PAST TO PRESENT THE TOWNSHIP TO-DAY

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 34, 17 March 1914, Page 1 (Supplement)

PAST TO PRESENT THE TOWNSHIP TO-DAY

The transition from the town wc have heard described to the town of the present was by no means a violent one. Such land beyond demanded a town for its convenience; so Rangiora lasted. As a township, it owed, and owes, nothing to the railway which carries people past., ■ . . . . • . • > •■ . It seems doubtful whether it has progressed numerically or financially in later years; but it is certain that it has never gone back. Nor can it ever go back while affairs stay as they are. There must be a market town. Great Market District. A great district for markets. Rangiora, Cust, Oxford—three sale" places within twenty miles, and each with a certain -connection. For prices no saleyards has "f.- steadier ratio thah.Ran-

tho profits made, there is little of land that comes cheaper in the end. Steady Development. In the town itself land runs fairly expensive, and rents are very high proportionately. A five to sixrroomed house will cost from 18/- to 22/6j with a quarter of an acre t>f land or less. The de-

mand for dwellings" is very steady, and streets are continually being opened up and developed. This has been the state of affairs for the past four or five years. " The average price of town lands runs from' £IOO to £l2o' per acre. By the way, & is a curious point that the number of people of Eangiora does not rise: the explanation offered —indeed .the only explanation's that there are now in Eangiora a greater number of families, but fewer members of each family.' The cost of building is about the same as in the city, and building goes on steadily. Business Not Retrogressing. Some of the above might suggest that Eangiora was not really alive, at the moment, but the tale of the traders is all against that. Their business is steady, and has a very sound field upon which to work. ' The trade with _ the country is certainly upon credit, but it is safe; and the Working upon monthly accounts ' are quite reliable. Some say that the coming of

the motor-car has made a difference for the worse; but they add that they are not sure about this, and that against it" must be set the,fact that the supplying* of the needs of the motor has made a new avenue from which come financial results. What the Municipal Guide Tells us. Look at the town from the point of view of tho person compiling a municipal guide. Founded in 1878, in. 1911 the borough had a population of, 1834, with last year 430 ratepayers and 46& dwellings, on an area of 1040 acres; all of a rateable value on capital s 6f

£254,941.'- " The borough's Qwn property, y) ")% is valued air£so3s. - ' ' ' : \\. -*■s The sewage system is merely surface soTt, running to creeks,' but ~Jsj£ safe on account of the good drop of twenty' feet from the '/£$ street to where the E'oman Church stands two blocks away. The , ". , Maria Andrews Park, ofr about acres, just beypnd \Jthe proved an asset in that it leases sanitary" contractor, at, a jjrice «£> £3s.' rjm per year.- , _ m _ , -^|| The town is lighted by the system established ,in 1907, £IO,SOO was ' borrowed, though the',.< l | actual cost approached more to* £13,000. At the present there are; 4wT- '*% subscribers at a cost of 10/- for light-Sf%|| .ing and 8/8 for heat and power jjbr*/ : ';- J ll poses.. The scheme . is payingj/f yitelLc t% Last- year the»profit sand loss show^«t : gain of £6S(J 12/-, after. peyirig amounting to £468; but from the 'pvajfifcr ' r \M. must be deducted the £9O put to^aiafe-., *£g ing fund—£Bo being paid of the TJ

, and £ie on the £2OOO. . The town pays £Cper year fo< each of SO street lamps. V - The local library is under the control of --a ,committee, 'which'carries out all arrangements, and 'draws a subsidy from the .council of £2O per year. Bating Charges. S Tie present is ljd in the pound as' 'a general rate, with an additional rate for the Ashley Traffic bridge of 3-16 d in the pound, of which only id is collected. The amount produced by the general rate is £1205 10/4, and by the Ashley rate £l2O 14/9. Lately the Scheme of rating on unimproved t Value Vas adopted by a substantial majority; and at the moment many of the ratepayers are engaged in a bitter struggle to find out exactly what it means to i them. Those who hold land are naturAlly annoyed that the others like them did not vote. But the one substantial argument advanced —too late, of course that jnuch agricultural land, used

purely for farming, is included in the borough area. However this is a matter that is to be fought out later. In any case it has taught many that the first lesson of the baJJot-box is to vote and make others vote lest you he swamped by auch as have nothing to lose. Jockey Club. The history of the Rangiora Jockey Club goes back so far that its earliest efforts appear to be lost in the mists of the past. As long as the ordinary man can remember, the club has run a good and enjoyable meeting of the sort that is called " picnic" in New South Wales. The rather foolish Gaming Act of a year or so ago tried to wipe the club out by withdrawing the totalisator permit, regardless of the fact that it was a hack meeting, the sort of competition which really encourages amateur breeders and trainers, bringing out a useful sort of horse. But the club refused to die, and last year amalgamated with the Oxford Club, and held a sports meeting with an aggregate of prize-money of £93. Its last meeting ynth the totalisator distributed £265

