ASHBURTON ITEMS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17207, 26 July 1921, Page 5

ASHBURTON ITEMS.

Technical School. The Ashburton Technical Schools' two, large workshops, which have recently been built in brick, at a cost of £4500. are now being equipped at a cost of nearly another £IOOO. Much of the work of erecting the machinery is being done by the students, under the supervision of t"he instructors. There are now nearly 1100 students attending the school. The pupils took advantage of tHe opportunity given by the removal of the woodwork class into the new workshop, to invite the instructors and evening students to a pocial evening. The room was prettily decorated with the school colours, and a most enjoyable time was spent in games and dancing. The actual founder of the Ashburton Technical School, was the late Mr W. J. Silcock, who over a quarter of a century ago, and when he was chairman of the Borough School Committee, was a persistent advocate for technical education, till at last cooking classes were started in the borougn school, then woodwork classes in a building opposite. From these gmall beginnings the Ashburton institution has gradually grown into one of the best equipped and most successful technical schools or colleges in the whole of the Dominion. Nurses' Home. The Minister of Education will be in Ashburton on August 2nd to open • the Nurses' Home of the County Hospital. A Mild Winter. Evidences of the mildness of the winter and the near approach of spring can now be seen by quite a brilliant display of early flowera in many gar-r dens, and by the trees in the Domain, as "well as in many other places being in full blossom. Japanese plum trees are also to be seen in blossom, and the fruit buds of many peach and apricot trees in sheltered places are almost ready to burst. Beer Plentiful. Deer are reported to be very numerous, in and about the bush-covered spots at the.back of Stavefey,'the Ashburton Gorge, Alford Forest, and away towards Double Hill, and the Rakaia Gorge, the binds especially being so plentiful that it is anticipated that in the course of another couple, of seasons there will have to be a considerable • thinning out. The hinds can frequently he seen grazing quite peacefully out in the open near where there is bush. A couple of very fine stags' heads were •obtained some time ago bv Mr Jessop, one of which is considered to be a record, for New Zealand, and which will shortly be on view in Ashburton. < ' Vlonghing% Match. 1 The entries for the Ashburton ploughing<match, which takes place in Mr Menin's paddock,* at Tinwald, on Saturday, are coming in very freely, and it i» anticipated that they will constitute a record, and that the work ' will be of a highly interesting and finish- ' ed nature. To the layman, there may not be much in watching the pi ogress of the work at a ploughing match; but to those y-ho have to do ploughing, there - are ,: many most valuable and Masting lessons to be learnt, and the honour of 'Being' a 'cha'mpion ploughman, or that of even winning an ordinary prize, is always-keenly appreciated. >' -s ' j Bowling Club. ' """At the "annual meeting of'the Ash- / burton Bowling Club, it was stated that the past season was the most notable and moat successful in the club's history. A new green had been formed at * afc cost', of about* '£3QO, and next > , season there would Be 1 two good 'greens ' to play.on. Another notable event was ' TotKe formation of a sub-centre, including f . JjMfeth'ven and Rakaia. The result of f \ v tins would Bring the clubs into" closer * r topcb with each other, and greatly en- ; \, J'bjmciSLthe chances of the winning of more K 'foreign ma&hes,, including the regainaJ „'ing,'the pf going to IH-Tlmkru, and once more bringing back the If g&B*MoT Cjapv-an honour y eagerly sought #||:after clubs .through§|f*ra~;* North and South Canterbury. It i also "-hoped l that* greens would be s|||ie\ejitnally laid down and clubs formed ISf; And AUenton, v R .Houston,. one of Ashburton's prominent and '•'enthusiastic play||pieW assuring his'fellow bowlers that llipthey «rald ? depend on a green being' laid ?and a, club formed in the Allenililatcto'jßubnrban; district at no very dis«lff|jjAt.dflte: jJhe two greens |n the AshBJlPJiEattoV.Do'mairi',, are at present giving of "being -'in first-class illl^ying'order at the opening of the seaand are to-secure the full time seriillOTcerM <a -thoroughly qualified carekeen both'greens in good playis other place in > Soutli , 'tslkrid where bowling greens in such a charming two in' the Ashburton Dovare'SJtUated practically in e A new combined bor-

