However, some good bathing was enjoyed towards the end of the season, and the club has attained a good footing to commence its new season.
The proportion of money collected at the life-saving collection for distribution at Forbury and St. Kilda (78) has been received by the club, and life-saving apparatus has been procured for the sheds at Forbury and St. Kilda.
A desire has been expressed by some members of the committee that a keener interest should be taken in life-saving work, and classes will be formed to promote this if the members of the club wish to learn this accomplishment.
Owing to the lack of interest in the club's property by the bathers at the St. Clair end of the beach, negotiations were made with a ladies' bathing club at St. Clair to sell the shed there for the sum of 10.
The interest of the club, therefore, is devoted to the St. Kilda and Forbury portions of the beach, and we have a men's bathing shed at Forbury now.
This, together with the shed that has been recently rebuilt at St. Kilda and the ladies' sheds, makes four good bathing sheds.
The thanks of the club are due to the Ocean Beach Domain Board, who has passed by-laws controlling bathers on the beach and guarding the property of the club, etc.
The Domain Board has notified the club that the scrub fence put up for the purpose of sun bathing is detrimental to the work of the board on the beach, and therefore this fence is to be removed.
The military spirit is no dead letter on the Otago Peninsula. There are the Territorials, whose service, although compulsory, is cheerfully and willingly rendered for the most part.
The National Reserve movement has brought out many of the stalwarts, some of the mounted branch riding all the way into Dunedin to attend parades.
It is expected that the branch which commences drill at Portobello this week will be within the vicinity of half a hundred strong.
These are to drill with the Territorials, and will thus have the advantage of staff instructors.
Then there is at Portobello an embryo rifle club, thirsting for range accommodation, and it is understood that the men in the neighbourhood of Highcliff are also anxious to form a club.
Negotiations for the procuring of a site for a 600 yards range at Shelly Beach, on the far side of the Portobello Peninsula, have been in progress for about six months, and those concerned are still active in the matter.
The range is a necessity, for at present the cadets and Territorials have to carry out their musketry on a 25 yards range.
The Ida Valley irrigation works are still going on, some 80 men only being employed at the present time; but, with the disappearance of frost and winter weather, it is to be hoped that the Government will push on the works for another season (says the Dunstan Times).
Some time ago tenders were called for 1000 tons of cement and 500 yards of sand to be carted.
There is some talk of the Government traction engine coming back to do some of the hauling, but settlers do not want to see it back, setting fire to the country in the vicinity of the main road.
The settlers had quite enough worry with the fires caused by the engine last season, and would much prefer that the hauling would be done with horses. - ODT. 23.10.1914.
