LYTTELTON NEWS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18517, 20 October 1925, Page 14

LYTTELTON NEWS.

Anniversary Celebrations. A nub Lie meeting is to bo held in the Council Chamber to-night, commencing at S o'clock, to arrange for the fitting oelebration in December of tho 75th anniversary oi tho arrival of tho first four ships. Borough Endowment Seserves. At the time the provinces in New Zealand were abolished tho l»yttelton Borough Council had allotted to it four areas of land on the Canterbury Plains as an endowment. Unfortunately, ono of these areas, near the township of Southbridge, wao sold by an early Council to wip© out in overdraft which the borough then had. The borough retains three valuable roserves, andi every second year tho councillors make an inspection of them. Yesterday the Mayor (Mr F. E. Sutton), and most of tho councillors, with tho Town Clerk (Mr F. Hobbs), and the Borough Engineer (Mr H. H. Barnard) mado a motor tour aronnd the different properties. The party left Lytteiton a.t 8.30 and proceeded by way of Motukarnra, Southbridge, Dunsandel, and Rakaia to tho first reserve, at Sherwood, on the Methven line. Sherwood is a prosperous looking farm of 1200 acres, divided into six paddocks of 200 acres each, and with an additional 50 Peres of pine and blueg-um plantation. The Ja.tid is good and is well watered, and the farm is well kept. At Urrall, which is also on the Methven line, the Council has a reserve of 399 acres. This is also good medium land, but there is no house or other improvements. At Charing Cross, which is on tho road to Coalgat-e, tho Council o*rs a nice little farm of ISO acres, with house and other improvements. The trip • was made through Methven to Eataia Gorge, and the cars pulled up on the island in the Gorge, where lunch wss partaken of. Splendid weather was experienced for the whole trip, and tho view in tho Gorge was magnificent. Tho excursion waa not devoid of incident. In tie first place ono car took a -wrong turning at Motukarara, and was not seen, for over two hours. On arriving at tho Gorge it was that ono car was missing. It did not arrive until an hour laler, having l had two pjinctures on the way. The same car had another puncture near Hororata, and did not arrive back at Lytteiton until afte? nine o'clock.