OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 63

OAMARU NEWS NOTES.

CFbom Ottk Own CoEEEsrosDENT.) O AMARU. February 19." Mr Hollins, of New Plymouth, to whom were referred the games entered for Mr Justice Denniston's special brilliancy prize at the recent ches<i congress, has- awarded the palm to Mr D. Foray th (Otago Chess Club) for his game with Mr Kelling. Se-ven games were entered, and in forwarding his decision Mr Hollins, who is a recognised authority in chess circles in England as well as in New Zealand, expressed himself agreeably surprised at the quality of the play. Some of the games, he said, were handled by the players in a manner of which no player, however good, ne«d be ishamed. The we-ather for the past fortnight has been splendid, and farmers have been makng good progress with their work. Misty weather threatened on Thursday ancl Frliay, but fortunately cleared off on Saturlay and Sunday. : OAMARU, February 21. : Sir J. G. Ward has intimated to the ' 1 Hon. G. Jones that it has been decided < :o establish telephonic communication be- , ;ween Oamaru and Waimate, and he has ] luthorised the erection of an exchange wiie : netallio circuit at an early date. Glenavy ! i s to bo touched by the w're, which will j £ >c a great convenience. ; 1 The Oaman Chamber of Commeixo has £ ppvoved of a course submitted by Dr Don ' 1 or a Chamber of Commerce medal, to be t iwardccl to the boy securing the highest 3 naiks in six commercial subjects. '< c Commissioner Dinnie is making his vi^it , c if inspection to ths police stations in this '' [istriot. : c Tho Horticultural Society's summer show r .'ill take place on Thursday, 2nd March. ' * season has been late, but the recent * eat has brought on flowers very well, and c he show should bo a good one. c The weather during the last few days c as not been so propitious for farmers as ar a fortnight before, misty rain having threatened on several mornings, but it has leared sufficiently .to allow harvesting to ]

; proceed later in the day. Dry weather is f more .u-ccssary just now than heat. ;• February 24. i Jhe ojmaiu united tiades' picmc to Wainidte took place ou 'lkursday, the weather . being de.ightfui and Victoria Park, where the excursionists rendezvoused, proved an ideal . spot. Just over 1000 made the trip, as against 1300 las I year. At the Waitaki County Council meeting to1 day correspondence was received from the Ashburton County Council intimating that the Sehvyn County Council had decided to discontinue proceedings agamst the Government for the wrongful deduction from parliamentary subsidies of amounts lor maintenance of combined road and railway bridges. The solicitor to the Ashburton County Council mentioned in his letter, a copy of which was forwarded lhat the resolution was the outcome of an opinion that while the deduction was unlawful, the council had no I-egai remedy for the ■wrong thus done it. The Ashburton Council wished to know what the Waitaki County Council intended to do in the matter, and councillors, after a brief discussion, expressed themselves unanimously in favour of proceeding with the action, and resolved to ask the Ashburton County Council what it was disposed to go. February 27. After a good deal of consideration the Oarnaru Borough Council has decided to inform tho promoters of the latest theatre scheme that they are willing to consider a definite offer for a 21 stars' lease of a piece of land near the centre of the town west of Thames street. Part of the pn> posed site is an unused portion of the recreation reserve (Takaro Park), but it is proposed to give m exchange for this another adjoining piece of land, which is held y r >> co "ncil for purposes of "public utility." To carry out the exchange an Act of Parliament will be necessary, and the natural objection of Parliament to reducing recreation reserves is anticipated by the proposed exchange. The site would be an excellent one for a theatre, but the next difficulty, it is whispered, is raisins the wind. After being under consideration for nearly fivo years the Oamara Borough Council's new by-laws are ready, and the special meeting of council to pass the special order will be held next Monday evening". A thunderstorm with a heavy shower of rain visited this district on Saturday evening, and there have been shower? of rain at intervals since. These were confined to the coast and did not reach the back country, where rain is much needed. The question of smaller grain sacks i 3 exercising- farmers here a good deal. They are finding now that the lighter weights are not going to be worked with rhe ease at one time anticipated, and if the size of sack is reduced millers will object on account of them being too small to hold tho required weight of flour or offal. A meetirgto protest against the innovation is suggeste on the ground that farmers' interests hay, • not been considered. March 1. At the annual meeting of the Oaraaru Harbour Board on Tuesday Mr J. S. Holmes was re-elected to the chair for the • tenth time, the members generally expressing the opinion that the board was. fortunate to have a gentleman who took so much interest in its affaire. In his report the Chairman said that the dredge had been kept steadily at work since the 10th March last dredging out the ba^in for the new berth at the side off the mole. About 5000 irards of silt and clay had been lifted, and that portion of the work was now nearly complete. Of the total quantity to be dredged in the harbour this is about ihalf, but as it was the most arduous part of the undertaking, it was gratifying to learn that the cost so far had shown that the original estimafe 'for the dredging was very close to rhe mark. The dredge would be sent to Port Chalmers for the annual overhaul and docking almost immediately. It was hoped on its return it would do the work more efficiently and more economically than before. The contracts for the supply of timber for the ne.w wha.rf had been let, but it would be some time before the work of construction could be started. The revenue for the year showed a very slight increase as compared with last year, while the expenditure, on account of heavy renewals and repairs, had been greater, the net revenue showing a decrease of £250. It will be remembered that some time ago the board approached the Government with a request that the Railway Department should meet the whole of the cost of laying the railway sidings and approaches to the new wharf, substantiating its claim, by pointing out that the board had allowed the department to remove a large quantity of shingle from the foreshore at a considerable saving to the department. Sir J. G. Ward then promised to consider the request, ancl Uis reply was read at Tuesday's meeting, in which he declined to pay for the approaches, stating that the board would be charsed £4-00 (for the formation. The board has decided to press its claim upon the department, urging that the cost of the work will be muoh smaller than the convenience afforded by the permission to take shingle, and that the department will derive a large amount of revenue from the traffic <o the new wharf.