SUMNER-REDCLIFFS NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14525, 29 November 1912, Page 3

SUMNER-REDCLIFFS NOTES.

A movement is on foot to celebrate the jubilee of the arrival in New Zealand waters of tho shin Kohunga, which anchored in Timaru harbour in December, ]SG2. The celebration is to take the form of a social gathering at Timaru of as many of the surviving shipmates as possible, on December 16th next. Mr James Carter, of Sumtier, who has the distinction of having !>een born on this boat on her passage irom tho Old Country, has received a letter from Mr \V. G. Irwin, Timaru (as honorary secretary to the committee), asking his assistance to mnke the affair a success by obtaining the names and addresses of as v many of tho shipmates as he possibly can. It is understood that a number of them are residing in or near Christchurch

About forty members of tho Bearer Corps came down to Kedcliffs last week-end. They arrived on tho Fridnv evening, pitched their tents on the rifle range, and. returned to town on Monday morning,.having hnjd a short but raol:t enjoyable 'little outing, the weather being all that they could desired. While in camp they were given Home useful instruction by fi-ergeant-Ylajor W. Thompson, and on Sunday evening most of them attended Divine service at All Saints' Church, Sumncr. Under the heading, "Country News and Notes," in "The Press" of the 26th instant, information is sought by bho Government Biologist (Mr A. H." Cockayne) respecting "the grass grub," particularly as to the exact dates on which the beetles aro observed on the wing in different districts. On the evening of the 2oth instant, your correspondent was surrounded, and practically attacked, by a number of these living beetles when walking at Kedcliffs. A peculiarity about them is that they only appear to rise on tho wing towards dusk, and can evidently see better in the dark than tho light, as they seem to prefer tho darkness for their flight, and they have a vicious sort of habit of darting at one's face. Your correspondent has often had similar experiences of these pests in past years, and has rilso fre-r quontly found them, wiien digging in the garden, two or three inches beneath tho surface in the beefclo form, apparently in a dormant stato. Owing to the. constantly increasing work in connection with the Postal Dopartment in this borough, tho staff at. Sumner has l>cen increased by. the addition of a cadet, which will relievo the two letter carriers of a considerable amount of office work, and now enables tfje residents of Itedcliffs to enjoy the benefit of both a morning and afternoon delivery.