COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16363, 6 October 1913, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS.

(From Our Coiitiksl'Ondknts.] RAKAIA.

Tho Rakaia Domain Board recently acquired,the house and section adjoining the sports reserve on a lease of fourteen years. The house will bo used as a pavilion, nnd will supply a muchfelt want in this connection. Tenders have been let for the erection of a tenco round tho reserve at a cost in the neighbourhood of £SO. The petition being circulated among the householders of tho township of it aka in with the object of forming it and tho adjoining area into a. Town Board is being very favourably received. Tho Rakaia Friendly Societies hold a mooting on Wednesday evening with tho object of making arrangements for holding their annual picnic. It was decided to hold a concert at an early date in order to raise funds for tho picnic. At tho Rakaia Horticultural Society’s show on Thursday a presentation of plate was made to the Rev H. H. Mathias, tho late Anglican minister of Rakaia, who was the founder of the society and an energetic worker in its interests. GERALDINE. A wholo day parade of tho Mounted Rifles was held at Geraldine on Thursday. Captain Kennedy, with Lieutenants Barker and Volckman was at the head of the company, and the staff officers present were Captain Nichol's and Sergeant-Major Sloan. The day was devoted to musketry instruction. The. Geraldino Parish Working Guild held a garden party and gift afternoon on Thursday on the grounds of tho Rev G. B. and Mrs Nanson, where there was a large attendance. Tennis, croquet, and putting competitions were played on the lawns, and afternoon tea was provided. Tho two Geraldine Hockey Clubs, tho ladies’ and the men’s, held a social and dance in the Volunteer Hall on Thursday night, over two hundred being present.

A cribbage match took place at Geraldino on Thursday night between members of the Geraldino Club and tho Hilton Club, tho latter club winning by sixty-eight games. LEESTON. Tho General Committee of the Ellesmere Agricultural nnd Pastoral Association met at Leeston on Thursday to make final arrangements for tho coming show. Mr Ji. E. Pincham (president), was in the chair, and there was a very largo attendance of members. A special prize sent on behalf of Mr W. B. Andrew, a former president of tho Association, who is now in the Old Country, was allocated to tho sheepguessing competition. Tho headmaster of the Lincoln District High School, Mr Cookson, wrote suggesting that eight or ten boys from his school should bo allowed to act as assistant class stewards at the show on October 23. It was decided to invite an equal number of boys from, the Lincoln and Soutlibridge District High Schools to act as assistant stewards, one for eacli set of judges. The secretary was instructed to thank the Canterbury Jockey Club for a donation of £lO towards the special prize fund. Four new members wero elected. The following tenders wero accepted:—Publican's booth, J. W. Halhday, £22; band, Ellesmere Brass Band, £7 10s; and luncheon and refreshment booth, A. Rattray, £B. Messrs H. Neave and B. M’Evedy wero appointed assistant stewards to control motor-car traffic on show day.

WAIMATE. The annual school concert at Hunter took place in tho Library Hall, on Friday evening, when the attendance was a large one. Mr Ayers (chairman of tho committee) presided. Items by tho school children, trained and conducted • by Miss M’lntyre, teacher, occupied ! tho first part of the programme. The second part was provided by tho Waimate musicians. Misses Wright, Ferens and Olley, and Messrs Sturrock (piano), Macdonald, Blake and Slide taking part. At the conclusion of the concert Mr Ayers proposed a vote of thanks to Miss M’lntyro and the school children, also to the Waimate Musicians, to which Mr Sturrock replied. The ladies provided supper for everyone present. A dance followed; the music was supplied by Stanley’s hand. . The Knox Church Ladies’ Guild, by the sale of work held in the schoolroom. on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings, realised £GI 4s Bd. Tho bride’s cake presented by Miss W. Menzies was won by Miss Rattray, who guessed 161 b 14oz, tho correct weight being 161 b 14Joz. On Thursday night the Catholic Young Men’s Club of Timaru paid a friondly visit to the Waimate Cathdlio i Club, when a banquet was held. Mr ! O’Brien, president of the Waimate ! Club, presided, and was supported on the right by the Very Rev Father Aubrey, S.M., P.P., and Mr O’Hnlloran, president of the Timaru Club. The vital statistics for Waimate for the September quarter are:—Births, males 21, females 24; total 45. Deaths, males 6, females 8, total 14. Mar- . riages 6.' . Tho quarterly meeting of tho WaiI mate Methodist Circuit was held m St j Paul’s Church on Thursday, the Rev IG. F. Steckwell presiding. The mem- ! bership returns were highly gratifying, I fifty new members having been received i into the church fellowship during tho j quarter. A credit balanco of £23 was shown on the quarter’s working, and this with £2l from the previous quarter making the total credit I balance £44.

