PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20867, 6 November 1929, Page 7

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

NORTH OTAGO.

ACTIVITIES OF

(Fnoit Ora Spxciai.

PERSONAL

At the Harbour Board meeting yesterday morning a motion of sympathy was passed with Mr H. Ruddenklau, a member of the board, in the loss of bis brother.

Mr and Mrs E. P. Lee, who have been oa a trip to the Old Country, are expected to return to Wellington by the Mataroa on December 18.

ESSAY COMPETITION. *

The winners of the eseay competition on the career of Paul Jones, held in connection with the production of the opera by ths Oamaru Operatic Society, are as follows:—Hunter Wade (Ardgowan School) 1, Eunice Brown (Waitaki Girls' Junior High School) 2, A, Jennings (Waitaki Boys* Junior High School 8, and Anita Grave (Waitaki Girls' High School) 4,

WAIAREKA SALE.

There was a small yarding of stock at Die Waiareka sale yesterday. Thirteen head of fat cows and heifers, comprising a few prime heavy heifers, were penned. Beet heifers made from £ls 15s to £l7, medium £lO to £l3; beat cows £l6 6s, good £l2 6s to £l3 16s, and light £6 16«. i n , ¥r ore pens a two-year-old Shorthorn bull realised £9 7t 6d; yearling Jersey bull £4 10s; mixed-sex yearlings, to one year and a-half £8 16fi; and dairy cows were on a par with last week. Spring iambs made 26s 6d to 29t od, according to quality, best woolly wethers 34s 9d, light 27® 6d to 20® 6d, shorn wethers 28s to 30s 8d; best ewes 27s 6d to 30s 6d; shorn ewes, 20s 6d; two pens of shorn two-tooth ewes made 22s 6d to 265; ewe hoggets 28s 3d to 30s 3d. and ewes and lambs 12s Id to 13s 4d.

OAMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Oamaru Harbour Board was Held yesterday morning, there being present Messrs Norman Hayes (chairman), H. B. Meek, R K. Ireland, A. MTnnea, J. M'Culloch.’ J Duncan, and W. Wright. The Waitafci Electric Power Board forwarded £lO for the use of the Harbour 8 Poles along the foreshore. The Timaru Harbour Board advised teat Railways Department provided ropes and labour for the working of electric capstans.—The secretary was instructed to write asking tfie Railways Department to agree to similar terms at Oamaru.

+ ,Th?, Marine Parade Society advised that it would be very difficult to construct the track around tie powder magazine, and asking the board to indicate a suitable site for a new powder magazine.— Ihe secretary reported that he understood negotiations had taken place between the borough engineer and the ExP ' < *J V ® B Department, and a suitable site at the old quarry had beem agreed to. It was agreed to allow the society to remove the magazine to a site approved by the board and the Explosives Department. A n 9/ * request received from the Friendly Bay Society to have a lifebuoy placed at the bay, the secretary v? procure fii * lifebuoys to n febuoys> provide one « mendly Bay as requested. it was decided to procure a quantity of preserva kiye for trial on wharf piles, ■p-s CO ?r™ l l n t lca^on a 3 received from the 1 A Jate - r reference to the obaervyeSrs f Amistlce Da y « Previous

v to affix the seal of the board to legal documents forwarded by M T B £ r \ H u lop ’ Creagh. and Main. * Ihe harbour master reported that the shipping for the month comprised 14 coastal vessels of a total tonnage of 7908

Accounts totalling £441 18s 3d were passed for payment. !t was decided to invite tenders for the electric capstans. reported that the trees Planted at the cape reserve last year were doing well, but 60 per cent, of the replacements this year were already dead, tho -^ ht on,y 20 .P® r oent - would survive. He saw no signs of hares or rabbits, and attributed the failures to dry weather and adverse conditions. Mr Ireland supported the report, and it was decided to grant the contractors £5 compensation for the replanting. It was further decided to prepare the ground for replacements m June next, it being considered that if tbat were done for a couple of seasons a very good plantation would be obtained,

THE DISTRICT.

Conn KS PON PENT.)

