Bowls final comes to a head

The thirteenth annual tournament under the auspices of the Dominion of New Zealand Bowling Association, which commenced on January 11 and concluded on January 23, must rank as one of the most successful yet held. Probably no previous tournament has been played under such favourable weather and green conditions. All the big honours came to the Dunedin Centre, the Dunedin Club winning the rinks, St Kilda the pairs, and Caledonian the singles. The rinks final between Harraway (Dunedin) and Thomson (Southland) was marred to a certain extent by the fairly high wind that was blowing. The Dunedin men built up a strong lead, but the Southlanders proved themselves game opponents, and playing doggedly, and taking risks, they wiped out their deficit, the last few heads being a neck-and-neck struggle. It was anyone’s game right till the finish, and the sympathy of the large bank of spectators was plainly with the Southlanders.

Pests in court cases

At the Lawrence Court on Tuesday, before Mr H.J. Dixon SM, for failing to destroy rabbits, W. Roughan, Waitahuna West, was convicted and fined £5 (costs 15 shillings), and C. Vanstone, Waitahuna, was convicted and fined £3 (costs 8s). Patrie and Mrs McErlain (Evans Flat), R. Skinner (Tuapeka Mouth), and Sarah Rogers (Tuapeka Mouth), for a similar offence, were convicted, and the cases were adjourned for a month to enable the defendants to carry out effective work in order to get the pest under control. For failing to cut and trim gorse hedges, J.F. Rogers (Tuapeka Mouth) was convicted, and the case was adjourned for another month to enable defendant to carry out the necessary work.

4-horsepower spectacle

A four-in-hand is not often seen on the Dunedin streets nowadays, the quicker travelling motor vehicle having displaced this dying mode of transport. The four-in-hand which has been driven along the streets during the past few days has consequently attracted a good deal of attention — and more particularly because the wagon is driven by a man dressed in the full regalia of an old-time coachman.

Unmoved by aspiring MPs’ plea

A complaint that members of the railway service who resigned their positions in order to offer themselves as candidates for Parliament were not, after their defeat, allowed to step back into the places they had vacated is coupled with a sage plea that a man’s economic position should not deprive him of the opportunity of being elected to a seat in the Legislature. The plea falls to the ground for the simple reason that the members of the railway service, whose plight has created concern, were not prevented from standing for Parliament. It was not their economic position that kept them out of Parliament: it was the fact that the electors did not desire their services in the capacity of their representatives. — Editorial

See how the mainsail sets

A large number of citizens visited the French sloop Cassiopee yesterday afternoon, and spent several hours looking over her appointments. The visitors were conducted round by members of the ship’s company. Needless to say, the French visitors have made a host of friends through their courtesy. The Cassiopee will be open to the public for inspection this afternoon. — ODT, 28.1.1926