COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16565, 1 June 1914, Page 2

COUNTRY NEWS.

[From Our Correspondents.] RAKAIA. /.The Foresters' Lodge at Rakaia held Jts fortnightly meeting on Wednesday evening last when there was a largo attendanco of officers and members. One member was initiated into the order and several were proposed. It was decided to hold a dance to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Court. After the Court closed a euchre match was played against the telegraph linesmen which resulted in a win for the visitors by eighty points. A musical and elocutionary programme was carried out and during the evening several toasts were honoured.

ASHBURTON. At the Ashburton Magistrate's Court on Saturday, before Mr T. E. Upton, J.P., a first offender was fined Ids in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment for drunkenness. Sheep worrying is very prevalent in the Ashburton county and last week Mr Spencer, of the Ashburton Forks, bad twenty ' killed while a number were injured. There was a decided change in the weather at Ashburton yesterday and although three degrees of frost was recorded the day was beautiful and warm with a north-westerly wind blowing. The City and Guilds of London examinations in domestic science and technology was commenced at the Technical School, Ashburton, on Saturday and will be continued throughout the present week. Mr G. Schneider, 8.A., headmaster of the Ashburton Borough School, is the superintendent. The Ashburton "Winter Show Committee has secured the services of Mr A. Macpherson, field instructor to the Department of Agriculture, as judge of roots. The Society is offering a fine list of special prizes for competition. DOYLESTON. ~~ A meeting of the Doyleston Social Club was held in tlio library on Wednesday evening. The following members of committee were elected:— Misses Paget and Rollo, and Messrs Irwin, Bennett, Lomison and W. O'Boyle. Miss M. M'Lachlan was appointed secretary and treasurer. It was decided that dances and card parties should be held fortnightly in alternation. . , .

A boy named Harold Millar, son of Mr Davidson Millar, of Leeston, had his leg broken on Wednesday morning. He was riding a pony and driving some cattle when the pony slipped and fell on the boy's leg, breaking it • above the ankle.

CHEVIOT. Cheviot residents for some time have been trying, to have the Wednesday early and late train reinstated thereby enabling them to get to Chnstchurch and back in the same day. Mr G. W. Forbes,. M.P., has now received a communication from the General Manager of Railways that it is intended to run a late train from Christchurch to Parnassus on Wednesday night and an early train from Parnassus to Christchurch on Thursday morning. A basket social was held in the Cheviot Town Hall on Friday evening for the purpose of raising funds for the Cheviot. Public Library. The social; which was a 'novelty as far as Cheviot was concerned, was very successful, several baskets selling as high as 13s. The funds of the library will benefit considerably.

Hares at one time were very plentiful on Cheviot and provided good sport for shooting men. Now, however, they are very s scarce, . This is attributed to hawks, which are ' very numerous. It is no uncommon thing to see full-grown hares being attacked by hawks or the birds feeding on their victims.

:.,..„•/. LEESTON. At the Leeston Court, on Friday, fo» fore Mr'J. Barnett, J.P., and A. Chamberlain, J.P., John. Netting, who did not appear, was charged by tie Springs County Council (Mr with failing to comply with an order requiring him to remove gorse and broom from his road frontages. Mr Brown said that the usual procedure in such cases was to enter a conviction and impose a penalty of "'Os per day if the work was not completed within a certain time. The Court convicted defendant and ordered him to carry out the work within two months, failing which a penalty of 10s per day would be inflicted. Costs were allowed against the defendant.

RANGIORA. On Friday evening the members of the Oddfellows' Lodge held another of their socials. There was a good attendance and tlie. evening was spent enjoyably in dancing to pianoforte music by Bro. A. Hunnibell.