COUNTRY NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23353, 19 November 1937, Page 12

COUNTRY NEWS

LAWRENCE Drought Broken The drought from which the district has been suffering during the past two months was broken on Tuesday with a good shower of rain, a continuation of which would be of immense benefit to the district. Armistice Commemoration Service On Sunday night at Holy Trinity Church, the vicar (the Rev. J. Simpson) conducted the special Armistice service. A good muster of returned soldiers were present. Progressive Road Policy The County Council is calling for tenders for 6000 cubic yards of gravel for the county roads in pursuance of its road policy. The tenders will be spread over 10 specified contracts. Afforestation Mr D. Tannock, curator of the Botanical. Gardens, Dunedin, will give an address on afforestation here at an early date. Some of the local bodies are actively interested in this subject, as are many private individuals, and the lecture should be well attended, Tuapeka County Council Cr George was responsible for a most interesting discussion at the last meeting of the Tuapeka County Council. He pointed out that the advent of the motor lorry had enabled the council to gravel many miles of county roads, and if these were to be adequately maintained then a greater use would have to be made of machinery. Maintenance by the surfaceman was out of date, increased rates of pay and a shorter working week made it impossible for the council to give the ratepayers full value for their rates, hence the necessity for a drastic revision of the council’s administrative policy. Cr

George also mentioned that certain ridings in the county were benefiting very materially, owing to the fact that they now incurred no expenditure in connection with the main highways. In his opinion, the money saved should be spread over the whole county. He therefore moved that the engineer be instructed to furnish a report regarding the future road maintenance policy and that a committee, consisting of the chairman. Crs Bennet,_ Thompson, and Revie, be asked to bring down a report regarding the advisability of reducing the number of ridings in the county. Every councillor present supported Cr George’s views, the consensus of opinion being that, as the council had no liability regarding the main highway, a total of nine ridings was superfluous and Unnecessary, cr Thompson expressed the opinion that differential rating in the county should be abolished, and a flat rate should be struck over the whole county.

Personal ( Mr J .M. Rose, of “ Rutherglen,” Waitahuna, has returned after touring Britain and the Continent. Mr R. F. Batchelor, Tuapeka county clerk, has left for his annual holiday, which will be spent in the North Island. _ , , . ~ Misses M. and E. Russell, of Ashburton, former residents of Wetherstones, spent a few days with relatives here. Mr and Mrs J. N. Pearson have returned after spending a fortnight at Timaru. ~ . . , _ , , In the course of his tour of Central Otago, Mr 0. L. Ferens, secretary of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association, will pay an official visit to the Lawrence Association at the end of the week. Mr and Mrs G. R. Talboys are spending a holiday in the North Island, and are returning home via Nelson and the West Coast. WAIMATE Government Housing Scheme Four areas of land sufficient for the building of 18 houses under the Government housing scheme have been purchased by the Government. As soon as the formalities are completed, tenders will be called for the building of the first instalment of houses. Borough Council A decision to forbid pupils of the Waimate High School and primary school from playing lawn tennis in Victoria Park after 5 p.m. was made after consideration in committee of a report submitted by the Mayor on the conduct of pupils. It was the practice of the children to monopolise the courts by a system of chain play. A discussion as to whether the council should permit organised play on the public tennis courts in Victoria Park on Sunday took an unexpected turn when Cr Watters questioned the validity of a by-law expressly forbidding Sunday play. As an outcome, the council will seek legal opinion on the position.

CLYDE Domain Board A meeting of the Dunstan Domain Board was held on Thursday night, Mr W. A. Harlow presiding. The appoint, ment by the special committee of Mr P. D. Edmonds as secretary in place of Mr D. G. Sinclair, who has resigned, was approved. The chairman reported that Mr Jackson had leased the portion of the reserve adjoining his property. Trees had been received from Queenstown and planted on the domain, and other improvements as suggested at the annual meeting had been carried out. It was decided to approve of the Golf Club’s offer in connection with summer irrigation, Mr Gye to supervise. Accounts amounting to £3O 19s 7d were passed for payment, and it was decided that the chairman and the secretary act in future as trustees of the Post Office account.