The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 7, 1913.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 51, 7 February 1913, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 7, 1913.

Owing to delays in the payment of the first instalment of the loan mocej the contractor for the Owaka Valley metalling has been hindered from mi ing a start, but it is expected that n portion of the loan will be available next month, allowing Mr Spcnee to tha start with his work. We are informed by the general serre tary of the freezing company that tit works will be readv for the opening or, Tuesday, Jlth inst." No difticulty is 1* ing experienced in obtaining a sufii.'ipnt number of practical butchers to hanM the incoming stock, which is otTerinj freely. As the supplies increase the board will be further added to. What constitutes a "fancy" ilojt This knotty problem, which has puzzM many local bodies, was revived at Bruit County Council meeting on Tuesday. It moving an amendment that the dog tie be fixed at ."is for all "fancy* ilogs. Councillor King failed to convince com: cillors sufficiently in his definition of i rabbiter \s dog, and after discussion it was agreed, by live votes to four, thai the dog tax be fixed at the usual rat«, 2s (id per dog, irrespective of breed. Mr Andrew McNeil, carpenter, wink cycling down the hill above the Ua! clutha traffic bridge, after work las: evening met with a nasty accident. Th« neck of his cycle snapped, throwing tin rider so heavily that he sustained sow xo.ry bad bruises, and in addition tt slight, concussion was badly cut about the face. Mr J. P. Anderson's cart w passing and the injured man was cot vcyed home, and Dr Widdowsou was promptly in attendance. Mr McNeil has only resumed work a week or so ap after a minor accident to one of Wi legs.

(Jlutha county councillors are joalom of their riding accounts, and they art imbued with the laudable object of look' ,ing after every penny—even, if need be, at the other fellow's expense. Then were two instances of this at the eounril meeting on Friday. Councillor Edward), for (hitlia riding, wanted some of the cost of carting 112 yards of metal f« repairs to Port Molyneux road, betweel Kakapuaka railway station and tin main south road, apportioned to Richard son riding, but Councillor Nicol lias objections, and said his riding had no! the money. In this case Richardsoi won. Again, when discussing a jir> posal to procure temporary assistant for the engineer some, councillor* >» dined tc the opinion that C'atlins shoaM pay the salary, as most of the citn work would be done there, but Council lor Smith fought pluckily for his ridinf account, with the result that each of th ridings will have to bear a share.

According to a communication fro' the secretary of the Otago Educatioi Board to the Balclutha District lligk .School committee the late regulation regarding grants for the conveyance of children to schools are superseded l! the following:—(a) Sixpence per rctufl trip will lie allowed for each child over seven for a distance over three milestt the nearest public school; (b) Sixpenw per return trip'for each child over fi« convoyed by ferry; (c) Two shilling and sixpenco per week board for eari child over five who, through unprai tin bility of conveyance, has to live a«»J from home in order to attend a school provided the home in which the child» boarded is distant not more than trt miles, if the child is under 10 years, aid not more than three miles in any otbfl case, and the regularity 01 the "child* attendance at school is at least »5 p« cent. Riding horses and bicycles M excluded from the above grants. Speciil consideration will be given to cases d younger children. All pupils to who* these provisions apply will come witha the terms of those sections 01 the Jvlfr cation Act dealing with compulsory «'■ tendance.

Some time ago the Government offai ed a bonus for the discovers of a p"j ventive of the potato and tenwl blights, or for a moans of coping *<* the blight when it appears. Mr Jam*i Way, of New Plymouth, claims to )\M discovered the necessary blight spocifH and will make application for the bong (saya a Taranaki journal). This speag can, bo supplied with equal success fl tomato plants, potatoes or Rrape vinw and is composed of several differed cheap ingredients, is easily applied, is capable of acting in the dual capaetf of a blight preventive And a fertili* l Mr Way has had excellent results < triaU or this specific on potatoes, W m»toct and gr*pt viaea.

E . Mr Malcolm, M*P., wired to the MtnisW ter of Public Wot Jib on Wednesday: E "The Mayor and townspeople ask roe K urge courthouse should be built in brick U or concrete. Concrete very cheap here. f' Also question if courthouse big enough \-' for rapidly growing business." ;'! At the annual meeting of the Kahuika Sports Club, in the Ka- ' liuika nail, Mr Hartstongc was elected chairman and Mr Ingrain secretary for the ensuing twelve months, and a strong committee was formed. Arrangements are well in hand for the holding of the annual sports on Saturday, March 1. As the ballast train now runs to within 10 minutes' walk of the grounds, a record gathering is anticipated. . It may not be generally known that it is an offence, liable to a heavy penalty, to remove earth from the side of roadlines without obtaining the consent of the controlling local authority. At the meeting of Bruce County Council a complaint was made that a North Balclutha resident had removed about three yards of earth from a low-lying roadline at Barnego Flat without obtaining permission. It was decided to serve the offending party with notice to fill up the hole thus caused, otherwise legal proceedings would be taken.