COUNTRY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 20

COUNTRY NEWS

QUEENSTOWN The extreme mildness of the weather makes it difficult to realise that this is mid-July. There has been scarcely a bit of frost, and the ground everywhere could be turned over. A succession of light showers fell on Sunday night, and during Monday morning sunshine and shower alternated as on a warm spring day. Golf The Major Browne Cup competition was completed .on Saturday, The scores place the players in the following order: —Reg. Romans, first with a net score of 13S; G. V. Wilkinson, second 139; W. H. Nelson 141, A. Farrant and J. Miller each 150. In the ladies' section the second round for the Major Browne Cup was played on Saturday, resulting in a win for Mies June Robertson with a net score of 134 lor the two rounds. Miss Henderson was runner-up with 142. Basketball

The only basketball match played during the week was one which engaged the Arrowtown and St. Joseph's teams. Playing on their own grounds may have given the Arrow girls a slight advantage, but the game was quite decisive on the score, the figures being 33—10 in their favour. Rugby Football 1

The cup competition in the senior grade is nearing its close. On Saturday Country beat Arrowtown by 8 to 6 and Queenstown defeated Glenorehy by 10 to 6. The surprise packet of the competition, -was the defeat of Arrow by Country. Prior to this, Arrow’s chances of retaining the cup were quite good. This club still leads by one point, with one game to play, but if Queenstown, which has yet to meet Country twice, can score a double victory, it must'win the coveted trophy. However, Queenstown cannot hold Country too cheaply by virtue of their beating the present leaders for the cup. Social Gatherings

The monthly bridge evening under the auspices of St. Peter’s Guild took place on Wednesday evening of last week, when there were players to fill eight or so tables. The prizes were won by Mr and Mrs J. M. Flahive.

One of a series of progressive euchre tournaments was held in the public school on Thursday night. The attendance was the largest yet recorded, about 80 people being present. Mrs J. H. Robinson won the lady’s prize and Mr J. Wall the men’s. A very enjoyable dance took place after supper, the music being supplied by Misses E. Fraser and J. Moifet. Closing of Kawarau Dam

As a natural sequence to the closing of the gates of the Kawarau dam on Sunday afternoon a quantity of young trout lay stranded on the rocky formation below the dam as the water receded. Dr Anderson, president of the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society, went out early on Monday morning, and, with an assistant, proceeded to rescue th% fish, a large number being thrown back into the river. Numbers of young eels were also found,, and these were promptly despatched. It is also reported that the rocks which had hitherto been submerged were found to be teeming with insect life, thus affording evidence of there being ample supplies of fish food in this locality.

Obituary Mrs Ellen Sanders, whose death took place on Thursday last at the residence of her son, Mr George Sanders, Milton, was a very old resident of the Wakatipu district She 'was born at sea when her parents—the late Mr and Mrs Robert Hood—were on their way out from Scotland. Shortly after landing at Port Chalmers the family came to this part of the colony and settled at Macetown, where active mining operations were being carried on at the time. Their medium of transport through the goldfields' was by bullock wagon. Mrs Sanders lived at Macetown till her marriage to the late Thomas H. Sanders. The couple made their home at Arthur’s Point, and except for periods of absence with relations or confinement to hospital, she had lived there since that time. She was predeceased by her husband, who died 27 years ago. Surviving members of her family are Messrs William Sanders (Arthur’s Point), and George Sanders (Milton), Mrs H. J. H. Lewis (Long Gully, Lake County), and Mrs Victor Berge (New York). The deceased was 73 years of age. The interment took place in the local cemetery on Saturday morning, the Rev. D. K. Boyd, of St. Andrew’s, officiating. One of the district settlers of the sixties, in the person of Mr William Charles Prior, died at his residence. Eastern terrace, Queenstown, on Sunday morning, aged 73. The deceased was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, and when a lad 11 years of age he accompanied his father (the late Mr Edwin Prior) to New Zealand and on up to Queenstown, where relatives had already taken up residence. Three or four months later, Mrs Prior and other members of the family followed them across the Tasman. In his youth the deceased had varying employment in Queenstown, being for a time in the Postal Department. When the family removed to the head of Lake Wakatipu, Mr Prior went with them, and eventually engaged in farming pursuits with his father, who had acquired a property there. He was in that district for 55 years. Some five years ago he disposed of his farm interests and came down to Queenstown, where he had lived in retirement ever since. Mr Prior was of a very quiet, retiring disposition, and he did not take any prominent part in public affairs. He married Eliza Frances, eldest daughter of the late Mr John E. Haines, by whom he is' survived. He also leaves three sisters—Mrs William Mulholland and Mrs James M'Neil (Queenstown), and Mrs J. T. Bryant (Hine Hine, Gatlins district). The remains were interred on Thursday afternoon in the Queenstown Cemetery, the Rev. W. W. Powell, St. Peter’s, officiating.

