COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17644, 23 November 1917, Page 2

COUNTRY NEWS.

• » .1 II [Fbou Otjb Coeempokdbhts.] ASHBURTON. Tho Ashburton Poultry Society has been allotted the following championships by tho South Island Council:— Golden Wyandottcs, AndalusiaJis and Utility White Wyandottes, and Nun and Dragoon pigeons. The Eighth (South Canterbury) Regimental Band, under. Bandmaster Dennis, gavo an open-air concert in the band rotunda, Baring Square West, Ashburton, on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance, and the music was highly appreciated. The Rev Howard Elliott, national lecturer for tho Protestant Political Association, gave an address in tho Orange Hal!, Ashburton, on Wednesday. There was a good attendance, and a resolution was carried to form a branch of the aesociation in Ashburton., A committee was appointed to organise the members' help. Mr C. J. Cowan, who had been stationmaster at Ashburton for about nine years, and who recently retired on superannuation after forty. years in the Railway service, was entertained on Wednesday -evening by a large gathering of tho local railway employees. Mr E. M'Sheijry, local inspector of permanent way, presided, and on behalf of the employees presented Mr Cowan with an upholstered easy chair and a card table. The chairman, in making the presentation, spoke highly of tho efficient, faithful and courteous manner in which Mr Cowan had always discharged his duties, and the high esteem in which he was held by all with whom he came in contact. A number of other speakers also paid a high tribute to Mr Cowan, and expressed a hope that , he would long live to enjoy his well-earned retirement into private life. Hearty good wishes were also expressed towards Mr Bell, who has succoeded Mr Cowan as station master at Ashburton. At the Tinwald stock sale on_Tuesday one auctioneering firm sold over £7OO worth of cattle at auction, the bulk of tho sales beingi fat cattle. ' The Ashburton Borough School concerts given last week were responsible for raisins a sum of £BS: The expenses will amount to ' about £2O, the balance going towards tho school's incidental funds. The examination for proficiency and com- • potency certificates for Standard VI children was held at Ashburton on Tuesday by Inspectors C. D. Hardie and J. B. Mayne, of tho Canterbury Education Board. There were ' seventy-one candidates, torty-orw from the ' Ashburton Boroush School tho remainder i being from the Sacred Heart, St Joseph's, ) High School, Fairton, Nowlands and fitea- [ field Schools. The matron (Nurse Davis) and Sister Gates havo resigned their respective positions at " the Ashburton County Hospital. On Tuesday .afternoon the members of tho > IVe Ashburton County Council met at the 1 Council Chambers whan Mr George Murdoch, the cx-moniber for tho Mount Somers riding T on the council, was presented with a silver- - mounted walkiner stick and a pip© by Mr r C. J. Harper, the ex-chairman, on behalf of the members of the old council. At tho Ashburton Defence Office on Thurs- ■ day evening, 'Lieutenant d'A. S. L. Grut, , officer in chargo of area 38 (Ashburton), for nearly eighteen months, who is about to be married, and has been promoted to tho Adjutant-General's office at Wellington,- was presented by Scrseant-Major ButVwi. adjutant of tho Bth (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles, on behalf of the staff, with a set of carvers. All the members of the staff paid tributes to the work done by Lieutenant Grut. LITTLE RIVER. A social and dance, organised by young ladies, was held in the Little River Town Hall on Tuesday evening. There was a very large attendance. Songs were contributed 'by Mrs Fletcher and Mossrs Sturgess, Earaitiana and Fletcher. A guessing competition was won by Miss Burrows. The proceeds which amounted, to a large sum, will be donated to the Eed Cross Funds. RACECOURSE HILL. A vory successful garden party was helc at the residenco of Mr D. M'Millan or Saturday. The grounds and gardens wert looking their best. The proceedings wer( enlivened by music supplied by the C.Y.C Military Band, under Lieutenant Thorn. During an interval the president of the Patriotic Committee (Mr W. J. Jenkins) presentee a souvenir to Private F. Armstrong, who ii about to return to camp. In the afternoor. the lawn s were given up to tenuis and cro : quot, and in the evening to dancing anc games. The stalls were in tho chargo of th< following:—Produco and goods, Mrs W. J Jenkins; afternoon tea, Mesdames Hayfor, and Page; hoop-la, Mr D. Bryson; surprise packets, Mrs D. MiUor; guessing competitions. Misses Hayton, K. M'Donald E. Uenkins and A. Compton. Mrs W. Watson did eood work with t'ho Red Cross quilt Altogether there will be over £25 to be divided between Red Cross and Lady Liverpool Funds, Much praise is due to Mr and Mrs M Millaii and family, who spared no effort to make the afternoon an enjoyohlo one. SPRINGFIELD. In cder to augment tho incidental fund of the S3nn"fieid School a concert, organised to tho teachers, was given on Friday even- & to thTTown Half, kindly, lent by Mrs Coffey. Mr R. Gillnera chairman of the Schoo Committee, presided. The concert opened with a pianoforte duet by Mrs Dalton and Mu* Daty. A k»f% i-rogromme b> tho children followed, including' recitations by Rata King. Ettio Donovan Patience n«n«rd and Ivy Roache, songe by Dorothy & and Leo Coffey, musical drill, a floral 3b dice by School girls, drill and, other rtems by boy*, Maypole dance by small children! Japanese items by the upper girls, and a JapancL fares, in which the principal characters were taken hy Emily *™f™. Lottie Dotard, Dorcas Scully, Dorothy Innes, &&££s£&? Ten-al in tho proceedings * P*£f *£»£ » »afetv razor was. made to ±Tiv*t« John Brvson who left with the Mam Body, saw ilrjson, V" u • .» (?a.l ipoh, was woundTl% homfSd SAqS. Having now oomffly recovered he has enlisted again, and s now about to«turnto«mp. o ? P fe

