The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: TUESDAY, DEC. 2.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 44, 2 December 1913, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: TUESDAY, DEC. 2.

Mr S. H. .lames announces a sale of bankrupt boot stock in Clarke's Buildings—in shop latelv occupied bv Mr Pred.lv.

On Sunday Constable Harvey and a party of young men in a motor launch searched the river as far down as Stirling for the body of David Wing without avail. If the body is not discovered by next Sunday another thorough search will be made.

The following candidates were successful in passing the St. John Ambulance Association-examination held at Wahvera:—Misses B. H. Ayson, K. Smart, H. Smart and B. Miller, also Messrs J. Mitchell and R. Huttou.

At its meeting on Friday the Clutha County Council received a circular from the secretary of the New Zealand Counties' Association re the Eating Amendment Bill, which provided for the reenactment of paragraph (ej of section 2 under the heading, "Rateable Value," of the Eating Act, 1908. The circular stated that thhs question of the rating of pastoral lands of the Crown was considered at the conferences held hi 1904 and 1907, and the Government was repeatedly urged to, and did, amend the few to provide for the equitable rating of these lands, and it was now proposed to revert to the former inequitable position by re-enacting the aforesaid section, If the proposal was carried the rating values of these pastoral lands "puld not alter during the whole period of the lease, whereas adjoining freehold land of the same quality and productive rapacity was burdened from time to tW as the value thereof increased, and the livyholder had to pay an increased sum in rati;B without receiving a corresponding benefit, and this position was the more pronounced vyhpre special loans ttere raised for the purpose of providing one access in special districts comprising Doth classes of property. The circular «*o'iidod : Would the council give this Biattci vfij-iy consideration, and request Us rejiresetiiittive in Parliament to oppose the proposal? The late chairman (Councillor Clarke) tm'u] he had inJtfijcted the clerk, as soon a« the circular *a« received, to send a protest from wecouiKJ/ to Mr Malcolm. The council Jnannnousiy Approval of Councillor '-Jarke's action. Tkj .strike trouble wili affect mauy of «c pleasures of the working class dur--I Dg the now nparing festive "season, but fortunately the fiting of frugal dishes *»1 empty pockets will not be felt in Kalelutha. With the days drawing J e arer to Christmas, all those who jn..J e ?'l getting new suite for their holiday tr 'Ps should hasten in placing their or'"•fs, so that they will not be dissapoint- "«• Given a fair time, Mr C. G. Kirby, £***» and ladies tailor, Clyde street, calclujba, guarantees to fulfil all orders 10 entire satisfaction. Do not wait till »«« week, but get in before the crush, «W select your pick #f the splendid "tt'Hnge which he has sow i# fljfcgek rtoet*'* BU ' ltia * B *&& &* *> aß BOW &

I The Awamangu -school concert takes place on Thursday evening.

Mr J. P. Anderson, North Balelutha, has disposed of his carrying business to Messrs W. Carter and W. Grieffieth (of Beed Bros., Milton). Possession will be taken over next week.

The Auckland Exhibition was opened by the Governor yesterday. The weather was fine, there was a great attendance and the function was a most successful one.

Mr T. Lochhead (Te Houka) has been awarded the Forbury Park Trotting Club's special prize of £3 3s for best buggy horse over 15 hands, to be shown in harness and driven, at the Dunediu show.

Santa Claus has taken up his abode (for a short time only) in the "Toy Shop," Eyrie's Buildings. He wants everyone—old and young—to visit him. Show day he will have extra assistants with him.

A boy named McKay, aged about nine years, had his left leg broken yesterday afternoon while , playing at the Te Houka school. He was brought into Balelutha and attended to by Dr Stenhouse.

It pays to be civil at least, if one cannot be polite. A Clutha county ratepayer who wrote a sarcastic letter to the county council was paid back when the clerk mentioned the tone of the letter at the meeting on Friday preparatory to reading it, and the council thereupon declined to have it read or received.

There have been several cases of sheep-worrying reported recently from Romahapa district, and we have been asked to warn sheep-owners that two black dogs are working havoc qmong the lambs. One owner reports the loss of 10 and another of five within the past day or two, and probably there are others still to be reported.

At the Otago Fanners' Co-operative Association's annual sale at Dunedin on Thursday of show exhibits and prizetakers., Hon. R. 11. Rhodes' (Tai Tapu) twoand-a-half-year-old red polled (Norfolk) bull Margooline 1!., sire Otahuna L, dam Davie (2.15 H.H.I, g-sire Margeoline 1., g-dam Daire (155), was sold to Mr James Smith, Greenfield estate, at a satisfactory price. On Fridav Mr D. Stewart (Mavor of Balclutha) and Mr J. R, Mitchell (chairman Clutha County Council) waited on Mr Robertson, stationniaster, Balclutha, to support the petition asking for an early "week-end'' train from Catlins on Monday mornings. The stationniaster expressed himself as quite in favour of the movement, ami said he would recommend the extension of the service.

