GORE

Southland Times, Issue 23388, 21 December 1937, Page 15

GORE

ERECTION OF BATHS REQUESTED DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL A request that smaller baths, costing the amount ot tne loan, £3ouu, raised by the council tor the purpose, should be erected was maae by a deputation li'om the citizens’ baths committee, consisting of Messrs hi. jri, W. ixowncree, A. j. Uoiamore and A. V. Latty and Dr li. G. btoKes, which waited on the Gore .borough Council last evening. Mr itowntree, who led the deputation, said the citizens’ baths committee consisted of men who had given much thought and time to procure baths for the young people of the town, 'lhe matter had Peen brought to a head by a distressing fatality over the week-end. If swimming at Gore had been under proper supervision, the fatality might not have occurred. The committee had been called together to see if something could be done to carry on the original scheme. The Government had been approached by letter and personal visit some time ago and every effort had been made to get assistance. Had the Government been willing to help to the extent of £2OOO, the committee would have been prepared to try to raise £lOOO and this, together with the loan, would have enabled the scheme to go ahead. The Government, however, although sympathetic, had not been prepared to help up to the present time.

“I interviewed the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) and was given to understand that if we were prepared to wait for several years we would get baths,” said Mr Rowntree. The matter had been discussed by the committee, which had reluctantly decided to abandon . the original proposal and press for an open pool. This, the committee considered, was the duty of the council. Mr Latty also spoke and endorsed Mr Rowntree’s remarks.

The Mayor replied on behalf of the council and stated that nothing would be done in the meantime.

Those present at the meeting were: The Mayor (Mr A. T. Newman) and Crs J. A. Wright, J. A. Baldey, W. K. Hamilton, N. Babson, T. Sim, A. McLachlan, G. C. Hamilton, R. S. Green, J. A. S. Aitken and J. C. Ray. DEATH BY DROWNING An inquest into the death of Gordon Edgar France, aged 12, who was drowned in the Mataura river at Gore on Sunday, was held before the district coroner, Mr Andrew Martin, last evening. A verdict that death was due to drowning was returned. John Herbert France, father of the boy, gave evidence of identification and said that his son had kept reasonably good health. Witness had been working in the country and last saw his son about a week ago. He had not known of an occasion when his son had gone to the river alone. He had been warned not to go to the river by witness. Alice Myrtle France, a sister, said that she last saw her brother alive at home about 2.30 p.m. on Sunday. She had not known that he intended going down to the river. He had been in good health that day. She had heard of his death about 4.30 o’clock. Her brother had been warned not to go to the river, but nothing had been said to him on Sunday. Ronald Percival Hellier, aged 15, said he had gone to the river about 2 o’clock on Sunday where he had met Gordon France. Nobody was with France, who was in the water when witness arrived. Witness joined him and they had been in the water about a quarter of an hour when France got into difficulties. Both witness and France could swim slightly. Witness had also been caught by the current, but he had managed to pull himself out with the aid of a willow branch. Witness considered that France had been in difficulties for about five minutes before he was taken out.

Peter R. Glasson;«.a pupil of the Gore High School, said he was at the river on Sunday afternoon. Some time after 3.30 p.m. he was walking up the east bank when he saw some men on the other side dive quickly into the water. He thought that someone was in trouble and he immediately entered the river. He swam downstream and looked among some rocks under the water but did not see anyone. He then climbed on to the bank. While he was there he saw something come to the surface to the east of him and he took to the water again, swimming towards the object, which proved to be a body. He then dragged the body out of the water on to the bank and with the aid of several men applied artificial respiration. Dr J. M. Watters said that he had been called to the scene about 4 o’clock. When he arrived there several men had been apnlying artificial respiration in an efficient manner. This had been carried on for about an hour. In his oninion death was due to drowning. The body was that of a wellnourished boy. The coroner returned the verdict and commended the action of the witness Glasson in trying to discover the body. RIFLE SHOOTING The members of the Gore Defence Rifle Club fired the first stage for a trophy presented by Mr A. C. Gormack, the ranges being 300 and 600 yards. The conditions were fair, and some good scores were registered, especially at 600 yards, where J. Burnett scored the possible and W. D. Milne 48. The top score was made by W. D. Milne, with a scratch 95. Milne | also won the Matthews button for topscore off the rifle and the range prize at 300 yards. J. Burnett won the range prize at 600 yards. Following are the detailed scores, with handicaps:—

BOWLS Playing on the Gore Club’s green in the Eastern Southland bowling competition, Mataura beat Gore A by 66 points to 49. Details are as follows:—. M. G. Hill, Terry, Russell, Thorn 23 — Haigh, Hunter, D. Taylor, A. Taylor — 19 Piercy, Stewart, Paterson, Buchanan 18 — Wilson, Abel, Cox, Tinnock — 14

Peterson, Auld, J. Buchanan, Calder 25 — Garrick, Bennett, Blackler, Preece — 16 TOTALS 66 49

300 Yds 600 Tl. Yds W. D. Milne 47-0 48-0—95 G. Bain 44-3 44-3-94 H. Windle 46-1 46-0—93 J. Burnett 40-3 50-0—93 H. Redman 44-3 44-2—93 W. Cunningham 40-5 44-3—92 J. Lyttle 39-6 43-4-92 R. MacGibbon 33-10 42-5—90 P. R, Mallon 44-2 32-1—89 C. M. Wilson 43-3 42-1—89 F. Norton 41-2 42-0—85 P. Hay 41-2 39-2—84 H, Mason 38-4 39-3—84 W. Graham 31-6 42-5—84