SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18550, 27 November 1925, Page 14

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

TIMARU. Social and Personal. « Mr and Mrs Wilford Scott (Maltby avenue) have gone to Dunedin. Miss Beatrice Webster (Nelson terrare) has returned to Duncdin. Mr. Mrs, and Miss Fharp (Wai-iti road) are in AYellington. Mrs Konaid Fisher (Christchurch) is the guest of Mrs 0. E. Kerr (Kingstown). Mrs C'has. KaUray (Duncdin) is the "iiest of Mrs Neil Rattray (Waimate). Mr Atbol lanes Jones (Pukaki) is ' the truest, nf Mrs 11. A. Inncs Jones ,'befton si root ). I Mr and Mrs K. »:. D. Clarke (MelI ltournol have arrived in Tcinuka on ■ their annual visit to South Canterbury. The friends of Mr and Mrs D. Le (Yen will bo glad to know that their olilrst son, who recently underwent an operation, is making a good reeovery. Girl Guides at Mt. Cook. i I It is probable that before long the staff of guides attached to the Hermitage, Mt. Cook, which has hitherto consisted of Men o!>h\ will be augmented by two young ladies whoso services will, it is considered, be of value in accompanying elderly people and J ladies on the shorter expeditions -which may be made from the Hermitage. The Weather. Timaru lias shivered in distinctly wintry weather during the past few days. The heavy rain and light wbid of Wednesday was followed by a brief period of calm yesterday morning, and for a time the sua shone brightly. By ten o'clock, however, it was again raiuing, and the bitter southerly wind had returned. The remainder of the day was cold, with occasional showers of rain and hail. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 5 p.m. yesterday was 50 points. The Ball Hut. The well-known Ball Hut in the Tasman Valley, Mount Cook, which, after providing comfortable shelter for excursionists (o the Tasman Glacier and surrounding peaks since IS9I, was recently destroyed by an avalanche, is to be replaced shortly by a structure of the latest design. It is understood that the new Call Hut will be a bungalow built after the style of a . Swiss chalet, and will consist of several rooms, including a lounge. It will be situated on a commanding position from which there will be a fine view of the glacier and neighbouring peaks, and will in all probability be occupied during the summer months at least by a married couple. Pending its construction, a temporary hut is being erected. Parmers' Union.. A meeting of the South CanterburyProvincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was heltl yesterday, Mr J. Kitchener, M.P., presiding over a full attendance. On the motion of the chairman, a resolution of sympathy with his Majesty the King and the Royal Family in the death of the Dowager Queen Alexandra was carried. _ A motion.of condolence, with the relatives of the late Mr W. It. MoGratto was also earned. On the motion of Mr A. W. Barnett, the chairman was heartily congratulated upon his re-election to Parliament, as the member for Waitaki. ' ' > Mr Kitchener returned thanks, saying that ho placed the interests- of the farmers before party politics, and was always anxious to do anything in his power to assist the farming community. The Ashburton branch of the Now Zealand Farmers' Union wrote stating that a conferonoe had been arranged to be held in Ashburton on December 3rd, to receive the report of th© delegation to the Minister of Agriculture with- regard to wheat control, find to fix prices for the 1926-27 wheat crop. Representatives of tho Government, "Wheat Board, merchants mllers, and poultrymen were expected to bo present, and the executive was asked to send throe delegates, and one delegato from each branch. The Temuka branch forwarded th© following resolution-:—"That this committee is of opinion that it is in the best interests of wheatgrowers that the present unsatisfactory method of fixing wheat prices should be abolished, and that the Government should l>e urged to place a duty on flour equivalent to that on imported wheat, and that tho wheatgrowers in Xew Zealand bo allowed a free mark'et.'' Alter a. lcnirthy discussion, it was decided that delegates should be sent tr> the Ashburton conference to discuss the matter, and Messrs A. W. Barnett, P. Tt. Talbot and J. Midroley, and the chairmen of the various South Canterbury branches, were appointed to attend. The chairman said, that, it would be an oxoell-.uiD opportunity for the branches to obtain 'first-hand information as to what was being done in regard to the'fixation of prices. Unless they looked after their own interests, no one else would da it for them. The Minister of Internal Affairs (tho Hon. IJ. V. Bollard) wrote in rcplv to the exoeutire's letter asking whether there was any license fee payable under the Motor Vehicle's Act in respect of threshing mill plants owned cither by farmers or by' threshing mill proprie- . tors. The Minister staled that as it had been realised that some hardship was being occasioned to farmers who owned traction engines and used them only for tho purpose of conveying threshing plants or other farm iniple-' men Is from one part to another of the samp farm,<orto another farm owned by the farmer who owned the traction' engine, it had been decided thai in such cases the traction engine was not to be considered a motor vehicle under the Act, as it could hardly he said that it was using a road or street. At the same time, it was quite clear that if a traction engine was used for tho purpose of conveying goods to or from a railway station pr port, or was used for the purpose of conveying farm implements or threshing machines to another person's farm, it was then a motor vehicle under tin? Act, and had to be. registered and pay tho annual! license fee accordingly. The exception applied only as indicated to the specific ! cases mcntionei'l, and if a traction engine was used by a. mill proprietor for the. purpose of conveying threshing plants in pursuance of his business, then tho traction engine was a motor vehicle within the meaning of the Act, and had to bo registered and pay an annual license fee of £5. This applied equally in the case where a farmer owning a traction engine used it for the purpose of conveying threshing plants to other persons' farms. The Minister added that the threshing or chaffcutting machines were not considered to be motor vehicles within the meaning of the Act unless they were |>ropelled by their own mechanical nor were those vehicles held to be "trailers," nor was a motor vehicle conveying a galley, hut, or whare, in connexion with chaffcutting or threshing plants considered to be a motor vehicle for the purpose of the Act, if such galley, hut, or whare was a part of tho vehicle on which it was conveyed and was not detachable therefrom, and the vehicle could not be nsed for other purposes. After discussion it" was decided that the Government should ibe asked. to repeal that section of the Act relating

