IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 20615, 13 October 1928, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Good Lambing. Some splendid lambing results have been obtained in the Waipango district during the past week. On one farm it is reported that 207 ewes produced 230 lambs. * ♦ * * New Milford Hostel. Invercargill firms will benefit considerably from the erection of a new hostel at Milford Sound, for a representative of the Tourist Department informed a Times reporter that the supply of fittings and furniture would be shared equally between Dunedin and Invercargill firms. * «> * * Flood Damage. Owing to erosion on portions of the banks of the Aparima river, due to the recent floods, the electric power poles are in danger of being under-mined, states the Winton Record, and this may mean a good deal of work in shifting the line further from the river bed. Wallflower and Polyanthus Displays. Although boisterous weather and old age have ended the display of narcissi, the Public Gardens are a beautiful sight just now with wallflowers and polyanthus in full bloom. The wallflowers are particularly effective, every shoot being a flower head, while the hues tone in most artistically. * * * ♦ Ketch in Trouble. The auxiliary ketch Twilight, which lost her main mast in the straits on Thursday, made Halfmoon Bay about 8 o’clock that evening. After the first mishap she encountered another fierce squall, which carried away the mizzen mast, and Captain Hanning and the crew had to rely on the engines to carry them in. * # * « Summer Time. Summer time, the advancing of the clocks half an hour (the result of the recent legislation) comes into operation to-morrow (Sunday) morning. All persons desirous of keeping up with the times will require to put their timepiece forward half an hour as from 2 o’clock in the morning. The measure is operative until the third Sunday in March, 1929, after which standard time will be reverted to. Accident at Bluff. An accident of a somewhat serious nature occurred yesterday afternoon at Bluff, in which the Town Clerk (Mr H. C. Gimblett) was injured. He was riding a motor cycle along Gore street when a dog ran in front of the cycle, the rider being unable to avoid it. As a result he was thrown head first to the road, receiving a severe cut on his forehead and bad cuts on the hands. Medical attention was given and Mr Gimblett was taken to his home by car. His condition is not regarded as serious, but he will probably be laid up for two or three days. * * » * Floods Round Balclutha. Those who have been travelling between Invercargill and Dunedin during the last few days have been surprised at the large amount of water lying on fields between Waipahi and Balclutha. Not for many years has the Clutha river been so high. Many houses on the outskirts of Balclutha are threatened, their back yards being submerged. Just before the railway bridge is reached water is running fence high through paddocks while on the other side the road to Stirling is under water. The river has still a few feet to rise before the town is in danger of being badly flooded. * ♦ • ♦ Southland Rivers. Yesterday saw an improvement in the state of the Southland rivers which so suddenly assumed flood proportions during the week, due doubtless to the milder temperatures causing the thawing of the snow on the hills. The Oreti, although still running high, has subsided to such an extent that parts of the Riverton road which were submerged are now dry again. As the result of the heavy downpour on Wednesday the Aparima rose rapidly and overflowed its banks, and on Thursday the RivertonGummies Bush road was under water. Yesterday the river had fallen considerably. The smaller rivers have been more or less undisturbed and are reported to be in good condition for angling. * * * * Unemployment. The sudden closing of the Port Craig sawmill took the local Government Labour Office by surprise, but a movement is now afoot which should relieve the situation very shortly, Mr T. O’Byrne having received a telegram from the Prime Minister advising him that the matter is being looked into. The 25 men who are to be placed in work near Balfour have not yet proceeded there and 135 names are still on the books at the Labour Office, but other works in view are likely to reduce this figure very materially in the near future. This total includes very few of the Port Craig employees, however, these men relying on their own union to place them in employment. The secretary of the union, Mr T. O’Byrne, has written to all sawmill owners in Southland requesting them to do their utmost to place the unemployed men at an early date.