A special goneral meeting of the Wai-mat-e branch of the Farmers’ Union was held on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of ventilating the views of farmers on tho hour versus bushel question relating to grain threshing. A long discussion took place, wherein tho millowners’ point of view was put forward by Messrs W. and H. Hayman, that of tho farmers on the Beach land by Messrs E. Meredith, Fleming, Archibald, and others, and that of the pro-bushel farmers by Messrs W. J. Roberts, J. Bitehener, R. Meredith, H. Dohrmann and others. It was resolved that the executive of the Union interview the Millowners’ Union with a view to getting differential prices per hour fixed according to tho classes of land. RANGIORA. At tho Polico Court on Saturday John M’Cluskey, arrested at Scfton the previous evening, was charged with vagrancy. There being a long list of previous convictions against accused ho was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Mr E. R. Good, J.P., and Mr C. I. Jennings, J.P., were on tho Bench. There was a severe frost in North Canterbury on Friday night, and early potatoes and other tender garden plants suffered damage. Tlio anniversary of the Methodist Sunday School was celebrated yesterday with special services, which wero well attended. Tho preacher at the morning service was tue Rev J. R-. Clark, and tho afternoon and evening services were conducted by tho Rev W. Wills. Specially selected hymns from the new Methodist Sunday School hymnal wero sung. OXFORD. During Uuo past month the weather has been unusually fine for all farming operations. Rain fell on three dajs, tho total being 2.05 inches for the 1 month. The warm winds have raised | tho temperaturo of the soil, and all vegetation has made good growth. ! Crops have been put in with little hinvj'imcu and in favourable condi-

tions. The light rains on September 9 and October 1 brought grass away rapidly and secured good growth, and while ‘tho light lands were getting dry the heavier rain of Friday was just what was wanted. Until the snow disappears from tho hills frosts may be expected. METHYEN. Rain fell on eleven days during the 1 p ns fc mouth, the maximum fall taking 5 * j.; ce fl n Wednesday, the amount being | .074. At 9 a.m. the direction of the I wind was north-west on no fewer than twenty-ono days, while tho minimum I reading of tho torrestial radiation tlier- ! mometer was 30 on September 1, Sep-. tombor 12. September 15 and Soptomi bor 30, and tlio maximum 49, on Sep- ] tember 21. ' J Lambing is now fairly general in the 1 district, and so far the farmers are well satisfied with the results. There has been a largo number of twins and even triplets, hut amongst this class there has been a moderate mortality, owing to the lambs being mis-mothered during tho strong north-west winds when tho ewes wander away from their lambs and are unable to hear their bleat because of tho wind. At nrcsent there is not much sheep food m as tho majority of farmers have been busy getting their cereals in but from now onwards a large amount of turnips and rape will go in, as tho percentage of lambs is expected to be high and consequently there will be a demand for that class of feed. There is much less wheat and oats sown this year than for some time past. It is thought that owing to the tact that the merchants hold large stocks of last year’s grain and so far have beon unablo to ship it at a satisfactory figure that this will have the effect of Keeping the prices down for some time after the new season’s crop comes in. Another reason is tho good prospects held out of good prices for mutton, lamb and wool, so that farmers prefer to. go in for sheep rather than grain, with a view to avoiding the labour troubles that surround the man who goes in for grain growing.

OXFORD. Tho wife of Mr 51. Cederraan, painter, East Oxford, died suddenly on Friday morning. She was not feeling well on Thursday and during tho night her illness increased. Though medical aid was summoned, she died in the morning of heart failure. Mrs G'ederman was sixty-eight years of age, and though sho had been in indifferent health for the past twelve months, fatal consequenes were not anticipated., In place of its ordinary monthly meeting the Oxford branch of the Women Christian Temperance Union held a birthday social in the Coronation Hall on Wednesday night. The president, Mrs R. H. Gainsford, was in the chair, and there was a largo attendance. Resolutions of sympathy were passed to tho president on the death of her brother, and to Mrs J. Wothcrspoon on the death of her mother. Mrs G. Ryde, the Union delegate reported on the Provincial Convention in Ashburton, and Mr C. W. Duncomo gavo a short address. Miss N. Gainsford, a missionary on furlough, gavo an address on the effect on tho natives in India of tho drinking habits of the Europeans. During the evening musical items were given by Mesdames Reynolds, Lyons, and Comvns, Miss J. Gainsford, and by Messrs Lyons and Whyte.

