CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20073, 2 April 1935, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY CHRISTCHURCH, April 1. Personal: The Mayoralty at New Brighton will again be contested by Mr E. A. M. Leaver, the retiring Mayor. Mr Leaver had intended not to seek office again, but reconsidered his decision in accordance with a promise given to two deputations which waited on him during the past fortnight. Mr John Oakley left Christchurch this evening for Wellington on his way to England to continue his studies in art. He will leave Wellington tomorrow and will connect with the Bendigo, which will leave Sydney on April 8. Mr T. H. Griffiths left Christchurch on Saturday evening to connect with the Ruahine, which was to leave Wellington to-day for England. Mr Griffiths intends to visit his son, Mr G. D. Griffiths, who is an architect in London. He will be away about six months.

Mr W. E. D. Bishop, president of the Christchurch and United Amateur j Swimming Club, who has been presi- ; dent of the club for 21 years, was ; presented with a pipe at the annual smoke concert. The presentation was made by Mr G. Low, who referred to Mr Bishop’s valuable services to swimming in Canterbury.

Fast Travelling: Mr J. J. Busch, commercial pilot to the Canterbury Aero Club, returned to Christchurch to-day from Invercargill in the Puss Moth now being used for passenger-carrying work with Mr and Mrs J. Langford, of Hokitika, as passengers. The ’plane travelled from Invercargill to Timaru, 220 miles, in one hour 40 minutes. As soon as the machine was refuelled it took off again for Auckland with Mr Herbert Jones, of Rangiora, and his daughter as passengers. Mr Jones is 84.

Another Death from Tetanus: Following a death from tetanus, or lockjaw, last week, a second death from it in Canterbury has been reported to the Public Health Department in Christchurch for the week ended at noon to-day. Deaths from this cause are not common, and may result from a slight cut or scratch. Ten other cases of infectious disease were notified from Canterbury—two of scaVlet fever, four of diphtheria, two of tuberculosis, one of erysipelas, and one of septicaemia. There were also three other deaths—two from tuberculosis and one from diphtheria. A case of tuberculosis and another of hydatids were reported from the West Coast, but there were no deaths.

Pilot Qualifies: Mr D. Gillanders, of parfield, a pupil of the Canterbury Aero Club, to-day secured his license as a pilot. He began his training under Mr R. A. Kirkup, and finished it under Mr S. A. Gibbons, the new instructor. Dr. J. H. Fahey, of Christchurch. another pupil of the club, to-day made his first solo flight.

New Bridge at the Bealey The work of preparing the plans for the new bridge over the Waimakariri River at the Bealey has not yet finished, but it is hoped to be able to submit the plans to the Main Highways Board for its consideration shortly. If the plans are approved by the board, tenders for the construction of the bridge will be called immediately.

City Rates: With a total of £316,886 19s 8d collected up to the first mail on Saturday, £36,619 12s 3d of the city rates became liable for a penalty of 10 per cent, for late payment. The levy totalled £353,506 11s lid and the percentage collected before the penalty became due was 89.64, as compared with 88 per cent, last year.

The figures for this year are actually better than they indicate, for last year, by legislative permission, the date up to which the rates could be paid without incurring the 10 per cent, penalty was extended to March 31, whereas this year the money had to be in by Friday, within the six months and fourteen days from the date of the demand.

Last year’s levy was £331,432 and of this £291,932 was collected, leaving, at March 31, £39,500 outstanding. There were many ratepayers who tried on Saturday to pay their rates without incurring the penalty, but they had to be told that a further ten per cent, would be necessary to put them all square on the council’s books. Many ingenious excuses were offered, but the experienced officers of the rate department had heard them al before. Lewis Pass Road: Although it is estimated that it would require £IOO,OOO to bridge the Lewis Pass Road properly and make a first-class highway of it, the grant of £25,000 for the job approved by Cabinet is viewed with gratification by those who have been interested in the scheme in Canterbury. It is pointed out that the £25,000 will be sufficient to improve the road immensely and construct the two main bridges, one of approximately 600 feet across the Hope River, at an estimated cost of £6OOO, and another of about 200 feet over the Boyle River, at a cost of approximately £2OOO. Other bridges of smaller dimensions are required, but these are not immediate necessities, as the streams that cut across the path of the road are fordable for the greater part of the year. The news that the Government proposes to pay Public Works rates of pay on the job is welcomed as an indication that the work will be speeded up appreciably. Details of the Governments exact intentions, however, are lacking in Christchurch at the present time. It is not known for instance whether the £25,000 is the allocation for the first year only and will be followed by a further substantial grant later, or whether it is intended to carry the job through on that sum to a stage that will have to serve for some years to come. It is also thought possible that the grant may carry a subsidy from the Unemployment Board’s funds, in which event a sum considerably in excess of £25,000 would be made available. While a subsidy of this nature would not go very far on bridge construction, which involves a big expenditure on materials, it would mean a considerable amount for actual roading work where the expenditure or materials is comparatively small. Railway Station Gardens: The second and final inspection of railway station gardens in the Canterbury district was completed last week, and the judges, Messrs H. L. Darton, H. H. H. Gardiner, A. A. McPherson, and L. P. K. Allison, have made the following awards: — A Class Gardens: Rakaia, 115 points, 1; Heathcote, 153 points, 2; Little River, 129 points, 3; Papanui and Dunsandel, 112 points, 4. B Class Gardens: Rangiora, 114 points, 1; Parnassus, 111 points, 2; Leeston and Waikari, 109 points, 3; Riccarton, 108 points, 5. Despite the very bad season, the judges report that the gardens showed improvement on those of last year.

Special reference was made to the very bright display at the Rakaia station, which, it was stated, was seldom equalled by the best gardens in Christchurch. The judges were also impressed by the remarkable recovery of the Little River garden after the damage some months ago by storm-water. The display at Little River, it was considered, was very creditable to the staff of the station in the circumstances.