THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18147, 9 August 1924, Page 5

THE COUNTRY.

BALCAIBN. At the request of the Kowai County Council the public school will be closed from noon on Wednesday, as the Council's war memorial is to be dedicated at the cemetery that day. The fortnightly euchre and dance will be held next Thursday instead c, Wednesday. The weather has cleared up after a week of cold, blustery, souwest days with rain at intervals.

LEITHFIELD. On Wednesday afternoon MessrsiVallauce and Harries motored the Mount Grev Downs basketball team to Leithfield to trv conclusions with the local team. The chief characteristic was good passing on the part of tne offence. The home team wen oy ±- points to nil. Miss I. Moore, was referee. After the game the visitorwere entertained to afternoon tea. Very dull weather with bitterly cold winds" from the south-west was experienced on Wednesday and Thursday. Although light, misty showers fell at intervals, the total amount ot rainfall was not sufficient to counteract the elfeet of the previous spell o. at} weather. , On various occasions residents hav--enjoyed listening to wirelefs concerts broadcasted from Taihape, Dunedin, and other New Zealand centres. Un Tucsdav evening a concert broadcasted from Sydney was heard to advantage on Mr G. Parker's wireless set.

WAIKUKU. On Thursday the Waikuku Mutual Improvement Society held a social in the Methodist Church vestry. Games were played during the evening, ana a dainty supper was handed round at the conclusion. Those present included: Mrs D. Morgan, Mrs J. Mornss, Miss H. Bunting, Miss T. Ellis, Miss Foot, Miss H. Judson, Miss Daphne McQuillan, Miss M. Orchard, Miss M. Sloan, Eev F E. Foot, Mr D. Collie, Mr M. Collie, Mr J. Crook, Mr P. Ellis, Mr B. McMillan, Mr J. Robb, Mr T>. Malcolm, and Mr D. Robinson. Mrs G Brown and her two sons, accompanied by Miss W. Carson, who havo been staying with Mrs D. Morgan, Waikuku, returned to Cheviot on Thursday. . ... Mrs Archer (Cheviot) " staying with Mrs Stokes (Beach road, Waikuku).

SOUTHBRIDGE. | The Rev. T. G. Butler presided oyer the annual meeting of the congregation of the Southbridge Presbyterian Church, at which there was a fair attendance. The balance-sheet showed a credit of £4 7s 6d in cash and £liy 12s 9d in the P.O. Savings Bank. The session's report stated that the roil number was about 73, three having joined the church during the vear. The attendance at services had been good, but £here was room for still further improvement. The management committee reported that the purchase of a new, car, and the sale of the old one, had been satisfactorily arranged. There had been a slight increase in both collections and envelope subscriptions. Mr W. Gabbie had resigned from the secretaryship, and Mr W. O. Eggleton had been elected in his place. The main item in tho P.W.M.TJ. report was a reference to a flower show held last spring, from the proceeds of which £?0 had been handed to the finance committee, €6 beine kept in hnnd, and £lO in all Wing given to the various missions. Encouraging reports were also read by the secretaries of the Girls' Olub, .Sunday Schools, and Young Men's BTble Class. Four members wore elected to the management committee to replace the four retiring. The following now comprise the complete committee: Mesdames Webster, Benny, and ■Scott, Misses Lewis and Simpson, Messrs R. J. Parkin, James, Howatson, Benny, Jan., W. C. Eggleton and J. Stringer. A recommendation was moved to the incoming committee to lay down paths and drains, and in other ways improve the manse grounds. It was reported that the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes had offered to give a cup for competition at the forthcoming flower show. Votes of thanks were passed to outside helpers, to the organist and choir and to Mrs Butler for her work in the Sunday School. The monthly meeting of the Southbridge Town Board was held on Thursday evening, there being present:— Commissioners P. Delargoy (chairman), E. J. Parkin, J. Hampton, M. Hantz, A. Tong, W. J. Woods, and C. D. Thompson (clerk). The annual contribution of £1 to the Canterbury Progress League was passed for payment. Mr T. H. Bennett wrote protesting against the trespassing rate charged for pigs, at 3s a head. The pigs had not been on the property longer than one hour. The Board decided to refer the writer to the poundkeeper. The secretary of the Springs-Ellesmere Electric Power Board wrote advising that a request for five extra street lights had been acceded to, the request having been handed to the engineer. The fittings were 'on order, and as soon as they arrived tho lights would be erected. The chairman of tho Works Committee reported that little progress was being made with Broad street. One councillor required tho shingle to be taken from Armstrong's pit, and another from the Board's pit. The chairman said it would cost twice as much to cart from Armstrong's pit, and the committee was finally deputed to endeavour to secure tho Council's sanction for the taking of the shingle from the Board's pit. The clerk was instructed to order a quantity of halfround concrete piping for road waterrace crossings. Dayman J, D. McClure reported that the grass along tho main street was being cleaned up, and a footpath was being formed in O'Connor street. Eoads had been patched, the bridge had been repaircc'., and a new gate put on at the shingl 3 pit opposite the station. Mr E. Eilbride's tender of £95 13 s 3d for the building of an addition to the Town Hall anteroom was accepted, subject to the work being completed by August 23rd. A meeting of the North Rakaia River Board of Conservators was held at Soutbbridge on Thursday. Present Messrs J. Storry (chairman), E. J. Cowan, W. Gabbie, W. Lochhead, J. P. MeEvedy, and the clerk, Mr D. Taylor. The Board decided to pay the balance owing on Levett's Estate, £247 10-s. Mr Storry reported that, accompanied by Mr Cowan and. the secretary, ho had made an inspection of Barnett's Island. It was found that a certain amount of erosion had taken place on i one of the banks, the land in question 1 being part of the Board's property. ' He questioned the advisability of ereetI in«f protective works to prevent further erosion, as the land threatened was i not valuable, and brought in little revenue. It was decided that the opin- ' ion of Mr T. Jeal, supervisor of the ! Waimakariri works, should be obtained.