CRICKET NOTES,

.The discussion of the merite or otherwise of the matting on turf wicket at Ring George’s Park has aroused widespread interest among cricketers, and in view of the appointment of a Grounds Committee by the association to inspect riiit re ,P° r f on the fitnee, of wickets, Mr Uttley b report to the association is of interest to followers of the game. Mr Uttley is not a member of the association, and therefore eubmittted his report in.writing to the last meeting, the report being as follows: “As a member of the Grounds Committce, 1 visited King George's Park on an evening prior to the commencement of the last match, Oamaru v. Union, and, in the interests of cricket, it will not be out of place to submit to the North Otago Cricket Association the following comments:—The members of the Union Club had evidently put in a great deal of solid preparation work, for the strip prepared gave every indication of being a good turf wicket. _ It seemed a pity to cover it with matting, but the Union members pointed out that there was no other area to shift to when that strip was worn out; and an inspection of the surrounding area certainly gave strength to their remark, for the ground is of an uneven nature. _ I understand Mr Jacobs is of the opinion that it is possible to get other 5?2. BS ’i kut it seems to me it would be difficult at this time of the year. The Union, members, too, were firmly of opinion that the pitch prepared would not wear properly as n turf wicket for even * days’ match. As they know more of the wearing properties of their soil. X can only accept their statement. If their only level piece of turf were worn out in one match there would be nowhere to put another turf wicket, and nowhere ® ven to put the matting for any future matches. This would not be a fair thing. Preparation for turf wickets would have to be started immediately football stopped. Even now, perhaps, it might be possible to top-dress an ifrea a fair distance from the present area—it might be ready after _ the New Year. Seeing that the pitch for last match had had such preparation, I was very interested to learn how it would play. Actually playing on it forced these conclusions home to me:—(I) It is impossible to get a ’good pitch with matting on turf. (2) If matting has to he used, the accepted methods of preparing the surface underneath and of laying down the matting should be adopted. A great deal has been said about the goodness and badness of the wicket on King George’s Park. The determination of this question of course depends upon the standard of wicket one has in mind. On certain turf wickets the balls come higher than the wickets, but they come consistently somewhere about the same height; on others, according to the nature of the turf, they keep, much lower, but consistently lower. If such wickets are bad, of course, there is no uniformity, and they come at all heights. But how a well-prepared matting wicket, on which good length balls come at all heights, can be termed a good wicket, passes my comprehension. The pitch for last match must have been as good_ a one as could be got by laying matting on turf, and, through no fault of the _ Union Club, it was not a wicket conducive to good cricket. A point that seems to have been lost sight of is this, that for a matting wicket the surface under the matting must be more level than for a turf wicket, hence the accepted method of having levelled clay or asphalt or concrete beneath. Even if it were possible to get an absolutely flat piece of turf, the grass would have to be shaved as with a razor, and even then the grass roots would probably interfere. In my early days I played on nothing but matting wickets, but never did I see matting placed on turf until I came to King George's Park. _ The matting should fit the foundation like a glove—-as far as possible it should form part of it—-if a satisfactory wicket is to be obtained. Other novel features of the pitch are:— (1) The matting does not end at the crease, but extends almost to the wickets. (2) A piece of canvas is sawn on each end, evidently with the idea of making the matting wear longer. These two facts must tell strongly against really good hatting—l, do .not mean run-getting by good batting—which I suppose is the ideal of every batsman in Oamaru. A complete stance on the matting, or rather on the smooth canvas, makes that footwork which is the secret of good batting, extremely difficult, and makes the execution of some ofethe best cricket shots, very problematical. In conclusion, I think that in the furtherance of this Better Wickets ” campaign, Oamaru should follow _ the lead of the larger centres and discard matting wickets as soon as possible, but if such wickets have to be used, then they should be put down on clay.”

CORONER’S INQUEST,

An inquest was held by the coroner, Mr W. H. Frith, yesterday morning, touching the death of Walter David Osborne, aged 17 years, who succumbed to injuries received when knocked down on Saturday on the Ardgowan road, Mr Hjorring appeared for the relatives of the deceased, and Mr Pollock for William Falls, the rider of the motor cycle, Senior Sergeant Scott representing the police. Evidence of identification was given by the youth’s father, David Osborne, and the inquest was adj’ourned sine die.

THE RAINFALL,

Up to 9 o’clock yesterday morning 30 points of rain were recorded b/ Mr W Forrester making a totai of 38 points'. Showers fell intermittently throughout the day, and the rain will prove of wonderful benefit throughout the countryside. Up to yesterday morning 26 points of ram were registered at Dimtroon.

THE REV. J. W. FOSTER

HONOURED,

A very happy social gathering took place at the Newborough Church room last evening, in honour of the Rev. J. W. Foster, who'has received the appointment of curate of St. Paul's Cathedral. Dunedin. The room was very beautifully decorated by the members of the Young People’s Bible Class, and various games and dances were indulged in. An enjoyable programme was presented by Misses Doris Taylor and Mabel Owen (songs), Miss Joyce Tait (recitation), and Mr Patrick (violin solo), while selections were played by the Waitaki Boys’ High School Orchestra. The accompaniments were played by Mr Newson. The Ven. Archdeacon Russell presided, and, at an appropriate interlude, Mr j! G. Finch, on behalf of the Newborough parishioners, presented Mr Foster with a well filled wallet of notes, and Mr R. Collingwood presented him with a gold Eversharp pencil from the members of the Bible Class, which the Rev. Mr Foster formed and conducted. . Archdeacon Russell, Messrs J, S. Newson (church official); and A. B. Loch (parishioners’ church warden) supplemented Mr Finch’s remarks, all speaking in glowings terms of the Rev. Mr Foster's serV Qe L B J° churc , h - It was thought that Mr Foster would depart for Dunedin this month, but a rearrangement has been made, and it is expected that he will not leave until the end of December