IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22074, 22 July 1933, Page 4

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY

Frosts and Sunshine.

Ten degrees of frost were recorded yesterday. The sky remained cloudless throughout the day, there being considerable warmth in the sun’s rays. It was again freezing hard last night. * ♦ * * Rhododendron Walk.

By the judicious redistribution of large specimen plants the rhododendron walk has recently been considerably improved. Not only have many rhododendrons from the central gardens been transplanted to greater advantage, but camellias have been taken from disadvantageous surroundings to grow m association with the rhododendrons.

Champion Dog for Australia. That the work of New Zealand collie dogs is appreciated in other lands is indicated by a report from Kurow which states that Mr L. Tilson has disposed of his deg Don, which won the yarding championship at the 1933 South Island championships held at Mossburn, to an Australian purchaser. Though the actual figure is not disclosed, it is understood to approach three figures. $ * * * Basketball Team Announced.

The necessary amount of £lOO having been raised, the Southland Basketball Association has reached a formal decision to send a representative team to Gisborne to compete in the annual New Zealand tournament on August 23. Ihe team will consist of 10 girls, with Mrs Bain Challis as manageress. The team has been announced by the sole selector, Miss E. B. Pay, and is published on Page 10.

* # ♦ ♦ Gold Fever at Cromwell. ~ Some indication of the extraordinary activity created by the recent gold strike at Cromwell can be gained from the fact that some 276 claims have been lodged for consideration at the next sitting of the Warden’s Court. Practically every part of the township and district has been staked out, including, it is stated, the cemetery. In some cases owners and leaseholders have staked out their property for the sake of protection. ♦ ♦ » * Old London Hotel.

Pleasant—and possibly unpleasantmemories have been awakened in old residents who have walked along the north side of Tay street and observed demolition work proceeding on the building formerly known as the London Hotel. Tlie two best known licensees were the late Mr J. Wild and the late Mr C. -Brass. The hotel was noted for possessing the smallest public bar in New Zealand. Now Southland can boast of a hotel with the longest public bar in the Dominion.

Ski Club’s Opening. To-morrow the Southland Ski Club will hold its official opening on the grounds above Garston. Close on 40 members have signified their intention of participating. Not only will ski-ing be indulged in but the thrills of tobogganing will be experienced, two toboggans having been procured by the club. The party will travel by char-a-banc leaving the Post Office at 6 a.m. and calling at Biggar, Tweed, Earnslaw and Lewis streets and the Waihopai bridge to pick up passengers.

Injury to Spine. While engaged in cutting down trees on his farm at Tokanui late yesterday afternoon William James Paul, a single man, aged 28, was struck on the back by a limb which he had just sawn through. It was seen that his spine had been seriously injured and Dr L. H. Marshall was summoned. He ordered the unfortunate man’s removal to the Southland Hospital, this being carried out by the Invercargill ambulance. At an early hour this morning the hospital authorities advised that his condition was serious. He has no relatives in New Zealand. * * » » Ladies’ Hockey Tour. Strenuous efforts are being made by local enthusiasts of the sport of ladies’ hockey to raise the tourin e fund necessary to send the Southland representative team to Dannevirke where the Dominion championship tournament will be held towards the end of next month. Several well-wishers have made donations to the fund, while the players themselves have been holding several functions of a money-raising nature. Keen interest is being taken in the Queen Carnival, and the flags denoting the position of the princesses were changed again yesterday at the masthead of the Majestic Theatre. The Union princess is now in the lead, followed by the Collegiate, Ex-High and Southern princesses respectively.

Developing Queen’s Park. That the north end of Queen’s Park —an area hitherto undeveloped—is receiving attention from the superintendent of reserves was realized by a Times reporter who walked through the park yesterday. Not far from the Boys’ High School playing area totara trees have been planted to form a hedge—a new idea so far as Southland is concerned. On the othei' side of the drive a monkey nuzzle, flowering currants, Irish strawberry trees and benthanaia have been planted. Development work has also been commenced alongside the much-used track through the park to Elies road. A bed of spreading pink flowered escalonia has been formed, to be underplanted later with Iceland poppies or some other suitable flowers.

Football Refereeing. Criticism of the refereeing of th 4 Sports Trust Cup match between Western and Eastern a week ago was offered at a meeting of the management committee of the Eastern Southland Rugby Sub-Union last evening by Mr F. Wallis, jun. He said that to say the least of it the rulings had been very peculiar. While he did not wish in any way to detract from the merit of Western’s win, he doubted very much whether Eastern could have won even if they had put up a much better showing. A number of staunch Western supporters had subsided in their barracking as the game proceeded and he believed they were rather disappointed. The general attitude of Western officials had been very sympathetic.