The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 21, 1913.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 55, 21 February 1913, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 21, 1913.

The Government has ftromised £ll< for a hall at Ratanui, provided it i,s frs for territorial purposes. The settln propose to provide the balance, and tin Education Board has granted the n* of a site 011 the school ground.

There is a record attendance of 67 ii the secondary department of the Bat clutha D.ll. School, and to meet the rt quirements of accommodation the Kd» cation Board has decided to push 011 tin furnishing of two rooms at the techuici building as expeditiously as possible. The first meeting of the newly forms Balclutha Orange Lodge was held e! Wednesday evening, when there was; large attendance of local and visititj brethren, about 'JO being present froi Kaitangata. The new lodge will be 1 strong one, and will have a number (f members in outlying districts. On Wc<l nesday they were present in number from Kaihuika on one side and Am ninngu 011 the other. Mr Sinclair Wright, who left. Ba clutha for Miller's Flat some 18 montl ago, is very pleased with his sheep fan there. The season has been a good om both for wool and lambs, and those wit have gone in for cultivation in that ift trict have also had a good year. Ti peach and apricot crops have more« less failed, but all the way from Miller' Flat to Coal Creek thero is a wondcrfi crop of apples, trees having to be so? ported to save the branches from breu ing down with the weight of fruit.

While the "Clyde" was towing t! Olydevale punt on Monday from tl island oil which it was moored him i breaking away to the landing, the pa toons sprung leaks, with the result tlu the punt sank. The pontoons were t« old and rickety to allow of any shakii or strain, and had done more than a f# share of service, so Mr Ramsay (count engineer) instantly set about promrii new one!:. Two "from Taieri Moui (where the punt h&s now given place t a bridge) were procured and will b taken up-river. It is hoped to have tb punt refloated aud in working onh within a week. Until the punt rosunJ' running the mails will be taken aero* the river to Clvdevale bv boat.

| Lawyer R. Stewart figuratively drin | a couch aud pair through the regiilatic" of the Fisheries Act on Wei uesday. A VVarepa man had be" I reported for fishing without having license. He told the ranger he had ] license, but uot with him, and t hat i had been issued at Wyndham. A visit» that plaee was made, and the butts d the license book revealed the fact tbi it had beeu issued two days after U interviow, and atfout a month later tW the date on which the man was fishing. Mr Stewart, for defendant, ob jected to this evideueo, as the man wb issued the licenso was not in court" prove it, and his Worship upheld the & jeetion. Mr Stewart then produced $ license, which states that it gives $ owner legal right to fish for trout fro# October i to April 30, but there is" mention of the date of issue on it. a result of this fine point the inform* tion was dismissed, and the Acclimsti* tiott Society ordered to pay defendant* costs (£1 Is).

'' * "' E. There was a cleaa sheet at the Kaifi S.M. Court yesterday. The Education Board has decided to , d to its present school ground (one ~" Zrre) at Te Houka by purchasing two j acres from Mr Chas. Dallas. ' ' All the civil cases set down for hear- " , s«c at the Magistrate's Court, Balelutha, ' mWednesday were either struck out or adjourned to next court day, March 19. A aew school Is to be established at r ' Puke Ti (Greenfield). The prospects * g oo ,i—lß children ready for school and -0 coming on. Additions to schools • «t Benhar and Hinihini (Catlins) are approved. <<lt is a great pity that children are - not taught tne duties of citizenship; the - jj oW ers, shrubs and trees are the propertv of ail, and should be under the care o f'everybody. School teachers should impress this on the children.'' So spoke the Mayor at,the Balelutha Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, when a report on the filth and damage in the bathing shed. Owing to the inclemency. of the weather the Glenomaru-Ahuriri picnic had to be postponed. At a meeting on ■ Monday night it was decided to hold = t he picnic on Saturday next (22nd inst.), and a cordial invitation is extended to all. Log-chopping and sawing competitions are always of interest in bush districts, and these events are again included in the programme. An affiliation case was mentioned at ( the Balelutha Court on Wednesday, the | parties being local residents, the alleged 1 lather, a youth, having been arrested £ in Canterbury. Counsel (Mr D. Stews' art) for plaintiff and Mr W. G. Hay (for defendant) had arranged for an adjournment till next court day, which was granted, bail being allowed, defendant on his own surety of £IOO, and an-other-of £IOO. Mr Dan Sutherland, drover, met with a very nasty accident in Clyde street, Balelutha, on Wednesday morning through his horse becoming restle'ss and throwing him heavily on to the metalled road. Mr Sutherland was badly knocked about, sustaining a broken collarbone and other injuries. Dr Widdowson attended promptly _ and did everything possible tor the injured man. Pupil teacher and probationer appointments for the current year include the following local names:—W. Nicholas (Kaitangata), Sophie Appleby (Outram), Jane Farquharson, Balelutha George Harvey, Benhar (Balelutha), fthoda Blackie (Kaitangata). - Jessie H. Smith, Renata Anderson, Elizabeth Bunn (Rongahere) and Rawiri Wood go to tlie training college. The Kaitangata Horticultural and Industrial Society's show in the Presbyterian Hal) was opened by the Mayor (Mr W. Coulter) yesterday, and will continue till to-night. On account of the bad season pot plants were not up to the usual, but cut flowers were a good collection, particularly Mr . G. Aitchison's. Vegetables, decorative work and fine art, especially painting, were well representeu, while fruit was poor. Cookery elicited some keen competition, Mrs Lamb earning commendation from the judges with her entries. Owing to extreme pressure on our space our full report is unavoidably crowded out till next issue.

At the different services on Sunday last the Rev. S. W. Currie, of Balclutha, made reference to the death of Captain Scott and his party on their return from the South Pole. Some people might question the wisdom of such expeditions, but apart .from the spirit of adventure England to-day would be vastly less rich ami great than she is. And 110 one, said Mr Uurrie, could question the patience and endurance and courage of these men, whose splendid example made the whole world richer. Difficulties and pain and death itself were faced with a courage beyond words to describe. At the close of Mr Currie's remarks the organist (Miss Macdonald) played the "Dead March," the congregation standing.

The question of procuring an ambulance waggon for the district was brought up at Wednesday's meeting of the Balclutha Borough Council. Dr Brugh wrote that he considered an ambulance waggon was very necessary in tiie town. Frequently he had patients who required to be carried from country districts into Balclutha or to'a train for Dunedin Hospital, and it was often very important that such patients should be carried with a minimum of shaking and vibration if their lives were to be saved. If the council could see its way to move in the matter it would be performing an act of humanity. At the very least an ambulance stretcher should be kept in readiness for accident cases in and around Balclutha. The Mayor said this was an important proposal. Seeing that the waggon would be mostly for country people's use, he thougin the Clutha County Council should take a part in it. A motion by Councillor Wilkins was carried that the Mayor and Councillors Danskin and Sheddan be appointed a committee to wait on the county council with a view to seeing what could be done in the matter.