LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3568, 30 September 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some new season's lambs were sold at Burnside stock market on Wednesday last. They realised up to 335.

At Rakaia on IWedncsdaj^ before Mr L. Oxley, J.P., a first offender was lined 5s for being drunk, on the railway platform.

At the mooting of the Ashburton branch of the Farmers' Union, to-day, the chairman reported that, he was still working on the question of getting local merchants to giye a guarantee in regard to germination of seed sold, and "two of them had informed him that they would be willing to give the guarantee.

About 2 o'clock this morning the members of tho Ashburton Fire Brigade were summoned to a fire in a live-roomed dwelling in-Moore Street. The iire had a good liold before the brigade arrived, and the building was practically demolished. The house, which was owned by Mr A. Bremner, was unoccupied at. the..time of the outbreak. It was valued at £500, and was insured in the Phoi'irix Office for £320.

The quarterly ■ mooting, of. the Court Star of Rakaia* No. 7760, A.0.F., was held on Wednesday, Bro. F. McClure, presiding over; a good attendance. One candidate was initiated into the order, and several proposed for initiation at a future inciting. In response to a call from the Red Cross Society a collection was taken from the brethren present, and the treasurer was in-, strueted to forward the amount to^tho secretary of the Red Cross branch, Christchureh. A good deal of business was transacted;. Takings for the evening amounted to £26 2s 6d. Sick pay -Cl, and accounts totalling £10 15s 3d were passed for payment.

A man who tried to dodge a young lady collector outside a well-known tobacconist's shop yesterday got a greater shock thai? he bargained for (says the " Lyttelton Times"). He bought some cigarettes, and the young lady asked him if he had any change to put in the box. He suggested that if the fair collector smoked a cigarette from his packet he would put 10s in the box. To his surprise the offer was accepted, and the lady stood on the kerb, .jingled her box, and puffed away at the cigarette "for the cause," which was thereby enriched to tho extent of tho 10s.

Caustic references to New Zealand's Board of Trade were made a-t Tuesday's meeting of the "Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce (says the "Post")- It was resolved-to remit the following motion to the annual .conference of Chambers of Commerce:

"That this conference is of opinion the Board of Trade, Now Zealand, as constituted,, is not -.representative-'., of. the commerce • and industries .of the Dominion; that the Board should bo re-constituted,'', and have powers to extend the internal trade of the Dominion, and also to establish other markets than those possessedl ..by the Dominion at the present time."

The Germans should bo paid in their own coin with the,."Hymn of Hato" was a suggestion made by Mr T. M; Wilford, M.P., in tho course of a war. lecture at Wellington. The German people failed to understand the psychology of tho British. They decorated Lissauer; but the Tommies iv the tronches learnt tho " 'Im of 'At«, and sang it with gusto. The "Hymn of Hate" should bo printed, and a copy. placed in every British office, warehouse,, and shop, so that when the German commercial traveller came, again to woq he might read on the walls of the warehouse what Germany thought of- tho pGoplc^whose money he was trying*to,get.-

Glycerine, boiii.t!; an essential basis of modern explosives and a by-product or soap manufacture!, has since tho war made uu enormous advance in price. Formerly German fancy soaps had a, 'very ready sale in New Zealand; they havo boon replaced in largo measure by American, imported both direct and vi::. London but the result of this trade has been to greatly enhance the price of glycerine in tho States, and soap lias become a sort of by-product itself, in eonsiviuenee^ Now, by Gazette Extraordinary, tho importation of ali soups of foreign manufacture has been prohibited (except with. tJui ooiiseiit of tho iSfififstiT for Customs). Soaps of British mivnufacturo will ec>ntinuo to come into the Dominion m before. Household r,oap used in New Zealand :s X)ractically all of local i;i-iy?ufacture.

Tho postal authorities would like the Christmas and New Year Parcels for Soldiers sout away as swn as possible now. H. C. Percy is packing (very .securely) ami addressing all descriptions of parcels at. a very jurvnlt charge. Please -bring tha .'soldier';; i^ldress with you to Porcv's. C 222