THE HERALD WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 1930. THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1737, 14 May 1930, Page 5

THE HERALD WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 1930. THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

la all communities there is invariably found a section of workers carrying out valuable work in a silent way. They are not heralded with the blast of trumpet, nor lengthy articles in the press and it is only when another year of work has been completed and the annual report of the activities come to j hand that we are reminded of their | presence. Among this "silent band" a the loeaTbraneh of the Hunket Society whose members are aUve to the great responsibilities which they voluntary earry. The excellent work of the local eommittee of ladies and Xursc Watt is worthy of the Idghest commediation. The steady growth of the Plunket movement and the advantages to be derived from mothers adopting the Flunket system is due in no small measure to a competent nurse and an energetic president and secretary. It it, indeed, pleasing to see the Borough Council taking notice of the society's work. The provision bf the Ladies' Best R3om—a borough institution where mothers can meet Nurse Wattis ample proof of this. The efforts of the loeal ladies, on behalf of the Obatetrieal Chair Fund are also a credit *» them. ' May the great service to Bumanity Tendered by the Plunket Society never be lost sight of by rieh or poor. The work tff the local committee is truly a labour of love. —

Goldl Gold! Gold! How this call awakens memories among the early c residents of Alexandra. To-day the a call has been taken' up by the children of some of the old miners. The steadydropping of the Molyneux River hns been watched closely and it is safe to " say that, at the present time, the water is lower than it has been for at least 30 years. Furthermore, it is still dropping. • How long it will remain like this is a doubtful question. It is a ease of "make hay while the sun shines" or ''dig while the river is low." Already we have heard from a reliable source, that 2nz was found i by an old miner one day last week and .' since then the river has receded con- ,' siderably. One has only to stand on '" the Alexandra bridge and look at the formidable reef of rocks poking up in the river bed below the Bendigo Hotel • to realise that beaches lower down must be a happy hunting ground for I those who have waited and watched for years for an opportunity to scrape , where no one has ever been before. I On Saturday night at 7.30 a good! J deal of excitement was occasioned in the main street of Alexandra when the back of a car at the Plume bowser outside Mr G. Fryc's garage burst into flames. The tank of a car was being filled with petrol at the time and a lighted match carelessly thrown down in the gutter ignited petrol lying on the ground. In a flash flames travelled along the pipe to the petrol tank and those standing by received a. rudo shock. With great presence of mind several willing workers rushed and | smothered the flames with dirt from the | road. The clang of the fire-bell turned a partially deserted street into a scene ■of wild animation. Bcforo the reel was halfway down the road the fire was extinguished, the only, damage worth recording being to the hose ', which was almost burnt through in the middle. Apart from a little dust and gravel in the petrol tank no damage was noticed at the back of the car. It . was a lucky and timely save affected "by Messrs W. Williams, Dan Tohill, Martin M'Grata and J. Duncan. In the report of the Borough Council . meeting, published this week, appears , a matter in connection'with the local . . football ground. Cr Hewitt asked at ; i the Council table if it was possible to ; i spdre a little water to soften the j ground in some of the very hard places , and it was agreed by the Council that, , ' even though the water mark at Lanes ; I Dam was not very high, an hour with j " the hydrant could be spared for this . I object. On Saturday afternoon it was • ' very noticeable that the Recreation ~ Ground had had no water put on it, , during the preceding few days. Clouds , of dust followed the players up and j down the field and several members of , both teams hobbled off the field at the ] end of the game suffering from bruised ] ; knees as the result of coming into can- , , tact with the hard surface. Whose , •fault was it that no water was placed , ! on the football area! The Chairman of the Beserves Committee should be . asked for an explanation. Why was ' the instructions of the Council not put , into effect! That there was a shortage of water can not now be reasonably given as an excuse; during the week it was reported that the water had con- i siderably risen in Lane's Dam. The local Football Club should have something to say-on this question as there is a probability of its captain not being fit to play for a couple of Saturdays j .at least. i"i ';" j i