THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16540, 4 June 1919, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

NEWS AND NOTES. JOTTINGS FOB FAKMEKS. Mr TV. P. Stericker, Sutton Farm,} Timaru. writes: On an average, - . j the driest month of the year, th - j being exceptionally so, ° n lj." ir , re ing. The above fall is the lowest since 1898, when O.lSin was recorded. average for May for 30 years is For the corresponding montn ox vear 0.23 in fell. HORNBY-ISLINGTON. Private Bert Evans, of Mr an Mr= M. Evans, Islington, who lert wit his" brother Oswald in the 20th Reinforcements. arrived home on Thursday evening last. Private Evans, who. is in the best of health, spent a in Scotland with his brother, Gunner Claude Evans, of the Tank Corps, previous to leaving for New Zealand. H reports that his brother, who was taten prisoner at the battle of Cambrai, aim was in the Cassel internment camp in Germanv for 15 months, was in a very weak state when he arrived in England. It is little wonder that he was in poor health, as he received little to eat with the exception of a kind or soap made from grass and leaves, ana was only seven stone in weight when released. It was only the parcels of food which he latterly received through the Dutch authorities that enabled nmi to exist, and he is convinced that another two or three weeks of such treatment would have killed him. KAIAPOI. X lie tnirtl >ui arrangeu t),> iUe JO.cu«H>OI .u.uu s u UCiU ItW u UiiU M ** L " fauiiuttu. -i- must cUjoyaUiU vv<*s in tiuouio uuu Liio uieowiiji or (jio xiu.ut/ui vouuca raso ov vue mxu ty eou01 lllU UOIIUL'U \Vt3l'o CA.itiiiutiu to »urs 31. j.u. Jjiuciiweilj xu.a>.l!<., oi. CilC aonour comonoa on nur. iUis liiucKweii ims taiicn au active pal d ju v>u...cui s war woiji, buuiji pietiuvai, or uio xviuupoi biaucn oi tuo .ucu vyioas Aiuuy JjivoiiKJOt £ uuU smcO ilia iliCv-V 1.1 v<a. jv lyoi-udii muicn iu uiu oi vne axuiupoi csoiuters' jxemonut toon p»uco ui tiio ii.aiapoi i'aiiv yootcruay ai lernooii, between ttio "Jtiuaitvfie" ana uio j\aiapoi xiard Ui ado conn4>tition team, iuo «vj ay or kicked oil, and ivaiapoi won by 8 points to a. U'or Jvaiapoi, ivobwn and xoasuaie each scored a try, ono being converted by Nisbitt; and for tno ''Hustlers," Hemingway kicked a penalty goal. Mr VV> 'lompleton icfereed. Williams, ono of the "Hustlers," sprained his anklo, and was attended by Dr. J. H. Crawshaw. AKAROA. Arrivals home of returned Peninsula soldiers last week inciudo SergeantMajor Ditely, and Privates John 0. Bruco and Nonnan Pilkington, all of whom had seen considerable service on tho Western front. Tho iirst-nainecl, who was in the Boer war, left within a month of the outbreak of hostilities. He spent four months on Gallipoli before going to France. Private Pilkington was "badly wounded in tho Somme offensive, but has made a wonderfully good recovery. June has opened with bright, clear skies,' and a warmth of stin at midday that seems rather inconsistent with the mid-winter month. SOUTH MALVERN DISTRICT. Tlio rainfall ror tne montn or May was 411 points. Rain fell on iiotn, 2ot.ii, KJ ill, ana iiiJth, tnouga traces were rocoraect; on two ouier days, 'i'no rainlail tor the correspoauuig month in IUI7 and 1918 was 400 points and VJ points respectively. A comparison of tu e rainfall of tiio first five months of 1917, lyitij and lyl9 snow? lli.txi, y.57, and 8,(j8 inches respectively. The weather of the past three days has been very fine, with hard frosts, bright sunshine, and scarcely any wind/ Inueed, there is not enough wind to work the windmills. Tlio hardest frostwas on Sunday morning last, when lti degrees wero recorded on the grass at Coaigate. Water services relused to act till after midday, and the plumber was in great demand.. On Saturday there were twelve degrees of frost, and thirteen degrees on Monday morning. The attendance at the G'entunnel Public Library has been exceptionally good so far this winter, and the comfort and convenience of subscribers is well attended to. Over 50 new books have been placed on tho shelves this week, including some on tho oarly history of New Zealand. In common with most other libraries, tho committee, find a great difficulty in getting subscribers' to read anything but novels, in spite of Hie fact that the Education Department requests that tho subsidies shall be spent on books that have more than a passing interest. The Library ia subsidised mainly in the interests of eriu- • cation, yet over 90 per cent, of the | books aro novels. On Friday last tho Coaigate Amusement Club held a "Long Night" dance in the Prodv.co Shed, which was decorated with evergreens and flags % The music was supplied by Mrs A. E.- Pollard (piano), assisted by Master _ D- ' Mitchell (violin). Items were also given by Miss Brochie and Messrs T. Simpson and D. Mitchell. The rear of the shed was partitioned off. and arranged as a supper room in charge of the ladies of the committee. The club has been holding progressive euchre parties and dances for some time past, and intend I holding theni weekly throughout tlio winter months, tho proceeds to go toI wards the purchase of a piano. Prizes for the enchro parties have been given by Mesdames A. Charles and C. Stuart, and the Misses E. Smith and M> Mitchell: FLEMINGTON. A social was held in the school to welcome homo Rifleman C. J. Morse. Mr J. Bell presided. A lengthy programme was given, during which the chairman presented the soldier with a gold chain and niednl as a token of tho district's appreciation of his four years' service at the front. The Rev. W. Marshall (Presbyterian), on behalf of the church, also presented Rifleman Morse with a pocket Bible, suitably inscribed. and one to Corporal 11. Gillespie. At the close a vote of thanks was passed to the entertainers, several of whom came from Ashburton. The accompaniments were played by Misses Gluyas, Trevurza, Gilmour, anil Bell. ASHBURTON. Yesterday being King's Birthday, a close holiday was observed at Ashburton. A liberal display oi bunting was flown from business premises and private residences. The early train for Christchurch was. weil patronised by the sporting public, and during the afternoon hockey, football, and golf formed the bulk of the amusements locally. Tho chief function in the evening was the soldiers' banquet in the Theatre. Royal. Tho Ashburton Borough Council, at its fortniglitlv meeting on Mouday nighfc, decided to write to the. Government asking what date the Lake Coleridge electric power would he available for Ashburton. and the cost at which the current would be supplied to the Council. WAIMATB. May was the driest month ever known here, "only one-eighth of an inch of rain falling. It was also remarkable for the severest frostj yiz., 1-5 degrees. The average May rainfall for twenty years is 130 points. Mr E. White, manager for Messrs Hunt and Currie, plumbers, died after a crief illness, aged SO.