This week in history: March 20, 1924

From the archives of the River Murray Advocate...

Parliamentary river trip

The parliamentary party which has been visiting the river settlements arrived at Ponde on Wednesday morning.

Boarding trollies, we drove around the rich lucerne flats and admired the splendid condition of the dairy cattle.

One settler is making £500 a year; others, of course, are not doing so well, but that is inevitable anywhere.

The settlers’ areas (at Neeta) have recently been extended.

One thing that would please Neeta residents more than anything would be a punt.

The only exit from Neeta is by a rough roadway up a precipitous hillside.

Wall was the next settlement touched at.

This is more of a grazing than a fruit proposition.

There are 11 settlers on this area, and the majority of them gained a brief insight into dairying at the Pompoota Training Farm.

The land was first allotted eight years ago, and today there are more than 600 acres growing rich lucerne and other green fodders.

The minister and party visited the local school, and the children were granted a half holiday.

A tour around Mypolonga was also taken.

The expenditure on reclamation and irrigation in this area amounts to nearly £150,000, and today there are 75 civilians and 15 discharged soldiers on it.

Members were agreeably surprised at the prosperous appearance of Mypolonga, with its fine homesteads, orchards and dairy herds.

The legislators who visited the river settlements per medium of the Gem were much impressed with what they saw, but were eloquently silent in regard to what should be done to relieve the settlers of the great disabilities under which they are labouring at present.

In comparing the lot of the river settler with those in the northern areas, the minister almost made the river men believe that they were enjoying a veritable paradise, and his encouragement of the men on the reclaimed river areas not to be pessimistic would have been very acceptable were it not for the pathetic plight in which many of the men find themselves today after years of struggling and the expenditure of their all in their efforts to win a livelihood from the soil to which water has been applied, per medium of the Irrigation Department, at an enormous cost to the settler.

It is all very well for a man who is starving to be told that others are in a worse plight, and that he should think himself lucky, but it does not help in any way, and is indeed only another expression of the oft-repeated phrase that “half an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory”.

Quoit club

A meeting called for the purpose of forming a quoit club was held at the institute, Murray Bridge, and was well attended.

Councillor J. Porteous was appointed to the chair, and stated that the club was commencing with a small number, and he hoped that it would grow; he felt certain that when the public became enthusiasts the membership would certainly increase.

It was agreed to purchase four sets of quoits and that Mr F.A. Heddle be thanked for granting the use of a portion of his land on Government Road for the purpose.

Mothering Sunday

Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent, often called Refreshment Sunday on account of the gospel of the day, which tells of Christ feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fishes.

It is also often called Mothering Sunday.

This Sunday is therefore the ancient Mother’s Day, and will be observed by the Anglicans in the parish of Murray Bridge.

To this view of spiritual motherhood will be added the thought of honour due to earthly mothers, and various modes of paying a tribute of respect have already been devised.

Visitors wishing to join in the good old custom of “going a-mothering” will be cordially welcomed at the church, and invited to partake of the simnel cake that will be provided in the parish hall after the service.

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• The SA Liberal Federation: The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable S.M. Bruce PC MHR, will address a public meeting at Murray Bridge on Tuesday, March 31 at 8pm. Chairman M.W. Parish, Mayor of Murray Bridge. Senators B. Benny, J. Newland and R.V. Wilson, Minister for Markets, and representative M.D. Cameron will also be present. Everybody welcome.
• Read more: trove.nla.gov.au.