SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18241, 27 November 1924, Page 6

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

TIMARU. Social and Personal. Mrs Guthrie and Miss Brenda Guthrie left on Tuesday for Waimate. Mr and Mrs E. E. Harper (Wai-iti road) intend to leave for England early next year. Mrs E. I?. Guinnes-s has returned from a risit to Mrs H. A. Le Cren (Fairlie), Mr and the Misses McHutcheson, who •were the guests o£ Mr and Mrs W. H. Walton (Fark lane), have gone to Invercargill.

Miss Tripp (Orari Gorge) is visiting Christchurch. Mr and Mrs E. B. Morris and the Misses- Morris, formerly of Wellington, have now gone into residence at Sunridge, St. Andrews. Mr W. F. McLaren and Mr Robert McLaren arc spending a few days at the Bungalow, Wai-iti road. The Weather. Timavu experienced an unusually hot day yesterday, and the atmospheric conditions resembled those of a nor'-wester, save for ail almost total absence of wind. At noon the shade temperature reached 80 degrees. Farmers' Union. A meeting of the executive of the South Canterbury Farmers' Union was held yesterday, Mr J. Bitchener, M.P., presiding. The president said he had been a member of a Committee in. the House to go into the matter of an agricultural bank. The need of such a bank was more felt in the Isorth Island than in the South Island.. He failed to see where the considerable sum of money necessary to launch the scheme was to come from. It had been stated that £20,000,000 ■would be necessary to start, it, but ho thought that a quarter of that amount, would suffice. He could not see- how it was going to make money any cheaper than they we're now paying in this district, and the price of money in the South Island was lower than it was in the North Island. The Prime Minister could not see his way to open up such a scheme. He (the speaker) was sorry to see that the scheme had got no further. and he was one of those who wanted to see something done. It would come up at a later date however, and if it could be shown that money could be secured at a reasonable rate, then he would assist it.

The sub-committee net up by the Wheat Board to go into the wheat marketing scheme reported that the' scheme adopted by the Victorian Wheatgrowers' Corporation, -with some modifications, could be suitably adopted in New Zealand when conditions warranted. They recommended keeping the present organisation in existence for the collection and dissemination of marketing-in-telligence for one year, when the position should be reviewed. They also recommended that the Board immediately take steps to obtain the best and latest, marketing information and publications bearing thereon. They could not suggest anything with regard to the 1924-25 crops. _ The president considered that the latter part of the letter dealing with marketing information was a good idea. Mr T. B. Burnett, M.P., wrote that ill-health had prevented him going into the matter of the appointment of a resident agricultural instructor in South Canterbury and North Otago. He had no doubt, however, that if-the. farmers of the .two sub-provinces named were to show unmistakable evidence of their desire for such an officer, it could be managed. Mr Burnett waited on the executive in connexion with the demonstration farm in which he is interested. He had felt for a long time past that South Canterbury should have such a farm. In many farmers' lines the mass of production was declining, and in many respects. the North Island people were more inclined to experiment and bring science into their working. He held that a rich place like South Canterbury should be up and doing in the way of seeing if they could introduce more up-to-date methods of farming, and bo increase their production. They were coming to see that, top-dressing was'.to be a big. benefit to the pastures. Even the expert wheatgrower knew there was still a, lot to learn. He had suggested that a farm Bhould be r secured at Temuka for the purpose' of organising an experimental •or demonstration farm. The idea had been taken up enthusiastically, and he would like to hear their opinion on the subject. In reply to questions, Mr Burnett said that finance was the rock on which the scheme would sink or stand. .The Agricultural Department had promised assistance in the way of seeds. He would like to see dairying included, but at the present moment it was not intended to take up this branch of farming. The management would rest with a committee of farmers, and the Government would not have a hand in its control.

After further discussion, it was decided that the Union, was in sympathy with the project, and there was need for such a farm as Mr Burnett suggested. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Burnett for his interest in the matter.

