MID-CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 24 November 1925, Page 6

MID-CANTERBURY

ASHBURTON. GENERAL NEWS. The dedication service of the new St. Andrew'a Sunday School will be held on December 13th. The Be vs. G. B. Ingles and G. Miller, former ministers of the church, have been invited to condnct the services. ] A most beneficial rain was experienced in the Aahburton County on j Saturday night and Sunday morning. ! when 22 points were registered. The j fall was lighter towards the coastal districts, where the lack of moisture was very evident. Although a great deal more rain is reqnired, th* recent shower j had the effect of stinmlating all j classes of growth. Shooting for the cup presented to the | Ashburton Gun Club bv the president, ! Mr E. P. V. Sealy, attracted 20 entries, including shooters from May field. Mcthveu. and Alford Forest. W. J. Robertson and T. S. Harrison tied for the enp, and in the shoot-off Robertson won on the second bird. Two nine-bird matches aleo held during the afternoon resulted in favour of W. J. Dalley and D. Hecnan respectively. Obituary. A highly-respected resident ,of the Lismore district. Mr John Charles Bell, died yesterday, aged S3 years. . He was born at Clifton, Gloucestershire, England, and was educated at. Bishop's Col- | lege. In 1864 he migrated to Xcw ! Zealand, and 'for a number of years followed farming pursuits in the Rangitata district, and later drove cattle io the West Coast. When he arrived in Ashburton he became interested in surveying, and was employed by the late Mr Fooks. He assisted in completing the first valuation .roll- of the district. At one time Mr Bell held the; offices of Deputy-Official Assignee, and clerk to the Hampstead Towi> Board. After removing to Lismore he was clerk to the Mount Somers, Rangitata, and Anama Road Boards, and held that position with the latter Board' at the time of .his death. He leaves a widow and four daughters to mourn their lo»6—Mrs L. Owen (Christchureh), Mrs D. Xansen (Belfast'), Mrs T. Mulligan (Lismore), and Mies A. Bell (Lismore). Croquet. A friendly match between Ihe Ashburton and Methven Clubs will be played on the Ashburton green to-day, Avhilc a pennant competition with Timaru has been' arranged for Thursday. To-day, Ashburton will be represented by Mesdamcs McEaehcn, Smith, Buchanan, Brodie, Laing, Meikleham v Patterson, and Miss Moore. The team to play Timaru. will consist of Mesdamcs Dunn, Clark, Boyee, Hunter, Watt, and Miss Hosken. John Bell Scholarship. A. meeting of the special committee of the Ashburton High School Board of Governors set up to discuss the proposals of the headmaster relative-to the John Bell Memorial Scholarship, was held yesterday. A decision to allow the scholarship to be open to any pupil of r. primary school for the present year, was arrived at, but preference will be given to those for whom the scholarship was originally intended, namely, sons of small farmers, labourers, shepherds, artisans, or any other working men residing in the Ashburton County.

RAKAIA. The monthly meeting-of,tho Rakaia, branch of' the W.C.T.TJ. ; was held in St. Andrew's Schoolroom, Mrs Boag presiding. A brief account of an executive meeting of the South Canterbury W.C.T.U. was given by Mrs Boag. It was decided to hold the Cradle Roll . garden party at Mrs Boag's residence. It was decided to write to Mr C. Tucker, expressing the appreciation of the manner in which dances and oiher entertainments are conducted in the Town Ball. Mr Mackesy, organiser for the New Zealaud Alliance, addressed the meeting on the result of the Prohibition poll. The following officers were elected' for 1996:—President, Mrs W. Boag; Vicepresident, Mrs Morrison; secretary, Mrs Hopwpod; treasurer, Mrs Evison; literature superintendent, Mrs Hunt; cradle roll suDerinteridents, Mrs R. Boag and Miss" G. Boag; "White Ribbon'' superintendent, Miss Amy Oakley-