GRAIN'S BAY. A T*enr beneficial rain sot in on Tneaday night, and continued incessantly throughout Wednesday. So fsr this winter the weather has been extremely mild and dry. Good soaking rains are urgently iietucd to ensure a plentiful supply of feed throughout the summer. The mildness of the season is c-hown by the early appearance of spring flowers and ' fruit" blossoms. In many places plum trees aro making quite a brilliant show. A few lambs havo made their appearance in the surrounding districts, and dairy herds will be coming into profit early neit month.

DOYLESTON. At the annual meeting of residents for the election of a. committee of management for the Dovleston Public Hall, Mr H. Smith presided. Mr A. Robb read the balance-sheet, showing over liabilities amounting to £253 73 Id and a credit on the vear's working of £4O 12s 2d. The balancesheet was adopted. The following committeemen were elected: Messrs H. Smith, A. Robb. M. L. Bueklev, A Hoskins, H. Foinison, G. Robb. D Welsh. Votes of tnanks were passed to the chairman, the retiring committee, and the ladies who had assisted at various functions. At the subsequent committee meeting, Mr M. L. Buckle* was elected chairman and Mr A. Robb secretary. Tt was decided that a meetnig of ladies should be called to elect a committee to work in conjunction with the main committee.

LEESTON. In connexion with the poll taken by the Ellesmere County Council on Thursday on a proposal to raise a loan of £2OOO for the building of new countv offices, the final return, that from the Fraser's comer booth (near Dunsandcl), came in yesterday morning. The whole ten votes recorded at that booth word against the proposal, which was thus lost by three votes, a three-fifths majority being required to carry the loan. The voting was: For 193, against 133, informal 1. A rate of one-thirty second of a penny in tho £, or approximately 2 S 6d on a valuation of £IOOO, would have been nocessary to cover interest and sinking fund. It is generally considered that a good deal of the opposition arose from the fact that a Power Board rate was collected last year, a number of those who were called upon to pay the rate being residents of sparsely-settled parts of the country who could not get the current. This applies more particularly to Fraser's cornor.

