COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16566, 2 June 1914, Page 11

COUNTRY NEWS.

£From Our Correspondents.]

AKAROA

/ The weather during tho past week lias been'very good. Tlio bright sunny ' r days have been a contrast to the pro'‘vious fortnight of snow and hailstorms. ' Cattle camo through the severe weather very well. Feed is still fairly plentiful, though tho recent sharp trosts tended to check growth. Most of the heavier cocksfoot has been shipped away. There are still a few parcels left in growers’ hands. The annual ball of the -Peninsula Troop, A Squadron C.V-C., was held on Thursday in the Oddfellows’ Hall, and was a brilliant success. Music was supplied by Wells’s Baud, and the refreshments by lady friends During the evening the cup given by Mr rl. \\. Pipor to tho Peninsula xerntorials, and won bv the Mounted Rifles on New Year’s Day, was presented by '<. Sergeant-Major Quartloy. The Mayor presented silver badges given by ,the New Zealand Fire Brigade Association & the ladies who waited at the citizens’ banquet to the firemen when tho conference was held at Akaroa in March last. The Akaroa Football Club held an amateur sports meeting on Saturday, on the Recreation Ground. There were good entries for all the events, which were keenly contested. A largo crowd . was present. The results were:—looyds —Grawshaw 1, Moss 2. 220vds —<)• Lelievre 1, Hammond 2. 440yds—-L. Kearney 1, Gawne 2. 880yds—L. Kearney 1, J. Lelievre 2. Old-timers’ Race Competition—Crawshaw 1, Hemmingway 2. Place-kick—Crawshaw. Ladies Jtace —Miss W. Lelievre. Messrs G. Armstrong and F. Michel were judges, Mr E. Lelievre timekeeper, and MiGray starter. . The Barry’s, Bay' Co-operative Dairy Factory Company is putting down a plant for making whey butter and thus utilising a by-product of cheese manufacture. The cost will be upwards of '£lßoo for building and plant, a tender for the former having been accepted and the necessary plant ordered. Provision for the outlay is to be made by increasing the capital from £ISOO to £2BOO.

WAIMATE.

The representative of the “ Lyttelton dimes ” paid a visit to the farm workers’ settlement at Willowbridge. There *re thirteen allotments of about five acres each, and on each has been erected a substantial sensible-looking house. Two were built by a Temuka firm and the other eleven by Messrs B. Betten and Co., of Waimate. The road laid off through the settlement has been formed and metalled. The limit of capital cost per section for the land, house and fencing : is £6OO. The houses as contracted for . averaged _ £330 to build- The occupiers are paying weekly instalments ranging from los 8d to j 18s per week, and will thus, make the whom property their own in twenty- j five years’ time. The contractors for the plumbing, Messrs O. Hodges and 00-, found good water to stand 12ft in thp pipes by driving on the average 3o£| -deep. Half the houses are occui pied already. , - j There is need now for the opening or a branch of the Post Office Savings Bank at Willowbridge. It would save working people much time if, instead of being obliged to visit Waimate, they could pay portions of their earnings into a local office. . , At a meeting of the committee of the Waimate branch of the Farmers’ Union >on Saturday, the secretary reported ' that the rifle team’s score for the i Farmers’ Union shield was 509. The sum of £5 was voted to the Technical lLßoard in support of the projected .Jkcheme of lectures on mixed agriculf iture, a condition being that the memj bers of the Union should be admitted to the lectures free.

