LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 255, 9 August 1937, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A party of pupils from the Ashburton Convent School left this morning to attend the Canterbury Industrial Exhibition at Christchurch ._ They will return by the 7.10 train this evening. The children’s ward at the Ashburton Hospital Board was this morning released from the (Quarantine placed on it a week ago when a minor outbreak of scarlet fever centred there. Two patients and one nurse contracted the disease, the origin of which, was not known. On account of the increase of elders’ districts, the session of St.. Andrew s Presbyterian. Church has decided to increase the number of members of the Board of Managers by one. A vacancy has also occurred in the Board of Managers, and the Rev. R. S. Watson announced to the congregation at the church yesterday that the appointees to fill these two positions were Messrs A. P. Calder, senior, and A. W. Hitchings. A debate held between the Haeremai and High School Debating Clubs under the auspices of the Ashburton Debating Union on Saturday evening was won by the Haeremai Club by 228 points to 213. Mr E. J. Wood (president of the Debating Union) presided over the debate, which was judged by Mr S. W. Gower. The affirmative was taken by Messrs E. Fowke, G. Esker, and R. Barnett, who represented High School, and the negative by Misses McKenzie, Vincent, and Mr C. Calder, for Haeremai. Dislodged from its resting place on top of the terraces when the crowd was leaving Rugby Park, New Plymouth, last week, a heavy earthenware pipe rolled quickly down the slope and made straight for a small boy idly kicking a tin on the edge of the playing field. Like a flash a burly bystander raced down the slope and lifted the small hoy high, and the pipe rolled harmlessly under him. He was just in time to save a possible broken leg or more serious injury. When the Domain Oval showed every prospect of being in good order for the Rugby fdotball on Saturday rain occurred on Friday, leaving the ground in a very muddy state, as players found to their cost, covered from head to foot in mud, presented a remarkable appearance in the field of play. The South Canterbury third grade representatives wore white shorts for their match, and these in particular suffered as a result of the large amount of mud that was about. The players in the senior game frequently caused amusement by their antics on the muddy ground,* but the third grade players did not seem to be troubled much by it, and gave a good exhibition of the game,

A third block of land has been purchased by the Government at Hastings, allowing the Housing Department to erect in all 64 State houses in the borough (says a Press Association telegram). Transport difficulties prevented the Thistle Association Football Club from making its visit to play the Ashburton Club on Saturday afternoon. The Thistle Club intends to make the trip next Saturday. A first payment of £2OOO under the bequest of Miss J. Chalmers to the Ashburton Hospital Board Tias been made, and it was reported to meeting of the Board that pending its use by the Board £ISOO had been placed in the Post Office, and £SOO has been placed in the current account for immediate use in providing equipment for the Chalmers Ward at the hospital. The recent warm weather is having its effect on growth, and buds are peeping from trees in Ashburton on every hand. Before very long these signs of spring should be even more apparent. Pussy willows, among the first trees to flower, are already well into this stage. The weather lias occasioned a new interest in gardening, and there was considerable activity in this resect in Ashburton over the week-end. “A net annual immigration of 10,000 would enable us to reach the population mark set by the Five Million Club in about 345 years,” said Professor H. Belshaw, in an address to members of the Auckland branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand on Thursday night. “This is even if .present population remained stable, and the immigrants succeeded in reproducing themselves.” The green at the Allenton Sports grounds are in excellent order, and should be in first class condition for the opening of the season in about two months. Good growth has been made during the winter, and it has been found necessary to give some of the grass on the tennis courts some cutting. Generally the grounds look well, and should have a good sole of grass for the summer. At the services at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church yesterday the Rev. R. S. Watson liplde reference to the special appeal wnich is to be made next Sunday to reduce the debt on the Maori Mission Fund. The debt, which amounts to £6OOO, accumulated during the depression years, and is the only debt of any sort which the church has in connection with its missions. This is regarded as a satisfactory state of affairs, but it is hoped to reduce the outstanding funds by the collection next Sunday.

