CONDENSED NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17217, 7 December 1923, Page 7

CONDENSED NEWS.

OVERNIGHT SUMMARY. Two yacht races, for first and second class yachts, will be sailed on the outer harbour at Lyttelton to-morrow afternoon by the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat. Club, Master H. Ansford and Aileen Bruere were the championship winners at the Rangiora Borough BchooFs swimming sports in the municipal baths yesterday afternoon. The children took a keen interest in the events. The St Albans Burgesses’ Association has decided to form a strong committee to visit the bowling and tennis clubs, the school committees, and the lodges in St Albans, soliciting tbeir support for the association. A flower show will bo held early in February by the burgesses. It was reported to a meeting of the Richmond School Committee that the Richmond Swimming Club’s scheme for the teaching of swimming to the school children was meeting with every success. It was hoped that the parents would give their co-operation. A deputation of swimmers waited on the Linwood School Committee on Wednesday and asked for the use of the school baths as it was proposed that a club should be formed. The request was aeoeded to, conditions being thaT the batfcs and fixtures were to be in order and the sum of £3 yearly was to be paid by the club. Fifty-two candidates, a record for the Ashburton County, are attending the matriculation, junior university scholarship and accountants’ preliminary examinations, which are being held in St Stephen’s Hall, Ashbnrton. The scholars are from the High and Technical Schools.

The Crown Lands Commissioner (Mr G. H. Bullard) adjudicated yesterday at a conference between the Ashburton Borough and County Councils as to the gravel pit reserve at Hampstead. The County Council is opposing the Borough Council’s obtaining a title lease of the reserve. Mr Bullard will give his decision later. The Geraldine County Council has resolved, at the request of a number of ratepayers, to spend £BO on the purchase of eggs and heads of small birds. It was pointed out by councillors that, one year, the council had expended on such purchases, while another member declared that the council might as well pay for the destruction of rabbits.

A- farewell social to the stationmaster at Mina, Mr J. P. Daley, who is leaving, for Riccarton, was given by the residents on Tuesday. Mr ■G. W. Forbes, M.P.. eulogised Mr Daley’s good work and he a presentation of a tobacco pouch and a case of pipes to him and an afternoon tea set to Mrs Daley. Mr Hammond, the new stationmaster, was welcomed.

In preparation for the exhibition, Hokitika is busy just uow. Business is speeding up, premises are receiving new coats of paint, streets are being cleaned, and the pleasure grounds and gardens are being given careful attention. The bi£ exhibition building is looking unite impressive.

The suggestion that the French Farm Road should he widened and that a strong fence should be erected, as the road was dangerous, in places, to motor traffic, has been made by Mr W. E. Giddens to the Akaroa-Wainui Road Board The letter, which was in reference to an accident to Mr Giddens’s motor-car, was received.

On the West Lyttelton Recreation Ground, the pupils of the West Lyttelton School their annual land sports on Wednesday. The swimming sports will be held at Oorsair Ray on Monday. Page Bros, and Mr J. Parker have donated, respectively, medals .for the boy and girl securing most points at the land and aquatic sports.

The committee; of the Rangiora branch of the Partners’ Union, with the object of creating a closer unity between the branches of the union in North Canterbury, convened a conference of delegates which was held at Rangiora on Wednesday evening in the Northern A. and P. Association’s rooms to discuss matters of mutual interest. The Oxford, Cheviot, Oust and West Evreton branches responded to the invitation by sending delegates, and the Rangiora branch was also represented by most of its committee. Mr A. M. Carpenter, president of the Rangiora branch, occupied the chair. Many matters were discussed, the conference talking over railway matters at length.

The value of teaching young children to swim was demonstrated on tho West Coast on Wednesday. When playing near Sawyer’s Creek, the three-year-old son of Mr and Mrs P. Beck fell into the water and was carried out of his depth. Little Jewell Beck, aged ten years, dived in, without discarding any of her clothing, and hdd her brother out of the water till Mr Beck arrived.

Recently Mr J. Bremner, of Temuka, submitted to the Postmaster-General a drawing and photograph of a postage stamp which he had designed. The Hon J. G. Coates, in reply, thanked Mr Bremner for his thoughtfulness, and said that the design was very neatly executed, and was certainly symbolical of the country, and would be passed on to the experts of the Department for consideration when a new issue of stamps was being decided upon. The design shows the map of New Zealand in the background and in the foreground is a moa and Maori hen, showing the respective size of each. The Southern Cross is shown on the left-hand side, and there is a fern leaf in the bottom right-hand corner. The whole design is very neat and cleverly thought out.

Some interesting statistics concerning the West Coast have been compiled in graph lorm by Mr J. D. Gillies, acting on behalf of tW Marine Department and the Greymouth Harbour Board. One record shows that the population of the West Coast dropped from 28,065 in 1914 to 22.524 in 1922. This decrease is attributed to a number of men who failed to return from the war, some having died ana others settled in other part* of New Zealand. Another fact, recorded is that out of 4,232,320 acres of West Coast, land onh 157.842 are cultivated. The value of the exports was as high as £583.802 in 1916, dropped to £234,778 in 1919, rising in 1921 again to £541,537, and in the following year succeeding with a drop to The record export of timber was in 1911, when 54.00u.000 feet were exported. Another large quantity was sent away in 1920. when 52.700,000 feet were exported. The greatest export of coal was in 1916, when 481 531