NORTH OTAGO

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20000, 7 January 1935, Page 4

NORTH OTAGO

TOWN AND COUNTRY ITEMS (From Our Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, January 5. Taxes on Racing: Racing taxation costs the Government nothing to collect, tije clubs doing the work of collection. At the Oamaru Jockey Club’s recent meeting the taxation collected by the Club, free of charge, for the Government totalled £BOB/2/3, made up as follows: Totalisator tax £370/4/4; dividend tax £359/18/0; stakes tax £sl/5/0; amusement tax £26/14/11. Court Returns. Following are the Oamaru Magistrate’s Court returns for the quarter ended December 31 (the figures for the year being in parentheses):—Sittings presided over by Magistrate, 12 (49); civil; 11 (72) criminal; by Justices, (1) civil, 5 (19) criminal; total sittings. 12 (50) civil, 16 (19) criminal; civil cases heard by Magistrate 4 (25); plaints entered 83 (429)amount sued for £1026/5/3 (£5779/13/3); applications heard in Court or Chamber 34 (253); civil warrants issued 7 (18), warrants executed by bailiffs 6 (19); summonses and processes served within a mile 60 (255), outside one mile 17 (102); Judgment summonses issued 11 (44); foreign processes received 51 (190); civil summonses served by registered letter 16 (90); criminal cases against males 63 (267), females 1 ((11); children’s cases males 1 (16), females 1 (3); fees and fines £149/16 0 (£BOO/18/2). Borough Rates: Oamaru borough rates have been coming in fairly well, reports the Town Clerk (Mr J. Branthwaite), and the amount received to December 31 compared favourably with that of the previous year. In 1933-34 the rates struck amounted to £23,308 and by December 31, 1933, the sum of £4536 had been collected. For 1934-35 the rates struck totalled £21,780, being £1,528 less than the previous year and the amount collected t'o December 31 was £4352. Births Increase: In the matter of vital statistics last year was a most gratifying one for Oamaru compared with 1933. An increase in the number of births, a decrease of 22 cent, in deaths, and an increase of 64 per cent, in marriages were recorded. The births during the year outnumbered the deaths by 143. Following are the statistics for the year, the figures for the previous year being in parentheses:— Births (234), deaths 99 (127), marriages 164 (100). The statistics for December are: Births 17, deaths 12, marriages 16 (one by registrar). Visit of General: General Sir Alexander Godley has advised the president of the local Returned Soldiers’ Association that he will visit Oamaru on Tuesday morning and will be pleased to meet the executive of the association during his stay here. He will spend Monday night at Kuriheka as the guest of Colonel and Mrs J. C. Nichols, and proposes on his way north to visit Waitaki High School.

Coaching School: This year the South Island Athletic Coaching School was held at the Waitaki Boys’ High School over a period of three days, and proved very successful. Instruction in the various forms of athletics was given, and those attending benefited greatly from the knowledge imparted to them. Fine weather prevailed, and all connected with the school spent a very enjoyable time. The opening day saw 15 members representing 10 clubs assemble at the school, athletes being present from as far north as Rangiora and Invercargill in the south. The school was under the control of the North Otago Amateur Athletic Association, and much credit is due to the local organisers. Messrs R. E. Dimick and B. E. Paterson, for the manner in which thev had the arrangements well in hand. Various instructions were carried out under the direction of such well-known experts as Mr W. J. Bennett, of Dunedin (director of the school), who gave talks on putting the shot and discus throwing; Messrs H. W\ Milner and A. T. Anderson (hurdling), Mr W. W. Mulvey (pole vaulting), and Mr T. McDonald (high jump). The mornings were devoted to physical instruction. as regards general training, and special exercises applicable to certain athletic events. The lecturers included Mr F Milner and Dr. L. Douglas, and talks illustrated by film slides were also given by Mr J. K. Moloney, of the Canterbury Centre. On Wednesday night a much-appreciated organ recital was given by Mr G. E. Wilkinson in the Hall of Memories. The school was concluded to-day with a sports meeting at the Oamaru Show Grounds.

Farming and Markets: A further 60 odd points of ram this week has been very acceptable to the farming community, and turnip and rape crops are practically now asSU Wheat.—The announcement that. there will pprobably be an increase m the price of milling wheat this season is received very favourably by wheatgrowers. The Wheat Purchase Board will consider the new season’s price « its next meeting in about a fortnight s time. In addition to a much smaller area, it is reported from Canterbury that the yield will also be restricted, and this will be responsible for an anticipated increase in price. It m P r ° bable that there will be no surplus. of wheat after this season s hargst. Owing to the holidays there has bfeen no activity in the fowl wheat market, but prices are firm and Stocks of fowl wheat are in very short supply, and growers who still have last season’s wheat in store will m view of the above fact, be inclined to hold and await results. Oats.—The harvesting of new reason's Algerians is in full swing. This crop is much below the average for North Otago, and in most cases the oats are short and will be only of teed quality. However, as there is a c«i} over of last season’s Algerians, merchants are not very interested in .new Sea G S r°a n ss Seeds.-The total area now entered into certification in this _ <?is trict for this season shows increase in comparison with last sea son’s area. If seasonal conditions are favourable for harvesting, fte SW'W of the seeds from this area should be of a high standard. There is also a large area of Montgomery red clover entered for certification. » this, of course, will depend upoh the climatic conditions between now and harvest time. All . ar , ea , s mcertification are subjected to a field spection during the flowering stages and unless the field °““f p s tobTr<£ favourable an area is liable to be re jected. The recent rams have brought further orders for turnip seed, and fur ther areas will now be sown m Dirmps, as conditions are favourable., sowing of rape has practically finished.