Two of the huts were swept down the river. The secretary of the Waimakariri River Trust said last night that the river was threatening to cut right through the settlement and, in his opinion, there was not one hut there that was safe.
Last night many of the owners of huts at the settlement were dismantling them and removing everything. Kaianga is a popular week-end resort with between 60 and 70 huts.
The Waimakariri at 11am today was nearly back to normal, and no further dangers were anticipated at Stewart's Gully.
Farmers need to work on branding
Wool brokers and buyers seem to find a good deal to complain about in the way farmers send their wool to the store. It is true that many clips are sent in with no regard for classification or branding. The branding, booking, and weighing of wool bales are small matters, and in the rush in the woolshed are often neglected or only partially carried out. A little attention to these matters by the sheep farmer — and specially in branding — would save a lot of trouble at the store and would do the seller no harm. The bale should be branded on both ends with the station or farm name, and the number of the bale. Both ends should be dealt with, as it is not always possible to place the packs all the same way, and it is no small task turning bales over to ascertain the owner. It is also a good idea to state on the bale the class of wool contained therein.
The brand should be stencilled in black ink, and decent-sized letters, and should not be too long, or contain fancy signs or monograms which cannot be easily trans-scribed. The numbering of the clip should be done consecutively. These points, if attended to, are well worthwhile.
Magistrate urges road marking
As a means of regulating motor traffic in Auckland and minimising the risk of accident, Mr F.K. Hunt SM is suggesting the adoption by the City Council traffic authorities of the white line system of marking, which has been tried with pronounced success in England and Wales. As a result of his own experience as a motorist and of evidence adduced from numerous accident cases, he is called upon to investigate as a magistrate, Mr Hunt says he is convinced that the system would add materially to safety on the streets.
"The white line of safety", as the system is known, involves the painting of a white line in the middle of the road at crossings, corners and bends to indicate to motorists that they must keep to the inside of the line and not encroach on that part of the road which is the domain of the oncoming stream of traffic.
Exhibition vandal ‘known’
On Saturday one of those aimless acts of wanton mischief which characterise certain types of manhood was witnessed — unfortunately not by an official — in the Otago Court when a visitor leaned over the rail and deliberately pushed under water the model of the Vulcan dredge which is shown in the act of reclaiming Logan Park. This action threw the dredge out of action and did serious damage to the motor working the pump, necessitating its removal for repairs. As the perpetrator is known, the authorities intend to take drastic action unless reparation is promptly forthcoming.
— ODT, 8.12.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
