The Cust.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4791, 7 September 1883, Page 4

The Cust.

+ [FBOM OUB OWN OOBBBSPOHDBNT.j Sept. 6. The expectations of those who opined that some really fine weather had set in were ruthlessly dispersed towards the close of last week. For some time previous to last Friday the weather had been all tbat one oould have desired, but on that day a ohange took plaoe, which, with Borne slight intervals, has continued up to the present time. Oommenoing to rain at mid-day on Friday, it oontinued until Sunday morning, when we had a short respite, only, however, until evening, when it re-oommonoed, continuing up to Tuesday morning. On the evening of that day it rained very heavily, and also last evening, when it oame down with a vengeance, whioh has oontinued all day and up to the hour of my writing. The result of this continual rain is that the roads are in a very dirty state, whilst the sections adjoining the Oust river have been inundated with water on acoount of tbe river being flooded. Apart from this no material damage haS as yet been done. The Bey E. H. Wyatt, of St James' Episcopal Ohuroh, has reoeived a unanimous call from the vestry and parishioners of the Amberley Ohuroh, whioh cure will become vacant by the contemplated removal of the Bey H. J. Gould to Hokitika. The rev gentleman has not up to the present time accepted the invitation. A meeting of the vestry will be held at an early date, when the.matter will be considered. Since Mr TJljr-tt waa appointed to the Oust, the congregations have unproved, and ohuroh matters have been in a healthy state, but having regard to the utility of the Ohuroh with which he is conneoted, it ia not improbable that the invitaI tion will be acoepted. !. In oonneotion with tho annual re-union of the above Ohuroh, which will be held on Sept. 17, in addition to the orthodox tea and entertainment, a gift auotion will be held. A fair amount of goods has already been promised, whioh, with others to be reoeived, will be put to the hammer by Mr Buss, who has generously placed bis servioes at the disposal of the vestry. A great amount of interest was evinoed by the Cust ratepayers in reference to the meeting of the Boad Board on Monday last. The deoision of the Board at its previous meeting in regard to the question of the proper oourse of tbe water coming down from Bennett's, produoed general dissatisfaction, whioh culminated in a petition signed by 63 ratepayersbeing presented, asking the . Board to call a publio meeting to explain their aotion in the matter; also to give those concerned an opportunity of disoussing the question. Unfortunately for the petitioners, the document was not in aooordanoe with rule, the gentlemen who had obtained the signatures not having attested them as being correct. Consequently, the petition was returned. But since then, the omission has been rectified, and it has been re-presented to the Chairman, with a request that the meeting would be called at an early dato. It is understood, howover, that the Board deoliae to oall a meeting until the. next usual meeting day. The petition was successful in accomplishing two things, viz., in giving the Board to understand that they were not representing the views of the ratepayers, and in causing a notioe to be given for the rescinding of the obnoxious motion. As this water question has been a disputed .no for years, it is not at all probable that it will be settled amioably, the whole question turning on the whereabouts of the natural watercourse, which it is affirmed by some has been ploughed in add filled up, thus causing the water to oome down the main road. It is probable that when the publio meeting takes plaoe all the information available on the matter will be brought forward to facilitate a settlement. Mr Pearion, M.H.B. fer the district, has been successful in getting the amount, £300, I believe, placed on the Estimates for repairing the Oxford road, whioh for some reason or another was not olaimed last year. Ibis should be welcome news, considering the small amount of funds at the disposal of the Board. There have been some ohanges in trade circles here recently. The butchery business owned by Mr J. Hurse has been purohased by Mr M'Laren, of Sefton, whilst the oldestablished blaoksmithing business carried on by Mr M'Outoheon has been sold, at a very satisfactory price, to Mr Lee, a new arrival. It has been reported here that the relict of fche late Allan Borenan, who was accidentally killed some time ago, has been informed that the Charitable Aid Board can no longer allow her funds from tbat source. When it is considered that the family is a large one and poor, and that the district subscribed and erected a house for her, it seems rather hard

that she should be deprived of the small pittance giren her to make both ends meet. The Inspector of Sohools has examined the' main and Bide sohools, both of which have passed creditably, the percentage of passes in the main sohool amounting to 93.