MID-CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18898, 13 January 1927, Page 6

MID-CANTERBURY.

ASHBURTON. PERSONAL. Mr W. S. Pratt, organising teacher on the West Coast for the Education Board. has been appointed headmaster of the Allentou school in succession to Mr S. 11. Sullivan, who has been appointed headmaster of the I'airlie District High School. Mr Pratt uas assistant master at the East Ashburton -.koo! tor two years from January. I'dlS. during which lime he was on active service. Mr H. K. C. J[cElrea. who has been indisposed for the past two months, is now convalescing. Apptal for Subscriptions. A poor response has so far been met with bv the Ashburton Borough and Cotintv' Councils in their appeal to residents for subscriptions, for the relief of dependents of victims in the Dobson mine disaster on the West Coast. Tiiere is onlv one local resident on the list at the Borough Council office, the amount belli"- P's. and this, together with the coilet-tion at the recent First Canterbury Mounted Rifle Band concert in the Domain. i'--J os. aml'the Counc-il's/lo-r.ation of A.-3 -3s. amounts to £3l. The list at the County Council office contains two names for £1 each, thus mal;iag the total in hand £33. Health Statistics. There was a marked increase in the notifiable diseases in the Ashburton County, exclusive of the borough,, last vc.ar. as compared with 10" Z. A total of 17- cases against 50 for the previous year. was' notified to the County Health Inspector <Mr E. X. Johnson) during PJl'b. . , . The heaviest notifications were during April, when there \rere -'4. including L'l of diphtheria, while October and July u-crc next with 10 each. November was particularlv free from infectious diseases, there being only two cases of T.B. reported. Particulars of the notifications are as follows:—Diphtheria .00. scarlet fever 40, tuberculosis Hh pneumonia 0. pneumonic, influenza _ '.). ervsipelas •". septicaemia 3 : meningitis I.'phthisis 1, total IT^. In Bankruptcy. \ petition in bankruptcy has been filed bv Thomas Victor Skilling. labourer of' Ashburton. and a meeting of creditors will be held in the office of the Deputv-Official Assignee on January 17th. Road Race. The A.-hbtirton Amateur Cycling and Athletic Club has decided to hold the first road race of the season on lebru-a-v 3tli The course, which will be a 'n'inc-mile one. will probably be round the Allentoii block. METHVEN. Ilaihvsy returns on Hie Mcthvcn branch line for the period ended January Sth, showed a marked increase over the same period of the previous year. In outward traffic from Methven 11.200 sheep were dispatched for the four weeks, as against CSI last year. This large difference is, of course, to somu extent accounted for by the earlier opening of the freezing works this season. Nevertheless in spite of wet condition- the numbers are more than satisfactorv. and show what the Methvcu district* is capable of producing. The ordinarv goods traffic also shows an increase over last year, while the inwards traffic iu live stock and goods shows a slifht upward tendency. Corresponding increases arc also shown at flag stations on the branch. The weather of the past three days has been vcrv warm with nor-west winds prevailing. This is just what is required at the present time to finish off the crops. With a continuation ot the present weather conditions a bumper harvest is assured.