CHEISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2630, 10 August 1904, Page 29

CHEISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES

(FkOII OtTE OWN CoBBESrONDENT.) CRRISTCHTJRCH, August 2,

A lad -of 11 years look a farmer's lioise and vehicle from Ashbniton, ami reached Kaianoi on Sunday night. He stayed at the Ma.ndevillo Hotel, where he represented that he was the son of a freezing works manager, and his father -would pay. The boy left next day to go to the Saltwater Cr.eek, but doubled back, and was seen to day a>t YaJdhurst. Some other boy with, whom he wanted to be friendly a^ked him if he was not fiom Burnham, and this caused tiie lad to get out of the trap aud make himself " scarce."

The Bank of New Zealand has just asko 1 the Oity Council for the sum of £14,450 for a small shoe of a block of land and buildings worth only about £25,000 altogether, which the city wants to widen its main thoroughfare at a congested point. No doubt the bank framed its offer fo as to be in consonance with the splr-ndid opulence of the City Council, and the directors aro probably ve-rv astonished indeed that it wasn't jumped at. However, the City Council has become very practical indeed of late, and it didn't rogaid the solf-donhl of the- directors In oily charging £14,4-50 for an 131 1 6m slice of the- Pank of Now Zealand corner with the same enthusiasm, that the diiector* did. It concluded la«t night that £14. 450 v\vs more than it cowl 1 spa.ro jutt now for a strip of land that wouldn't bo enough for a skittle alley, and it has referred the matte* to a committ -c

with iho ic^ca of taking the whole Work urder the Public Works Act as an altorr.i-