Woolley (who cut the ball towards Woodfull at third man, the latter returning smartly and correctly), gave Oldfield a chance of breaking the wicket while Woolley was trying to get a second run at his own ball.
When the seventh wicket had put on 35 Tate dragged his foot over the crease and was smartly stumped by Oldfield for 5.
From the remarks made by members of the Otago Motor Club at its meeting last night it appears that the Kawarau Gorge road is one of the world’s worst roads. The chairman (Mr A.E. Ansell) regards it as a death trap.
‘‘The week before last,” he said, “I motored to Queenstown and found the road to be in a very dangerous state. As most of you know it is a narrow road with a cliff on one side and then a precipice of hundreds of feet on the other, with the river at the bottom. There were ruts 12 inches deep at least, and when one gets in it is almost impossible to get out. The front wheels might get out while the rear ones would stay in, which is most dangerous. I met another car which was unable to extricate itself from the ruts as it approached, and finally, when it did get away, it shot across to the other side of the road. I think we should take steps to have that rectified.”
Mr Ansell added that he had written to the chairman of the Lake County Council, who had replied saying that he had asked the Main Highways Board to take the road over. The council’s total rates from that area of six miles were £26 per annum.
“It should be made a Government road,” the speaker went on. “The Lake County is not in a position to keep all the roads in good order, especially when the rates for six miles are only £26.” He moved: “that the club write protesting against the state of the road and urging that in view of the importance of keeping it in good repair, and the large amount of through traffic, it should be declared a Government road and kept in good repair.’’ The motion was carried unanimously.
Buy local or buy quality?
In the discussions that have been taking place respecting the Harbour Board’s prospective new dredge there has been a deal of what may be described as mere beating of the air. Some sympathy may be expressed with the desire on the part of local engineers to have an opportunity of tendering for the construction of the craft, but it would have to be shown that the work could be done efficiently and at a reasonable cost in local yards. The arguments put forward are more ingenious than reasonable. An endeavour at this stage to bring pressure on the board to change its plans — to change them to suit local industry — is in any case distinctly belated — representations of the kind should have been made to the board months ago. There has been no serious suggestion that a dredge of the type and dimensions contemplated by the board is within the capacity of any New Zealand firm to turn out.
Dredge building is an expert business, and the British firms have specialised in it for years. The Harbour Board made an experiment in having its steam tug constructed locally. This vessel has been the subject of continual complaint. — Editorial — ODT, 14.7.1926
