PROVINCIAL NEWS. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 9

PROVINCIAL NEWS. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

AIAJiTON

Mr. John M'Jildowney has been elected (unopposed) Mayor of Marton, vico Dr. Skorman, resigned. Mr. M'Eldowncy has been a resident of Marton for. many years, and his election is a popular one. He is retiring from business as a draper at the end of this month. ,

Tho first annual picnic promoted by tho United Friendly Societies Council was held -under most favourable circuinstancos on Mr.

J. Nesbit's picturesque grounds, at Porewa on Wednesday. Thero was an exceptionally largo attendance, and great interest was shown in the various attractions provided. The.Marton Brass Band was .iu attendance, and played an cnjoyablo programme.

A cricket team, chiefly representing Rangitikei, has gono to play Wairarapa, and will also moot trams in' Canterbury/ South Canterbury, and Hav.ko's Bay on their return. The following players aro making the trip:— 0. Marshall, H. Arkwright, P. F. Turner, It. C. Smith, E. W. Broad, \T. H. Miles (Marlon), Bamberger (England), Cargill (I'aranaki), Banks and Joseph (Cheltenham), and Buttenyorth (Wanganui). , For the last week ten of tho Homo missionaries of the Presbyterian Church have beaii in rnsidenco at the Maori Girls' College at Turakina for the purpose of devoting thomsolves . to. conference and study. The missionaries have come in some cases from as far .nvay as Canterbury. The Revs. Boss, Gordon, Buddo, Jolly, Hutsop, and M'Cully havo all been taking pprt as lecturers, and a most profitable time has been spent.' On Wednesday the West. Coast Battalion 1 ,of Volunteers turner! out for field mnmeuvres in l the vicinity of Turakina. -The .-Wanganui portion, comprising three companies under Captain Harper, detrained at Turakina, and proceeded -up the Makirikifi stream to meet the. Southern portion, which detrained at (iowor's ilotul, Bonny Glen. . Tho Southern portion, under Major Hughes, also consisted of, throe companies—tho Royal Rifles (Marlon), under Captain Batten; the Palmcrston North liiiies, ■ under Captain. MoUiiscy- K and the Palmcrston North Guards, under Captain' JH'Murray. ;.Souip useful' work was .done, ciffisers and men gaining valuable instruction in attack and defence. Ijieut.-Col. Watt, V.D., acted as umpire, and Surgeon-General Skerman and Captain , M'Donald, of tho General. Staff, Wellington, were also present watching the proceedings. After tho inano;uvrcs the wholo battalion marched into Turakina for tea, and entrained there "for their .respective headquarters. The now church, at Makirikirr was opened .011 Sunday last 1 by the Rev. J. K. Elliott, of Wellington, when tho. little building was taxed to its utmost. ' On tho Monday evening a social gathering was held in the church, and a very, enjoyable time was spent. .-The musical portion of tho programme was contributed to by Misses Wallace and Couper, Mesdames J. Wilson . and Hamilton, and Messrs. Schultz and Hamilton. Addresses were given by Revs. Gordon, Elliott, Ross, and M'Cully. . '' CARTERTON. There is some opposition hero to tho street improvement loan propos. 1 by tho Borough Council,, 1 those .who livij' tho outskirts grudging the trilling iner, : in tho,annual rate.- , t . ,- .. Two rink's from the Fe.'Jierston Bowling Club played a; friendly msttcli on tho. green here on Wednesday; Mr- team win- | uing by l'J to 17 from Mr. Nix's, team, whilo Mr. Aitchison's, team went down by 20 to •27 at tho . hands of Dr. Johnston's'team, Carterton thus/winning by sovcu on tho aggregate (46 to 39). .■ , ; | Tho annual circuit picnic of. the Wesleyaii Church was held on Wednesday on the,pretty, sheltered grounds of Mr. M'Parland at Dalclield, and, in spito of the unpleasantness'of tho smoke and heat, tho outing was much enjoyed. . . '. Another of our pioneers has passed away in. tho parson of Mr. 13. S. Mauhscil, of .Hiversdalo, Waihakiki. Tho deceased was one of tho earliest and most respected of :tlio early settlers, lie leaves a grown-up family of two sons and throe daughters. Mr. H. ..Maunsell, solicitor, is a son. GBEYIWN. "The Grcytown .bowlers entertained- four rinks from the ranks of tho Wellington Oddfellows on Wednesday. Tho visitors scored 112 points in the first game, and tho local team only 73. In tho second, round, Greytown mado 8.1 against tho visitors' 07, and honours aro thus easy. , Tho local volunteers got through a lot of class firing on Wednesday last. Bush tires aro still raging around the district,'and a largo, area of grass is being burned. ' OTAKL Tho match nHween ■ the Wellington Wednesday cricketers and representatives of this district- was played oil Wednesday, when tho visitors on the first innings were beaten by 5-1 runs. The only other attraction on Wednesday was tho annual. Methodist Sunday School picnic, which was held in tho vicinity of tho railway station. Thero was an attendance of about two hundred, aiid an enjoyable tinio was spent. Tho'compensation case, Js'odino v. Countv Council, commenced here yesterday, and will probably last a couplo of days. SHANNON. , Tho annual match between Shannon Cricket Club and Wadestown took place hero on Anniversary Day, and ended in a draw. Both sides batted fourteen men, Wadestown scoring 148, and Shannon 109 for nine wickets. Whiterod was top-scorer for Wadestown, making 37, while for Shannon Judtl and Quarrio made 28 and 19 respectively. For Wadestown,' Whiterod took most of the wickets, and Harvey was tho most successful trundler for tho local team.

