LAKE BRUNNER NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 November 1920, Page 7

LAKE BRUNNER NOTES

(Own Correspondent.) . THE WEATHER. This district and 'the Otira line generally seems to be getting its fair share of the unseasonable weather at present prevailing along the Coast. During the last week a heavy fall of snow covered many of the hills surrounding Lake Brunner and at the same time heavy rain and hail fell on the lower land.' The hail caused a good deal of damage to fruit trees, while a couple of exceptionally heavy frosts played havoc with kitchen gardens and potato crops. DANCE AT KOTUKU. On Saturday night last a committee of* the residents of Kotuku held a .social and dance In the schoolroom there with the object of raising funds for the purpose of assisting a disabled timber worker. Although the weather was somewhat inclement at the time, there was a large attendance from the various neighbouring districts, and the function proved to be both a social and financial success. Excellent music for the occasion was supplied by Mrs 'Malloy (piano), Mrs Murray (violin) and Mr G. Jack (cornet), and extras were played and much appreciated by Mr McEwan on the bagpipes. Mr E. Goodall made a very efficient M.C. Several enjoyable vocal 'items were contributed by Miss Williams, of Moana, and one or two ladies and gentlemen. An excellent supper was provided and done ample justice to, and dancing was kept up until a late hour. The residents of Kotuku are deserving of the highest praise for their efforts to assist in a most deserving case, and as other .districts intend shortly to follow the example thus set, it is to be hoped that every person will assist to the utmost.

The case of this unfortunate timber worker is a particularly distressing one. Fifteen months ago he was dreadfully mangled in machinery, and has spent a year of that time in hospital, having ■ a young family to provide for. His wife set herself the task of keeping the homo together, but under the strain her health collapsed, and she too became an inmate of the same insitution, where she remained for several months. Both liavo now returned to their home, but the condition of their health prevents them from performing even light work, hence it is that kindly-disposed fellow-workers who realise what a priceless treasure their good health and strength is, intend to rise to the occasion and contribute their mite towards relieving the burden of those less fortunate. BROKEN BILL STRIKE. The long struggle of the Broken Hill miners against unhealthy working conditions, long hours and inadequate pay. has at last, so the cables say, terminated, and work has been resumed. It will still be some time before the distress existing on the field is relieved, and as funds will still be required they are being raised as usual. A committee has bscn formed at Burn with Mr I. Olsen secretary, and a social and dance is to be held, the proceeds of which are to be devoted as above.

ROWING. Rowing under the auspices of the Lake Brmmer Club last week-end for prizes donated out of their funds, the senior race resulted in a win for Mr B. Nyberg with Mr A. McGee second. The junior race resulted in Mr F. Southorn being first and Mr C. Kennedy second. BOAT-SMASHING EPISODE. Acting on the request of the owner of the boat who was naturally much distressed over the affair, in last week's notes I briefly referred to the regrettable fact that a boatshed had been entered and a rowing boat destroyed. Incidentally, I mentioned that the owner was a member of the local Rowing Club and this season's winner of the Kim Williams Cup. I stigmatised the action of the depredator as a dastardly one. In your issue of Wednesday last "Clean Sport" rushes in, and would 'ike to correct the paragraph, but as it was already correct he merely verifies it by adding "the boat in question has certainly been destroyed." He then makes the quite unnecessary statement that the boaf. in question did not compete in-the Kim Williams Cup. There was no suggestion on my part that it did. Next, this Mr "Clean Sport" refers to an occasion when a number of competitors were called before the Committee and asked for a certain explanation. The owner of this boat placed the blame on the boat and stated he would not row in her again, but he yvas not the only competitor who made rash statements that day, and subsequently retracted them. The next stunt of this "Clean Sport" is in reference to fairness to other competitors. Surely it Wifs only fair and equitable to the sterling lads who take part in our sports that they should be made aware that such a culprit existed in the district, so that they along with all other boat owners could take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their property, and any suggestion»pf unfairness seems to exist only in puerile minds such as is possessed by Clean Sport. If, as lie says, the action was not such a "dastardly one" as this scribe would make it appear, perhaps in his next letter to the "»Star" he will tell us what it really was then. His final statement is that the boat was an absolute failure from start to finish. Not too much a failure, Mri "Clean Sport," for if you are a, sport at all you would know that at last annual regatta the ■ owner rowing in this boat secured one first and two second good prizes, and .throughout the season he has been placed in.most of the club events he sta'rted in, so that neither the owner nor the boat is the failure. Your attempt has been to justify a wilful, wanton and dastardly act.