LOOKING BACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 106, 17 February 1950, Page 2

LOOKING BACK

FIFTY YEARS SYNE (From the “Guardian,”‘Feb. 17, 1900). Volunteers—At the usual weekly meeting parades of both companies of Volunteers, Guards and Rifles, the attendance was small. The Guards were put through company movements. The Rifles were marched outside, where Colour Sergeant W. McDonald put them through a series of skirmish movements, including extending in three forms, volley firing by company, also rushes and volleys by half company, suddenly changing direction to left and right. During the last week, both companies have been diligently recruiting with the result that last night Sergeant Baker had a squad of seven for the Rifles, while on Monday, Sergeant Schwartz was engaged filing the rough edges off a couple for the Guards.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO (From the “Guardian,” Feb. 17, 1925). Delay in Outward Trucking of Sheep —lt is understood that complaints have been made about the delay in the outward trucking of sheep at the Addington yards. Probably a closer acquaintance with the magnitude of the operations at‘this time of the year would show that there is little justification for criticism. Last week, the yarding of sheep was 39,000 head, and all but a few driven lots came forward by rail. On the outward side in the 48 hours between midday on Wednesday and Friday 339 trucks, containing 23,473 sheep were dispatched to the various points of the province. Included in this heavy trucking were two special trains. The necessity dn the outward trucking of having to remove one rake of trucks to Addington before another can he drawn up to the loading hank is a disability that cannot he minimised under the present limitation of the railway track. Occasionally losses of sheep occur through causes that do not originate with the yards staff. Not infrequently too many sheep' are jammed into trucks, both inward and —at the buyers’ requests—outwards,' and casualties are inevitable as a consequence.