On AVedncsday Mr. H. G'reig, chairman of tho Makcrua Drainage Board, inspected A'oss's new drain from its outlet into tho Manawatu to Seifert's tram-line. There is a gang of about fifty men engaged in cleaning the drain out aboro Seifert's tram-line. In connection with the lire on Sunday and Monday last on tho A. and L. Seiforl FlaxDressing Company's property, the qouQagration practically covered tho same area as the big tiro of tliroe years ago. Tho well-grown llax seemed to check tho lire, and there was very littlo flax ripe fc,r cutting destroyed, The peat is still smouldering in places, hut strict watch is being kept, day aud night,, by Mr. Seifert's 'and Mr. Greig's men. Tho Methodist Church Sunday School picnic took place on, Anniversary Day. A mostonjoyablo day was spent. Mr. 11. O'Connor is removing to Foxton, where he is likely to superintend the working of tho Crown Mill. , FEATIiEItSTON. A poll, in connection with the Fcathcrston street lighting proposals, takes plaeo hero on February 5. Mr. M. Lust, late of AVellington,- has comn'.eneed business as a tailor and mercer in I''eathersfon. A cricket match between Featherstou and St. Patrick'.? Old Hoys, to have been played hero on AVtdnesday, did not take place, the Old Boys not putting in an appearance. A wool shed on the Wilkinson Kstato, at I'igeon Bush, has been destroyed by the bush lire;:. Close on 1700 sheep were sent away from hero on AVcdnesday.

Yesterday's Gazette contains nrw rofru l;jlirnis rr-jjii>-■)iiic: (lie transmission of lelegrains by telephone, the c!in i-fffs lit telephone bureaux, and tin' construction m private lines. Several cases of drunkenness came before Mr. J. lilanil. J.l'., at Mount Cook yesterday. One first -oli'nnder was lined 10s., or 48 hours' imprisonment, and t "iv,i others as., or 4ti hours, while t.svo were convicted and discharged. William Dcvlan was lined 205.. or, in default, 7 davs; William Black was sentenced lo 7 day's' hard labour, and .Michael Blake, who was convicted of being drunk and disorderly, was lined 10b., with the alternative of 13 hours in gaol