LITTLE RIVER ADVANCE. MENT ASSOCIATION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXXXV, Issue 3956, 9 July 1920, Page 4

LITTLE RIVER ADVANCE. MENT ASSOCIATION.

! ANNUAL REPORT. ■ Tlu , Little River Advancement Association, which was inaugurated a little over a year ago, has, it must be considered, met with much success, and although all its primary objects have not yet been accomplished, much valuable work has been done. In the first place the Association especially intended to devote its energies to the improvement of Little River ; but it was soon found that its work was of a more farreaching character. It must be borne in mind that the Association has been dependent entirely upon local subscriptions for its funds. Unlike many other progressive or development leagues which are maintained by means of grants from local bodies. The subscriptions raised were certainly very creditable; but the preliminary expenses and the home-nursing classes claimed most of the funds available. The first efforts of the Association were in urging some improvements to Little River itself. The Association was initiative in securing the removal of several unsightly buildings on the main road, and it is ; gratifying to note that the owners of the property after the removal ■ of the buildings erected a neat fence J on the property along the road. The , direcion of the Railway Department ' was drawn to the need of filling in ' the drain on their property on the ! main road. This work is now being I done, and from what has been ac- ' complished already, a distinct imI provement has boon effected. The ► Association is securing the lease of [ the strip of land now that the drain is being filled in where it purposes ' planting shrubs, etc. The Railway ' Department, on the suggestions from I the Association, also cleaned up and I improved the roadway in front of ► Mr W. 0. Richard's premises, erected I a lamp ousidat the-letter boxes at ► the station, and has taken steps to ' prevent persons parking cars and tying horses under the verandah outside the station. The attention ► of the Telegraph Department was ' drawn to the annoyance caused to I subscribers to the Little River TeleI phone Exchange by being able to ► overhear others conversing. A eonI sidei'able amount of correspondence ► has passed between the Association * and the Department, and eventually a satisfactory promise was obtained ► from the Postmaster-General wheieI by a new G.P. cable has been instal- £ led and a complete, metallic circuit ) wili be put in when material i* ► available. In consequence of the I Jai"ge number of subscribers to the Little River Exchange and a neces- ► sary long wait before a now official ' list would be issued the Association ► issued a Little River telephone list ) and circularized it among subscrib- ► ers. What was probably the most I successful thing of its kind ever , held in Little River, if not in Can- ' tei'bury, were the Home-nursing classes, which the Association insti- . luted last winter. The services of I Nurse Maude were obtained to con- | duet the series of classes, and the \ Association can justly feel proud of ► the success attained. The value of * such classes is very far-reaching, and t the need for such knowledge was * probably the more felt after the disastrous influenza epidemic. The I Association is greatly indebted to I Nurse Maude for conducting the ► classes, to Nurse Gadd for her as- | distance, Mrs \V. Aitken for her . valuable help in attending to the preparations for the classes, to the ladies who acted as patients, to Mr Elliott for generously providing afternoon tea for Nurses Maude and Gadd free of charge, and to those .who so kindly motored Nurse Maude to and from Christchurch. The classes were remarkably well attended throughout, many coming long distances. Ninety-four ladies attended the classes. At the conclusion of the nursing classes the Plunkelt Society, at the invitation of" the Association, gave an address and demonstration at the Town Hall, and formed a local branch of the Society. In accordance with local opinion Die Association took up the matter of assisting in the settlement on the land of returned soldiers. Several properties were recommended to the I Government as suitable, but they I did not meet with approval. A meet ing was called for ths purpose of ; raising funds to assist local soldiers . but the suggestion did not meet with sufficient support to wariant it being put into operation. Last winter arrangements were made with the Returned Soldiers Association i> for their president and secretary to 5 journey to Little River and give an I address with a view to forming a I local branch. Unfortunately through 1 the indisposition of the president on 1 one occasion and inclemency of the 5 weather the second time the meeting ■ H'iij postponed. However, the Assojj ciation was pleased that the secretary of the R.S.A. was able to attend 1,1 he recent dinner tendered to the , soldiers by the people of the Waij.ivwa County and urge the formation | ,'■»•' a local branch, and it is further | gratified to know that at a later I date the local soldiers took the matj! tor up themselves and formed a i branch at Little- River. i ! A suggestion made to the I'uaha N a,KI Okuli v "'te.Y School Committees' $ with regard to installing .< C ptic tanks i was taken up at Puaha. but owin--to the uncertainty ~r Ui<- Educa" , lion Board's intention with regard to the school building lne Okuti ' i Valley committee postponed thei matter. " I

