MID-CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20272, 25 June 1931, Page 5

MID-CANTERBURY

ASHBURTON. DAMAGE BY GALE. - The severe gale experienced in. Asliburton 011 Tuesday caused fairly ex- ; tensive damage to the Power Board's ' lines throughout the whole of tlie Ash- i burton County, several districts being i isolated for some time. The Board's relief gangs were out all day on Tuesday, and were working most of the night, with the result that practically all the services were restored last evening. Tho Board was unfortunate in that most of tho trouble occurred with poles which had been marked for urgent replacement; but the work was held up by tho delay of two months in the delivery of a supply of new poles from Australia. Most of tho interruption was caused bv defective poles being blown over, the most damage being in Mitcliam, Doric, and Scaficld. All the new poles necessary in the Seafield district bad been erected ready for the change-over of the wires before the (>torm. Thero were just a few lines down in Mayfield, where steel poles are in use. Tho Post and Telegraph Department Buffer°d very little trouble with telephone lines, only one line being put out of action at Elgin. A little damage was also dono in town. Several panes of glass in a glass verandah in Burnett street were broken, while a number of tiles on the roof of tho new Roman Catholic Church were blown oJT. Personal. Mr A. JJ. Gourlay, who has been on 1 the teaching staff of tho Ashburtou \ Borough School for the past 5$ 3 r ears, and who lias been transferred to the staff of the Methven District High School, was met by the senior scholars and teachers of the Borough School yesterday afternoon and presented with a travelling rug. The presentation was made by Mr J. Mcßcan. Messrs T. B. Haydon (headmaster)"and John Watson (chairman of tho School Committee) also spoke. Mr Gourlay was afterwards entertained at afternoon tea by the staff. 'For two years prior to entering tho Training College, Mr Gourlay ■was a pupil teacher on the staff of the Borough School. Car and Truck. Collide. A collision between a truck driven by James Scott, and a car driven byJohn Cook, who resides on Chalmers avenue, occurred at tho intersection of Chalmers avenue and Wakanui road on Tuesday evening. Mr Cook was proceeding down Chalmers avenue when he was hit by tho. vehicle driven by Mr Scott, who was travelling north along the Wakanui road. Both vehicles were badly damaged, but nobody waa hurt. Dental Clinic Committee. A meeting of the Ashburton Dental Clinic Committee was held on Tuesday evening. Present: Messrs W. S. Kerr (Ashburton East, chairman), W. Osman (Borough), C. 11. Maynard (Allenton), and Nurse West. Correspondence was received from the Director of Dental Hygiene outlining proposals' connected with the levy of £3O per nurse, advising that in accordance with the policy of the Government tho establishment of further subbases at Ashburton was not justified in the meantime. A copy of correspondence on tho question of a sub-base at the Allenton School was forwarded by tho Allentqn School Committed The report of the nurses stated that the total number of operations -was 300. j Twenty-eight had been reexamined. RAKAIA. An enjoyable social was held in St. Mark's Schoolroom on Saturday evening by the Ladies' Guild, There was a good attendance. Competitions wore won by Mrs 11. Smith and Mr B.' McXamara. Music for the dancing was supplied by Mr J. Lawler, and extras were played by Miss I. Smith. Mr D. Henderson was M.C. The rainfall at Rakaia during tho | southerly storm on Tuesday was 1.27 in. ; Tho boisterous wind continued all day | on Wednesday, and although no rain fell, the weather was bitterly cold. In j tho afternoon' the weather conditions improved, and there was somo sunshine. The rain will be of great' value to farmers, as tho soil has been extremely dry. " : DEFENCE POLICY. RETURNED SOLDIERS' VIEW, (PRESS ASSOCIATI3N TELEGRiJI.) WELLINGTON. June 2-i. Tho defence policv of New Zealand was considered' by tli6 It.S.A. conference to-day, when a remit was carried* strongly urging tho Government to appoint a commission of experts, independent ol political control, to enquire into the matter of defence in New Zealand and bring down a scheme of defence having regard to tho requirements of tho Committee of Imj perial Defence and to the requirements I of the three services. Air Force, Navy, and Army. The view expressed by deJegates was that defence was a matter' which should be outside politics. Major-General Sir George Richardson supported the motion. .He had been very surprised, lie said, to find that the territorial system, which had been built up with creat trouble, had been so suddenly disorganised. Two years ago he was in Switzerland, nnd, in view of the fact that Switzerland was in the heart of Europe, and tlie heart of the League of Nations, he thought tliev would be perfectly safe in doing away with their defence system, but he found that that was not the case. That country was keeping its system going till after the Disarmament Conference in February next. He stressed New Zealand's duty to the Empire in time of trouble and suggested that defence should not be looked at from :» local point of view, but from the view of the Empire generally. Not only would he like to see a committee of experts, but lie wcnild like to see a permanent committee so that we would always have a branch of the Imnprinl Defence Committee composed of experts Sir Andrew "Russell said that the behaviour of the territorial* i" Hastings at the time of the earthquake was one of the best advertisements that the territorials could liiim: had. nnd was n lesson of incalculable value to tho community of hnvinc within it an I organised. dis^i,dined bodv to meet | emergencies. H' e Kl ig(re«t.ed that terrii t°ria] officers might "help >n a »>' . de- | fence system vhir-li operation. i A shilling advertisement in tho ' classified section of The Phess will sell your goods.- Tr V •it 1- words Ifi, [ threo insertions 2s Gd, — 6