COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17390, 30 January 1917, Page 7

COUNTRY NEWS.

[From Our Correspondents.]

PIGJ3ON BAY.

At a meeting of tho Pigeon Bay Koad Board it w&s unanimously deckled to

convey to Mr J. I>. Bruce, late county chairman, the board's high, appreciation cf the good work done by him aa chairman for tie past fourteen years, end satisfaction that he still is on-the council, which will benefit by his proved ability and wide experience.

CHEVIOT. . , A meeting of the committee of the Cheviot Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held on Saturday, Mr A. W. Rutherford, junr., being in the chair. It was decided to hold the annual show about the middle of April, any profits derived to be given to the Belgian Agricultural! Restoration 1 und and the Red Cross ,Hurveat Festival Mr C. Hunt was elected secretary and Mr W. Payne treasurer. ' , , . Af a meeting of tho Mackenzie School Committee it was decided to approve of the Education Board's appointment of -Mrs Wilkinson to the position of assistant mistress. Mts Wilkinson will take up her duties in a month's time.

CULVERDEN. ' The Culverden-Waiau railway extension is being pushed ahead steadily, if slowly, and the Public Works Department is now prepared' to carry live stock from a point about eleven miles from Culverdon. This will be a great boon to Waiau settlers, as it saves driving along a stTotch of very .awkward road and is a saving of about five miles as compared with Rothcrham. ■ The '. Department' expects to bo able to truck sheep from Waiau in about another fortnight. . The weather is still extremely hot and dry, and stock are' showing the effects . of tho dry foed, while green crops • aro rapidly being burnt irp.

SPRINGFIELD.. A verv large gathering assembled in the Springfield Town Hall on Friday evening to welcome Private Culbert Atkinson, who has lately returned from France, owing to the loss of Hn eye. Private. Atkinson is the second son of Mr W. J. Atkinson, of- Kowai Bush, and left with tho Eleventh Reinforcements. The evening's entertainment consisted' of dancing, intorsperßed with songs and speeches. Songs were sungby • Mrs Norton and Misses Kcnnard and,.Edna Atkinson. Miss O. M'llraith (piano), Mr H. Millar (violin) and Mrs S.. Quaife (cornet), provided the music for tho dancing. welcome and patriotic * addresses were given by Mr O'Shaughnessv, chairman of the Tawera Patriotic Committee, Mr Seymour, county chairman, and Mr Biunie. Mr Atkinson's eldest son is still serving in Franco.

4 ASHBURTON. . •' Tlie hottest day this season was experienced at Ashburton yestorcHy, when the maximum temperature registered was M desrrecs in the shade, the previous highest being 92 degrees,- recorded last month. Mr AV. Anderson will represont ' the Staveley Dairy Company at a conference of North and South Island Dairy Association dcle&atcs, to be held in Wellington this week to discuss the question of contracts, etc.. in connection with the Government acquiring the cheese' output. The members of the Eighth (South Canterbury) Regimental Band. Ashburton, were motored out by soveral Ashburton residents to the mouth of the river on Sunday. 1 hey were hospitably entertained by the campers in the huts, and during the afternoon tho band save an open-air concert, which was greatly enjoyed/ by a large number of campers and visitors. Although tho drought has been greatly felt on tho plains of the Ashburton County, it is not so round the hills. The supply of milk at the Staveley Dairy cheeso factory is keeping up well, and the suppliers aro experiencing a most prosperous season. The average output of cheese is about seven tons a week, the supnly being drawn from thirty-one dairies. Up to the present tho company has sent away fifty-seven tons oL cheese, but unfortunatelytho hulk is in th? cool stores awaiting shipment. Although it was reported some months ago that tho Allcntou Side School, Ashburton, had been raised to the. status of a main ' school, nothing further has been done in the matter, and tho school opened yesterday on the same standing. ; It appears that when tho status of a school is about to be raised it is necessary for tho Education Board to apply to tho Education Department for a grant for extra accommodation, teaching staff, etc., but so far.this has not been completed. Large audiences attended ' the Adventist camp meetings at Ashburton on Sunday, both in tho afternoon and evening.' In the afternoon Pastor W. H. Pasco,e preached on tho " Signs of tho Times." He contended that, tho conditions which now exist in the world aro but a fulfilment of the Scriptures, which declare that when these conditions; would manifest themselves men might know' that the coming of Christ was near. The evening service was conducted by Pastor A. W: Anderson, who chose for his subject the question, " Is this war Armageddon?" ' ' He declared that this present war is not Armageddon, offeriuF as proofs;for his contentionthat tho locality of tho war was wrong, that the time was premature, and that the. whole world was not embroiled in it, whereas the Scripture declared that " the kiiujs of the oarth and of the whole world'" would be gathered together at Armageddon. Many Scriptures were read to prove that Armageddon would suddenly break in upon the brief peace, which, he. declared, woukl follow the present, war, and that'the cause of that final battle of the nations would arise, in all probability, over a question of religion. ,' *

TAI TAPU. At the quarterly meeting of the Tai Ttipu Methodist Circuit the Kov B. Mot Son presided. The membership returns showed an addition of eight mimes to be added to. the roll. Tho balance-sheet, showed that the income for the quarter exceeded tho expenditure by over £2. I'eporfs_ stated that £l3 16s Sd had been raised for home and foreign missions and £26 lis 6d collected for South Island Methodist orphanage. Arrangements were made for holding harvest festival services. Messrs T. O. Morgan and J. Silvester wore elected circuit stewards. Mr T. 0. Morgan was elected to represent the circuit, at 'the .coming conference, with Mir J. Gilmour as substitute,