NORTH OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 25

NORTH OTAGO.

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT. PUKEURI FREEZING WORKS. The supply of fat stock to the Pukeuri freezing works continues to ease up slightly, the daily tallies now not averaging 3000. The tally for the season to date is 314,000. -FARMING CONDITIONS. Although the recent rains have been of great benefit to pasture lands in providing a good growth, a great deal more rain is required to thoroughly moisten the subsoil and so make the ploughing ©f lea land easier. In many cases the ground is so hard that ploughing is impossible. Two or three inches of rain would be of great benefit. Autumn-sown green feed is coining on well, and will soon provide good feeding for stock. Recently there have been numerous inquiries for turnips for immediate feeding for breeding ewes, as pastures have been very bare for some weeks, and the ewes have been rather short of feed for this time of the year. Many lines of ewes are being sent away to go on to turnips outside the district. Linder these circumstances local turnip crops fop immediate feeding have appreciated in value, and are hard to secure. Oats and hay are being inquired for to help tide the stock over the cold winter months. A fair acreage of wheat is being sown in spite of the possibility of lower prices obtaining next season. Fat stock prices have firmed recently, and the demand is very -keen. Large numbers of fat ewes have been killed at the works, and butchers’ supplies for local consumption are becoming scarcer each week, with consequent firming in values and keener inquiries from local butchers. It appears certain that supplies for local consumption for the next few months will have to be obtained from outside sources. Owing to the shortage of feed in the district there are very few inquiries for carry-over stock. At a recent clearing sale the ewes offered ■were sold at prices which must leave a handsome margin of profit for the purchasers. Lambs still continue to fatten well, and the quantities available will probably keep the works going until the third week in June. A continuance of the present mild weather will see a good clearance effected before the works close down for the season. With the low price ruling for potatoes, a farmer is advocating the feeding of potatoes to cattle, basing his contention on the figures furnished in a farming journal that 201 b of potatoes, equalling 4Jib of dry matter, is the equivalent of 801 b of mangels equalling 741 b of dry matter. Local farmers are pleased with the upward trend in prices. Although most of the fat stock has been disposed of, the rise in prices at the end of this season indicates better prospects for next season’s supplies. With a firming in wool values the farming community look forward to better times ahead, and there is a feeling that the beginning of the end of the slump is definitely under way. GOLF. In the match between North Otago and the Otago Golf Club, played on the Awamoa links on Saturday, the local club won by 12 games to 3. Results (Oarnaru names mentioned first) :—L. Sumpter 0 v. Dr Ross 1; Cuthbertson 1 v, Hay 0; M'Ewan 1 v. Wight 0; Scott 1 v. MTntosh 0; M'Beath 1 v. J. M'Dougall 0; Matheson 0 v. G. Dick 1; Kilpatrick 1 v. Salmon 0; Rivers 0 v. Shand 1; K. Familton 1 v M’Kechnie 0; Humphries 1 v. Stronach 0; Nicholls 1 v. Solomon 0; Irvine 1 v. Falanger 0; Fowler 1 v. Dawson 0, Roll 1 v. A. M'Dougall 0; T. Wright 1 v. Hampstead 0. North Otago, 12; Otago, 3. The Canadian foursome played by the Ladies’ Club was won by Misses Hall and Familton, handicap 11, 3 down; followed by Mesdames Orbell and Ireland, handicap 7, 4 down. PORT STATISTICS. The port statistics for Oarnaru for the month of May are as follows:—Coastal cargo: Inwards 804 tons (coal 523, fuel oils 52, sugar 41, newspaper 82, empty returns 13, Public Works Departmentmaterial 13) ; outwards 1842 tons (wheat 816, flour 616, pollard and bran 211, furniture 21, Lane’s Emulsion 18, woollens 12, fuel oils 62, oats 37, tallow 29, other goods 9) ; overseas cargo, inwards 295 tons (coal 276, timber 15, other goods 4); outwards 1666 tons (frozen meat 1227, wool 239, tallow 69, skins 36, casings 38, other goods 8). CUSTOMS RETURNS. The Customs returns for Oarnaru for the month of May are as follows, the figures for May, 1930, being shown in parentheses:—Customs £136 7s Id (£292 4s 8d); meat export levy £241 3s 4d (nil) ; passports 5 (5); marine revenue £lB9 17s 6d (£l3 10s 7d). OBITUARY. The many friends of Mr David Clark will regret to learn of his death on Saturday at the age of 64 years. Mr Clark had been in -failing health for some months, and as a public man he will be sadly missed by his associates on local bodies. He was born in 1867 at Tanker- • ness, near Kirkwall, Orkney Island, and at the age of 11 years he came to New Zealand with his parents in the s.s. Wellington, the master of which was Captain Cowan, who brought thousands of immigrants to the Dominion. They landed at Port Walrus in 1879, and the family came to Oarnaru, where Mr Clark received hie early education at the old Grammar School, now the Technical School. Leaving Oarnaru, the family went to the “ Punchbowl ” farm near Maheno, and Mr Clark then attended the Maheno School. On leaving school Mr Clark worked a team on his father’s farm. The adverse conditions under which farming was carried on in those days, and the lack of employment, caused Mr Clark to try and find gold on the beaches Kakanui and Hampden, and for a time he was in the company of that well-known identity, “Cook, the Fiddler.” Afterwards he went to the Wairarana, where he worked on a sawmill. He returned to

