CANTERBURY NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 555, 9 July 1909, Page 11

CANTERBURY NEWS.

| , +-. r ,(By Telegraph — Special Correspondent.) Chrlstchurch, July 8. Dr. L. Cockayno, who has been investigating for tho Government the matter of sanddrift 'and how to deal with dunos so as to render them useful, in lecturing on the subject to tho Philosophical Institute last ovoning said that there wcro over 310,000 acres of New Zealand composed of coastal sand. ,In many places the dimes wore 400 feet high, and tho drift often oxtended inland for seven or eight miles. Tho land was of httlo value, and tho sand was in many cases burying good land. Duno culture was practised in Europe for the preservation ,of the coast-line. The lack of knowledgo displayed in regard to binding sand in tho Dominion bad, he said, cost hundreds of pounds. Tho binding of sand was most important in its relation to industrial development, and he showed ''pictures of sand planted with forests in , ' T The°direetors of the South Canterbury Dairy Company yesterday made a big sale whon , they disposed of their main factory and plant at Timaru, as well as four creameries, one at Seadown, one at Beaconstielu, ono at Springbrook, and ono at Hook, fho buyers are threo young men -from >.orth Canterbury. ' . ' At tho mcoting.of tho Philosophical Institute last night, tho secretary, Mr. R. Speight, referred to tbo death in London a fow weeks ago of Mr. John Mceson, who was at one timo a promjnont member of tho Institute. Hβ had been a former president, for many years a member of tho council, and had made a vory activo treasurer before Dγ Chilton had taken that office. In addition to this the late Mr. Mecson had read many papers of a scientific and a general character before the-Institute. "I am equally opposed to the., proposal that part of tbo Riccarton racecourse should be sold," remarked Mr. G. W. Russell, M.P., at tho'public meeting last night to Protest against thoiproposal of the Charitable Aid Board to sella portion of tho Twigger Estate. The suggestion was that part of the racecourse reserve should bo sold to tho Canterbury Jockey Club," and that with the proceede Deans' Bush at Riccarton should do purchased. "Let Deans Bush bo obtained," ho said, "if it can, but whilst I am a member of Parliament not one acre of the racecourse will be sold to tho Canterbury Jockey Club or any other body." In further romaxke in which ho dealt with the" possiblo expansion of iie city of Christchurch, ho spoko of tho possibility of 'the reseive being required for a university for Canterbury. To part with any portion of the reserve he thought would be analogous to the action of Esau. The present wave of depression is indicated by, the number of bankruptcy i adjudications mado so far during the' year. In tho first quarter of the present year, six pereons came to grief financially in Christchurch, while that number was doubled during the second quarter, 'making a total of eighteen official bankruptcies to date, an unusuaJly high averago for the Ohristchurcli office. These figures are, of course, in, addition to any private compositions that might have been made independent of tho Official Assignee.