COUNTY CENTRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 124, 7 March 1930, Page 8

COUNTY CENTRES.

(From Our Own Correspondent). RAKAIA. There lias been a good deal of traffic at the Rakaia railway yards lately, with grain being trucked. Yesterday two trains with 66 trucks of sheep from Amberley and Addington passed through. Two trains on the Methvten branch made altogether 124 trucks of sheep handled between 5 p.m. on AVetlnesday and 9 a.in. yesterday. The number of sheep was approximately 9680. These were all despatched without delay by the stationmaster (Mr D. Findlay) and his staff. Tlie * weather has been very changeable. The week-end was fine, but conditions on Monday and Tuesday were dull and threatening. Wednesday was gloriously fine and sunny. Yesterday mild conditions prevailed, but a heavy drizzle fell. The damp weather will prevent the farmers finishing the harvest. WILLOWBY. The meteorological report for February shows that this year a month of fairly fine weather was experienced. This proved of great benefit to. the farming community. Although rain fell on ten occasions, the total precipitation was only .875 in. Nevertheless, this was an advance on that of February, 1929, when only .Oooin. was recorded. The maximum fall occurred during the night of February 16, an aftermath of an electrical disturbance in which rumblings and peals of thunder were accompanied by brilliant iightning. The total registration for the first two months of 1930 is 6.645 in, an increase of exactly four inches on that registered for the corresponding period of 1929. The Willowby School Committee met this week, Mr H. Watts presiding. The chairman reported that the February meeting had lapsed for want of .1 quorum. Correspondence was received from the School Committees’ Association. It was reported that the new cricket materia! had arrived and ivas in use; that the goal-posts -for basketball were also on the grounds. The head teacher (Miss Lloyd) reported that the attendance for February liad been good, the percentage being 97 per cent. It was also reported that in the Navy and Victoria League essay competition, Kathleen Stoddari and John Papworth had won first and second class awards respectively in the •Standard VI. group, and Murray Vesiey (first class) and Bruce McLauchlan (second class) in the Standard V. group. Joljn Papworth has also gainad a John Bell [Scholarship. The swimming bath at the school has been a source of enjoyment to the young folk of the community for some years and it has been in great demand during the* 6 warm weather. School children especially make good use cf the bath, where they receive useful instruction from the members of the school staff. Traction haulers and motor-lorries have been having a busy time lately carting the grain to the railway stations and stores.