WELLINGTON, August 18: The Daylight Saving Bill was under discussion for the first time in the Legislative Council to-day. In moving its committal the Hon J. Barr, who is in charge of the measure, pointed out that all objections emanated from one source in a certain section of the farming community, but it was apparent they did not understand the proposal. Some sections of the farming community, including the dairy farmers, had already practised daylight saving by putting the clock on to suit their own convenience. There were objections on account of railway trains to be caught for the transport of milk and cream, but he submitted that that could be met by a slight alteration in the time-tables. The Hon. G. J. Garland contended that the Bill would detrimentally affect a large section of the community. The number of people engaged in the farming industry, reckoning four to a family, was 227,008, and he submitted that the Bill would inflict terrible hardship on them. Mr Garland also said the Bill would mean hours of delay in the commencement of threshing caused by the need for waiting until the hay was dry. The same thing applied to fruit packing. Fearlessly shimmied along loco The courage and resource of Mr Charles Ashton, plasterer, Oamaru, in connection with the mishap to the express from Christchurch on Saturday is warmly praised by fellow passengers. When the occupants of the carriage next to the engine suddenly became aware that something was amiss, considerable jolting being experienced and pebbles being dislodged from the tracks with no little force, Mr Ashton promptly set about making an investigation, which showed that all was not as it should be with the underpart of the carriage. He realised that quick action was necessary, and decided on the highly risky task of attracting the engine-driver’s attention rather than wasting time going to the back of the train to acquaint the guard with what had happened. With the train tearing along at a speed estimated at 40 miles an hour, he pluckily scrambled out on to the engine and cautiously made his way along the side of the tender towards the driver, while the anxious passengers looked on, fearing that at any moment he would lose his insecure position. However, he hung on grimly, but failed to attract the attention of the driver. Nothing daunted, he crawled back again and made off along the opposite side of the tender, finally giving the fireman to understand that something had gone wrong. The train was quickly brought to a stop. The passengers were highly eulogistic in their references to Mr Ashton’s fearless action. Surveyor totally burns bosses Away past the Shag Valley, the road leads to the land of the “burns” — a land with a charm that far outshines its commonplace names. The car takes the first slope of the Pigroot, and on the one hand rise the steep and rugged slopes of the Kakanui Range, while to the left, across undulating plains and trickling burns, stands the Rock and Pillar. Burn and tussock, grass and stones, in an unending vista make a spectacle that the sun above illumes and the glistening snow adorns. The summit reached, the descent begins. Swinburn, Hogburn, Houndburn, Kyeburn, Eweburn are passed, and the alluring land of the “burns” is left behind, though memories of its charm still linger as the mind wonders why such commonplace names have been given such places that can be made so appealing. There are dozens of “burns” in this unique land. Legend has it, or, perhaps it is true, that the first surveyor to pierce this wonderland gave it some beautiful names, which headquarters discarded. The surveyors’ revenge was to give each place a name so common that posterity would shudder at the sound of them. So now there are burns named after pigs, mares, fillies, hens, hounds, kye, ewes and sows. — ODT, 19.8.1926