Badminton

Queenstown has been caught in the vortex of the badminton craze.- Some exhibition games were played in the Garrison Hal] on Thursday night last by a visitor from i Invercargill and some of his Invercargill friends now resident here. There was a large gallery of spec-

tators, and the game evidently mad® a strong appeal to them, with the result that it was decided to call a meeting of probable supporters. This took place on Monday night, when the proposal to form a club was taken up enthusiastically. Two dozen of those present definitely promised membership, and a email committee was formed for the purpose ot making the necessary arrangements for a short season to be commenced almost immediately. Lake County Council

At a bi-monthly meeting of the Lake County Council held on Tuesday, the chairman (Cr Leo Lee) and county clerk (Mr A. F. Griffin) were appointed to attend the conference of county council delegates being held in Dunedin on July 30 for the purpose of amending the Otago joint county by-laws. The chairman and county clerk were alpo appointed to represent the Lake County Council at the New Zealand Counties’ Conference which takes place .at Wellington on August 28, 29, and

30. It was decided to purchase a car for the use of the county inspector _ (Mr James Powell), who hitherto has visited the various parte of the county by varied means of locomotion. In order, too, that the inspector may be able to spend more time in the supervision of county work and enterprises; in general, it was decided to engage a junior clerk to relieve him of a portion of hie office work. A letter was received from Miss Jessie Mill, Port Chalmers, who has a property on the foreshore of Lake Wanaka t> complaining of the insanitary conditions created by campers on portion of the waterfront. The trees were also being broken down, robbing the place of the charm which it had previously possessed. —After some discussion it was resolved that camping be prohibited on the stretch of foreshore between Pembroke wharf and Eely Point, . It was resolved that the Public Works Department be asked to have the Matatapu road surveyed. The council having affirmed the proposal to raise a loan for the purpose of embarking on a bridge-building programme, embracing the crossing of upwards of twenty small streams in the county and renovation or re-building of bridges already in existence, the next step was taken at Tuesday's meeting. This was the passing of a resolution engaging the services of Mr Fletcher Roberts, Dunedin, for the compiling of a report and submitting estimates of the cost, etc., of same, and malting an application to the Local Government Loans Board for a loan in this relation.

The necessary formal resolution was passed confirming the council’s intention to make and levy a general rate of seveneighths of a penny in the I oh the_ rateable value of all rateable property in the county. It was also resolved that a penalty of JO per cent, bo imposed on all rates due and remaining unpaid after September 7 next.

The council reappointed Mr John Gilkison as its representative on the Southland League; and it made its usual contribution of £lO to the league’s funds, tribute being paid by some of the councillors to the service the league had at all times 'been ready to undertake for the council. —Cr William Gordon was appointed to attend the annual conference of local body delegates with members of Parliament, which will be held some time prior to the next session of Parliament.

Personal Mr D. H. Cockburn, of “ Hezeelburn,” Wharehuanui, has gone to Wellington for a conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

Mr John Wilkinson, Dunedin, visited Queenstown during' the week in order to be present at the funeral of the late Mrs George Mackenzie, of “ Lake View.” Mrs W. Ayers arrived on Monday night from Invercargill on a visit to her parents, Mr and Mrs D, F, Murchison. Mr Wilfred Hamilton, of Invercargill, spent a few days here during the week. Mr Alexander H. Miller, Gibbston* left here on Friday last on a visit to friends/in the southern provinces. Mr and Mrs J. FT Pritchard, Dunedin, are, the guests of Mrs Pritchard’s mother, Mrs H. M'Bride, Hayes Lake. Mr Lloyd Mandeno, Auckland, has been visiting the district over the week-end.