UNDER SNOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 10

UNDER SNOW.

CANTERBURY STORM

SPORTS CALLED OFF.

RACING AND FOOTBALL. AN INSURANCE "JOKE." (Hj* Telegraph.—rress Association.) CHRISTCHURC'H. this day. The first snowstorm of the winter swept Canterbury during the night and nearly three inches lay on the ground in the city this morning.

The C'hristelnirch Hunt Club's meeting which was to have been held at Kiccarton to-day was postponed. The postponement of the meeting came as a big disappointment to owners and trainers, as it was regarded as a preliminary to the Grand National events.

The Canterbury-Auckland representative Rugby match was postponed till Monday, August 10, which is a nonracing day in National Week.

All Soccer matches were postponed, but the England-South Island League match- was played after the Showgrounds had been cleared with a motor snoWplough.

The Christcliurch Hunt Club had insured against rain, but failed to collect the insurance as although snow fell only nine points of rain were registered in the vital period—between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. To receive the insurance money it was necessary for ten points of rain to be registered between the hours specified.

All country districts reported heavy falls of snow. Road traffic generally was delayed, but there was no interference to telegraph, telephone or power lines. • This morning, when the snowfall was considered the heaviest for twenty years, citizens were seen snowballing each other in Cathedral Square.

The rainfall figures for the year in Christchnrch may yet break records. The average rainfall is 29.94 inches. This figure has not been reached for several years, but already this year the fall is 22.90 inches. The whole country is deeply saturated, which is retarding the tillage of arable land, and the wheat acreage is likely to be 10-ver than usual