IN-TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21420, 15 June 1931, Page 6

IN-TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY. A Valuable Wash-up. The mines manager of King Solomon Deap Lead, Ltd., reports that the wash-up for the week ending June 13 totalled 115 ounces of gold. * Invercargill’s Population. According to the latest issue of the Gazette, Invercargill’s population was estimated to be 23,940 at the end of April. During the month of May 49 births were registered and 13 deaths, occurred, the proportion of births per 1000 of population being 2.05 and the proportion of deaths •54. . * r -Footballers Injured. What seemed to be a feature of football games in the Central District on Saturday was the number of casualties. Although in most cases the injuries were not of a serious nature, at least one or two players will be compelled to take their football from the side-line for the rest of the season. A junior player, R. Malcom, a broken leg while playing for Drummond against Hokonui on the former’s ground. The break was a bad one and he was immediately removed to the Winton Hospital, where surgical attention was given by Dr P. Gow. When inquiries were made last evening it was stated that the lad w-as progressing favourably. Three players were compelled to retire from the senior match, Winton v. Drummond, at Winton. R. Lindsay (Drummond) received bodily injuries, E. Bell (Winton) injuries to his leg and knee, while N. Pierce (Winton) injured his ankle. Playing at Browns, J. Bell (Hokonui) received minor injuries which necessitated his retirement for a short time, when he again took the field. Welcome Relief. Appreciation of the action of the Southland County Council in reducing rates for the current year was expressed at the monthly meeting of the Gore Branch of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday. Referring to the article which appeared in the Southland Times, Mr J. Cumming said it must be gratifying to ratepayers to know that their representatives on the Southland County Council were alive to the true position of the ratepayers in their district. He did not think that the pruning knife could have been used more freely. The reduction was a generous one and would be extremely welcome. He had noticed also that the Hospital Board rate had been reduced to one-fifth of a penny, which must be the lowest rate in the Dominion. He moved that a' letter be written to Messrs F. Trapski and E. Bowmar thanking them for their efforts in lowering the rates in the Mataura and Hokonui Ridings. The resolution was carried unanimously. * A Novel Excuse. The excuses offered for defeat by losing teams in various sporting activities are universally acknowledged to be many a fid varied, such extenuating circumstances as “blind” referees, limping legs, “a dance last night,” selfishness on the part of some of the players and so. forth being often brought forward. On some refreshing occasions, however, the losers do frankly admit that they were beaten by “a better team.” A member of a young ladies’ hockey team, which suffered a decided defeat at the hands of Thornbury, a more experienced eleven, at Thornbury on Saturday afternoon, when asked by a Tinies reporter why such a substantial score (15 to 1) had been totalled against her side, declared that, while the town team (of which she was a member) had been quite over-run by the superiority of the winners, yet a partial cause of the collapse lay in the fact that, when journeying to Thornbury, the team had been allegedly badly "gassed.” “We all went out in a motor truck,” she said, “and evidently the mixture was wrong because the vehicle was smoking badly. We were quite groggy and almost sick when we took the field, and it was not,until about half-time that we began to recover.” Civic Band Concert A very enjoyable concert was presented by the Civic Band, under the conductorship of Mr A. R. Wills, in the Civic Theatre last evening, a large attendance practically filling the auditorium. The programme was commenced by the band playing the hyinn, "Lead Kindly Light,” and the selection "Crown of Scottish Song” and then a Maori trio, J. Maaka, J. Wilkinson and S. Webb, received an enthusiastic reception when they presented "Pokare Kare” and responded to an insistent recall. Two piano solos, Lack’s Impromptu Mazurka and “Calm” (Cuthbert Harris), by Miss Thom were well received and Bandsman Stan Brown delighted the audience with two trombone solos, “Prima ’ Donna” and “By the Waters of Minnetonka." A selection, “Recollections of Ireland,” by the band was fqllowed by two solos, "Pagan” (Hermann Lohr) and "Lolita" (Buzzi-Peccia), sung in excellent style by Bandsman W.* Wills. Mr A. R. Wills then took charge of the whole house and conducted an enthusiastic “community sing” and the programme concluded with the march "Ravenswood” by the band. Miss Rita Fox and Mr Gordon Lindsay accompanied the singers at the piano. Week-end Anniversaries. During the week-end just closed a number of important anniversaries fell due. June 13 in 1802 was the date of the occupation of Tasmania, in 1840 of. the anchorage for a few hours off Otago Heads of H.M.S. Herald with Major Bunbury aboard, in 1841 of the opening of the United Canadian Parliament at Kingston, in 1863 of the patenting of the phonograph by McFenby, in 1878 of the first sitting of the Congress of European Powers at Berlin, in 1879 of the. final removal of Temple Bar, in 1901 of the visit to Rotorua of the Prince and Princess of Wales, in 1905, of the assassination of the Premier of Greece, M. Delzanui, and in 1907 of the setting up of the Jubilee Constitution of Anglicans of New Zealand. June *l4 in 1645 was the date of the Battle of Naseby, in 1790 of the naming j>f Sydney by Governor Phillips, in 1800 of the Battle of Marengo, in 1883 of the completion of the railway from Sydney to Melbourne, in 1900 of the surrendering of Wakkerstrom by the Boers to General Lyttelton, in 1904 of the death of Paul Kruger, in 1916 of the opening of the Paris Economic Conference, and in 1919 of the flight of Captain Alcock and Lieutenant Brown from Newfoundland over the Atlantic to Clifton, Ireland. * * * • Winton Alarmed. A great deal of concern was shown by old residents of Winton when it was learned that the Borough Council had been requested to remove the pinus insignis trees and gum trees that grace the Great North road. At the last meeting of the council a complaint was received that the falling leaves from the trees polluted a ratepayer’s water supply. The Council recently made an inspection of the trees and the unanimous opinion was that the complaint was justified and something would have to be done to abate the nuisance. On being interviewed an old resident of the town was very much alarmed, and remarked that if the Council decided to do anything rash and cut the trees down it would meet with a good deal of adverse criticism. "If there was any possibility of the trees being removed,” he stated, “I would be only too pleased, in the interests of the town, to take round a petition- and canvass for names against any such proposal." Continuing, he said that Councillor Baird’s remarks at the inspection, that the complainant had a gum .tree practically at the side of his house, and charity always began at home, were quite right. "Undoubtedly the trees are stately in their present positions and gave the town a healthy appearance,” was the view expressed by another old identity, “but when a ratepayer’s water -supply is polluted to the extent it is said

to be, the Council must give this man every consideration,” he added. It will be recalled that early in February last at a farewell function tendered to Mr D. T, Larnach the guest of the evening made a special request to the Mayor. The request was to the effect that the pinus insignu trees and gum trees that graced the Great North road never be touched with an axe, and Mr Broom assured Mr Larnach that as long as he was Mayor of Winton he would do his utmost to preserve the trees. A decision as to the future of the trees will be arrived at at next Friday evening's meeting of the Council, and undoubtedly the result of the proceedings will be awaited with great interest-.—Winton correspondent.