The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 28, 1913.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 57, 28 February 1913, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FEBRUARY 28, 1913.

Kahuika sports will" be held to-inor-row. Mrs Townlev lias been appointed librarian, vice Mitchell, resigned, i j Clutha County Council will meet this afternoon and Bruce County Council, next Tuesday. The Mayor has chosen £lO of ue*i books for the Balclutha library i'rom'j London catalogue, and the order hwj been sent Homc ( The linemen are at present engaged running the To Ilouka telephone liMi ami should have it completed in a fe* days. It is Mr it. s. MvKen/ie, not Mr A, i G. McKenzic, who has sold his farm i' , Puerua, and who is to bo entertained: I to-night. | The "most points" cup of the Owak» t A. and J'. Society, won by Mr Campbs'l , will be exhibited in the Leader offiM j window next week. I In the list of those successful at tk« j recent teachers' examinations we iiotiM j the following district names:--K«l* Kspie, Sarah Houston, Beryl Steven ani ' Kawiri Wood, passed for class IM Kenata Anderson, Gladys Guy, I-thet ' Smith, Rhoda Blackie and Mstf | Mr Gilniour, the chairman of the B*k clutha School Committee, is in receipt a letter of apology from tho Rev. S. i Currie for non-attendance at tho f»i* well social to Mr MeElrea. This arrivw : by post too late for the function. ® Uurrio is at present in Queenstown. i«» writes in highly eulogistic strain of McElrea's many good qualities. Currie concludes; "i shall greatly mii him, if, at the same time, as bis frieW* ; I rejoico in tlie cstcom in which he * . held by thow in authority.''

The Kaihiku School Committee at a meeting held on Wednesday decided to recommend Miss Isabella Carrie for appointment to the'school, vice Miss flammond, resigned. f ' Mr Malcolm visits the Riverside district on Monday to look over the proposed embankment and see the Otanomomo settlement block.

There is some news of the proposed Owaka Town District at last. Messrs K. H. Wilmot and R. Milne will sit as a commission at Owaka on Friday next to hear evidence and report. Some of the roads down in Catlins are in anything but good shape. We hear of a contractor, who has a gravelliug contract, being stuck up, as the wheels of the dray sink so far. that he cannot get it to tip. At the South Island rifle championship meeting at Christchurch Lieutenant Charlton (Clinton) was fourth in the Westland Match (10 shots at 500 yards) with 48 points. He won the cup for the highest aggregate in the Otago and Westland matches.

A number of Balclutha people inteiyl to join in the Milton picnic to Catlins river to-morrow. The special train will arrive at Balclutha about 9 o'clock in the morning, leaving at 9.6. Excursion tickets may be obtained from the secretary or members of the committee on the train.

The Rev. Mr Axelsen, of Duuediu, will take the services, moruiug and evening, in the Presbyterian Church, Balclutha, on Sunday first, and at Te Houka in the afternoon. Mr Axelsen has an absorbingly interesting story to tell of his work in Dunedin and throughout the province, and he will deal with this at all the services.

Ministers are favoured with good weather when they come to Clutha. Mr Massey, when he was here in December, said it was the first tine day he had had for a month, and Mr Fraser, on Wednesday, said he was glad to see the sun again, as he had been having wretched weather on his tour. Perhaps if we had a resident Minister the weather as a whole would take a turn for the better!

At the social on Wednesday evening Mr McElrea mentioned that since he came to Balclutha in the beginning of 1896 pupils from the school had secured 15 senior scholarships and 11 junior scholarships. During the last six years 16 had passed the matriculation examination, and 30 the junior Civil Service examination. The roll number at the school in j.896 was 265, 30 of whom were in the secondary department. At present the attendance was 383, of whom 6" were in the secondary school. The staff till 1902 consisted of, in addition to the headmaster, three assistants and three pupil teachers. At present there were seven assistants and two pupil teachers. There has been a marked increase all round during the last few years, and Mr McElrea is of opinion that the rate of increase will not only continue, but that it will become greater during the ensuing years.