Clutha County Council on Friday fixed the dog registration at the same price as formerly—viz., ordinary dogs ss, sheep and cattle dogs 2s (id. Councillor Xieol remarked that collectors had a lot of trouble in getting owners of ordinary —and extraordinary —-dogs to pay ss, but Councillor Quia said there should be no trouble: all that was needed was a summons, and the "five bob' - ' would be parted up readily enough.

The county engineer (Mr .1. Ramsay) recommended to the Clutha County County Council on Friday that about JOU planks be procured to repair the decking of the Balclutha traffic bridge, as quite a number of the planks are almost worn through. The council, as controlling body, resolved to advise the Bruce County Council and Balclutha Borough Council of the repairs required, and, in conjunction with those bodies, have the work done.

The District Engineer Public Works Department wrote as follows to Clutha County Council re Balclutha road bridge extension contract: —"In reply to your memo, of October 14 I have to inform you that the above contract is to be carried out so as to cause the least possible obstruction to traffic In order to effect this tlie piers of the existing 15ft spans are to be extended so that,a trestle roadway may be constructed to one side and a satisfactory road approach is to be made to this by widening the existing roadway on downstream side. The piers for the new position are then to be built, and the landward 121 ft span, 45ft span and roadway are to be completed ready for traffic before the intermediate span joining old work is commenced. This span is to be built so as to retain existing bridge for traffic as long as possible, and no delay other than what cannot be avoided will be permitted."—On the letter being read to the council on Friday afternoon the chairman (Councillor Mitchell) said: "That is very satisfactory. Apparently they are going to do the best they can." The letter was received, it might be mentioned that while the trestle roadway will serve the purposes of traffic during most of the period of operations on the bridge, it will, in about nine months' time, be impossible to use it for a week or 10 days while the permanent pier is being swung into position.

The Import Company, local agents for "poilite," are, with characteristic energy, setting about making an adequate display of the material, and to this end are having a complete building erected in their yard, wherein poilite plays the most important part. Poilite is a composition of cement and asbestos, perfectly fireproof, and rolled out into hard grey sheets about 3-16ths of an inch in thickness, and of convenient superficial area—the most popular for walls and ceilings being Bft by 4ft, — while tiles and ridging are also manufactured, and may be had of different colours. The building at the Import Company's is Bft by 10ft, built on a wooden framework, and has the walls ami ceiling of poilite sheets, while the roof is of red poilite tiles and ridging, and gives an idea of what a very hand-' some residence could bo erected on similar lines. 'Outside the building is finished in two styles—one side being of rough-coat plaster over the poilite sheets and the remainder the natural colour. inside, also, is finished in different styles to give an idea of the different finishes which may be made with this handy material-—part is papered, part painted, another part is kalsomined, and one wail is left in the natural grey colour. We understand tho cost of poilite is much the same as timber, and of course it lias many advantaged, such as being fireproof and verminproof, and is ready for the work at any time, as it requires so drying or seasoning. There is no doubt the material, a? it becomes better known, will bo widely used both for inside work and for outside walls. It makes a really handsome job, and it is elaimed to be practically indestructible. We would recommend any of our readers interested to have a look at the Import Company's exhibit on show day, or when, they cjyj t?xt spare the time,

When we went to press last evening the entries for the Clutha Show on Friday gave promise of a -record. The Balclutha Caledonian Society has taken a new lease of life, and the membership this year is to be largely increased—probably three times that of last year. The sports will be on Boxing Day as usual, and Mr W. H. King is secretary. Everything is well in hand -for the Band Carnival and Art Union to be opened in the Oddfellows' Hall to-mor-row night by his Worship the Mayor (Mr D. Stewart). A good programme of novelty dancing, songs, etc., will be staged, and the sideshows are a' distinct feature of the carnival, being both novel ami numerous. On Thursday night a mouth-organ contest for boys and a skipping contest for girls will be held, and should prove a source of amusement for the younger folk. ' Some malicious person lias destroyed the handsome plate-glass windows in a Masterton furniture establishment by cutting the word "Scabs" upon them with a diamond. The tradesman will be a heavy loser, as he will be compelled to remove the windows. There is s. great indignation in town at the perpetration of this outrage. It appeared that Dlie tradesman- in question manufactured some batons.