ough of Ashburton and the late Jown Board district of Hampstead, and the populous suburb of Allenton, and m the greatest of the many beauty spots m the Domain, surrounded with ornamental trees and shrubs, and flower beds and bofders. A couple of years ago two winter arches, which are. nmrcovered with rambling roses, were erected at one approach to the green, and the Domain staff are just «■?**£ ! erecting three more leading to tne 'greenffrom the main approach through the lodge gates. Borough Council. At the fortnightly meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council held ia»t night the Mayor (Mr R. Galbraith) Sling a letter was read from the KS&r stating that it was the desire of the Department that the feuncil should take over.the .taxi tdj phone, thus falling into ' n « r w,th other councils and taxi-proprietors Ttm tax proprietors wrote asKing that the town belt should be the boundary for the" 2s fare, the same as in the case of AUenton. TWnrt. A letter was read from the Department of Internal Affairs, stating that ine"matter of considering.the approval of the by-laws would receive consideration. A further letter was read, sta£ ineT that the matter of granting £25 lo S the Society for the Health of Women and Children would be the grant was to be made for Plunket nurses and creches. A letter was received from tfte fetaxe Advances Department, in respect to the £35,000 foan for. the underground drainage scheme, stating that when the whole of the £IO,OOO granted had been uplifted, a further application for £SOOO could be submitted to the Board. If the limit had not been reduced a further £SOOO could be submitted for consideration some time after April Ist, 1922 The Hospital Department wrote stating thatTlevy ofW 15s had been made upon the various contributing local authorities of the Ashburton Hospital district. _ ~ The Canterbury Navy League wrote thanking the Council for the arrangements made for entertaining the men of H.M.S. Chatham. I Should Women Play Football'? i At the Baring .Square Methodist I Church on Sunday night, the Rev. 1- W Vealie preached a sermon on Should Young Women Play Football? He took as his text. '*Who can find a virtuous woman P ,y He said !he wished to deal with the question from.a social reform standpoint, and not m a frivolous or humorous way. It was a question which vitally affected the moral and spiritual welfare of .the community, Gobd, healthy exercise was necessary; to enoble our manhood and womanhood, but true ethics must be chosen to ensure, tie noblest and best for both Beixes? Football ..was good sport for robust, healthy young men, but it was not so concerning young women, who would be the mothers of the next generation, and to ensure safety with that maternal responsibility,, it was highly necessary that" every ■ safeguard should be theirs, so as to avoid organic weakness and disease by any exercise of a streithoas, masculine character. There were femii nine virtues which must be experienced by every young woman if we were to retain true virtuous character in the next generation, and it was only right to look .at this question from an ethical viewpoint. He claimed that football could not possibly be conducive to the' best health and development of the feminine body and mind. God forbid that the vounz women of this generation should so tar forget the true ideals of womanhood by seeking to indulge in manly sport, as to become impotent itl that which can make them true saviours of society. Governor-General's Visit, The Mayor has received word that the Governor-General will be pleased to include Methven in his visit to t&e Ashburton County o« August Bth, and the Mayor Has been asked to arrange the details of the visit with the chairman of i the Mount Hutt Road Board. His Excellency will arrive in Ashburton at I noon by motor-car from Timaru. Ho will then be accorded a civic reception, and afterwards entertained at luncn, leaving for Metihven about 2 p.m., and return to Ashburton in time to proceed to Christchurch by the evening train. Notes., An alarm of fire was given at Ashburton at an early hour on Sunday morning And again at 7.45 on Sunday night. The second alarm was on account of a chimney in Short street being on fire. At a smoke concert held by the Ashburton Football Club, Mr W. G. Hillier, who presided, made a presentation of an afternoon tea set to Mr J. Lindsay, a member of the junior team, who was recently married. Ashburton footballers, as well as the feneral public, axe looking forward with een interest to the Springbok match to be played in Christchurch on Saturday. A special train will leave Ashburton at 11 a.m., and will leave Christchurch on tlhe return journey at 6.25 p.m. It is anticipated that between 400 and 500 enthusiasts will be boarding the train at Ashburton, and that this number will be largely supplemented at Fairfield, Dromore, Rakaia, and 'other stations.