I " .' " ! '■ During the year the attention of. North Canterbury Acclimatisation . \/as drawn to the need of restocking , the local river.-. The suggestion was J gladly taken up, and the Society; stocked the rivers as follows ; -Little ! River. 20,000 ova ; Okr.ti, 20,000 ova ; Price's Valley, 10,000 ova.; KaiUina. 10,000 ova. It will be conceded that I the Society's action will meet with' the hearty approval of all, and it is! hoped everyone will do their best to j see the fish are protected. ! The question of establishing far-] mers'-owned saleyards has been very; fully gone into by the Association.! However, owing to the high price ] of material, the unsatisfactory ten- \ lire of the land on which the present; saleyards are built, the possible high price required by- the owners of the present yards, the matter was delayed. The Association has very sti'ong-ly urged the establishing of a' ! fixed monthly sale at Little River, and although for the past several months a regular date has been set . aside for the sale, the owners of the yards cannot at present fix a definite date, as they consider there might be a clashing with sales elsewhere. | 1 The Bank of New Zealand, at the ' invitation i>f the Association, during t the year opened a branch (of the I Christchurch Oll'ice at Little River. 1 The Ofticc, which is open twice a month, has proved a gi'eat " convergence to the business people and their other customers of Little River, and the Association feels confident that the various local bodies, clubs, etc., who have the welfare and advancement of their district at heart, will support the Bank. '" The need for a proper and sanitary water supply for the natives at Little River was placed before the Mini- " ster in charge of Native Air'airs. A complete survey of the scheme has been made by the Government, and the Minister has notified that the Department will subsidize Cor the work to be clone. This mater has been handed over to the natives and is now being considered by them. An amount of £900 has, as most residents are aware, been on the Estimates for the purpose of electing a Post Office at Little River. This money was never expended. The Association approached the Postmaster Generai 'urging that the erection of the Post Office, and it is satisfactory to learn that plans are being pre--0 paied, and no doubt the work will be put in hand as soon as is possible. Owing to the alarming spread of II labbitson the Peninsula and the need • v for closer attention by the Rabbit ' Uoard, it wa-i thought that raie- •" payers would be better served if the Board met in the rateable area, and in consequence Li tie River was suggested as the most central place. The suggestion, however, did not meet c with the Board's approval. The need of improving the dairy herds of the .district has .received 11 much discussion and thought by the Association, and an endeavour was made to secure home tested milking ■ Shorthorn bulls from the Ruakura herd. After a considerable amount of work the Government reserved ™ two of the best of bulls available for " disposal to the Association. These bulls are now in the. district, and their services will be available for use c this coming season. A concession , which the Association obtained from the Government, that of paying railL age from Ruakura to Wellington on a bulls purchased from Ruakura for the South Island has already been availed of by others, and it is felt 0 that this will be a further encourage c ment for these bulls to bo brought " down to this Island. J During the year the Association arranged for lectures, which were given by Mr Climie on electricity and Mr Clayton on herd testing. In addi-' Lion several members of the Associa- 1 tion read papers on various mailers' D of interest at the monthly meetings.! c With regard to the future of the As-! c sociation the need for new trucking' yards at the station has already been' ' placed before the Department, and! although it has been delayed in the meantime it still remains for the A>v sociation to strongly urge their con- ' struclion. The experience of the' past season only goes to further show! the need for new The ques- • tion of establishing fanner.s'-owned i 1 saleyards is one which the Associa-' tion lias .still in hand I'or there is! ■j little doubt that the present com!)-' itons are very unsatisfactory indeed.) In this connection the poor entries! lat the last annual ewe fair go to I j; show the indifference of local ("ar- j mers to support this fixture under s present conditions.. Although no a l--1 tempt has been made by the Associa- [ tion in beautifying by means of plant! ing it is hoped that a start will be 1 made shortly. The district lends itself admirably for such work, and Association should find a lot of \ scope for improving the district in! 1 , thi s direction. In other ways the Association still feels it can render 1 good service, to Little River by variJ ,ous improvements and suggestions in 'keeping the place abreast with the " I times. It will be noted from the "foregoing that only the work of the .Association has been touched upon, that no attempt has been made Ito show how in other ways the dis'|t"' ct has improved and advanced.