COUNTRY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23352, 18 November 1937, Page 15

COUNTRY NEWS

KUROW Cricket The Otekaike Cricket Club visited Kurow on Saturday and defeated the local club by 76 runs. Otekaike scored 132 and Kurow 56. A return match, it is expected, will be played bn Saturday at Otekaike. The Rainfall The rainfall for the month of October was 40 points, compared with 110 for the same month last year. The total to date for the year is 11.95 inches, compared with 13.23 inches for the same period last year. These figures were supplied by Mr J. O. H. Tripp, Glencary Station, Hakataramea Valley. The Weather Heavy* rain is urgently required, for farmers are faced with a serious situation. The rainfall in the district has totalled li inches for the past three months, the lowest on record for the same period for some years. OMAKAU Returned Soldiers’ Association The annual meeting and reunion of the 1 local branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association was held on November 10 in the Omakau Hall, and there was a good muster from the whole district. The guest of the evening was Mr O. L. Ferens, secretary of the Dunedin Association, who was making his annual tour of the branches in Central Otago. The president (Mr J. J. Stafford) occupied the chair.

Moving the adoption of the annual report, Mr Stafford referred to the deaths of Dr Scrymgeour, a past president, and Mr Frank M. Perkins, a former member of the committee. The work of the committee was limited owing to the satisfactory position ot the great majority of the returned men in the district; it had, however, been able to help several men whose circumstances called for assistance. The Poppy Day effort, which had realised £l7 6s sd, was £1 above last year’s figure, and much credit was reflected on those who had assisted. The parade of the returned men on Anzac Day had been most successful. The parade, headed by three pipers, marched to the cemetery gates, where a Cross of Remembrance was erected on which were placed wreaths to the memory of the Nursing Division, the Army, Navy and the Air Force, given by Mrs T. Moran, Mrs, Harvey, Mrs F. Wilson, and Miss J. Scorgie respectively. After the sounding of the “ Last Post ” and the reveille, the parade returned to the hall, where the company was dismissed. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr J. J. Stafford; committee —Messrs G. Naylor, J. Corrigall, F. Morgan. A. Mclntosh, H Page, and T. Morgan; secretary, Mr W. Harper. Musical items and community singing continued until the small hours. Mr Ferens received a diggers’ welcome, and in the course of his remarks referred to the vital matter of the land policy, the housing policy, the problem of the undermined health, the

question of providing subsidised labour for the ex-soldiers’ farm, the serious matter of insufficient acreage, and the question of the amalgamation of small p farms as a means of reducing heavy capital costs. Mr Ferens stressed that ’ obtaining the best from the land, with maximum results, depended almost entirely on the ex-soldier’s health, both physical and mental. Speaking of the membership campaign, he urged every member to do his best in this respect. With the Coronation ceremonies over and the approach of the anniversary 1 year, it was incumbent on all to bring ’ in more members. Mr Ferens concluded his speech by * outlining the ideals of the association, , and drawing attention to benefits it bestowed upon all returned men, ' whether members of the association or not. ROXBURGH The Weather Rain set in on Tuesday evening, and although the shower was extremely light it will have done a certain amount, of good. Eighteen points were i recorded. The glass is lower than it has been for three months and a-half, i and more rain may be expected as soon as it starts to rise. Fruit Marketing The district is being well canvassed ’ by representatives of fruit brokers from places as widely separated as Auckland ‘ and Invercargill. Representatives of the factories are also in the district, but the prices offered for apricots are not considered sufficiently attractive. RANFURLY * r Personal I Mr M. Mirfin, manager of the local branch of the Bank of New South Wales, is at present on annual leave. He is being relieved by Mr Sturton. Mr L. B. Cameron, of the staff of the local branch of the Bank of New South ■■ Wales, has been transferred to Gisborne. His place will be taken by Mr Tait, of Lower Hutt. . Armistice Day Armistice Day was celebrated in a , fitting manner at Wedderburn. On July 19, 1919 (Peace Day), three trees were planted in the school grounds in memory of three local soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice in the ; Great War —Signaller J. Geoffrey, Private G. Rankin, and Private W. A. •• Duncan. The hope had been then expressed that future school committees would care for the trees and that they would be a perpetual memory to the ! men who gave their lives for their 1 country. The present school committee has recently had a railing placed around the trees, which have J thrived remarkably well, and on Thursday last a ceremony was held, , when brass plates bearing the names of the fallen soldiers were screwed in front of the respective trees by the three senior pupils of the school. A number of local residents and several ' members of the Maniototo J Soldiers’ Sub-association were present. At 11 o’clock the two minutes’ silence was observed, after which Mr W. Shea (secretary of the School Committee) briefly explained the form and object of the ceremony. The chil- * dren then screwed the plates on the railing, each calling out the name of r the soldier which they represented. Mr R. F. Inder, Mr P. Clarke (presi- > dent, Maniototo Returned Soldiers’ Sub-association), and the Rev. Mr Xeene gave short addresses. The singing of the National Anthem brought the ceremony to a close.