Maheno, and with one of his brothers I started cropping on the Kauroo Hill estate. This laud was covered with virgin bush, with tussock benches and cabbage trees, and was cleared only after months and months of hard labour. It was rented at 10s per acre per annum. Later, his other brothers joined him, and they commenced in business as threshing contractors, straw pressing, chaffeutting, clover shelling, and ploughing. Eventually, they had five traction engines at this work in the district. Later he purchased his farm at Totara from the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, and had since carried on farming operations successfully. At the time of his death Mr Clark was a member of the Waitaki County Council, ex-president of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, ex-president of the Maheno District Athletic Club, member of the Oarnaru Trotting Club Committee, a justice of the Deace, and a member of other local bodies. His personality won for him many friends, by whom much sympathy is felt for the widow, two daughters, and two eons who survive him. PERSONAL. On the eve of Ins departure from Oarnaru, Mr W. W. Walton, who has beeu transferred to the company’s Dunedin branch, was met by the staff of the National Mortgage and Agency Company at a valedictory gathering, at which he was presented with a smoker's outfit. In making the presentation, Mr J Simpson (manager) spoke of Mr Walton’s many sterling qualities, and of the interest he had displayed on the firm’s behalf. On behalf of the staff, he conveyed their best wishes for Mr and Mrs Walton's happiness and success in their new sphere of life. Messrs Holmes and Spite also paid tributes to Mr Walton’s worth and character, and Mr Walton suitably acknowledged the felicitations of his fellow employees. Mr and Mrs Walton left for Dunedin on Saturday. During half time in the men’s hockeymatch between the Albany (Dunedin) and Oarnaru Clubs a presentation of a bronze vase was made to Mr M. A. Brook, who is shortly leaving Oarnaru for North Auckland. Mr Brook, who was instrumental -in the formation of the Oamau Club, was captain of the club last year, and is an ex-Otago and New Zealand representative. Mr A. S. Clark recently gave the pupils of the Totara School a free trip by motor to the Waitaki hydro-electric works and the Otekaike Special School, and as a token of their appreciation of his action Mr Moir (hearmaster), on behalf of the pupils, presented Mr Clark with a silvermounted pipe and case. MEN’S HOCKEY. The .annual match for the Gardiner Memorial Cup, which was presented for competition between the Albany (Dunedin) and Oarnaru Clubs, was played at King George’s Park on Saturday afternoon m the presence of a large gathering of spectators. The game was evenly contested throughout, each side taking turns at attack. Oarnaru led at half time by 2 goals to 1, but the superior combination ot the Albany team was the deciding factor. and m the second half they added two more goals, running out winners by 3 goals to 2. From the bully Oarnaru attacked, and their efforts were soon rewarded by Willett beating the goalie wita a hot shot. Up and down play followed, Albany equalising with a goal by Thomson. Persistent Oarnaru attacks yielded several corners, from one of which Brown put Oarnaru in the lead by securing a nice goal. Oarnaru continued to attack. CTi/ ai ■ to P ierce the Albany defence. Halt time was called shortly after with the scores: Oarnaru 2 goals, Albany 1. In the second spell Albany settled down to more combined play, and sorely tried the Oarnaru defence, which was playing a sound game. After about 15 minutes play Albany equalised, Denson scoring a good goal. Stung by this reverse, Oarnaru pressed strongly, but the Albany defence was equal to the occasion, t my was- transferred to the other end of the field, where Rennick was successful in notching Albany’s third goal, thus putting them in the lead. In the final stages of the game Oarnaru made great efforts to equalise, and were an* fortunate in not scoring, but the game finished without any alteration in the score. Albany 3, Oarnaru 2. Messrs Diomas and Forbes controlled the game. Afterwards the visitors were the guests of the Oarnaru Club at a dinner, held in the Globe Hotel, when the usual toast list was honoured. Opportunity was taken by Mr Gardiner to present the Gardiner Memorial Cup to the winners. The visitors were later entertained at a dance held by the Arawa Ladies’ Hockey Club, and a very enjoyable time was spent. RUGBY FOOTBALL. A high wind militated against good Rugby on Saturday, and the attendances at both the show grounds and at the Kurow Domain were not as large as on previous occasions. Though held down to a three-point lead until well into the second spell, Hydro continued in winning vein, defeating Excelsior by 18 points to 3 at Kurow, whilst Old Boys took a step up on the championship ladder by defeating Athletic at the Oval by two penalty goals to a penalty goal. In the country competitions Duntroon maintained its unbeaten record by disposing of Awakino by 14 points to nil, Otiake occasioned some surprise by securing its first win of the season against Kurow by a single point margin, and Omarama drew with Tokarahi JUNIOR. Old Boys 8, Excelsior 5. School defaulted to Athletic. THIRD GRADE. St. Kevin’s 24, Athletic 9. ’ FOURTH GRADE. Athletic A 21, St. Kevin’s 3. COUNTRY COMPETITIONS. Duntroon 14 beat Awakino nil. Otiake 6 beat Kurow 5. Omarama 3 drew with Tokarahi 3. SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT. The following teams will represent the Maheno Club at the seven-a-side tournament on Wednesday:—Senior A —G. Newlands, A. Clark, Jack Bruce, D. Loder, L. Hollow, C. Diver, D. Hollow; 1 Senior B —J. Sim, J, Johnston, A. Sou-

ness, J. Gillies, A. Newlands, D. Sinclair, J. Bruce; Junior A —Walker, Allan, Campbell, Yeoman, Dougherty, Diver, Davis; Junior B—Lucas, Lawrence, Souness, Macfarlane, Jones, T. Johnston, Yorston.