LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 116, 1 March 1950, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rifle Shooting Successes At the national rifle shooting championships at Trentham yesterday, W. M. Holland (Ashburton) won £1 in the Hawke’s Bay Match (A grade). In the Canterbury Match (A Grade). J. E. Bishop (Ashburton) also won £l.

Vital Statistics

Figures for Ashburton recorded by the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Mr W. Ha'ymes) for last month were: Births 24, marriages 10, deaths 16. These figures compare with January’s and with those of February last year as follows:—Births 30 (29), marriages 9 (12), deaths 15 (16). Three of February’s .marriages were conducted by the Registrar.

County Rate Collection The percentage of rates collected by the Ashburton County Council when the -office closed last evening was approximately (78, but it is expected that mail and agency returns will increase the amount considerably. The amount collected to date is £77,100, compared with the £78,700 struck. The 10 per cent, penalty will be imposed on all rates unpaid as from to-day.

Fishermen’s Luck

Yesterday afternoon a small party of Ashburton men left town at 4.15 p.m. for Hakatere. They were back in Ashburton by 5.30 with a catch of seven salmon ranging in weight from 10 to 15 pounds. Our informant says a 261 pounder was brought to him last week, and even that was not a record in his experience, as three weeks ago he handled one tipping the scales at 28J pounds.

No Election

There will be no election for the Ashburton Licensing Committee because the nominations which closed yesterday do not exceed the vacancies. The nominations are as follows: Messrs E. C. Bathurst, F. Pritchard, G. C. Nicoll (sitting members), H. D. C». Johnston and T. L. Crooks. Messrs E. Buchanan and YV. J. Quantock, members of the old committee, did not seek re-election. The committee will remain in office for three years.

Fish Prices

Oyster prices in Ashburton are denitely up: the new scale is Is Id a dozen in customers’ own containers, Is,3d in cartons ,and Is 6d a dozen fried, chips extra. Fried fish is also advanced in price, the new rate being four pieces a shilling without chips, and three pieces with. The prices of fresh fish will from now on vary with supply, though it is unlikely that any variety will go below the prices which have ruled for a long time past.

Post Office Improvements An emergency petrol generator- has been installed within the last week at the Ashburton Post Office for use if power failures interrupt the telephone exchange or the telegraph department. The plant has been installed in the brick building situated between the mail block and the money order and savings block. An air conditioning plant has been installed in the telephone exchange.

Dental School Admissions

All qualified students will gain entrance to second-year classes at the Otago Dental School in 1950. In a report to a meeting of the council of the University of Otago yesterday the medical and dental admissions committee, said this situation was made possible by the withdrawal of a number of applicants. The admissions include students who passed special examinations last month. The admission figures are: preference, former servicemen 4, graduands 1; ptago 20, Canterbury 3, Wellington 8, Auckland 10; total 46.—(P.A.)

Ashburton Boy’s Performance

At the athletic meeting last Saturday at Timaru, at which Empire Games athletes appeared, B. Cameron, the Ashburton High School athlete, put up a remarkable performance in the invitation handicap high jump event, which he won. Cameron received a last-minute invitation, but was soon in his stride. His winning jump was 5 feet 0 inches, nearly two inches better than his previous best performance. The result was: Cameron (6 inches) 1, R. C. Pavitt (England, scr) 2 (on count back), P. Wells (England) 3. Height, 6ft. 3 inches.

Fijian Bananas in Canada > Efforts to increase -the quantity of Fijian bananas sold in Canada were being frustrated by the shortage of shipping on the Pacific run, said the senior agricultural officer for Fiji and the Western Pacific (Mr B. E. V. Parham), 0.8. E., who returned to Auckland yesterday, says a Press Association message. Larger shipments to Canada would have the result of increasing rather than diminishing the supply of bananas for New Zealand, he said. Cargoes were dispatched to New Zealand once a month and it was desirable to find a market for fruit maturing in between those shipments. Regular fortnightly shipments would provide a stimulus for growers.

Boy Scouts’ Tour of Europe After visiting 18 countries in nine months, two New Zealand Boy Scouts. Neville Britt and Eric Wright, both of Christchurch, arrived at Auckland in the Rangitane on Sunday. As members of "the New Zealand troop they attended the first world'rally since the war in central Norway. After that they hitch-hiked across Europe. Their scout uniform acted as a passport wherever they went. After mountaineering in Nonvay they went to Germany, Switzerland, France and' the Low Countries. The boys spent two weeks in-the western zone of Germany.—P.A.

£2,000,000 Wool Sale The gross value of the 31,900 bales of wool sold at last week’s Dunedin sale is estimated to be at least £2,000,000. Prices at this sale were the highest on record. The gross cheque for the 82,000 bales of wool sold at Dunedin this year will exceed £4,500,000, already £200,000 more than last season’s total return. The average price a bale at. last week s sale is expected to reach the previously unapproached figure of £6O. Only ohe more sale will be held in Dunedin this season.—P.A.

Mr W. Moore, F.S.M.C., England, representing Procter-’s (Opticians since 1577), Christchurch, arrives in Ashburton to-morrow on a professional visit. (Advt.)