GERALDINE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18491, 5 February 1930, Page 10

GERALDINE.

PEEL FOREST. Each year Peel Forest is becoming more and more popular as a holiday resort, and excursionists and picnics are finding it an ideal camping ground for a holiday in bush-clad surroundings. The annual picnic of the Mount Somers School was held at Bland's Wood, Peel Forest, in fine weather, the party being conveyed by motor ’bus. Refreshments were provided by the parents. A CROQUET CHAMPION. The well-known English croquet player, Mr W. Winsor Richards, has returned to Geraldine from a tour of the North Island, including Palmerston North 'and Rotorua. While in Wellington, Mr Richards was successful in annexing the North Island croquet championship. A Wellington paper has the following, which indicates the versatility of Mr Richards’s play: “Mr W. WinsorRichards, the English player, provided a thrill for the onlookers in his match with Mrs Walker, when he executed a wonderful shot in jumping a hoop. His ball was wired from the partner ball, being about two feet one side of the hoop, and the partner ball had about twenty feet on the other side, and near the boundary line. He turned his back to the partner ball and hoop, stood well over his own ball, and bending down, sighted be- 1 tween his feet in a diagonal direction, ' making it jump the hoop and run on and roquet the ball on the other side, twenty feet away. He was loudly applauded, for it certainly was a mas- 1 terly stroke, and the accuracy of line amazing. SCHOOL COMMITTEE. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Geraldine District High School Committee was held on Monday evening. Present: —Messrs A. M. Fyfe (chairman), D. Hatton, F. H. Wallach, W. Henry, G. Knibb and M. G. Williams. Two tenders were received for the cutting of the school fence, these being A. Cruickshanks £7/15/-, and H. J. Wilson 3/- a chain (£4/10/-). The latter tender was accepted. The chairman reported that the new headmaster (Mr A. F. Barrell) had agreed to take over Mr Piper’s garage. The Education Board wrote regarding the Geraldine dental clinic, and advised that the architect would visit Geraldine to discuss plans and specifications with the committee. The architect (Mr Porter) has visited the school in regard to the alterations, and did not advise the building of a new shelter shed. However, the present one would be patched and painted, and given a concrete floor. It was decided to have the school calcimined, and the latrines painted, as authorised by the Education Board. A letter was received from Miss E. I. Wilton, accepting the position as assistant teacher in the secondary department. Members commented on the excellent results in the public service and matriculation examinations, and it was i decided to write a letter to Mr W. H. Jackson, the head teacher in the secondary department, congratulating him on the success achieved. The chairman reported that, in conjunction with Mr M. G. Williams and the headmaster, they had advertised the opening of the school, and had prepared a prospectus. As a result, a larg. number of parents and pupils had interviewed Mr Barrell that day. A number of accounts were passed for payment. Messrs Fyfe and Hatton were appointed a visiting committee for the month. NEW ROAD SIGN. The South Canterbury Automobile Association yesterday erected a new road sign at the Geraldine Post Office corner, directing the way to the Ger-aldine-Fairlie secondary highway, which is marked with a silver and blue colour route. The sign, which is in black and yellow, indicates that the route leads to Fairlie (29 miles), Lake Tekapo (55 miles). Mount Cook Hermitage (125 miles), and Queenstown (229 miles). The road leads also to Hilton and Pleasant Valley, and is considerably shorter for travellers from the north going to any of these places. SCHOOL RE-OPENS. The Geraldine District High School resumed yesterday, and. there were good attendances in both the second--1 ary and primary departments. The primary school has had three rooms calcimined, and the work will proceed on the others shortly, when the outside of the school will be painted and other renovations will take place. Several improvements are contemplated in and about the school playground. The attendance yesterday in the primary department was 225, eighteen new pupils having enrolled, but further pupils will enrol during the week. The secondary department roll yesterday totalled sixty-five, but there are still further pupils from country districts that will no doubt enrol during the week. In addition to a hundred per cent, pass in the matriculation examination, eight out of nine pupils . passed the Public Service Entrance examination. PERSONAL ITEMS. i Mr and Mrs W. G. Withers, of Hilj ton, left yesterday for the Fox Glacier. . Mrs Robinson, of Christchurch, is spending a holiday at “Markinch,” 1 Raukapauka. > Mr W. Winsor-Richards has re- ) turned to Geraldine from the North , Island. . Miss Margaret Bell, of Ashburton, and formerly of Geraldine, has been > appointed to the staff of the Geraldine ) High School. <r ) Mr F. H. Fish, manager of the Bank of New South Wales, Geraldine, left for Christchurch yesterday. , ' Mr J. Needham, of Timaru, is ) spending a few days in Geraldine. ) Miss Rita Smallbone, who had been ) spending a short holiday in Geraldine, \ has returned to Ashburton. . Mr D. C. Williamson, who has been appointed to the staff of the Geraldine ; District High School, has taken up ' residence in Geraldine. ) Mr G. Maloney, of the teaching staff ) of'the Geraldine District High School, ) has returned to Geraldine. . Miss D. Matheson has returned to Geraldine from a holiday spent in the ' North Island. ) Mrs C. Taylor, who has been in the ) Timaru Hr spital for some weeks past, 5 is spending a holiday with her parents, 5 Mr and Vvs G. H. Patrick, Geraldine.