AKAROA

Thursday was quite a sports day in Akaroa as tho Bowling, Tennis and Cricket Clubs held their opening in the afternoon. The weather was perfect, and thero was a good attendance on each sports ground. On the bowling green four full rinks wero played in a match President v. Vice-president, the latter winning by 67 games to 65. A largo number of ladies witnessed the play. At tho afternoon tea adjournment tho president (Mr G. Armstrong) alluded to tho success of the club m promoting social intercourse with the many visitors during tho season and said ho hoped to see teams attend again from outside clubs. He then made a presentation to Mrs and Miss Masefield* who had kindly provided afternoon tea to the members on many occasions during tho past season. The CrickeF Club played a match, Captain v. Vice-captain, and as several members from the bays came in to play a good game resulted. Both the tennis courts were kept in use all the afternoon as besidos a largo muster of members a good many visitors from Christchurch and elsewhere joined in. After a few days of beautiful spring weather a cold sou’-weat wind set in on Thursday evening, accompanied by heavy rain. This will do immense good to the pastures and gardens as the ground was getting very dry after one or two nor’-west rs. Fortunately, the bulk of tho lambing is over. ASHBURTON. The Ashburton Domain Board has decided to erect a shower bath, a drink' g fountain, and a pipe to flush tho floors of the dressing rooms at tho Domain swimming pool. The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Ashburton Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, was held on Friday evening. The Actuary advised that tho sum of £7OO was available from tho Lodge’s surplus (as shown at the

last valuation) towards tho redemption °f members’ contributions. Tho lodge’s delegates on the Friendly Societies’ Council reported on the business transacted at the last meeting, and stated that a deadlock had occurred on the proposed new rule in tho constitution of tho Council, namely, that country lodges may be represented by any member of the' Order, other than a member of their own lodge. Their action in the matter was approved by tho members. TEMUKA. A meeting of the General Committee of tho Temuka Floral’and Horticultural Society was held on Friday evening. There was a full attendance, Mr Evans (president) being in the chair. Tho chief business was the revision of the schedule for the coming show. Several additional sections wero provided for. A suggestion with regard to encouraging school children to take an interest in the show met with hearty approval, a Ladies Sub-commit-teo consisting of Mesdames Hayhurst, Bilton and Martin being appointed to investigate matters and report at next meeting. It was agreed that Mesdames Beri and Twomey and Mr F. Smith should be added to the present committee. A sub-committeo consisting of Messrs Joynt, Smart, Cooper and Bilton was appointed to make arrangements in connection with tho hall. On Thursday evening the Temuka Girls’ Friendly Society entertained tho members of the St Peter’s Club to a social in the Parish ITall, Temuka. The early part of the evening was devoted to progressive euchre, and tho gathering concluded with a dance. Tho euchro prizes were won by Miss Goodeve and Mr N. Scrimshaw, and the consolation prizes by Mrs R. Leo and Mr Talbot, MACKENZIE. A concert in aid of the Mackenzie school prize funds was held in the Town Hall on Friday evening and proved very successful, about £l7 being taken. Coon songs wero given by tho school children, who had been trained by Miss Hannam and Miss Ritchio; songs by Mrs Ross, Misses Ritchie, Coakley, Jackman, Messrs Allan, Skinner, Hunt, Gibson and M’Geeson ; recitations by Mr Ross, a violin solo by Mr Murgatroyd, accompanied bv Miss Saunders; and pianoforte solos qy Mrs Geo and Miss Ethel Thomas. An exhibition of scarf drill was given by a number of children. The entertainment concluded with a farce, in which Misses Ritchie, Hannam and Bosomworth, and Messrs Ross, Allan and James took part. After refreshments had been served dancing was indulged in. CHEVIOT. A splendid rain fell in the Cheviot district on Thursdav night and tho greater part of Friday. As tho weather lias been dry of late and tho higher lands were beginning to suffer, tho rain was very welcome, and should ensure a continuance of the fine growth of the last two weeks. Many remarks are passed on the forwardness of tho spring, and a Nelson visitor stated that he was surprised to find Cheviot almost further anead than the Nelson district. WAT AIT. The final meeting for tho season of tho Waiau Band of Hope was held in tho Coronation Library at Waiau on Friday evening, Mr W. Shaw presiding over a large attendance. The Rev J. Nixon gave an address. Vocal items wero given by Misses Moore and Nixon and Messrs Rogers and L. "Baker; a piano solo by Miss M’Kenzie; a duet by Misses Brown and C. Crampton; and readings and recitations by Messrs J. Forbes and H. Thompson. Tho school children also contributed several items. Hearty votes of thanks wero passed to the performers and others who had helped during the winter, and especially to tho secretary, Miss Derrett. Supper was provided by the lady friends.

A meeting of the committee of' the "Waiau Medical Association was held on Thursday, Mr H. W. D. Rogers in the chair. Correspondence was read from the trustees of the doctor’s house at Rotherham and from medical agents. It was decided to communicate with Messrs Lawrence and Ackroyd regarding the services of a doctor from the North Island.