TIMARU NOTES

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1911, Page 5

TIMARU NOTES

♦" — . £ / Telegraph — Per Press Association) TIMARU, April 22. The district has had good rain, which still continues, though it "was too late to do much good to the feed ; but it will make the ploughing of the lea easier. Some farmers have had to use six horses In a two furrow plough, owing to the grourrd being so hard. Town sportsmen are agitated over the discovery that the Washdyde Lagoon, close to Timaru, was made a sanctuary for ducks in 1906. This was not Iknown here, and the lagoon was shot over for the last five seasons. Mr Buddo, as Minister ewas appealed to cancel, who replies declining to advise. Sportsmen station themselves outside the area and shoot the birds on the wing as they come and go. John Talbot. speaking at" the Farmers Union branch, said the land value in South Canterbury are unduly high. In ten years they had gone up 75 to 100 per cent., and would be all right as long as the prices was kept up. but if a reverse came it would be all wrong. He supposed that the reasons were the absence of other forms of investment and the willingness of men . to . work • land . without a fair return on the capital invested. Speaking of the small birds, he said that farmers lost as much grain by caterpillars now as before the birds were introduced, and they now lost grain enormously 'by the birds. The Borough Council last night approved ofv the plans prepared by Mr White, specialist in theatre construction, for a .buildingt to replace the present Theatre Royal. He said it would equal, the Auckland Opera House and seat 1100. He promised that it would be finished by Xmas.