NORTH CANTERBURY. During Sunday night and all day , yesterday a heavy' north-west rain was falling on the hills in North Canterbury, and occasional wind squalls of i 'almost gale strength carried the rain over the plains in cold showers. The melting snow and rain flooded the • rivers, and they were still rising last I night; AMBERLEY. j Much dissatisfaction exists amongst the business people of Amberley at the long waits they are subjected to at times when requiring the use of the telephone to places beyond the township. The Amberley office has been made the, junction of several other wires from northern bureaux, the consequence being that the single wire to Christchurch is frequently badly coni gested with calls. A second wire to the city is urgently required to remedy the trouble. KOWAI COUNTY. Probably no local body has done more to meet tne requirements of motor-car traffic than the Kowai County Council. The erection of a bridge over the Waipara was a good work well done, and within the past year or so the bridge over the Kowai at Leithfield has been widened, and several smaller bridges erected. Special attention has been fiven to making the approaches to the ridges of easy grade. The latest work now in hand, and one that will be appreciated by motorists, is the removal of a portion of the bill at a dangerous corner near, the north approach to the Kowai Bridge at Leithfield, where the road is very narrow, with a steep incline at the turn. Another dangerous corner near the same spot received attention some time ago, when tho road .was re-made with a wider curve. CULVERDEN. The annual bachelors’ ball, held in, the Drill Hall on Friday evening, was in every way a success. There was a large attendance, visitors being present from all parts of the Amuri County and from places beyond its borders. Much care had been bestowed on the decorations of the hall, with pleasing results. Supper was laid in a marquee ' adjoining the hall, and the tables were tastefully decorated and beautifully furnishea with good things. Cusworth’s Band was engaged, and the duties of M.C.’s were carried out by Messrs J. M’ Adam and P- Hamilton. The services of the secretaries, Messrs F. R. Frame and A. l Smith, were much appreciated. t

OXFORD. The Oxford branch of the W.C.T.TJ. leld its usual monthly meeting on . (Wednesday, when there was a good at,t| tendance. Votes of sympathy were passed to Mrs J. Clark, who has lost her sister, and to Mrs Thompson in her illness. Final arrangements were made for a visit on June 12 by Mr Holland, Mayor of Christchurch. Mrs , Hawke reported on her visit to the Kaiapoi No-license Council, and she was accord.*d a hearty vote of thanks. : A meeting of the Oxford No-license league was ' held in the Coronation •Hall on Wednesday evening. There was a fair attendance. Mr Kippenberccr gave an account of his visit to the Kaiapoi No-license Council, and he was accorded a vote of thanks. Under the auspices of the Oxford branch of the W.C.T.TJ., the second of a series of Junior Bands of Hope was held on Saturday afternoon. The at- •• tendance was good, and a profitable hour was spent. Mr Gull addressed the children, and several musical items were given; V

i ASHBURTON. \ Tbe vital statistics for the Ashbur>'ton registration, district for tbe month ;of May are:—Births 46, deaths 12,

marriages 8. For the corresponding month of 1913 the figures were: - Births 21, deaths 12, marriages 13. The Boruialiuo Cup and the May monthly medal competition in connection with the Ashburton Golf Club were both won by Mr G. H. Buchanan with scores of 4 down and 3 down. Tho monthly meeting of tho Ashburton Mothers’ Union was held on Thursday Inst, when there wore abouj seventy present, including tho president, secretary and several members of tho Timvald branch. The special speaker was Mrs Sunderland, organising secretary for the S.P.G. _ Mrs J. R, Burgin occupied the chair, _ and after delivering a message of friendship from tho Gisborne branch, introduced tho speaker. The harvest thanksgiving services were conducted by the Rev C. V • Powell, in St Saviour's Church, Higlibank, on Tuesday ia.it. The collection v.-as in aid of tho new lectern for the church, and the sum of £l7 2s 6d was taken. After the service there was a meeting in the school to hear an address from Mr Cameron, organising secretary for Canterbury to the Bible in Schools League. At the close a motion was carried unanimously asking for a. referendum on tfie Bible in schools question. ' Tho buildings in connection with the oil industry at Cheftsey have been erected,, and everything is being goready for boring ou the arrival of the pipes from England. A derrick about 70ft, high is being built.

