Ladies were reported to be such indifferent bowlers that the Warrington (England) Council has decided to limit their presence on the public bowling greens to two hours once a week.
Alderman Bennett and Cr Broadhurst championed the cause of the ladies. If they gave bowling for men, said Mr Broadhurst, they must give bowling to women. It was a necessity in these days when women expected their rights.
He moved that the proposal to exclude the ladies be not adopted. Alderman Bennett supported Mr Broadhurst on the ground that bowling was the only recreation open to working-class women. Cr Dickinson said when the ladies were on the greens there were more accidents through their bowling right into the centre of the other sides.
The presence of the ladies on the greens had been responsible for more bad language than he ever knew used on the bowling greens in the borough. He saw two ladies on one occasion bowling continuously round the sides of the green, knocking the bowls played by the men out of play.
The council decided that the ladies should be allowed to bowl only two hours a week.
• A middle-aged woman appeared before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., at Christchurch to ask for an order of maintenance against her 16-year-old daughter.
''Where is your husband?'' said Mr Bishop.
''At Roto Roa Island,'' said the woman.
''He got two years. When he came out he was sent back for a year again''
''Oh, yes,'' said the Magistrate, ''and from what I know of him he will go back again: he is a hopeless drunkard.''
''What is to prevent you from working?'' the Magistrate asked.
''Why do you go after this girl, aged 16?''
The woman replied that two of her girls were already contributing. She had 11 children, aged 21 (married), 18, 16, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8, 7, 4, and 2. The 18-year-old girl was earning 1 and was giving her 5s; the 15-year-old girl was earning 1 and giving her 5s.
The Charitable Aid Board was giving her 10s in rations, and a quart of milk. The girls were expected to pay the rent. The Magistrate said that he had received a letter from the girl, who was willing to contribute, and he would make an order for 4s a week.
• During the past few years quite a number of new townships have sprung up on the Peninsula, with the result that the local bodies have repeatedly had to deal with requests from the purchasers of section to metal the roads and footpaths leading to their respective properties.
These requests have entailed a good deal of expense to the local bodies after the streets were taken over, and matters have now reached the stage when the Portobello Road Board has declined to take over any new township roads in future unless they have been metalled by the vendors to the satisfaction of the inspector.
The matter was discussed yesterday, and a resolution was passed effectually disposing of any future requests on the part of vendors of sections to have unmetalled streets saddled upon the board.
• The proposed new tourist track between Lake Harris Saddle and Lake Howden, head of Greenstone Valley, via Lake Mackenzie, for which a vote appears on the Estimates, will be gone on with at an early date. The linking up of the Routeburn and Greenstone Valleys by this track will provide a delightful four-days' round trip from Queenstown.
The traveller will be able to take the steamer from Queenstown on a Friday, and traverse the Routeburn and Greenstone Valleys on that and the following days and return to Queenstown on Monday, on which day the steamer regularly calls at Elfin Bay. - ODT, 5.12.1913.
