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Clutha Leader, Volume XLIII, Issue 92, 1 June 1917, Page 5

Owing to pressure ou our space and the late arrival of the mail from Kaitangata the report of the monthly meeting of the Kaitangata school committee has been held over till next issue. A letter from a Ratauui correspondent has been held over for a similar reason. In our last issue we mentioned that Mr John Begg had urged the (Freezing Company to undertake the erection of protective works in the vicinity of the "freezer." (Mr Begg did not actually urge this matter at a meeting of the company, 'but gave it as his opinion to members of the company, livents have proved, however, that Mr Begg was on the right track. The cold windy rain of yesterday was probably of great advantage to the country. Accompanied as it was by very high wind it drove in amongst the grass and turnips and greatly assisted to wash them clear of the silt left by the flood and so render them at once available for feed for stock. The townspeople also appreciated the way in which the rain cleaned the roads, on which a deposit of silt had been left by the backwater of last Sunday aud iMonday. The Clydevale winter show will be held in the Clydevale Hall on Wednesday, June 6, the proceeds being in aid of the patriotic and hall funds: A list of tho trophies, prizes, etc., for the various classes of exhibits and competitions will be found in our advertising columns. The usual weight guessing competitions, games, tug-o'-wars and other pastimes to be found at most country shows will be in evidence, visitors being thus assured of no lack of amusements. The show will be opened to the public from 1 o'clock in the afternoon and also again in the evening, luncheon aud afternoon tea being obtainable in the building. A resident of "Clydevale who was riding home the other evening after paying a call at a neighbouring house was not the most surprised person in that district on the evening in question. On approaching the hall he noticed a faint light coming from the building, and knowing that a meeting had been held there earlier in the evening thought some members of the committee had waited later for business reasons. The horseman called out to ascertain who was in the building, but receiving no answer rode on at a walking pace, keeping in the shade of the hedge, where he could see without being seen. On looking round he was surprised to see two men leaving the building hurriedly, and : from their movements could see that they wished to avoid being seen. Waiting till one of them was abreast of him he called out "Who goes thereF" but the only reply received was to see the midnight prowler make a bee line for the fence and put tip fast time along the adjoining paddock, but not before the rider was able to ascertain the identity of i the frightened pedestrian, who it apI pears does not live a hundred miles 1 from the district. He and his companion will probably be asked to "please explain" the" matter, and the sequel is likely to prove the reverse from pleasant. It is pleasing to know that the public of Balclutha and surrounding districts appreciate a good thing when it is offered to them. This is proved by the large number of ladies and gentlemen who have already taken advantage of the new system for cutting and designing ladies"' aud gents' attire, for which our local tailor, Mr 0. <J. Kirby, has recently been awarded a first-class diploma of merit, which is still on view in the window of his tailoring establishment in Clyde Street. This new system is known as "La Bimplicite," and Mr Kirbv is the only tailor in those districts wtio is entitle'd to cut and design garments toy it. The garments cut by >|his new method are perfect in fit and quite new in style, and we must say that the large number we have had the pleasure of examining reflects great credit on the maker. It is a great convenience to ladies especially when they can get the most up-to-date costumes, ete., made locally, and we are sure it supplies a want that has been long felt. We confidently recommend the ladies and gentlemen to give Mr Kirby a trial wfler, »« he has proved himself e&pable ' of pleasing the «ost exacting clients.

