COUNTRY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 13

COUNTRY NEWS

QUEENSTOWN Progress League Re-formed A largely-attended meeting of business people was held in the Town Hall on Thursday last to consider the matter of re-forming the Progress League. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Overton) was present, and gave a report on the activities of the Publicity Committee, which, he said, had done excellent service in proclaiming the attractions of the town. He was strongly of the opinion that if Queenstown wanted to compete with other tourist resorts it must have a live body to give effect to advertising schemes and other matters requiring attention. Several speakers strongly supported the formation of a league, and a motion was unanimously carried in the direction indicated. The following were constituted a committee, with power to add: —The Mayor (chairman)., Mrs B. Curie, Miss Hamilton, Dr W. A. Anderson, Captain Herbert, and Messrs H. Tomkies, J. S. Royds, and A. Wigley, Town Planning Scheme The members of the Lake County Council met the Wanaka Progress League and a representative gathering of ratepayers in the public hall at Pembroke on Wednesday evening last. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the matter of a town-planning scheme for Pembroke. The chairman of the council (Mr L. Lee) indicated that the council must necessarily be the controlling authority, but the carrying out of the scheme would be confined to the residents of the town. The council would require the assurance of the residents that they wanted a town-planning scheme, and, secondly, that they were prepared to finance it. Dr Elmslie, chairman of the Progress League, stressed the necessity of town planning for Pembroke in order that the servicing of the town in respect of drainage, water, and lighting would be carried out in a systematic manner admitting of no alteration in the future. Mr J. M. Mackay and others spoke in favour of the project, and the following motion, embodying the wishes of the meeting, was carried:—“That this meeting of ratepayers is in favour of a modified plan of Pembroke being prepared and that the requisite steps be taken by the Lake County Council to have such plan prepared under the Town Planning Act.” Wanaka Doctors* Club Project When the chairman and members of the Lake County Council were in Pembroke last week, they were met by a large deputation from the Doctor’s Club with regard to the matter of building a new residence for the local doctor. The chairman of the County Council (Mr L. Lee) said that they had at length been able to arrange for a loan of £2500 towards the cost of the building from the State Advances Corporation. He told the deputation that the council had agreed to take up the loan, conditional on the necessary legal steps being taken for the protection of the ratepayers. In the latter respect, he said, it was incumbent on the club to obtain the signatures of 20 residents in the district to act as a joint and several guarantee to the council. It was pointed out by the chairman of the council that by having a large number of guarantors, the risk would have a greater snread. The interest and sinking fund on the loan was to be at the rate of 3 per cent, over 30 years. The chairman of the Doctor’s Club said that they would be able to realise a good sum on the sale of the old residence. They were promised £IOO each from the Southland and Vincent Hospital Boards, and their subscripttions amounted to £l9O. In these circumstances, he thought they would be able to raise the necessary amount to pay interest and sinking fund. The Weather Dry weather has been experienced during the last month, and if rain does not fall shortly the young crops will suffer very considerably. There has scarcely been an inch of rain for a month, and late frosts have retarded growth. WAIMATE Boxing Day Sports Arrangements ' for the Boxing Day sports were made at a meeting of directors of the Waimate Caledonian Society, presided over by Mr A. R. Cooper. It was decided to co-operate with the Timaru Society in the matter of inviting two champion cyclists to come from Australia to take part. A 75 Yards Ladies’ Race was added to the amateur running events. A special prize for a scan triubhais for boys and girls under 18 years was accepted with thanks. With these additions, the programme as drafted for last year was adopted, provision being made for time for the running of a challenge cycle race, a prominent rider having intimated his desire to meet any cyclist in New Zealand. Methodist Circuit The Rev. H. L. Richards presided at the quarterly meeting of the Waimate Methodist Circuit. Reports were received from the various church organisations. Special reference was made to the inauguration of the church social system for the morning service. The meeting unanimously chose Mr J. I. Hayman and Mr Max Hayman to represent the circuit at the Synod to be held at Willowby next month. On the motion of the stewards, the Rev. H. L. Richards was invited by a unanimous vote to labour in the circuit for a further year. TEMUKA Downlands Water Supply Scheme Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, has received advice from the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) that there will be an early start with the proposed Downland watexj supply scheme for South Canterbury. Action is being taken in the water supply district for the execution of the agreements by the counties concerned —Mackenzie, Levels, Waimate, and Geraldine, and the Pleasant Point Town Board — under which the local authorities would undertake to collect the water charges or rates in their areas and contribute specified annual sums to the Government towards the cost of the proposed work. R. D. Drennan, Mrs F. Pritchard, Mrs W. Pritchard, Mr G. Willis (Ashburton), Mr L. C. Anderson, Mr R. Hart, Mr L. A. Maidens (Methven), Mr and Mrs R. T. Smith, Mr and Mrs R. A. McGregor (Invercargill), Mr and Mrs A. E. Thomson, Mrs J. Bryce, Mr D. Belton, Mr H. Cordell, Mr and Mrs T. McNichol, Mr and Mrs R. B. Berry (Christchurch), Mr N. Quilter, Mr H. Holm (Cromwell), Mr J. H. Ingram, Mr J. M. Charles, Mr and Mrs A. Brown, Mr R. Brown, and son, Mr and Mrs Hoskin (Lauder), Mr N. Hodgkiss, Mr G. Hodgkiss, Miss H. Hodgkiss (Greymouth). A 50-year-old villager of Kodjugur, Asia Minor, named Veli, has just awakened from a seven years’ sleep. After a totally sleepless week amongst his excited fellow villagers, he began to yawn heavily. Now he has turned over on his side and fallen asleep again, presumably for another seven years. Veli was not awake long enough to comply with the law regardin'" the compulsory adoption of a surname. However, his family, to avoid a fine, has registered a surname for him. It is “Yatar.” It means, in Turkish, “bed fellow.”