that in 1911. The present position of the club is? that it of over 60, axtdU owns • its , own eourse aboutrafmile andfa-half .oitfCpf the town, worth probably £IOOO or £I2OO. Following were officials at the last meeting:—President,, Mr H. .0; D. vaii M«M#nlld P&rsons; hon. jtidgfe, Mr W; Cunningham; handicapper, Mr A. Dickson; hon. clerk of the course, Mr A. Pear; clerk of scales, Mr A. H. Noall; hon. timekeeper, Mr G. L, Stead; hon. treasurer, Mr M. Scott; starter, Mr R. Harley; stewards 4 ?J. )H. Power, H. H. Hudson,' &'' b'Starky, W. A. Kelcher, G. L. Stead, A. Henderson, T. H. Lance, B. Jamieson, C. C. Paterson, P. Beker, G. N. M'Lean, G. Rutherford, ,J. Heasley,*' R. v Henderson, F. Hopkins, L. Powell, A. Powell, T. Frame, W. Wright* W. Gilchrist, R. Gilchrist, F. Wotherspoon; secretary, Mr A. J. Tutton.

Field and Other Games. Rugby football seems to be dead in Rangiora, and when one asks the reason the fact that a sub-union existed is usually blamed. Under it were Amberley, Sefton, Waikuku, Woodend, and Oxford, and this arrangement did not provide the computation required, and gradually these clubs have dropped out. The easy midday train on Saturdays takes several down to play for town clubs. Association football was started last year, and seems to have gone well, the local men having had good games against teams from the Dreadnought New Zealand, the Pyramus, and the Pioneer. The membership has now risen to 40, and a good season is looked forward to. Mr J. Black is secretary, and Mr W. E. Barton president. In Rangiora tennis, bowling, and croquet are all «?ider the one control. For some years the various clubs ran separately, but decided that it would be better for all if they amalgamated. The present club came into existence, and with its 200 members has been able to do great things. It has now. besides

its croquet lawn, three tennis courts and eight rinks. Having put up a fine, pavilion at a cost of more.than £IOOOI tli.e club.' is somewhat in debt, but its as. sliown by palance. sheets, makes "it" clear that this is "not 'a." matter Over which anybody need-worry. The new pavilion/ besides the - ordinary (ihougn-they are not ordinary so far as. a, majority of such places, are concerned)/ has also a billiard room with two good tables. Golf came to take a place in Rangi<>ra about 10 years ago, and rapidly

became popular, so that to-day the club has a membership of about 60, and is in a good financial position. The links are within a little walk of the town, and cover some 80 acres of ground, making a good nine-hole course, with a bogey of 78. The president is Mr W. D. Johnston, who is also secretary. Mr B. Jordan is treasurer. High School. The Rangiora High School was founded in 1884, and has won its way to the front amongst secondary schools.

The pupils are prepared for all public examinations; a»djseath such conspicuous success th£t tire Hon. Geprgfi.FoWlds; '(While/Minister of Education) "said;— " The success 'pf this School in exami-• nations cannot .be if,, indeed, ; ( it can be v equalled, by any other ary schdol' in -New Zealand!' '■■•■ To-day there are 100 pupils, as against; 15 in its first year. To the original space of five acres has been added an extra acre so as tjj allow of a larger playing field for the girls. So much land has allowed special attention to

be given to agriculture; in fact, those in charge say that at no other school in the Dominion is so much given to this important subject. The laboratory is good and well equipped, and the plots of ground available are large in area, as well as varied in use. Those in charge have realised, too, that other things besides mere knowledge of the land and its products are necessary, and have seen to it that tuition is available in both carpentry and wOolclassing. In fact, littl/j seems to be forgotten, for

the boarding-house, which is under the immediat© >: supervision mggjfm riiaster, also provides"*miPSf who come by train. '• : vT#c%> ISttterlcan r in mfbst' cases obtain free-tickets;' and. the board "is prepared*'to piay for those who'carmot travel-free" Tho3eiWho ; are eonVeyed by -road*- from a distance "of over-four, miies deceive a--Government, allowance of 2/6 per week. The present staff includes:—Mr T. R. Cresswell, M.A., teacher's certificate, Al, principal; Mr S. A. Clark, 8.A., instructor in agriculture and sciencej. Miss D. N. Allan, M.A., languages and literature; Miss' G. Griffith, M.A.; Mr G. Gibbs Jordan, organist of , St. John's, teacher of singing; Miss Hawkins (Christchurch),'typewriting and shorthand; Miss Pitts.(Christchurch), dresscutting; Miss. Wright (Christchurch), cookery; Mr Purnell (graduate of Geelong Technical School)", woolclassing; Mr Hargreaves (Wadey and Efford), woodwork; and Sergeant-Major -Bates, drill. f '■.'.. The board is constituted thus:— Messrs Robert Ball (chairman), B. R. Good (treasurer), Hugh Boyd, John Sansom, C. I. innings, C.; W. Bejl, and Robert Coliie.