COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16479, 19 February 1914, Page 8

COUNTRY NEWS.

[From Our Correspondents.] •RANGIORA. ' *' l j

' The Rangiora Brass Band has,' been engaged to play at Akarda during the visit of the annual conference of the United Fire Brigades' Association. The thirty-third annual meeting of the Rangiora Investment and Building Society was held last evening. Mr J. Sansom deputy-chairman of directors, presided over a small attendance. The directors reported that the business done during' the year was'of a limited character. "'The balance-sheet showed receipts £2413 Is 6d, the chief items being principal repaid £1306 8s lOd, subscriptions on investment shares £384, interest £239' 16s 3d and deposits £350. The payments amounted to £2345 6s 6d, including loans £1334, deposits repaid £621 6s 6d, and investment shares withdrawn £266 10s 7d. The liabilities,. fully covered by assets, we're stated;.to be £4lorißs 3d, the investments';snares'amounting to £3424 13s lid, mortgages'£3996 3s 2d and reserve fund £313 15s sd. The retiring directors, Messrs J. Marshall and J. T. Withers, and also the shareholders' auditor, Mr E. R. Gocd, were re-elected. A vote of thanks was passed to the directors for their gratuitous services and also to the secretary, Mr M. Amv, and the auditors, Messrs iii. R, Good and J." B. Wilson. -.'•' '■''■ '•' "'■>■" "-

The forty-third 1 annual; meeting .01 subscribers to the Literary Institute was held last evening. Mr C. I. Jennings (president) was in the chair. The report stated that there were seventy-four subscribers'to the institution, and that 170 volumes had been added'to the library during the year, bringing the total number of books in the library up to 3458, of which 2940 went into circulation. On the tables in the public reading-room there were twenty-six papers, eighteen magazines and ten other publications. The bal-ance-sheet showed an income of £276 9s lOd, including balance brought forward £45 0s 4d, hall rent £153 14s 6d, and subscriptions £37 lis 6d. The expenditure was £l9O 0s Bd, leaving a credit balance of £B6 9s 2d. The librarian reported that the favourite authors for the , year were , Florence Barclay and Gertrude Page. Last year's Committee of Management was re-appointed, and Mr C. I. Jennings was re-elected president and treasurer, Mr R. Ball secretary and Mr J. B. Wilson auditor. The president, secretary and Mr T. R. Cresswell were appointed a Book-buying. Committee. A hearty vote pf. thanks was passed to. Mr and Mrs Darling for the efficient way in which they had discharged'the duties of caretaker and librarian- and they were'granted a fortnight's holiday. Votes of thanks were also passed to the Borough Council for its annual grant of £2O and to the president, secretary and auditor for their services. CULVERDEN. The annual meeting of the Culverden Domain Board was held on Saturday. The balance-sheet presented showed a credit of £l9 2g 9d, which was adopted. Messrs W. A. Scaife, 8.. Hampton and J. Hoban were proposed as members to fill three vacancies on the Board. Mr E. Black, Culverden, had a paddock of wheat, ■ 31 acres, which threshed an average of 47 bushels per acre. The wet weather has not done any serious damage to the grain, which, with the recent fine days, is now mostly in stack. All green crops are looking well. ASHBURTON. The Ashburton Catho.-o Young Men's Club resumed its weekly meel'ng on Tuesday evening, when Mr T. Purcell presided. The programme for tho ensuing month drawn up by the club's council was submitted' and approved. The evening's programme took the form of an " Editor's Box," and amongst the questions discussed were the proposed sewerage scheme for Ashburton, and the action of the authorities in the recent South African crisis. ' Should fine weather prevail until the end of the present_ week the btlk of the cereal crops in the Ashburton County will be safely s gathered in. There are, however, several crops near the base of the hills which aro not ready for the reaper. There is now sufficient lahour offering in the county. While harvesting at Anama on Monday a man named Joseph Cripps was knocked down by a team of horses and had his thighbone fractured. He was brought in to the Ashburton County Hospital. KAIAPOI. Interviewed at Kaiapoi, at the Cadets' parade last night, General Godley said that the town was to be congratulated on the possession of such an excellent rifle range. He evinced sreat interest in the newly-formed Defence Rifle Club, and recommended that service shooting should be encouraged as much as possible.