COUNTRY NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17881, 29 August 1918, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[Fhou Odr Correspondents ( ] SOUTHBRIDGE. A meeting of the Sou'hbridge Patriotic Committee wa3 • presided over by Mr C. II Piper. A report presented by the eecretar (Mr AV. Scott) sta'cd that ten socials had ben held during the year to farewell and welcoir soldiers. Gold medals had been presented ti eight returned men. The balance-sheet showed that £617 19s lid had been raised for various war funds during the year. A proposal to make a charge to the public for admission to soldiers’ send-offs was discussed, hut it was decided to rely unon a collection •t each social to meet the expenses, as here tofore. Messrs M. Twiss, A. Tong and R Gemmell were elected members of tho committee. The 1 induction of the Rev T. G. Bn*ler to the Sou'bbridre Presbyterian charge ha r been fixed for September 5. On tho same date Mr and Mrs Butler will bo accorded a welcome social in the Town Hall.

Last week-end a patriotic hare drive, promoted by tho chairman of the- Southbridge Pa'iiotic Committee, took place at Pcdgemere. Twelve guns participated, and thir'ythree hares were bagged on the nronerties of Mossrs ■T. B. Howson, I. M’Oill, A. M'Lnughlin and Brown Bros. At tho close of the day the partv was entertained bv Mr and Mrs Howson. Tho hares were forwarded by Mr C. H. Finer to the Lady Live-pool depot in Christchurch. Next Saturday a drive will take place at Irwell on the properties of Mes=rs AV. Young, H. Gardiner and R. T. M’Millan.

DOYLESTON. Mr and Mr 3 W. Brizzle who are about to leave Doyleston where they have resided for Borne years, to take up dairy farming in 'he Bav of Plenty district, were accorded n fare well social in the Dov'eston Hn'l or. Monday evening, at _ which thero was a / -rood a'tendance, in spite of the wet weather. Mu-’rial and other items were given by Misses M’Lachlan (2) and Mcsrs W. A. No'eon, J. Pearce and L. H. Smith. The first nrizes in. a euchre tournament were won by Miss May and Mr J. G. Rennie. On behalf of the residents, Mr W. O. Rennie presen'ed Mr Brizzle wi'h a travel’in-r hag, Mrs Nel•on, vice-president of the Rod Cros= branch, presented Mrs Brizzle with a rug. Refere”ce was made to the keen interest tho gues's had taken in local affairs and especially to their help in patriotic work. The oppor'uni'y ivas taken to extend a hoarty welcome homo to Private E. Mahoney, who prior to enl’s+ing was employed for several years at the Fl'osmere Engineering Works. Mr W. 0. Ronnie assured Private Mahoncv that the neoole of the dis'rict were verv glad to see him hack again. The usual gold medal wou’d be prosen'ed *c> the so die-*- as soon as it came to hand. The Red Cross lad-os served supper. *nd a dance was held, for which Mrs Donald played.

• LEESTON. Dr Yolckman presided over a nesting of Ine Lees'on Patriotic Committee held on Monday evening. _ The main business of the meeting, <he chairman stated. was to sot afoot arrangement for collecting the Leeston por'ion of the El’esmere Conntv’s ruo'a of towards the Bed Cross Copper Trail. It was decided to make a house to house canvass, and the chairman, the R»v J. Jones and Messrs W. H. Jamieson A. T. Rober'-m. S. Johnston, D. Muir, H. Neave and C. F «se were appoin*ed co'lectors. It was reported that the proceeds of the children’s annual fancy dress dance were to <-o to the Bed Cross Copper Trail. The committee decided to co-operate with tho commi'tee cf Indies which had the arrangements for the ch:'dren s dance in hand. A balance-sheet of the concert given on Julv 4 by the 'Jsn’erbury Ca’edonian Societv’s concert oarty showed a credit of £53 le 9d.

Mr J. E. Carter, stationmaster at Leeston, Ilss been confined to his r oom nv fuehrers during the last few davs. Mr G. Sliteaeli is relieving at Leestem station. Mr P. Chamberlain, of Dunsandel, accidentally cut his hand on Monday wMletiimaJeP?°' fln<3 aff ° r receiving treatment Dr Volckmnn’s surgery at Leeston was taken to the Christchurch Hospital.

DUNSANDEL. A seven-a-side football tournament was held *t Dunsandel last Saturday. The senior competition was won by Dunsandel, with 4 points (three wins and two draws). Other teams competing were Leeston (2) Southbridge (2) and Greendale. Teams from Leeston, Southbridge, Greendale, Rakaia and Dunsandel competed in the schoolboys’ competition, which was won by Greendale with three winb and one draw. Medals were presented to the winners by Mr W. J. Stephens, on behalf of the committee which promoted the tournament. Good football weaker provailed. 1

A large number of people attended the fortnightly social he d under the auspices of the Dunsandel Hall and Library Committee. A , nrst Prizes for euchre were won bv Mrs polargey and Mr J. M’Kenzie. A dance was bold after suoper, for which Mrs Delargey knd Misses Lill and Stewart played. CHEVIOT. The monthly meeting of tho Band of Hope was held on Frdav night, when Mr Telfer preeijled over a goad attendance. An address Was given by Mr Dyer, and an instrumental duet was contributed bv Mi«s B. and Mr Murgatroyd vocal solos bv Mrs Ford, Alma Webster and ' Basil Murgatroyd; recitations

by Estelle Murgatrovd, Alma Webster, A. Saunders and George Ford. Tho programme also included temperance choruses and selections on the gramophone. During the evening five pledges were taken. AYLESBURY. A social evening was held in the schoolroom on Friday in aid of tho Soldiers’ Christmas Parcels Fund. The proceeds amounted to £l2 10s Gd in money, and a large number of iifts. ASHBURTON. The residents of Waknnui hold a social on ’r-day evening to bid farewell to Private -avid Cairns, Mr F. Frampton presided. An enjoyable programme was submitted, and ho chairman, on behalf of those present, presented tho soldier with a wristlet watch suitably inscribed, and Mr C. G. Frampton, on behalf of the Bible Class, handed the guest a pocket wallet. The ladies provided supper. For .some time past a person who has "-ained the namo of “ Peeping Tom,” has made his appearance at intervals at Ashburton. On Sunday evening two young ladies who reside on tho North-East Belt were startled by tho appearance of a man at the window, which had been left open. Both ladies fainted, and the noi=o quicldv brought other members of the house to the room, hut in the mean--11 time the man had left. On investigations footprints were found near the window. Tho matter had been reported to tho police. RAKAIA. On Tuesday evening tho Patriotic Hare Drive Committee held its wind-up meeting in the Library. There was a good attendance. It wa/3 reported tluit the shoot held on the Mead had resulted in 81 hares. This made a t ita! of 3D3 hares shot during tho different drives. A vote of thanks was passed to Air W. Fairweather for tho capable manner in which he had captained the last shoot. A letter was road from tho Red Cross Society thanldne the committee for the number of hares donated. It was decided to hand over to the Red Cross a balance of £2 8s 5d as a donation towards the “Our Day Copper i Trail appeal. A vote of thanks was passed | to Airs Sowdcn and Airs Meade for assistance , at a rccont danoe.