Inquert on H. S. Sussell. A verdict of death due to haemorrhage from a wound in the throat, selfinflicted, while in an unsound state of mind, was delivered by the District Coroner (Mr E. D. Mosley), at the. iriquest held in Timaru yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the death of Herbert Southern Russell, late secretary to the South Canterbury Hospital Board. Sergeant- Peterson conducted the case for the police, and Mr W. D. Campbell watched proceedings on behalf of the relatives of the deceased. Anne Russell, widow of the deceased, said that her husband had been in good health up to Wednesday, November 19th, but had then collapsed utterly. He had told her all of his troubles at the office, and had been greatly troubled owing to the action of the Board in asking so suddenly for his resignation after 18 years as its secretary. He had told- her that the trouble was over the ordering of some furniture for the. new maternity ward at the Hospital, and nothing else. He had allowed the committee to sit without informing them that he had ordered the furniture. From Wednesday to Saturday deceased had not slept. He had stayed up all Friday night, walking about, and had been quite out of his mind. On Saturday morning he wanted to go to the office, and witness made him promise that whatever happened he would come back again. He returned- on Saturday afternoon. In' the evening witness had telephoned to ask Dr. Parr to give her husband a sleeping draught. At about 7.30 deceased had said he would go to bed and try to sleep. Witness had been present when Dr. Parr gave her husband the sleeping draught, .and after the doctor had left she had gone downstairs to see to the children. She returned a few minutes later to see if deceased was sleeping,, and found his bed unoccupied. Tho bathroom door was locked. She called her son Grant, who gained access to the bathroom by way of the window. Witness did not go into the bathroom. Dr. T. ,L. Parr; medical superintendent at th 6 Timaru Hospital, said de-

ceased had come to see him about 4 p.m. on Wednesday (the day of the Board meeting) and told him that his resignation had been requested. He was evidently very worried over the matter and could not: understand the action of the Board. On Saturday evoning witness had given deceased a sleeping draught at 7.50, and ha 4 left a few minutes later. About 810 Mrs Russell had telephoned that deceased had cut his throat. Witness went to the houso at onee, and found Dr. Ussher already there. Deceased was on the bathroom floor, with several deep gashes iu this throat. He was quite Coroner: Deceased had seemed quite rational on Saturday morning, but in tho evening ho had/appeared more worriod than witness thought lie had been before. On Saturday night, after Mr Euascll's death, witness had been informed that somo of deceased's friends had been 'watching him. Witness had really been the cause of the order for tho furniture being given prematurely,-for after the previous Board mooting the matter of the furniture for the new ward had been mentioned, and it had been left to the committeo to attend to. On this occasion it was a foregone conclusion that the furniture would have to be purchased. After the meeting witness had telephoned deceased to ask about tho furniture,, stating that the order would have 'to be put in early as the manufacture would take some time. Deceased had said he would attend to it.

Mr Campbell read the following letter from the chairman of the Board (the Rev. T. "Wilson Potts): "I have much pleasure in stating that Mr H. S. Russell has been secretary and treasurer of the South Canterbury Hospital Board for a period of 18 years, of which I have been chairman for the past four years. Mr Russell is resign- , ing solely owing to a difference in carrying out the policy of the Board. I have always found Mr Russell possessed' with the fullest knowledge of all departments of hospital business. He is a most able accountant and capable of first-class work. Mr Russell leaves' the Board's service with the best wishes of the chairman and members." Mr Campbell further stated that he had the authority of the chairman of the Board for saying that the Board's only reason for asking for Mr Russell's resignation was that he apparently, made decisions and put tliem into effect without consulting the Board. They, felt that this practice must stop. They had relieved Mr Russell of his position' at once, and given him throe months' salary in lieu of notice, simply to save the unpleasantness of working with an officer who was under notice. Herbert W. Hall also gave evidence to show that deceased had been in an abnormal state of mind since the ■Board's request for his resignation. In delivering his verdict, the Coroner said the facts surrounding deceased's death were extremely sad, but he was satisfied that deceased was not in a normal frame of mind at the time of his death. Deceased had lived in South Canterbury for 18 or 20 years, and the public could ill afford to lose a man who had served them for that length of time. He was sure that the sympathy of the community would go out to the family and relatives of the deceased.