Curling teams gather at Naseby

Curling teams at play at the annual Naseby bonspiel. — Otago Witness, 8.8.1922
Curling teams at play at the annual Naseby bonspiel. — Otago Witness, 8.8.1922
The annual bonspiel took place at Naseby in the beginning of the week. The ice on Tuesday and Wednesday was not as satisfactory as it might have been, and as a consequence the play was somewhat marred. The medal was awarded to the Cambrians club, and was presented at a social held on Wednesday evening.

Disseminating facts of life

Since the Bradlaugh and Besant case was decided in 1877 there has been no legal barrier in this country to the dissemination of knowledge which is absolutely essential if women are to be saved from the needless misery of producing unwanted children. It was from the point of view of these suffering women that Mrs Sanger first approached the problem of birth control. As a nurse in one of the poorer districts of New York she was a daily witness of the misery entailed upon women by the rapid succession of pregnancies and by the multiplication of children for whom the mother hod not the strength nor the father the means to provide.

"Safer Marriage: A Return to Sanity" by Miss Ettie A. Rout makes a complement to Mrs Sanger’s books, in that it more specially states the man’s side of a difficult and delicate problem. Like Mrs Sanger, Miss Rout, who is a New Zealander, has had to suffer for her opinions, and she was denounced in the New Zealand Parliament in no unsparing terms on one memorable occasion. Her book is sponsored by Dr Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, of Guy’s Hospital, London, who states that Miss Rout rendered great services to the Allied troops, services fully recognised by the French Government.

Gems from the country press

South Canterbury way, a baker advertises that he has resumed business "owing to unforeseen circumstances." How large a part the unforeseen circumstances may play in life: it may even open a baker’s shop. Next, "Refined girl wanted for light duties, mind child, not under 16." Refined sugar and refined oils; but what is a refined girl? A marriage notice: "A wedding took place last Wednesday afternoon in the Methodist Church, when Mr ABC was untied in the bonds of holy matrimony to Miss DEF, second daughter of Mr and Mrs So and So ..." Names of no consequence, but certainly a wedding of more than ordinary interest.

Tussock lands in trouble

It is the unfortunate distinction of Central Otago that it provides the instance in which depletion of the tussock grassland has reached its climax in the South Island. It is authoritatively laid down that aridity of climate, above all else, governs depletion. It is more easy to destroy than to build up. An interesting feature of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture for July is Dr Cockayne’s account of the re-grassing experiments in Central Otago. The Government biologist traverses every aspect of the denudation, and freely admits the formidable character of the conditions which have to be met and overcome before the regrassing problem can be solved. . If re-grassing were feasible, would it not be possible to clothe the now barren slopes with
plants of high rather than of low pasture value? Even if none of the pasture-plants at present in New Zealand were suitable there would be the pastures of the whole world available for material." — ODT, 29.7.1922