SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18135, 26 July 1924, Page 8

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

TIMARU. Social and Personal. Mr and Mrs Arthur Elworthy will leave to-day to spend the week-end at "Barossa" with Captain and Mrs Redmond Neill. Miss Hanna (Chris tchurch) is the guest of Mrs Blakiston (Orari Gorge). Mr and Mrs Bonaldson (Christchurch) are staying with Mrs A. Grant (Wai-iti road). Mrs Boys (Christchuroh) is the guest of Mrs Mowbray Tripp (Silverstream). Tekapo Power. On Thursday Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, as president of the Tekapo Development League, received from the Australasian representatives of Boving and Co., Ltd., London, the following definite offer to develop electric power from Lake Tekapo. There has been much discussion as to the cost of such development, a great many people holding the view that the scheme would be too costly. Now that ho is in receipt of a definite offer to undertake the work, it is Mr Burnett's intention to submit it to the South Canterbury Power Board, which is th'e only body that can deal with it. The offer is an inclusive one, and embraces a good deal more than the offer mado in Timaru by Mr Boving in 1921. The maximum cost for a single transmission line service will bo £305,000, while for a double circuit the maximum cost will be £340,000. The engineers, however, expect to be able to carry out the work for less than the maximum sums named, and they offer alternatively to do thp whole of the work on a common basis and to complete it within two years from the date of commencement.

Harbour Board.The monthly meeting of the Timaru Harbour Board was held yesterday morning. Present: Messrs W. Hayman (chairman), F. R. Flatman, A. F. Campbell, E. R. Isaac, J. Kennedy, H. B. S. Johnstone, D. C. Turnbull, T. B. Garrick, and A. R. Guild. Beforo proceeding with the ordinary busiuoss of the meeting, a vote of condolence with the relatives of the late Mr John Chisholm was passed. The financial statement showed that the credit balanco at last meeting was £3559 10s 6d; receipts sinco last meeting were £5985 6s Bd. Accounts to be passed for payment amounted to £10.255 6s, leavibg a debit balance of £7lO 8s lOd. The Sports Protection League wrote regarding daylight saving and asking the Board to send a delegate to a deputation to the Prime Minister. The Board repliod stating that the chairman had been unable to attend, as the notice was too short. The Westport Coal Company wrote that when the Canopus was last at Timaru they were. compelled to land into the trucks the bunker supplies for the trawler Silver Fern, and the Railway Department charged wharfage at the rate of 2s per ton. This was contrary, to the provisions of the Board's by-law No. 4, relating to wharfage, which stated that all coals passing over the wharf intended for steamers or the Board's own consumption, should be free. They had also been debited with harbour improvement rate of 6d per ton on the same lot, and this again, they thought, was specially exempted, under by-law No. 10, which exempted coal for bunkering purposes. •The company,, applied for a refund of the amounts involved. . Mr Turnbull said they could not get away from the by-law. There was no reason why a boat should be penalised in such a manner. The chairman remarked that if they gave way on the point, they might be worried later regarding benzine. It was decided to instruct the Railway Department to refund the amounts. The harbourmaster, Captain D. McDougall, wrote that he was continually receiving complaints from shipmasters about the power of the red light in the lighthouse, and he found, himself, that it was difficult to see from a distance, now that so many powerful electric lights were shown in the town. The present apparatus gave 200 candlepower at a yearly cost of £22 5s 7d, and consisted of three ordinary gas jets. He suggested that an electric light of 500 candle-power should be installed at a cost of £8 10s, and at a flat rate of £24 yearly for current. This would give double the present light, and the gas cotild be used as a stand-by in case of emergency. The chairman said that 20 or '3O years ago the light was all right, but to-day it was out of date. It was decided to accede to the request. The Marine Department wrote asking for a plan of the, harbour, showing portions of the foreshore or tidal waters, which had been vested in the Board. In reply to a letter from the Board, asking for the name of the person who supplied a copy of the Commissioner's report as published in "The Press" concerning proposed improvements at the port, the editor of "The Press" stated that ho did not consider it necessary to supply any information in the matter. In reply to a similar letter, the "Otago Daily Times" wrote referring the Board to tho information supplied at the head of the message. Concerning the same matter, the Marine Department replied to a letter from the Board, that the copy of the report wag not' given to tho Press until after the Board's copy had had ample time to reach them (tho Board). The letter continued that the procedure followed in the case was quite usual. The chairman: ''Very short and not very sweet, but probably not the fault of the papers, as it came from Wellington." Ife continued "that when the Board received the report it was probably already in print, or very near it. Mr Turnbull: It got into the hands of an enterprising Press agent, that's all. ■ ' Mr Flntman: He should rather be applauded than censured. The chairman: I think we should eensurc .the Department on their procedure. , Mr Flat man: Certainly the report should have been discussed at the Board table before it became . public property.' We can't blame the papers; they are quite right in looking after themselves. The chairman stated that he was going to Wellington shortly, and it was decided that he be instructed to express the Board's disapproval of the Marine Department's action in giving the report to the newspapers before the Board had had an opportunity of discussing it. The resident-engineer reported that 13 drift test blocks had been recovered since last meeting, two on Waimataitai beach and 11 on the Ninety-Mile Beach. This made a total recovered to date of 376. So far no blocks had been found south of the harbour. The harbourmaster reported that the arrivals during June were 28 steam vessels, with an aggregate of 39,355 tons; departures, 28 ateam vessels, with an aggregate of 39,355 tons. Shipping tonnage entering the port for the 12 months ending June 30th was 864,773 tons gross, 528,652 tons nett, being the greatest amount of tonnage that had visited the port daring any 12-monthly period. The soundings showed the

