TEMUKA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18637, 5 August 1930, Page 13

TEMUKA.

ACCIDENTAL DROWNING. An inquest touching the death of Thomas Taylor Chapman, whose body was found in a creek in Temuka on Sunday afternoon was held in Temuka yesterday morning, before the District Coroner, Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M. Hugh H. Hutchison, with whom deceased had resided for the past eleven years, said that he last saw him alive before dinner on Sunday. Deceased was a temperate man, but subject to fainting fits. He also had bad feet, and could easily be tripped. Deceased was a single man, was born at Winsford, Somerset, England, and was 76 years of age. He was an old age pensioner. Frank Smith said he had seen deceased walking up St. Leonard’s Road about 2 o’clock. About three o’clock witness, accompanied by Mr Buck, was walking towards the creek when he saw a body lying therein. They pulled the body, which was then cold, out of about one foot of water. To the Coroner, witness said that deceased could have got out of the creek if he had been in good health. Robert Buck gave corroborative evidence, while Constable Hastie gave evidence of conveying the body to the morgue. There were no marks of violence. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased met his death from drowning and that the evidence pointed to this being accidental. VITAL STATISTICS. Vital statistics for Temuka for July are as follows (last year’fr figures given in parentheses)—Births 13 (10), deaths 7 (6), marriages 4 1). THE TOWN’S ADVANCEMENT.

Opinions of some private residents were obtained as to the advantages that might accrue from the meeting held in Temuka last week to receive and make suggestions to increase the prosperity of Temuka and district. “In my opinion,” said one resident, “the main subject of discussion should have been that of the question of prices, and strangely enough this was hardly touched upon.” He stated that he could see no reason why prices, for a large number of commodities at least, were above those of Timaru. People, he said, could make a trip to Timaru, do their buying, and then save money. “And it is being done every day. You have only to see the bus loads of people, and parcels, coming from Timaru every day, and the majority of those people go to Timaru emptyhanded.”

Another resident expressed the opinion that the advertising decided upon would do a certain amount of good, and that the committee set up was about as good as could be got. He did not think, however, tha. the town should depend too much on the patronage of visitors, as they came only in seasons. Rather should the support of residents themselves be secured. At present this support was not what it should be.

The question of a continuous telephone service was brought under notice by a third resident. While admitting that such a service would not actually bring prosperity in a monetary manner, he considered it would certainly give the town an added “tone” and in these days of competition such “tone” was a big factor. PERSONAL. Mr W. A. Strang left Temuka yesterday afternoon for Wellington to join the New Zealand players selected to go into training for the fourth test on Saturday. The Mayor Mr T. E. Gunnion), is making slow recovery from the severe cold he recently contracted. Mr Gunnion has been able to leave his bed, but it will be some time before he will be able to take up duties again. GENERAL NEWS. The sum of £2 has been received by the Mayor Mr T. E. Gunnion), from the Clandeboye bachelors and spinsters, as a donation towards the cancer campaign fund. Dreary weather was experienced in the township yesterday. The morning broke dull and rain commenced to fall before midday, continuing, with fairly heavy falls at intervals, throughout the afternoon. A special meeting of the Temuka Borough Council has been called for Wednesday night, to deal, amongst other things, with the question of the town’s water supply, and with unemployment. BOWLING CLUB. The following members have been selected to meet Geraldine in the annual card match for the Tukadine Cup to be played in Chapman’s Tea Rooms on Thursday, August 7 at 7.30 p.m.—Hope, Leven, Harvey, White, Joynt, Judson, Pairman, Taylor, Woodham, Meek, McCallum, Abbott, Scrimshaw, Pierce, Davis, McLaughlan, Connolly, Collins, Jamison, B. South, May, Gourley, Shiels, Cooper, Chapman. A PETER B. KYNE STORY TO-NIGHT. Three Western bad men find themselves custodians of a new-born baby in the midst of the desert. They had promised the dying mother they would take the child safely to the frontier town of New Jerusalem. Their water supply is low; a frightful trip across the desert confronts them, and the noose awaits them at New Jerusalem if they get there alive. This is the dramatic situation of Peter B. Kyne’s great story “Three Godfathers,” which will be screened at Temuka to-night. In the cast are Charles Bickford, Raymond Hatton. Fred Kohler and Fritzi Ridgeway. Entertaining short pictures will also be screened.