LOOKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 22, 6 November 1940, Page 4

LOOKING BACK.

FIFTY YEARS SYNE. (From the “Guardian,” Nov, C, 1890). Canterbury Flax—A Wellington flaxdresser who has been visiting the-mills iu Canterbury declares that with inferior flax the Canterbury men turn out a very superior fibre/ despite the better bleaching climate of the North. The reasons he gives for the superiority are that the Canterbury men sort the leaf before stripping, that they use better strippers, wash thoroughly, understanding the art, which in the North is neglected • that they have in the heckle scutcher a better scutching instrument and that they pack their fibre better. The Canterbury fibre is worth from £3 to £6 a ton more than the northern article. The Elections—The writs for the elections on December 5, returnable on December 15, were issued yesterday. The main roll for Ashburton numbers 2724 electors ; supplementary roll No. 1, 481; supplementary roll No. 2, probably about 90—total 3295. From the old roil several names of deceased and otherwise disqualified persons have been withdrawn, perhaps 70 up to date, and there are still more to be removed, so that when the roll is finally available to the public there will probabl.v be about 3200 names in all upon the three rolls. Of this number, probably 1500 to 18CK) will vote, if we may judgo from the experience of past elections.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ACO.

(From the “Guardian,” Nov. 6, 1915)

Education Districts—At the meeting of the Ashburton County Council 3resterda3 T , Mr W. H. Collins sent a letter of protest against the Ashburton County being cut off from the North Canterbury Education District. The writer pointed out that in the old days Timaru used to be part of the North Canterbury District, but being now too small a district, its existence could now be justified onl3 T 113; attaching to it a large portion of the North Canterbury District j viz., the Ashburton County. Ashburton had always been attached to North Canterbury, in which there was a community interest and a district that was more economically worked than any other district, with Christchurch and all its higher educational institutions and advantages. Mr Collins contended ttyat to. be tacked into a small district like South Canterbury would be positively a retrograde step. The Council agreed with Mr Collins' suggestion, and accordingly decided to send a protest to the Minister of Education.