The monthly meeting of tho Ashburton Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday; present—Messrs Hugo Friedlander (chairman), Cairns, W. J. Dickie, M.P., C. J. Harper, C. Reid, H. Davis, G. Y\. Andrews and H. J. Harrison. lhe treasurer reported a’ credit balance at the bank of £175 7s 3d, and an <ut~ standing borough loan of £3OO and cash in hand, making a credit of £4Bl 11s Bd. Tho revenue received since last meeting, amounted t0.£397 18s 2d. The chairman’s report stated that to infectious disease had been reported lor a month previous to May 26,;, but on that date three children were admitted to tho fever ward, scarlet fever being suspected. Complaint had been made with regard to a slaughter-house and piggeries at Methven, and the matter had been referred to the District Health Officer. . Two adults suffering from measles from tho Longbeacli district bad been admitted. It was resolved that all conveyances carrying persons suffering from' infectious diseases to the hospital should bo disinfected before leaving the hospital. The medical superintendent reported that during May twenty-four males and two females wore admitted, and'twentyfour males discharged. One patient had died, leaving twenty patients remaining in the institution on May 31, four being cases of scarlet. fever and two of measles: Tho position as temporary sister was filled by appointing

Miss Watt, and Miss Rnbv Breaker was appointed probationer. The tender of Messrs Jackson Brothers and Yeatman was accepted for tho horses of the ambulance ’ vehicle. Messrs Cairns and Harrison and the chairman (ex-officio) were appointed a Visiting Committee for the ensiling month. The Board wont into committee to consider correspondence received from tho medical superintendent of tho hospital (Dr Hugh Hunter) in regard to tho payment of hospital fees by well-to-do patients, and also ill connection i itli his salary, and the committee’s report thereon. On resuming, it was reported, that the matter had again been left in the hands of tho committee to deal with, and report at next meeting.

TEMUKA. The annual concert of the Temuka Presbyterian Sunday School wns held in.the Dominion Theatre on Tuesday evening. Tho Rov O. Macdonald presided, and there was a very largo attendance. A lengthy musical programme was given during the evening, and was much appreciated. During tho interval Mr Macdonald took occasion, on behalf of the parishioners, to speak of tho regret which they felt at the departure from the district of Mr and Mrs David Shaw and family. He referred in very eulogistic terms to the good work done by Mr and Mrs Shaw for the parish in various connections. On behalf of ,the parishioners, Mr Macdonald then presented Mrs Shaw with a silver tea. service, Mr Shaw with a Morris chair, and Miss Myrtle Shaw with gold brooch. # tie wished, them long life and happiness in their new sphere. At the conclusion of the programme Mr Macdonald moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mrs P. A. Acheson and Mrs J. i±. Pedder' for the splendid work they, with others, had done in'preparing the children. This motion was carried with acclamation.

ROLLESTON. , . ir A club is being formed in the Rolleston district for thd purpose of holding meetings of an educational and social nature during the winter months, lhe first meeting was held on bnday evening last, and was a decided success, items of a miscellaneous concert programme being contributed by Mesdames Maslin, Harris, Scott, Wallace and Makeig, Misses Thompson (2) and Pearce, and Messrs Sturgess, Thompson, Johnston and Mann. The evening concluded with a dance, Mr Crossan being the M.C.

RANGIORA. Last night the Methodist Church was well filled when Mrs Nalder told the story of Pandita Ramabai’s life and her mission to the child widows of India. The Mayor, Mr 0. I. Jennings, § resided, and the Revs T. Miller and F. ’. Fendall spoke sympathetically of the work of the mission.

Members of the Fire Brigade and the Druids’ Lodge played a card match last night. At euchre the Druids scored .469 points and the firemen 439, and at oribbage the firemen won by eleven games to seven. KAIAPOI. The . Kaiapoi Barbarian Society met last night. Thirty-six members were present, and Mr J. Pavitt presided. Mr J. L. Wilson contributed an interesting leoture. on “Loaves,” laying special emphasis on the importance of afforestation. A keenly fought debate on military training followed, Messrs Morgan Williams and J. L. Conlan being the leading speakers. The Kaiapoi United Band of Hope held a successful meeting in the Oddfellows’ Hall last night, The'programme consisted, of songs, recitations and musical items arranged by the Salvation Army, under Captain Heweon, who also gave an interesting address.