LOOKING BACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9874, 23 July 1923, Page 2

LOOKING BACK

[twenty-five years ago.

From “Guardian,” July 23, 1898).

As an instance of the amount of traffio from the Christchurch railway station during the year, up to yesterday from the beginning of the year 378 special trains alone had been sent are now "beingbuilt at Mount Somers. A yery well built mar. chine passed through Ashburton on Thursday on the way to Christchurch to be enamelled. The stripped machine showed that all the parts were i well put together, and when completed | will be a credit to the builder. The Ashburton Musical Union is now rehearsing in real earnest for the second concert of the season to be given about the end of August. Ihe Daughter of Jairus” (Dr. Stainer) is the work in hand, and, judging by the

progress already made, should in another month receive a good presentation; The union now numbers about

65 members, who attend the practices regularly and take great interest in the work. There was a. full muster of , the orchestral portion at the last practice, when some 32 instrumentalists were present. West Coast Football .—At a recent match on the West Coast, when the rest of the players were after the bail, I it was found that a Grey man and a Hokitika man Were lying on the held tusselling, scragging and throttling one another. Before the referee could separate the two, the .Hokitika man s brother had his coat off, and then an indescribable scene took place. Ihe public rushed the player. There was a surging mass of 300 or 400 people, the footballers being scattered among them. Many blows were struck, whilst several fights were prevented only after much difficulty. Ultimately “no-side” had to be called by the reIrrigation Expert. Mr E. G. Wright, in the House on Wednesday night, brought up the question ot bringing Mr West, an irrigation expere over from Victoria to lectuio in New Zealand. The Minister for Lands said he was afraid it was the old story of far-off birds having very pretty feathers \ and lie had his doubts about getting Mr West over before • they had started their irrigation scheme. What they wanted was experts to show them how to do it. If, however, after getting further information, he thought that benefit would arise from the suggested lectures, he would ask his colleagues to bring Mr West over. Mr Wright said it was true there were no works yet in existence under the scheme, but in the Rangitata district they had 9000 acres on which m a few months they would be ready to turn on water. The Racing Clubs—However much to be desired may be an amalgamation of the Ashburton and Tmwald Racing Clubs so .that one strong club for the 'County may be formed to promote and safeguard the sport in the district, the proceedings of Saturday evening have rendered the union impossible, for the present at least. The proposals or terms under which Tinwald was willing to unite with Ashburton, provided for Tinwald being to some extent recognised by the amalgamated club as the sporting centre, and that several of the meetings of the committee should be held there. Tb however, the Ashburton Club declined and the Tinwald Club objecting to having their district ignored, and the whole of their 15 years’ history as a club wiped out and absorbed m the Ashburton Club, closed negotiations, iso that things are as they were, with perhaps a little acerbity added to the situation. Mr E, Gates, chairman of the Tinwald Committee resigned the chairman ship of the A shburton Committee, the Tinwald Committee not thinking it was conducive to the interests of either club that he should hold the dual position.