CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 June 1927, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

INFORMATION DOR FARMERS. (Special to •‘Star.’’) CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. The Railway Department is entitled to feel a glow of satisfaction over the booklet it has produced descriptive of Canterbury agricultural and pastoral conditions. It is intended to hand one booklet to each West Coast farmer who will visit Canterbury in the farmers’ excursion train on Monday. Very concise yet complete information is given regarding each particular likewise the topographical features are given, the names of the principal farmers, the values of land, classes of crops, average yields, types of sheep, and other aspects of interest to farmers. Mr F. Pawson, the Railway business agent is responsible for gathering the information. UNNAMED MOUNTAINS. Although from the Arthur’s Pass divide some big mountain crests attract the attention of the visitor, very few of them are named on the maps, and others provide material for much argument over their names, some being known by several names. The Railway Department has- found this out as a result of topographical map preparing. When the map is completed, copies will be supplied to visitors who walk over the Pass. The maps should be much appreciated, for they will add to the interest of the journey.

ROAD FORMATION. Good progress is being made with the formation of the road undertaken by the Public Works Department to give access to Lake Sumner. About 60 men are employed on the portion being formed past the route over the Harper Saddle, which was . surveyed in the early days for a railway to the West Coast. It was rejected in favour of the Arthur’s Pass route. The road will stop at Jack’s Saddle. The country about Lake Sumner is very interesting. There are hot springs in the district, also the graves of old gold prospectors, who tramped the passes in the early days. There are many beautiful lakes, and in summer Canadian geese leave Lake Ellesmere and live on these

WINTER’S TOLL. Winter is levying toll on old people. It is always thus. This month from a survey published of the death announcements, seems to be very severe in its effect. So far this month in Christchurch district there have been 94 deaths. Three were people over 90, one being 94 years. On one day the ages of people whose deaths were registered were, 63, 77, 30, 80, and 78. On another day there were two deaths, 78 and 79 years, and on another typical day, selected haphazardly, the ages were 76, 77 and 83. A fair proportion of the deaths were infants. With the improvements in sanitation and the development of medical science, the average length of life has been prolonged. In the first few decades of ,the history of Christchurch, fevers probably were the most patent cause of death, there being waves of such diseases. Now fevers occupy only a small part in the contributory causes of death.