SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17771, 24 May 1923, Page 4

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

j \ TIMARU. Social and Personal. Mrs Hay and family, Waimate, are staving at the Hydro Hotel. Miss F. A. Pilliet, Maori Hill, Timaru, is the guest of Sir George and Lady Clifford," "Stonyhurst," North Canterbury. Mrs Arthur Elworthy, Holme Station, is visiting Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Lewis Mathias and Miss Mathias, Fairview, intend leaving for England next month. Mr and Mrs W. Cartwright, North street, have returned from a trip to Australia, Matakana's Stowaway. A stowaway is rarely heard of nowadays, but the Matakana brought one to Timaru from -Brisbane a couple of days ago. On Tuesday, before Messrs G. Hastie and H. Green, JJP.'s, Harry Ashford was charged with secreting himself on the Matakana, contrary to the Shipping and Seamen's Act. Sergeant Packer appeared for the police, and the information was laid by Captain Bosdet, of the Matakana. Defendant pleaded guilty. Captain BoSdet stated that'Ashford was a married man. He had worked quite satisfactorily on thq voyage across as a stoker. A fine of £ 1 or seven days' imprisonment was imposed. . Y.M.C.A. The monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Y.M.C.A., Timaru, waß held in the Board room on Tuesday evening. Present: Mr G. T. Dawson (president) and Messrs R. J. McKeown, C. G. Vogeler, W. Simpson, S. Andrews, W. E. Tubb, A. G.. Hamilton, and E. G. Cliffen (general secretary). Apologies for absenco were received from Messrs C. E. Kerr and J. Norton.

Correspondence was read from Mr Varney, giving details of the visit of Dr. Datta to New Zealand in July, and from Mr G. W. B. Hughes, national secretary, congratulating the Association on the successful work done during the past year. Mr E. G. Cliffen was appointed to represent the Association at the Y.M.O.A. convention to be held at Palmerston North in' June. s It was decided to order- a copy of "Association Men," to be placed on the reading-rooin table. Tenders were received for top dressing tho tennis courts in Nelson terrace, and the tender o.f Mr Ayres was accepted. . It was resolved that a meeting of members, and others interested be held in the rooms on Sunday afternoon, June 3rd, to be followed by a strangers' tea," the proceedings to ""close at 6 p.m. ' . A discussion took place m. regard to the seating accommodation in the concert' hail, and it was decided that additional seating and: staging be arranged for. , _ The following were appointed an executive to deal with various matters: —Messrs G, T, Dawson, C. G. Vogeler, 16. E. Kerr, A. G. Hamilton, R. J. McKeownJ and general secretary. ' Mr Cliffen reported, inter alia, on the month's activities. Attendances at gymnasium classes under Mr 0. -P gate were: Ladies, 20; seniors, 25; ness men, 17; boys under 12, 21; junior department, 18. ~ ■ The committee rooms were used for 41 meetings other than* Y.M.CJ.A. meetings, and the hall fot. three meetings. The attendance of officers and cadets from* oversedMitters totalled 35 for the month. ' i * Reports in reference to the work.at Geraldine, and also the cinema, were discussed. Activity in the Building Trad®. The amount of building that has been going on in Timaru lately can be judged from the number of permits issued by the Borough Council for new buildings. During April and up. to May 18th, 17 permits were issued. Six of these were for brick buildings, and 11 for wooden Iftmses. The total value of the buildings amounted to £19,158, or an average of. nearly £1127 per house. mits were issued for house additions to a total value of £470. In the business centre, of the , town many new buildings have sprung up, and at present old tins' and other unsightly objects are being removed from sections in preparation for the erection of up-to-date buildings. _ Some business men are of the opinion that rating on unimproved values is the cause of the increased activity. At present there is a shortage of skilled mechanics and carpenters in Timaru. One builder states that most of the tradesmen who were here during the busy period before Christmas had to leave Timaru early m tho new year owing to there being very little work available. The' work at present in hand and in sight should keep the builders going for- many months. This time last year there was a -good deal of uncertainty about the expenditure of money, as the country was just recovering from the slump that followed on the war years. The Weather. On Tuesday night there was every promise of a heavy fall of rain, and at about 9 o'clock there was a steady downpour.. During the night the clouds dispersed, and yesterday was full of brilliant sunshine, ;with a touch of nor'-west in the light breeze. For tHe 24 hours, ended at 9 a.m. yesterday, seven points of rain were registered at the N Timaru Gardens. Late yesterday afternoon the sky was cloudless, giving promise of a sharp frost. Port .of Timaru. Shipping movements at the Port of Timaru will be fdund in the shipping columns.

TEMUKA. The annual report of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society states that the cash receipts for the year totalled £785 14s 9d, as against J&SS2 Is 2d for the previous year, while the ordinary expenditure for the period under renew was £717 10s 4d, compared with £612 19s 9d during the year ended March 31st, 1922. The inoome from. fishing licenses decreased by £46, the amount .received from this source being £460 16s. The sale of game licenses brought in the sum of £lOsl ICte, while ,the increase in membership augmented the funds of the Society to the extent of £92 16s. After allowing for depreciation and outstanding liabilities, the year's working shows an improvement in financial position of £92 &i 2d. Generally speaking, the fishing season has been moderately good, some very good baskets being obtained, an<K towards tho end of the season quite a number of big fish were caught. The ranger has removed 6600 yearlings from, streams up to the upper waters of the Waihi, Kalcahu, Ttengawai. Hae Hae Te Moaria, Opihi, s &nd a creek above Albury. The hatching of brown trout last year was not very successful, as the fish ran late at" Alexandrina, and it was impossible

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~rr— — to impregnate the eggs. With the rainbow trout, however, conditiww could not have been better, and 20,000 were hatched out and liberated m the Timnru reservoin and the Winchester dam. More hatching boxes have been made this year, and it is intended to hatch out 100,000 fry. The bulk of those will be from the Alexandrina . brown trout which have not the migratory habits of the river fish. The shitting or the ova was all done by the ranger with his motor-cycle and side-chair, in recard to quinnat salmon, the run of salmon in the Rangitata this year has easily eclipsed any former year, and has proved excellent sport for quite a number of license-holders. A thi«*-months same shooting season, opening on May Ist last year, was secured for the shootinn- of grey duck, black teal, mallard duck, and swans. For the first tame it was necessary to hold a license w» shoot game. _ Passably good bags were obtained. The Council is continuing its policy of encouraging the destruction or shags by paying 3s per head. Fiftythree life-members were elected during the year. During the year Mr E. MaoDonald was appointed to fill the vaoanoy °&UB9<l by tli© unfortunate d6ccas6 of Mr F. B. Gilingham. The Council lost the assistance of Mr R. L. Wigky,who, /wing to pressure of business, resigned his seat on the Council. Mr C. S. Young was appointed in his stead.