to engines which were" used for -threshing and chaffcutting purposes. It was further decided-to urge'that farmers using their own farm tractors for hauling grain, etc., to tho nearest railway station, should be exempt from taxation under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Valuer-General (Mr J. 11. Flanagan) wrote in reply to a letter forwarded through the South Canterbury Chamber of, Commerce urging that a revaluation should be made of land in the South Canterbury district, stating that he could not say at present when the work would be undertaken. No application had been made by any County Council in South Canterbury for revaluation of its territory. The Departmental view was that the values already on the valuation roll, generally speaking, represented the fair selling values of tho properties. Adjustment in values might be necessary in some cases, but an increase in the unimproved values at the present timo would not bo justified. A resolution was proposed that tho Government should be asked to stabilise land values, but the motion lapsed for want of a seconder, and the matter was allowed to drop. Mr J. Cleland introduced tho subject of the. proposed women's hostel for Timanr. and was appointee] to represent the Union in connexion with it.

Hospital Board Levies. At yesterday's meeting of the South Canterbury provincial .executive of the N.Z. Farmers' Union, Mr It. Sinclair, chairman of the Waimate branch, brought forward- sorno interesting figures relative to the lenries made by the South Canterbury Hospital Board. The Waimate branch forwarder] the following resolution, asking the executive to take steps to have it made effective: —''That the State be urged to institute a more equitable system of hospital levies, and that, branches of the Farmers' Union be circularised inviting them to move in a similar direction:" Mr R. Sinclair explained the resolution, stating that Waimate County paid six times as much per capita as tho Borough of Timaru, without getanything like the service, and tho same position obtained with regard to most of tho counties. Mr Sinclair quoted the Hollowing figures, taken from the Official Year Book, showing the position in South Canterbury.— "AYaimnle County's contribution to the South Canterbury Hospital Board for 192-5 is £5551, which is collected by a rate of 0-iOths of a penny in the £ on the capital value, which totals £6.709,263. The population of the : county is 54-15, and tho number of rate-'; payers 1595. The Waimate Borough 'contributes £3lB towards tho Hosoitil I 1 Board, collected by a rate <>t !|.l in the £ on the unimproved value, which totals £-121,159. The population of the borough is 2175, and tho number, of ratepayers 567. Mackenzie County contributes £2407 on a valuation of £2,908,962, and shows a population of 3275, the. number of ratepayers being 498. Timaru Borough contributes only £2934 on a valuation of £3.545,715, and has a population of 15,230 and 2956 ratepayers. Levels "County contributes £3OIO on a valuation of £3 638,661, and has a population of 5101. Geraldine County contributes £2S9I on a valuation of £3,494.387, and has a population of 5471. Geraldine Borough contributes £l4O on a valuation of £169,570, and has a population of 1040. Temuka Borough contributes £'?B6 on a valuation of £345,410, and has a population of 1753. Pleasant Point Town Board contributes £So on a valuation of £102,775. and ■ has a population of 490. The total levy struck for the whole of the hospital district is £17,654, *o it is easily seen that the Waimate County pays almost one-third of the total levy," concluded Mr Sinclair. _ • Aiter discussion it.was decided that the matter should be referred to.the branches for consideration.

'■ ■; - -TEMUKA-.--'' At a meeting of tho executive of the forthcoming Queen-"Carnival"-' there were present Messrs T... E., Shiels (chairman), 'B-. Hughes (secretary), Mesdames Blackmofo and Shiels and Messrs G. B. Cartwright, T. Gunnion, J. B. Sinclair, H.. B. Strange, W. F. Evans, D. O'Connor, J. Henry, and W. -McCail-um. Mr Evans was appointed treasurer, and the 'Mayor returning officer, his deputies being Messrs Sinclair, Strange, - Evans, and Smart. The-sports programme will' be confined to children's events, dancing, races, and a baby show. Twenty pounds in prize money was allocated and a committee was appointed -to draw up the programme. The Mayor said he had arranged for a picture entertainment. The secretary was instructed to get further information regarding a merry-go-round. • It was agreed to pool all takings and,divide them equally amongst the" four candidates. Prizes for the best- decoratedl motor-car, bicycles, and other vehicles will be given. The crowning ceremony will take- place in the Drill Hall on Boxing night. GERALDINE. Mr It. Patrick, of tho stock. department of the Canterbury Farmers' Cooperative Association, has been transferred to tho Temuka branch. Prior toll is departure'his fellow employees met, and,on their behalf tho-manager, Mr •Lack, presented him with a Doulton salad, bowl. In doing so he spoko of the good qualities of Mr Patrick and his many,years of service at Geraldine, and wished him every success in tho future. Messrs Whiteiey and Gresham also spoke, and Mr Patrick suitably responded.