FAIRLIE COUNCIL TOUR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21180, 29 October 1938, Page 3

FAIRLIE COUNCIL TOUR

Mackenzie Members at

Rangitata Irrigation Works Inspected A visit bf inspection was paid to the Rangitata irrigation works by members of the Mackenzie County Council on Thursda* At Temuka, the party was shown over the Public Works repair shops by the resident irrigation engineer (Mr T. G. Beck) and at Rangitata, the scheme was explained by the engineer in charge Mr E. C. Smith). Members of the council took special interest in bulldozing equipment, as the same type of machinery will be used on the back country road improvement work for which a grant of £5 to £1 has been obtained from the Government.

Al the Rangitata headworks, one of the largest units on the scheme was inspected. It is a steam shovel 15 years old, and is capable of shifting 2000 cubic yards every eight hours. The machine was transported from Parnassus in pieces, and because of its age, it has been completely written off in the Government's bboks. The unit made the deepest cut on the scheme, which Is 82 feet from top to bottom. A special pump was installed to supply water for the boilers; at work, the shovel lifts two tons in a bite. Until two months ago, constructional work on the scheme was held up because of a shortage of steel, but now all the steel required has come to hand and bridges and drops are in the course of erection. On the average, there will be an eighteen foot reinfored concrete bridge every mile. To stop the velocity of the water and prevent scouring in the race, four seven foot drops are being installed. An interesting point is that the force of the 1000 cusecs of water in the race, would, when falling over each seven foot drop, generate 125 horse power. The drops are all within a few miles of the headworks; lower down, the race is being kept as high as possible in view of the establishment of hydro-electric works at Rakaia.

Supplying Stock Races When the headworks are pushed on to the river, the intake of the Ashburton County Council’s stock race will be severed. To keep it running, large electric pumps have been installed. The race has net yet been touched, and will be left until it is possible to concentrate all the machinery on the headworks. The pumps however, are ready to work. In several places along the race where a water supply has been cut off, syphons have been installed to supply stock. Five or six miles from the intake, three caterpillar tractors with bulldozers, are at present working on a pug clay face. The race is being cut a considerable height above the plains to maintain altitude for power purposes, and the face lies at an angle of 27 degrees. The working of machines on such a face is one of the wonders of the modern mechanical age. First of all, the surface soil is cut off and pushed down hill; then, V-shaped steps are cut along the hillside below the course of the race. The soil cut out of the channel itself, is held in place as a bank by the steps. By the aid of powerful lights, the tractors work the round of the clock. Work Well Advanced On the southern section of the scheme at present, between 130 and 140 men are employed. On the northern section across the Ashburton river, 30 are working. The scheme is now well advanced according to schedule, and work, starting with the initial survey, has been proceeding for two years. It is expected that the scheme will be in operation in another two years. After they left the Irrigation works, members of the council Inspected the Ashburton Council’s stone crusher working near Mayfield

ATHLETIC CLUB WEEKLY MEETING Drizzling rain marred the attendance at the weekly meeting of the Fairlie Amateur Athletic Club. On account of the weather the programme was not completed. Results were as follows.— One Mlle.—E. Crichton (senr.) 1, A. Bateman (scr) 2, C. Riddle (90yds) 3. Women’s 75 yards.—First heat: Miss D. Cranston (scr) 1, Miss R. Hall (6yds) 2, Miss J. Whitehead (4yds) 3.

Second heat: Miss A. Page (3yds) 1, Miss N. Wareing (6yds) 2, Miss N. Rapley (4yds) 3. Final: Miss A. Page 1, Miss R. Hall 2, Miss N. Wareing 3. Boys, under 12, 100 yards.—Max Edwards 1, Geo. Everest 2, D. Carlton 3. Boys, 12 and over, 100 yards.—Noel Surridge 1, John Fahey 2, L. Fenwick 3. Girls, 100 yards.—Betty Edwards 1, Marie Fahey 2, Florence McKinnon and Eileen Rae 3.

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY RUN The annual cross-country run of the Fairlie District High School was held recently over a course of some 3J miles. The result was as follows. —Doug. Cameron (handicap 2min 15sec) 1, Jim Kidd (2min 45sec) 2, Trevor Ellis (1 minute) 3, Rod Harvey (2min 45sec) 4, Colin Crampton (15sec) 5, John Fahey (Imin 45sec) 6. Colin Crampton secured fastest time (20min 44sec) and wins the Scott Cup. The winner’s time was only Isec outside Crampton’s.

“WEE WILLIE WINKIE” Adventure as only Rudyard Kipling could write it blazes from the screen in the Twentieth Century-Fox plcturisation of his “Wee Willie Winkie,” which is being screened at the De Luxe Thaetre, Fairlie, to-night at 8 o’clock with Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen in the starring roles. From the heart of mighty India, where all the world is wild and strange, where the British Raj ends at Khyber Pass, in the land of Bengal Lancers, comes this glorious adventure of the Scottish Highlanders in action and of the little girl who won the right to wear their plaid. The most spectacular production in which Shirley Temple has appeared, “Wee Willie Winkie” gives Victor McLaglen a powerful role as a fearless fighting fool, and provides splendid opportunities to C. Aubrey Smith, June Lang, Michael Whalen, Cesar Romero, Constance Collier and young Douglas Scott.