklyn, W. P. Evans, and R. J. Scott .(nil of Christchurch), 1 share each; H. .A. Knight (Racecourse Hill), Robert Bell (Ashburton), and E. B. Millton (Rangiora). 1 share each. Objects: To acquire and take over three Cnudron." biplanes ordered from the mauufacturerft by Hon. H. F. Wigram, and to establish schools of aviation in Now Zealand, and to engage in aviation in all its branches. V

Tho Ccmmoiiwcahii Minister for Defence (Senator Pc'iree) recently stated that, acting 011 the advice of the Federal Munitions Committee, the Government intends to tako action under the War Precautions Act to prohibit tho use of i:a\v tar for road purposes. Seri.itor.Pearco said that tho object oi: the •Government won to secure for shipment to Britain all benzine and .toluene which can be manufactured to the specification of tho Minister of Munitions for tho manufacture, of high explosives. These' products aro obtained from tho light oils which aro produced in, the^ early i-.tagps of. the distillation of 00.11 tar. . Incidentally also, ie is designed to r-.st^bii.^h throughout the Commonwealth the production -notonly of the products n;uned, but also of \ naphtha, carbolic acid, and othor valuable by-prod ucte, of which the.ro is now a shori; .supply iti Australia. In order to e:i.';ure that. all. tho products of the distillation of' (kir aro properjy condeiiKO'i and .rtnioverotl, tho Governniont intoiuls. to n,rrcnge for the supervision of tho working of all tar distilling plants.' Tt is known that many plants now in operation roquire modification in 'order to eaeure. efficient working, «;nd tlio Minister made . this pi-e.liminu.ry announcement in order that the municipal councils and private firms affected rn.iy at orrno make ar.rangomonts which will enable the terms of the proposed order to bo complied with.

Owing to trouble having been caused to tramway motor men in Auckland by dazzling headlights on motor-cars, tho police throughout the city have been instructed to enforce the authority they possess under the Lights on Vehicles Act.

At the Auckland Supremo Court on Monday, letters of administration were granted in the estate of the late Mr Patrick Glecson, hotel proprietor, to Mrs Margaret Gloesou. widow, and Mr M. L. Glefson, son of deceased, no executors having been appointed in the will. The estate was provisionally sworn at .£50,000. :

The monthly meeting of- the Tinwald United Bmid of .Hope was held,'in the Oddfellows' Hall on Tuesday evening. The Rev. W. J. Oxhi-ow presided, and delivered an interesting address. The following contributed items:—Pianoforte solo. Muster J. McMillan-, pianoforte duet. Misses Wilson and Bennett; songs, Misses Gniigio. Holland,- and Brown; roaitations. blisses G. Brown, J. Brown, Doris Simpson, Mrs Bell, Duncan McMillan, and Douglas .Tnbnß. The accompanists were Misses Sblineider and Brown. The meeting closed with a verse of the National Anthem 1.

lii tho past if. has been the custom of Christchuroh business men who travelled by train to Methven sale to pass away the time playing friendly games of cards. Yesterday,' however, the packs of cards had been left at home, and some representatives of auctioneering .firms couJd be seen in the first-class smoking carriage busily employed making rifle pull-throughs for the Government. In another compartment the Magistrate (Mr T. A. B. Bailey) was engaged in a similar occupation, while a nur.se in the'same compartment was knitting most industriously. ■■-:■■■.

In, common with civilian communities in the Wellington and Waararapa district, the military training camps .felt the violence of tho westerly gales which raged last week (says the "Dominion;") "Tents were blown down in the canvas camps, and general discomfort was ca.used in the permanent camps. At Featherston an empty 600-gallon tank was set in rapid motion by the wind, and travelled from the waterpumping station to the main road in a series of bounds. On tie main road was a battery of. artillery, going out to practice. The tank struck the wire. fence, rebounded, and then leapt the obstruction, passing immediately in front of the battery leader's horse. Tho tank leapt the other fence, and dashed on till it reached the Tauherenikau river-bed. At Tauherenikau an even more astonishing occurrence took place. A similar tank broke away and oarecred down the avenue between the rows of tents. A soldier, who saw ii coming, ran before it, but the tank was ■overtaking; him. In desperation he dived into 1 ii'tent. By a whim of the wind, the tank wheeled too, an 3 striking the tent pegs and ropes, leapt clean over the tent.

Enemy allegations that tho Aliios had .violated- Greek neutrality by landing at Salonica were roferred to by Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., in a lecture on the war, in Wellington. At the Battle of Navnrino in 1839 Britain, France, and Russia smashed the Turkish Navy, and delivered Greece from the Turkish yoke. In 1832 a treaty I was concluded, making Greece an independent Kingdom under the protection of those three Powers, with the right for'any of the Powers to land troops in Greek territory, the inference with which would bo deemed an act of war. Through jealousy the three Powers provided in the treaty, that no Prince of their ruling houses should Bit on the throne of Greece. That wag ft fatal mistake. It placed Otto of Bavaria on the throne, and v when the Greek people as a whole asked for Princo Alfred of England, prevented his acceptance of the crown. It resulted in the Danish-German Prince George of Schleswig-Glukaborg, ascending the throne as George I. .Mr Wilford pointed out that it was part of the dream of th«> Kaiser fco have •a submarine base* lor the taking of Malta, Egypt, and the Suez Onnl, in tho Mediterranean. " It was also to be remembered that Vcnizclos, then Premier, seked for the, Landing of an expeditionary force.