This week in 1919: October 16

Peace Loan Contributions—As some discussion has taken place, as to the amounts subscribed by Nathalia and Numurkah district residents towards the Peace loan, we give herewith the respective amounts, according to the official figures:—Numurkah — Bank of Australasia, £4550; Bank of Victoria, £2150; Savings Bank, £1950: Bank of Australasia, Strathmerton. £1600; Bank of Australasia. Wunghnu, £1020: through a Shepparton bank £700, total, £14,470, Nathalia Bank of Australasia, £1210: Commercial Bank, £3390; Bank of Victoria, £2591; insurance policies, £3350; cash subscribed at the aeroplane £80: total, £13,651 Numurkah thus subscribed £819 more to the loan than Nathalia

A Suggestion.—A suggestion that we feel sure has only to be mentioned to secure its adoption was made us the other day.  This is to the effect that the football teams in the association might follow the example set by clubs in the Shepparton association and devote a portion of the gate receipts to the Mooroopna Hospital. We are informed that quite a substantial sum has been contributed in this way, and it would be a graceful act if the clubs this end followed suit. There is no need to stress the value of the Mooroopna Hospital to the district, nor the ever present need for funds to enable it to maintain its good work, but in this connection it might be mentioned that there are at the present time no less; than six patients from districts north of Shepparton in the institution recovering from operations for appendicitis. 

SUGGESTED SHIRE SEVERANCE.

(To the Editor)

Sir,—The following facts may be of interest to the gentlemen who signed a letter appearing in your contemporary:—

The Moira Riding was severed from Echuca shire and annexed to the Shire of Numurkah against the will of the majority of the councillors as the shire was then constituted. In order to induce the Numurkah Shire Council to accept Moira as part of its territory, an officer was sent up from the Lands Department (Mr Morkham, I think) to discuss the matter with the councillors. The full council was present, and the officer, on behalf of the Government of the day (of which the Hon. Geo. Graham was a member), promised that Moira would be annexed to Numurkah as a separate riding, and would be placed in the fourth schedule for the allotment f the Government grant. The latter part of the promise has not been fulfilled up to the present time, nor is it ever likely to be. 

While the Moira Riding was part of the Echuca Shire, it had accumulated a debt of £3,000, but so anxious was that municipality to cast off this incubus of a constantly increasing debt that it offered to hand over Moira to Numurkah with a clean sheet, and place the responsibility of paying this large sum on the ratepayers of the other ridings of the Echuca shire. The Government forced the annexation on the Shire of Numurkah against the strenuous opposition and protests of six of its nine councillors. Numurkah had thus to accept the Moira Riding with its expensive Goulburn crossings and other disadvantages for all time. To obviate the possibility of the new riding again losing itself in a sea of debt, the other ridings of the shire agreed to contribute a large proportion of the expense of maintaining the Goulburn crossings, which rightly belong to Moira, and in this way enable that riding to devote more of its rates and grant to making its roads, etc.. passable throughout its broken territory. If Nathalia got severance, and was constituted a shire, a proper adjustment of accounts would relieve the Central and Eastern Ridings of their annual contribution to the river crossings, and possibly give a substantial refund of past payments, and thus place on the new shire a burden it would take years to wipe off. It is more than probable that the gentlemen who attached their names to the letter in the “Herald,”’ dealing with Nathalia as a badly treated centre, hardly gave due consideration to the facts here set out, or perhaps it would be more charitable to assume that they were not aware of them, therefore, did not consider them at all.—Yours, etc.,

JACOBUS.

To celebrate the State Library of Victoria’s digitising of the war years editions of the Numurkah Leader, each week we will include the news of the week, 100 years ago.

To view these editions online go to trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/title/591