CRICKET MATCH,

In a competition cricket match on Saturday, against Star, played on Anzac Reserve, Geraldine put up a score of 159 (Callanan 27, Hampton 49, Scott (retired) 21, Knight (retired) 10. Star, who batted first, made a total of 70 runs (Stark 26, Wall 15). The bowling analysis was as follows:—Geraldine: Hayes 2 for 6, Hampton 2 for 6, Cain 4 for 27, and Callanan 1 for 11. Star: Stark 3 for 23, and Bowers 2 for 26. TRACTION ENGINES ON BITUMEN ROADS. The damage caused by traction engines to bitumenised roads was discussed at a meeting of the Geraldine County Council. The engineer reported that considerable surface damage had been done to the tar-sealing of the Main North Highway. Temuka to Winchester section. During extreme heat on January 25. a traction engine plant traversed the length, the studs of the engine gripping the soft bitumen and breaking the surface along both tracks throughout the length. No perceptible effort was made to use the side width, although the damage being done must have been apparent to the driver from the first. The action was thoughtless and inexcusable, and seemed almost wilful, as there was an alternative route by the Winchester back road of practically the same length. Under \he chairman's directions, a public notice was advertised in the press, and the matter placed in the hands of the county solicitor to deal with. The secretary of the South Canterbury Automobile Association (Mr E. A. Scott) wrote that his Association hoped that something would be done to prosecute the fraction engine-driver who caused damage to the bitumen road from Temuka to Winchester. Several of their members had noted the damage. The county solicitor wrote enclosing his opinion, and this, as well as most of the discussion on the subject, was taken in committee. It was decided that repairs should be made, and the cost claimed from the offender. If this were not paid, the matter would be placed in the hands of the county solicitor. After further discussion, Mr Bristol moved, and Mr Ley seconded, that traction engines or other heavy traffic as defined by Section 155 of “The Public Works Act, 1928,” be prohibited from travelling upon the tar-sealed portion of the Main Highway within the Geraldine County between the Rangitata and Opihi River bridges during the months of November, December, January, February and March in each year.

COUNTY FLOOD DAMAGE. “This is the worst county in Canterbury in this respect. We more small rivers than any other county in the province,” said the chairman (Mr K. Mackenzie) at a meeting of the j Geraldine County Council, when re- ] ports of flood damage were being plac- i ed before the Council. Throughout the j day, reports, letters and deputations j regarding damaged protective works came before the Council, and to each j it was necessary to make the same j reply: “It is a question of money.” The county engineer (Mr C. E. i Bremner) reported that exceptional i flood conditions had prevailed through- j out the district in the middle of last month. Much of the low-lying country, especially towards the coast, was inundated, and considerable damage resulted to farm lands by the overflowing of the rivers through topping or breaking the stop banks. In the Upper Orari-Waihi river district, although many of the recently repaired banks held well, there was serious overflowing, erosion and scouring, and although the water receded rapidly j when the rain ceased, a lot of minor j damage had been done which would j entail extensive repairs if funds could j be made available for the purpose. ! Much of the damage of the July floods j had not been overtaken, and where j such was the case, the extent of neces- j sary repairing has been appreciably i increased in every way. In the South Orari river district, ' the heaviest flood of the season occurred in the Orari river early in the morning of January 15th. and by the afternoon the flood waters covered acres which were untouched in the July floods and spread over wide extents of the adjacent properties. Breaks in the banks which occurred in July had been only temporarily stopped and these and other breaches permitted the escape of the top of the flood in all directions. All perishable crops suffered, and much winter hay feed had been destroyed. ''There was still much to be examined which will be dealt with later as opportunity offers to go into the matter more closely. In the Rangitata Island river district heavy flooding occurred in the North branch, and recently built protective works had sustained a great deal of damage. The river at present occupied its course on the north side of the island, and all banks at the south side of the north course were subjected to the full force of the storm water, and rapidly eroded when the river was in full flood. Repairs in the circumstances could only be made in the winter season when the water is low, and anything that could be done in the meantime would be more or less of a temporary character until the proper season came round. The longestablished Hawke’s Nest works, which consisted of steel piling, and were placed .in 1911, were suffering severely, and several of these piles had been underscoured and washed out. All estimates were furnished of the cost of immediate requirements, which should be undertaken if funds were available, and towards which a small Government subsidy would be forthcoming on approved proposals. The flood damage would amount to £1656 18s, being made up as follows: In river districts £775 11s Bd, roads and bridges £1656 18s. GENERAL NEWS. As a result of the recent floods which undermined his garage, Mr R. Morrison waited on the Geraldine County Council seeking their co-opera-tion in preventing a future occurrence. The protective works which he was erecting at considerable cost would have the effect not only of saving his property, but property further down stream. After making an inspection of the locality, members of the Council decided that to be consistent with their treatment of other applications that day, they could do nothing owing to lack of funds.

At a meeting of the Geraldine County Council, the chairman (Mr K. Mackenzie) reported that on February 10th, a conference of the Health Department, County Council representative, and Temuka Dairy Factory would be held to consider the question of drainage in connection with the factory and locality.

Schools in the Geraldine district reopened yesterday. A number of cases are set down to be heard at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Geraldine, next Monday.

There is every promise that there will be a beautiful display of flowers at the Geraldine Horticultural Society’s show, which will be held in the Town Hall on Thursday.