the present nrms and sang "Sons of New Zealand." Tho chairman thanked all those who had made tho concert a. success, specially mentioning Mrs Quigley for assisting at tha dressing of the children, and Mrs Colzor and Mrs Nimmo for gifts of lollies. Miss Dalby accompanied with the piano throughout the evening. Much credit is due to the teachers, Mr W. R. Adams and Miss Dalbv for the strenuous work they put in' with their pupils to make itho concert so success- I fill.. Dancing was kept up till the early to musio eupTj'icd by Miss O. M'llraith and Messrs Quaife end Millar. The school fund will benefit to tho amount of £IG as tho result of the entertainment. STAVELEY. Tha Stave'ey Dairy Company has succeeded in clearing tho remainder of its last season's output of 115 crates of chee3o, which ha 3 been stored in the cool stores. Tho present season is likely to be one of tho best yet experienced by the comnany, and last month twenty-seven supp Hers participated in a cheque of £SII 17s 3d. The miUe'ji Buprjlied for October aegrecrated 315.5811b5, arid the butter-fat produced was 10,2351b5. The -number of suppliers now totals thirty-three. WILLOWBV. The residents of Willowbv met on Wednesday evening to bid farewell to Privates C. Olson and F. Rsach. Mr W. T..LUI- Tiresided, and on behalf of friends in the Willowby district, presented eßch with a soldier's outfit. On behalf of the Willowbv Red Cws Sociotv, Mrs W. T. Lill hpnded each soldier a kit containing socks, mittens and a balocleva, all made by the members of the Guild. KAIAPOI. The anniversary concert in oonnection with

the Kaiapoi Methodist (Sunday School was held in the eohoolroom last evening. There was » large audience and a lengthy programme, consisting of vocal items, dialogues, and action songs was given by the school children, who were trained by McGdames E. F. Martin, J. Wintorbourne and Misses Evans and M. Blakowell. OXFORD. As a consequence of tho mild winter and tim wet spring, rust is beaming to manifest itself among the wheat crops in tho Oxford district. TEMUKA. A concert was held in the Dominion Theatre, Tennika, on Tuesday evening, in aid of the fund for returned eoldiers. There was tt, good attendacc. Tho entertainment w»s given by a party from Tin:aru, under taeauspices of the South Canterbury Returned Soldiers' Association. The Mayor (Mr A. Frew) presided. At the close cf the concert o. flay was submitted to auction by Mr L Wood, and by bids from 5s to £2 2s and a final bid of £lO 10s tho sale realised. £44 8s 6d. A social gathering was. held on Tuesday night in St George's Masonic Hall, Tomuka. Over one hundred persons attended, among those present being a great many ladies. Art address on "Freemasonry" was given by Worshipful Brother F. Bishop, of Christchurch, and musical items were contributed by Brothers Salmon, Chapman, Knibb and Trott, and Mesdames Cameron and Scrimehaw. The gathering was the first ladies' night in oonnection with St George Lodge, and it proved so successful that it will most likely be repeated. The Tomuka District High School Committeo met on Tuesday evening. Mr G. B. Cnrtwright (chairman) presided over a fair attendance of members. The head master reported that the attendance for the last four weeks averaged 370 in the primary department and 31 in the secondary, the roll number for the school being '440. It was decided • that the school should (break up on December 20 and reopen on Febtruary 5. It was also docidod to spend £l6 on prizes. The chairman moved that tho annual school excursion should bo held on- February 21, at Ashburtou, if satisfactory arrangements could be made with tho Railway Depcirtmeit for a train. : CULVERDEN. The weather, which lately has been hot. and dry, changed to a light rain on Tuesday. It gradually increased to a. heavy downpour during the night, and showers continued throughout Wednesday. The rain has brought shearing operations to a standstill, and although grass and root crops will benefit, too much moisture is not desired at present for the grain crops, which are liable to become affected by rust. Feed continues to be very plentiful, and the season promises to be very favourable for fat lambs and stock of all descriptions. RANGIORA. Last evening tho Rangiora Soldiers' Entertainment Committee gave a send-off to Privates J. Arnott, F.'May, W. Barber and W. Brace, prior to their return to camp. Lieutenant G. Greig, who is homo from the front on a short furlough, was also present. Mr W. J. Rouse, chairman cf the committee?, presided. Dancimr, to music by Mrs A. J. Breach and Mr G. Humphreys, formed the principal part of the evening's programme. During an interval the Eon D. Buddo, M.P., on behalf of the committee, presented a soldier's companion to each of the four privates and expressed good wishes for their welfare in their military career. Ho also congratulated Lieutenant Greig on his promotion to commissioned rank. Tho members of the Rangiora Presbyterian Church choir last evening passed a motion, of deep sympathy with Mr and Mrs T. R. Cresswoll on the death of their eldest son. Corporal H. Cresswoll, who was reported ■ missing a fortnight ago and is now officially declared, to hare been killed in action. Corporal Cress-well was for some time a member of tho choir. At Rangiora last evening Mr C. I. Jennings, on retiring from the position of choirmaster of the Presbvterian Church, was presented by tho members of the choir with a fountain "pen. Mr Jennings has been connscted with the choir for upwards of thirtyseven years..