SPRINGBURN. An unfortunate and pninful accident befel Mr Willie Chapman, of Winterslow, at the Springburn railway station, when he was oranking his car. Theengine, after standing some time- in the cold, refused to firo, and eventually, after a few futile twists, a back-fire was experienced, the cranking handle flying back and catching Mr Chapman's wrist, putting it out. The guard, Mr A. Bent'ey, who witnessed the acciritmt, quickly had the wrist back in position, and except for a slight swelling and painful feeling, the injured man was able to return home without further attention. Mr O'Connor, from tbe Rakaia Post Office, has begun duties ns assistant to Mr Stringer at the Springburn Post Office. The linesmen have departed from. Springburn after a stay of nearly five months. While here they put up over sixty miles of line, using close on 450 miles of wire. In all there are 51 telephonas connected, while another party of six is almost ready to connect upSEAFIELD. At the Miniaturo Rifle Club's shoot the first hotty button was won by K. Baynes, with a possible, and for the second hotty button, L. Scott and M. Bruco tied with 34 each. In the shootoff M. Bruce won. Other good scores for the evening were: A. Gregory 34, S. Pocock 33, H. Watson 33, B. Shelley 34, A. Rankin 33. Miss Ethel Beck is at present relieving teacher at the Wakanui School. CHERTSEY. At the weekly shoot of the Miniaturo Rifle Club, W. T. McKeo and J. Garland tied for the hotty button, and in the shoot-off W. T. McKeo won. The chief scores were: C. McSweeney 34, J. Garland 31, W. McKee 31, M. Sprott 30. PENDARVES. During the month of July rain fell on two days only. On the 23rd there were 46 points, aid on tho 29th 17 points, making a total of only 03 points for tho month. The rainfall for the year up to July 31st is 14.71 in, against 29.19 in for the same period of 1923. In spite of the dryness of July, there was enough moisture in the soil, combined with tho comparatively mild weather, to promote a good growth of feed. This is fortunate, as there are many early lambs, although lambing is not yet general. Good progress was made during July with the sowing of late crops. Early-sown wheat and oats are showing up well. The first week of August has seen a sharp return to wintry conditions. Cold winds are blowing off the snow on the ranges, and a considerable amount of rain has fallen, which will do much good.

METHVEN. On Thursday the members of the Metbven branch of the Mothers' Urnon aiid their friends, met in tho Parish Hall, when a pleasant social and musical afternoon was spent. The president, Mrs Tooley, presided and there was a good attendance. The room was very prettily decorated with carnations and wattle. Proceedings commenced with community singing and from the joyful maner in which this was taken up, one would think thai mothers had no worries. Other items on the programme were pianorort* solos by Mrs Kennedy and Miss D. Pawson; recitation by Mrs R.N. Elliott; songs by Miss A. Duff, Mrs Uy. Fryer, Mrs F. Shearer, Mrs J. F. Stone and Mrs Tooley. Afternoon tea was enjoyed by those present. TbxS many friends of Mr and Mrs Wm. Morgan, who are on their way to England on a holiday trip, will be pleased to hear that according to letters recently received from them, that they are having a most enjoyable time. They state that the weather, apart from the beat, has been splendid, and •they are both in the best of health. They wrote from Colombo and expected to arrive in the Old Country on Julv 30th. A very enjoyable evening vras spent at Highbank on Wednesday; when u euchre match was played between teams representing married and single. The games resulted in the married people scoring 191 points and tfco single 128. Prizes for most poinds scored wore won by Miss S. Lee afi"d Mr a. Brawley, while the consolation prizes were awarded to Mrs T. Cleeve and Master Gerald Cleeve. Although the weather waa not favourable to a large attendance, there were about fifty players present and the fund in aid of the new Sunday School will benefit considerablj as a result of the evening. At the conclusion of play a very tasty supper was enjoyed. The next function will bo held on August 20thTen degrees of frost were registered at Methven yesteday morning, and as is usually the <y>so after a froit, a fine day followed.

RANGIORA. A meeting of members _of the Plunket Society and others interested in the Karitano Baby Hospital, was held in the Oddfellows' Hall yesterday afternoon, Mr? A. P. Strang presiding over a good attendance. Mrs B. H. Gilmour, of Lyttelton, and Llndshaw, matron ot the Karitane Hospital were present, and addressed the meeting, stressing the need of a mothers' cottage at the Karitane Hospital. Those present we»e agreed on the necessity for the cottage, and as a preliminary to further efforts, a collection was taken up in aid of the fund. The speakers were warmly thanked for their attendance, and were afterwards entertained at afternoon tea.

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