LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LII, Issue 2, 6 January 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There will be a stock sale at Leeston next Friday.

The Killinehy Tennis Club will hold a dance next Thursday evening.

The last of the series of road races for the season for unregistered riders is to be held at Killinehy on Saturday week, January 17, and will be followed by a dance as before.

The Springs County Council has accepted the tender of Mr S. T. Reesby for the right to cut cocksfoot grass for seed on the roads in the county. Until the seed is harvested Mr Reesby will act as assistant stock ranger.

As a result of the nor'west gales, the Rakaia river was in flood during the week-end and trout fishing at the river mouth had to be abandoned, the water being heavily charged with silt brought down from the back country. - People appear to be very careful about minor details in Penang, Straits Settlement. A pupil of the Stratford school wrote to Penang to get a pen friend —a person to correspond with for the exchange of views and customs of the country. The New Zealander's letter got into the hands of the education authorities in Penang, who returned it to the "Director of Education, Stratford," for countersignature as correct. Mr L. J. Furrie, headmaster of the school, completed this formality, and it is presumed that the negotiation will now jgo forward prosperously, having the i fullest possible official recognition.

Settlers holding land around the shores of Lake Ellesmere state that the Lake has reached an exceptionally low level and that small islands that they had not seen for a number of years are now showing above the [water. This is largely attributable to the fact that since the second opening of the outlet the prevailing winds have been from the north, resulting in a large body of water being driven to the Fisherman's Point, causing both a deep and wide scour in the outlet channel. The settlers' worries regarding feed for their stock during the summer and autumn should soon be at an end, though the feed is usually not of much value until the land has been above the water for a few weeks.

Sunday's gale was one of the strongest experienced in the district for a long time. At times it almost reached cyclonic force, and many a farmer had to tie down newly built hay stacks more securely to prevent the tops being blown off. In some cases a good deal of hay was blown away before attention could be given to the stacks. Dense clouds of sand and soil were raised along the Rakaia riverbed and from properties in the neighbourhood where cultivation had taken place during the season. At some periods during the day the clouds of sand and dust were so heavy as to give the impression that a grass fire had broken out on the plains. At present the grass on the light land and along the riverbed is in a very dry condition and it is necessary to exercise the utmost care in lighting fires or in dropping live matches or cigarette butts. Under no circumstances should campers or shooting parties light fires for billy-boiling where the grass is dry or where there is any risk of the fire spreading.