According to a mark made at the time of the 1913 flood this week's flood waters reached to a ..point 19 inches higher than on that occasion. The breaks in the line between Balelutha and Dunedin have now been repaired, and tho ordinary train service was resumed yesterday, the trains, however, running a .little behind timetable. A heavy southerly gale sprang up on Wednesday afternoon and during the .night increased at times to almost hurricane force. A number of gates in the town which wero torn off their hinges bear eloquent testimony to the force of the gale. Local recruits of the 30th reinforcements were farewelled by relatives and friends at the railway station on Wednesday evening. The disorganised railway service prevented the draft from departing on Monday evening as was originally intended. "A Conciliation Commissioner requires to possess the heart of a lion, the hide of a rhinoceros and the patience of Job," remarked Mr Harle Giles at lAuekland at a sitting of the Conciliation Council, after having sat for about a couple of hours on a case. "You have certainlj; displayed the latter gift," was tho' comment of one assessor. Some remarkable instances of swimming feats have been recorded during this week's flood, one instance of which was mentioned in our last issue. A well-nnown Owaka resident informed a Clutha 'Leader representative that a herd of bullocks owned by him which were grazing on the Otauomomo settlement swam at least three miles beforo reaching terra firma, not a hoof being lost. In connection with the meeting of the Otago Patriotic and Welfare Society to be held at Dunedin on Monday night, Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P., sent the following telegram to the town clerk, Dunedin: "Clutha Patriotic Society asks me to state that no executive should have control of provincial funds unless elected provineially. Mr Stewart and I were deputed to be present to-uight, but floods prevent." It. is interesting to note that some of the "freezer" meat from the South I Otago works reached an ,ex-Miltonite engaged on war service in his Majesty 's Navy. When writing home to his mother, Horton H. Hitchon, E.R.A. on a monitor operating off the coast of case from the South Otago Freezing Works that had been supplied to the vessel he was aboard. "What will you do with your farm when you go into camp?" was a question asked of a witness at the Military Service Board in Wellington recently. "I will either have to lock the gates or else let it fall back into the mortgagee's hands," was the reply. "Do you suggest that seriously V said Mr Mack. "1 do indeed," exclaimed the appellant; "it's far too valuable a farm to leavo in charge of a man I do not know.'' Some years ago a well-known philanthropist presented the town of 'Carterton with an Old Men's Home, fully equipped and free of cost. Admission was saddled with two conditions—the applicant must not been a bankrupt, and he was required to prove that his condition of indigence in his old age was not due to drinking habits during his palmier days. The latter condition proved an insuperable barrier, and left this fine institution practically empty. In a letter to an 'Auckland merchant an Eastern flour broker, who recently visited New Zealand, says: "I may live to see Manchuria, North China and Siberia furnish the world's markets with 10,000,000 tons of wheat yearly. The grain with proper care can be brought up to the standard of 'Canadian hard wheat. The land is there, only no Chinese have the grit to go in and farm it on a large scale. In time we may find the Japanese doing it. They have not the wheat land in Japan." Scene: Featherstou Camp. Enter old college boy, who has achieved much distinction iu the legal profession. He is only a non-com, and is not displaying too much agility. "Double up there, young fellow! Shake yourself up and look like a soldier!" The noncom obeyed/the command, just as he should have done. On looking rourfd he discovered that the lieutenant who had shaken him up was a lad who had been in a lower form at college and whom he had spanked on more than one occasion. The class for three lambs (ewe or wether) netting the most points for carcase, skin and fat at the Clutha Winter Show was won by Mr A. Macdonald (Warepa). The meat from the sheep was valued by leading butchers at the S.O. Freezing Works, the skin and fat being valued by the wool experts. Mr Macdonald's marks were: Meat 19, skin 19, fat 17, out of a maximum of 20 points for each. Mr John Barclay (Te 'Houka) secured second place \vrth 10, 18 and IC| points respectively, and Mr ft. Houliston (Kakapuaka) third with 9, 16 and 16 points. Our Kaitangata correspondent writes: There is little further to report about the position except that present conditions are much more satisfactory, Much of the stock which had been abandoned previously has been recovered by means of boating parties. Tho water in the river has fallen considerably, leaving more scope for freeing the flooded area to the north of the river. 'Matters looked rather serious on Tuesday eveuing, when the flood waters from this area had risen to the level of the footpath along parts of Clyde Terrace. At two or three points the water began to trickle over the path, but sandbags were used to stop this. (Had the water got away there it meant only a short time till the trickle would have scoured out a track too serious to contemplate. A similar condition threatened the Matau bridge, but this danger also was overcome by the use of sandbags. 'A subsidence occurred at the creek bridge and was quickly attended to. Other parts of tho town suffered to some extent, but the settlers living on the lowest levels will suffer considerably. The actual cause of the high level of the flood waters here is the breaking away of the Stirling embankment. The water is pouring into the river from tho two outlets, the canal and the creek. . At the canal lock tho water pouring through the loeks at the rate of 10,000 gallons per second makes a veritable boiling caldron upon striking the swift river current. The present showery weather cannot affect the flood, and nigh winds from th« west help to keep the rtiSffajra §is , ~'.._..:., f...'. ..""•.

It is stated that after the drawing of the present ballot three more drafts will exhaust the First Division men. At the Dunedin Winter Show three district schools secured prizes in the schools' competitions. Benhar secured three first prizes, two seconds and two thirds, Owaka a first and a third, and Ratanui one first, a second and v.h.c. The drawing of the eighth ballot commenced on Tuesday morning. There is a shortage of 36 in the Clutha district for the ;>2ud reinforcements, for which the ballot is being taken, only three voluntary recruits having been secured. Mr C. J. McKenzie when visiting the protective embankment yesterday morning expressed an opinion that a number of small groins erected at suitable intervals would be a very effective protection for the town embankment. These structures would not require to be of the same length as those erected at the present time, as the newer style is set at a different angle and does not require to be so lengthy. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Andrew Adams, farmer, of Ratanui, called for Tuesday afternoon at the office of the official assignee (Mr K. N. H. Browne) at Dunedin lap?ed for want of a quorum. Through the disorganisation of the train services tho bankrupt was unable to be present, but was represented by Mr F. Z. Moore. The following are details of bankrupt's liabilities:—Unsecured creditors, £172 13s '2d; secured creditors, £76 12s (less estimated value of securities, £100); assets, £23 Bs. The principal unsecured creditors are Chesney Bros. (Waitati), £3B 13s lid; James Wright (Ratanui), £ll 2s 10d; James Slenhouse (Owaka), £l6 8s; Waitati Dairy Company, £24 ]4s Id; and Alexander Kilpatrick (Waitati), £56 5s 9d. Puerua winter show, Friday, June 8. Clydevale winter show, Wednesday, June 6. Mr A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist, Dunedin, visits Balclutha every Friday. Annual meeting Clydevale Patriotic •Association will be held in the hall on June 9, at 8 p.m. Otago Farmers' Co-op. will hold clearing sale on account of Messrs Mulrine, at Inchclutha, on June 15; also on account of Mr G. F. Mitchell, at Balclutha, on June 13.