SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18185, 23 September 1924, Page 4

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

TIMARU. Social aad PecsonaJL Miss Olive Lyon (Highfield) and Miss Marion Giles (Otiritiri) left oa a visit to Christchurch yesterday. Miss Tolson (Mcthvcn) is staying with Mrs \V. ll."Walton (Park lane). Mr and Mrs K. McLcnnan and Miss F. McLean (Wai-iti road) have return' cd from a trip to the Southern Lak*«. itrs Croasdaile Bowoii returned froai Tekapo yesterday, and is the guest of Mrs J. ,\. Julius"liptil to-day, wheji she will return to Christchurch? Mrs C. C. Patereon (Theodecia street) has returned from a visit to Mrs Frank Rutherford (Christchurch). Mr and Mrs Hunter Weston and Mjss Foggy Iluntcr Weston (Highthorne) are expected to return from Vancouver about the middle of October. At the conclusion of tho service at the Timaru Congregational Church on .Sunday evening, the Rev. T. Wilson Potts announced that with reference to a possible call to Devonport, Auckland, he had decided to remain in Timaru.

The Weather. The hopes of South Canterbury farmers for'a break in tho dry spell were again raised in vain during the weekend.' Saturday night brought heavy clouds, and rain materialised, late in evening, continuing off and on until the small hours of Sunday niorniug. Un : fortunately it was hardly more than a drizzle and amounted to only ose point.- Sunday was warm and bright, but yesterday was spoiled by a scorch: ing nor'-west gafe,'which raised huge clouds of dust and made conditions very unpleasant, besides nullifying what little good Saturday night's rain may have done.

Sunshine Recorder. It has been suggested on more than one occasion that Timaru should not be behind other towns in New Zealand in recording its abundant sunshine, and it appears reasonably certain that no other locality in the Dominion enjoys more sunshine than docs Timaru. Mr F. J. Eollestoa, M.Pi, has now interviewed the Government Meteorologist, Mr D. C. Bates, in this connexion, and states in a letter to the Borough Council that Timaru's prospocts of obtaining a sunshine recorder are good.

Borough Council Affairs. At last night's meeting of tho Timaru Borough Council,'the Mayor (Mr (3. J. Wallace) said that so far as thejy financial position was concerned there was no cause for alarm. They must not lose sight "of th,e fact that there bad been several unexpected calls upon tho general account since the beginning of the financial year, such' as £3OO subsidy pri the Government graqt for rdr lief work. ' Though a drain on the Council's finances, it had enabled them to provide work for a number of der serving cases of unemployment. The work done by these men at the quarry? though not absolutely essential for this year, would be necessary at some time or other. He wanted it to be clearly understood by councillors and by the ratepayers that this money was not being wasted on useless work. Seven thousand yards of metal would have been quarried by tho end of the current month, which was IQOO yards in excess of the estimated quantity for the year. Ho was glad to state that; the Minister of Internal Affairs had consented to tho purchase by the Council of land for a West End park. Kef erring to tho water supply the Mayor said that last summer Timaru had taken all the water in tho Parcora river, and if the present dry weather continued it was doubtful whether the river wild be able to supply enough water for the needs of the town in the coming summer. In connexion with tho obtaining of a sunshine recorder for the Council, he had been called upon a few days previously by Mr A. Leslie, of North street,' who generously offered to provide the Council with a sunshine recorder. Mr Leslie was not aware at tho time that the member for Timaru was moving in the matter. He had made a similar offer some years ago during the Hon. Jas. Craigio's term of office as Mayor, but the offer had not been accepted, for the reason that the Council was at that time negotiating for the supply of a sunshine recorder by the Government. Should the request be again refused or unduly delayed the Mayor said he thought the Council should accept Mr Leslie's offer.

"A deputation headed by Mr W. Gibb waited upon the Council to urge the necessity of improving the water supply in the south end of the town. Mr Gibb said that the present Supply was totally inadequate for the heeds of tho householders. The deputation's other grievance, was in connexion with the 'bus service, iu which it asked for certain improvements. At the conclusion of Mr Gibb's remarks the Mayor said ho understood that the north end of the town was in a good position as regarded reticulation, so that within a few weeks the engineer would be able to transfer his activities to tho south end, and '.the matter of the water supply would receive attention. Their requests in connexion with the bus service would receive consideration when the now bus was in commission and the timetables wore being revised. _ At the request of Cr. T. "W. Satterthwaite *he Borough Ertgino'er was summoned to explain the position with regard to the water reticulation work in the north end. Ho estimated that the laying of the mains would bo completed in one month's time. The amount of work to be completed in the north end amounted to only abofct half a mile, whereas if they were to leave this unfinished and transfer their operations to t'jw south end they would have about three miles of mains to put down. He would prefer to finish the work in the north end first. Cr. W. G. Irwin strongly urged that the engineer and his staff should attend to the reticulation of the south end without delay. Cr J. \. "Hav supported Cr. Irwin. After' 'considerable discussion had taken place, the Mayor moved that the Engineer should be authorised to transfer the gang? to the south end and proceed with the necessary work there as soon as he was able conveniently to do so. Several councillors suggested that two gangs should be put on, one in the north end and one in the south. Cr. Vinncll moved as an amendment that the Engineer should be instructed to carrv out the work as requested in tho south end, and to engage men to enable this to be done without interfering with the work in the north end. . . f ._ The amendment was cornea, cr. Arnold dissenting.

On Saturday afternoon the members of the Ladies' Croquet Club opened their season, when t*ere was, a large gathering, including members of the Tunaru Club, of the Borough Council of the ffiowling Club, and rodents of the town and district, The v-aitora were heartilr welcomed on behalf of the president (Mrs Cliff), and a twenty minutes' tournament was played, the winners being Mrs Thomson^ (Timaru) (Oontijmed at foot of next colmmi.).

and Mw Broad (Geraldine). The peed is hoped to have two more ready during the aew©B, as the Borough Council kit im*de a ,tart to Jay them <££ Aften»«m tea wu provided by the -On Saturday the clouds gathered, and the much-needed raia emtsi about to come, bat thongh it continued dvercast and yesterday a nor'-wester was blovriiig. Tccl Forest and the Tripp Settlement were.more fortunate, for ram fell in those districts, but it extended only a. short distance from- the hiUs.