channel to be in very good order at tho present time. The resident engineer reported in detail on routine -work done daring the month. Motor-Car Stolen. Mrs Golding, of Gleniti, left her car outside the Post Office for a short period on Wednesday evening, and on her return it had vanished. Up till yesterday afternoon the car had not been located. Harhonr Improvement. At yesterday's meeting of the Timara Harbour Board, the Royal Commission's report on harbour improvement schemes was discussed. The chairman (Mr W. Hayman) eaid both schemes had been turned down, and there was nothing to be done. The Commission had decided that both Bchemes were too expensive. Mr E. E. Isaac said the Commission had nothing to do with finance. The chairman remarked that that was strange, because it was on that point that the schemes had been turned down. Both were practicable from an engineering point of view. Mr D. C. Turnbu)! said he thought that the report justified a protest. The Commission had hit theni below the belt by reporting on finance in which they were not concerned. He moved the following motion, which was seconded by Mr A. F. Campbell, and carried unanimously: "That in the opinion of the Board the engineers of the Commission exceeded their powers in declining to recommend the proposed improvements by reason of the cost, as they were asked to report on the practicability of the respective schemes of harbour extension, and not on th« question of the ability of the district to pay for it, and that the chairman and the members of Parliament for South Canterbury interview those in authority when in Wellington, and ask them to send a financial expert to report on the revenue and possibilities of the district, and the requirements of tho board before finally accepting the engineers' recommendations."'

Alleged Bank Breaking. At' about 5 o'clock yesterday morning people in the vieinity of the Timaru branch of the National Bank of New Zealand, in Stafford street, were aroused by the sound of a couple of revolver shots. One of the clerks, S. E. Field, who was sleeping on the bank premises, stated when interviewed by the police that he thought he heard a noise downstairs. He picked up his revolver, and descended in the darkness to the office. He was under the impression that the bank had been broken into, and fired a couple of times. Another clerk, E. Gibspn, who was also sleeping on tho premises, saw no sign of a burglar, and did not hear any suspicious noises. licld rang uolico immediately afterwards, and they found nothing to give rise to any suspicions of burglary, and the "rthole thing turned out to be more or less a false alarm.

temuka. The following » the draw for the firßt round of tho junior championship :—Miss Smart v. Miss Scrimshaw; Miss R. Twomey v. Miss Bremner; Miss Taylor, a by© j Miss Patterson, a bye. The following is the draw tor +Tic "medal round to be played to-day: Mrs Austin if. Miss Elder; Mrs Sheen r. Miss Hanson; Miss E. Bremner v. Miss Armstrong ;• Mrs Grant Paterson; Mrs Smart v. Ware, ing; Mrs Marshall v. Mrs 0 Connor. The 1.0.0. F. Lodge held a very enjoyable euchre party and danoe, nearly* fifty ladies and gentlemen , being present. Cards occupied the first part of the evening, the winners of the Erst prizes being Mrs Hutcheson _ and Mr w Gabv. The consolation prizes went to Mrs J. Cain and Mr W: Hobbs. An excellent supper was served, after which dancing was indulged in, the music being supplied by Mrs Hutcheson. Extras were played by Mrs A. Anderson and Miss Higmbottom. Mr W. Gabv acted as M.C. During the evening *Mr Mcllroy contributed a vocal item.

GERALDINE. For the past three or four years a District Nurse has been doing valuable work in thia locality, and on Thursday thcrfe was a special meeting of the Nurse Committee, when the resignation of Sister Sandman, who has held the position for nearly two years, was received. The resignation was accepted with regret, and the doctors present spoke highly of her good work with patients. She was bright and cheerful, made'herself fiomely with the people and was sympathetic, said one doctor, and his remarks were endorsed. Communications to the same effect were received from patients. It was reported that during the nine months of the present financial year the nurse had paid thrde hundred visits to patients, and the members of the coni-nittae expressed the opinion that the work was of so much importance that it must be continued and it was agreed to take steps to secure a successor, the necessary arrangements' being discussed.