THE COUNTRY,

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15669, 6 June 1916, Page 2

THE COUNTRY,

NEWS AND NOTES. TUAHIWI. A social and dance in aid of the school piano fund was held on Thursday night. It-ems were contributed by the school children, Miss Rt?hu and Master Tninui. of Rapaki. Many of those who promised to help were unable on account, of bad weather to be present, but owing to the efforts or Mr Teaika and Mrs Tainui a very creditablc programme was given. Mr T. Tainui made a very efficient- M.C. , The ladies provided supper. The weekly euchre parties in aid of the Returned Soldiers' Fund will be resumed next Thursday. Miss K. Mooney. the very popular and capable assistant-teacher of Tuahiwi School, has left, being succeeded by Miss F. Ccllinson. AK.AROA. 'Flic Iviny's liirtluiay was observed very quieily in Akaroa. All the business places were cioscd, and on the public institutions in the town flags were Hying. No function or display of any kind had been arranged. In these strenuous days of war. it is recognised, oven in liii.s corner of the world, that pufciie festivities .ire out of place. 'J no day was beautifully fine—thc:-i>. li.""J been a sharp fvoat during tin- niyht— and s-onio of the energetic folk took advantage of it to indulge in good walking exercise. The Boy Scouts had a field day on the slopes of the range. Under the command of Scout-Master Daly and Sergeant Dndds, they put in seme real solid work of a useful and practical kind. Their appearance at the end of the day and their excellent performances round the tea table bore testimony to the benelioia! effects of their open-air training. There is n recreation ground in Akaroa. Saturday afternoons in past winters have witnessed manv an exciting game of football or of hockey fought out there. The girls, too. wore ardent followers of the latter sport. Such keen enthusiasts were they that, when the ground has been half under water and mud patches wore frequent and oozy. nothing daunted. they donned garments suitable for the fray and can tested a (! -."g match with a healthy vigour end a joyous abandon worthy of a noble cause. Hut for two winters now strenuous Rugbv end exhilarating hockey have not been seen in our midst. There are no men players left. The cnl! of duty to take part in a sterne'- game has been loyally answered. Of on* - first fifteen of the autumn of IPli 'there is not one member, single end physically lit. left in the town. Tho same notable record applies to the. men's hockey teams. The girls, too, have droooed their sport. They couldn't enlist; they "got, bnsv." n« the American phrases it. with Red Cross work and soldifr comforts for the bovs at the front. . ! DARFIELD. The branch of the Red Cross just started at Darfield lnus commenced work in real earnest. The ladies are working hard, and the men have turned their attention to turning out roller bandage machines, not alone for their own use but for salb at the Red Cross depot in Christchurch for private bandage makers. ASHBURTON. The monthly meeting of the Ashburton Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board was held yesterday. Present— Messrs C. J. Harper (acting-chairman), AV. J. Dickie, J. Cairns, G. TV. Andrews, H. J. Harrison, C. lleid, and F. TV. Watt. Leave of absence was granted the chairman (Mr Hugo Friedlander), who is leaving on a visit to S.vdney this week. Mrs David Thomas's gift of a number of bound volumes of the /'lllustrated London News" to the Hospital Library was accepted with thanks. Mr W. J. Dickie brought up the question of a tuberculosis patient having been sent all the way to the Palmerston South Sanatorium practically in a dying condition, and said it was quite time Ashburton made some arrangements of their own for treating such patients. Palmerston South was too far away, and it would be better to make arrangements for having tuberculosis patients treated in Christchurch. It was decided to invite Dr. Chesson to meet the Board and to choose a site for the . proposed fevert ward, which was estimated to cose from £1400 to £1500. /

Mr' W. J. Hillier, after 15 years' service as manager of Messrs Reid and Gray's Ashburton branch, will sever his connexion with that firm on Saturday next. Mr E. Reid, of tho Dunedin branch, will > succeed Mr Hillier at Ashburton. Mr H. W. Campenter, Allenton, Ashburton, had a son aged 28 years on the Black Prince, which was lost in the naval battle in the North Sea. Mr Alfred Bray, of Ashburton, met a sefious injury to his leg at Christchurch on Saturday. He was walking from the Canterbnrv Park Trotting Club's course to Sockburn to board the train, when he was knocked down by a motor-cycle with side-car attached. He was conveyed by his friends to the train, and on arrival at Ashburton was taken home, where he will be confined to his bed for some time. Following the severe frost' experienced at Ashburton on Friday night, the wind found its way into the northwest during S.aburdav might, whiali continued throughout Sunday and yesterday. Yesterday -was very mild, the temnerature reaching 60 degrees in the shade.