From reports received by the police, it appears that a number of spurious half-crowns, believed to have been manufactured a considerable time ago, are still in circulation in Auckland. The bogus coins are dated 1933, and are reasonably good imitations, although they are slightly lighter in weight than a genuine half-crown and imperfections are apparent in the lettering. The usual method of “ringing” is sufficient to detect whether a half-crown is one of the counterfeit variety, as the spurious coins still in circulation give only a dull sound it they are dropped on a counter. A motion favouring the admission of women as elders of the Presbyterian Church was carried at a, meeting of the Waikato Presbytery. There was only one dissentient. This speaker urged caution, stating tha-tj although women were great church workers, the aggressive type was to be feared. The speaker said he was afraid this type of woman would exclude those who would adorn that office. Other members expressed the opinion that the eldership was efficiently safeguarded, and there need be no fear of the aggressive type. • The Director-General of Education (Mr N. T. Lambourne) has applied to the New Zealand Crippled Children Society for a list of crippled children who are considered not at present to be under efficient instruction, as the Education Act Amendment of last year makes provision for itinerant teachers to give tuition to crippled children in their homes. A questionnaire on the subject has been sent to all branches of the society, and its return is now awaited. The annual report of the society congratulates the Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser) on his taking this step. Suspicions that there may be bogus tickets selling in Wellington for the test match between New Zealand and the Springboks were confirmedi when an official of the Wellington Rugby Union was approached by a man whose ticket compared with several in the office, was shown to be a forgery. Whether or not the official was approached with the motive of discovering if the ticket could be distinguished from the real ones is not known, but the matter has been reported to the police. Other bogus tickets are reported to be circulating in Wellington. “I am in a position to say that the Government intends to consider the further production of films for publicity purposes,” said Mr J. J. W. Pollard, at a meeting of the Executive Council of the South Islands Travel Association. “If they enter that field without obtaining expert technical advice they will involve the country and themselves in a great expense to no purpose. The film industry is one in which money can be lost in a very short time; Australia has lost thousands, and England millions of pounds. The scenic films which are sent out from New Zealand lack sunshine. They are dull, just as many of the Tourist Department’s photographs sent overseas are dull. This will not attract tourists, who want sunshine.” The new British threepence, one of which was handed in at the “Guardian” Office to-day, is sure to attract considerable interest cn account of its strange appearance. It bears no resemblance to any coin previously in circulation. Made of an alloy bronze in colour, the coin on the obverse has the simple inscription, “Three pence, 1937,” in rather large letters. In the centre is a plant, the appearance of which does not readily reveal its identity. The reverse is more conventional,* with the lettering “Georgius VI” and the usual titles which follow it on coins, and a depiction of the King’s head. The most striking feature of the coin is its shape. The well-known circular shape has given way to a twelve-edged piece, and the coin is twice the size of the old threepences.

Outdoor relief administered by the Ashburton Hospital Board has been showing a decided decrease each month for some time past, and last month the figure reached a new low level, namely £26 9s 9d. A considerable load was thrown on a motor-cycle which was seen in Ashburton streets yesterday. Three men were mounted on the machine and made their way through the town regardless of any discomfort caused by the rather congested space in which they had' to sit. Mrs E. M. Williamson, one of the pioneers of Hamilton, who died recently, lived on her arrival in 1864 in the first house erected in the tow r n. This was situated in what is no\v Nixon Street. She also had the distinction of bringing the first rose tree to the little settlement with her. The Ashburton Hospital Board, after its meeting this morning, made an inspection, in of the Chalmer’s Ward to go into a scheme for, the Medical Superintendent (Dr. A. J. Mason), for the equipment of the ward out of the Ohalmer’s bequest to the hospital. Further details of the proposal will be laid before the board at its next meeting. Although the present time of the year is not regarded as a busy one for passenger traffic, trains through Ashburton are stiU Avell patronised. Scarcely an express train passes Ashburton without a fairly full compliment of passengers, and a fairly large number of carriages. Rail traffic will receive an impetus this week on account of the races and other attractions in Christchurch. The manufacture of unfermsnted apple juice, apple powder, and apple crisps as a means of utilising the byproducts of the fruit industry in New Zealand was suggested at the annual conference of the Fruit Export Control Board at Wellington. The chairman (Mr H. E. Stevens) said that this would help to solve the problem of inferior fruit, which should be kept off the fresh fruit market. Two cars which were stolen in Timaru on Saturday evening may possibly be in the Ashburton district, according to advice received by the Ashburton police. The cars are a 1967 model seven horse power Austin two door sedan, navy blue in colour, registered number 145-431,, and a Ford V 8 fiveseater four-door sedan, dark blue in colour, registered number 144-341. The cars may have been abandoned in the district. Good progress is being made in the installation of the new electric mower for the bowling green at the Allenton Sports Club. The power wires will be carried underground, and a trench has been dug from the pavilion to the bowling green for this purpose. The pest which will carry the point has alheady been placed in position, and before long the mower should be ready for use. By being able to cut lower than the motor at present in use it is expected that the new machine will bring about a considerable improvement in the surface of the green. “It would not be in the interests of the farmers or of the business houses to have the transport services under the control of the Government,” said the chairman of the Ashburton Hospital Board this morning, when a letter Avas received from the Ashburton Transport Co., Ltd., asking the Board to support the company’s protest against the proposal of the Government to take over those goods services which are competing with the railways. “The services in Ashburton have been giving a splendid sendee that has been fully apreciated by the community,” Mr Gallagher added. “If the services are taken over by the Government, we will find that costs will increase without any benefits being forthcoming to users.” This vieAV was supported by Messrs W. Bryant, Raymond Oakley, F. Frampton, and Dr. J. Russell Wells, and the Board decided to support the protest.