MILITARY NOTES
Competition for Lady Armstrong’s Cup
It has been found impossible, owing principally to the expense involved, to run a football competition for the above trophy, which was recently presented to the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers. Instead to save travelling it was decided to put the trophy for competition in connection with the miniature range competition at present being run. Competing platoon teams will thus fire on their own ranges and neutral referees have been chosen to see that the conditions are fulfilled to the letter. For this purpose Major Smail, Jobling, Booth, and Capt. And Quartermaster Price have been selected. The competition commences tonight (Friday) at the Drill Hall, Berwick, when 13 Platoon will shoot No. 14.
CADETS’ DANCE
To augment the funds of the Berwick Company, Northumberland Fusiliers’ Cadets, it has been decided to promote a dance, and the date fixed is Thursday, March 10th. C.S.M. Tilley and C.Q.M.S. Boal are undertaking the duties of Joint Secretaries, and the services of the following have been secured to act on the Committee, viz.:- Major H. R. Smail (chairman), Capts. F. B. Cowen, M.C., E. H. Crow, E. D. Mackay, A. J. Kennington, and D. Hebenton, Sergts. H. G. Patterson, Ridpeath, M.M., and R. J. Swanston, D. C. M., and Messrs M. H. Blackett, A. C. A. Steven, and A. A. Crisp.
DEPOT NOTES
C.S.M. McClennan, M.C., D.C.M., formerly of the Depot, Berwick, and lately of Dumfries, who is under orders for India, has been made the recipient of a handsome silver spirit flask from the officers, N.C.O.’s, and men of the territorials there. Mrs McClennan, who is a Berwick lady, received at the same time a silver purse. We understand C.S.M. McClennan will be at Berwick Depot for a short period of duty before going aboard.
A draft of 39 men are leaving the barracks on Thursday (today) to join the details of the battalion at Devonport.
Gen. Sir Francis Davies, G.O.C. in C. of the Scottish Command, will visit the Depot, Berwick, on Tuesday next, and hold an inspection.
On Friday next Major-General Robertson, the G.O.C. the Lowland Division, will also pay a visit of inspection to the Depot.
BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS
His Father’s Maintenance
John Thompson, 75 Middle Street, Spittal, a stoker, was asked by Berwick Guardians to show reason that, he being of sufficient means, and being the son of Matthew Thompson, now an inmate of Berwick union, why he should not maintain his father. He did not appear.
Mr Peters, appearing for the Guardians, said the man had been paying under a verbal agreement to the Guardians, and his payments had been very irregular. This was the reason the case had been brought. A return of his wages had been secured from his employers at the gas Works, and this, up to the 20th January, showed that he had been earning on an average £5 1s per week. He was a married man, with a wife and three of a family, the eldest of whom was 14 years of age. The cost of his father’s maintenance in the Workhouse was 15s 2d per week. The verbal agreement under which the man had previously paid, was based on a much smaller rate of earnings. He had then agreed voluntarily to pay 4s weekly, and he now asked that the Bench fix the amount which they thought he could reasonably be expected to pay. Ordered to pay 6s per week and court costs.
NORHAM & ISLANDSHIRES RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
The District Roads The Best In the County
The Surveyor then submitted his report and estimated on the amount of road material required during the ensuing year. The report was as follows:-
The season that is closing has not been a favorable one for road upkeep. The changing conditions and more exacting nature of the traffic on our highways makes it imperative to approach the maintenance problem in a different manner to that adopted years ago, when motoring and motor haulage was not so great the nature of this traffic is greatly increasing, and the roads occupy a place of great importance in the industrial life of the district. The quantities given in this estimate are the very minimum required, and I trust in the forth coming season there will be a better supply available than there has been for some time past. Regarding the method of application of material, I beg to suggest that the Council continue to make and use tarred chips upon the roads now being thus treated. This method gives us a very good wearing surface that suits all traffic. As instructed by you, I carried out some short stretches of tar painting as an experiment. From my observations of what was done, I find that as a preservative of the road surface it is certainly good. For motor car, motor haulage, and motor char-a-banc traffic it is of the utmost benefit. It is beneficial in the saving of the machine or car, and it is beneficial to the comfort of the users through the surface being fairly smooth. It is also a benefit to those having to keep up and pay the cost of maintaining a road, in the fact that the tar painting increases the life of a road. Of course, I would point out that a good road is smooth, and that it is an important matter in a district such as this. Tar painting makes a road smoother than before painting: It is becoming recognised generally as an economical method of road preservation, and I would not like the Council to altogether discard tar panting because of its chances of getting slippery a few days in the year. My opinion is the benefits outweigh the occasional inconveniences. I would suggest that I treat the matter in an experimental manner for another season.
The total quantity of stones estimated to be required is 5550 cubic yards, and 750 tons ¾ in. chips and dust.
In reply to Mr Wood, the Surveyor said these estimated quantities were 500 cubic yards up on those of last year, the extra material being for the Duddo, Grindon Bridge, Ord and Sandbanks (Scremerston) roads. It was agreed to forward the quantities required to Mr Hogg, Kyloe Quarry, and get his estimates. At present the chips are taken from Kyloe to the Norham depot to be treated with tar, and the suggestion was made by Miss Greet that a tar depot might be made at Kyloe to save the expense of carting the chips likely to be required for use on road in the Kyloe area to Norham and back. Mr Wood agreed it was ridiculous to take the chips to Norham for tar treatment and then bring them back to Kyloe, but he suggested, with the approval of the council, that they wait Mr Hogg’s reply before taking any step in the matter.
Mr Collingwood thought that the roads treated with tar chips were excellent and far away in advance of the roads kept up by the County Council, whose roads were a disgrace to the County.
Mr Wood – The roads in this district are the best in the County.
SPORT
Badminton
BERWICK V. NEWCASTLE
The Officers’ 7th N.F. Club played their most important match so far this season on Saturday last, when they tried their strength against the Newcastle Club, and came successfully through the test, beating the visitors by 9 matches to 7, 19 sets to 18, and 469 games to 394. The Newcastle Club were handicapped by having a man short over the 4 couples. Their strongest couple were Professor Hounte and Mrs Davidson, who played with fine combination, and beat all the Berwick couples, though Miss Mackay and R. Bishop succeeding in taking them to 3 sets. The visitors adopted different tactics, standing more on a level in the courts than the home couples, whose combination was, on the whole, good, one player guarding the back line and the other playing well up. The Newcastle ladies placed their shots more skillfully than the Berwick ladies. Berwick’s strongest couples were Mrs J. E. Carr and the Rev. J. H. Cutherbertson, and Miss Mackay and R. Bishop, each couple winning 3 out of the 4 matches played, Mr Cuthbertson, playing well forward, specialised in tricky shots at the net, combining well with Mrs Carr, who was as steady as a rock on the back line. Miss Mackay and R. Bishop also played a well-combined game, the former hitting with vigour from the back line, and the latter getting in a record number of brilliant “smash” shots that were quite unreturnable. Miss Caverhill and J. A. Herriot played steadily, but Dr Caverhill was not up to his usual form, though his partner, Mrs Fedden, played a steady game at the net. Ther was quite a crowd of spectators in the gallery, and after the match friendly games were also played between the teams.