PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 7

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

•»..'■'.-'' •:■'':'.-",■'■'..-.■■•..■ trnou ocn si'ecial/coeiiesppndents.)

PALMERSTON;

: The Conciliation Board sat in Palmerston Nortli connection with the-,b'riok-' layers' dispute. The members of: tho board present were, Messrs? A. H. Cooper/ (chairman), A. ; Collins (workers' representative), F. Bedford, ahtlH. Inniss (employers' repre-; sentatives). Mr. W. B. Bodell,. secretary of. tlie r Wellington- Industrial Union of Workers,» appeared,on/behalf of the bricklayers, and Mr. M'Kehzie"'pri : behalf of "the" emplbyersi '/Mr/ Bodellstated that the bricklayers of : Palmersfcoii held-t|iat /wages had not: increased-dur-ipg.'rece'nt.years/ although;tho cost, of living had/'advanced :considera,bly,' ."'.7HO; had, visited' most of the employers' in Palmerstonj and five, had given their, signatures lis agreeing to'the' claims. Three would not'sign,'.but wero'-'guite .in",.favour"of,-the/'plainp .being// granted.; Twenty-fouremployers had-been pited/tp ap-. pear, but,' of. these,/ three .were out of/business, and Jpur o,r;ftt. o -.sT e r.oyout'of town, and he hadrto.tppeit/atilo.to.seethejn- '.AJI, hp\v-. ever, were-practically "in 'favour.'of the claims, being. granted:-.; The bnoklayors wbrkccl .47 hours per week.at paid for 48.hours.: 'Tlo-oit'ed tlie following names to" be added to the list of'employers in the- .-Wellington ■' Industrial ■Oistrict':—^J; •'■ Hickey,; H. White (Palmerston North), J, Jilaundor (Ashhu'r'stJiVl'.'Rimrrier, Av Spiers (Poxtbn),'' Steyenspiv, Spencer • (Shannon), Duncan- (Levin), and W, Noes ■ (Mahakau)'." Tho board adjourned tp reassemble'wt Wellington' on Eriday:/'. •- : ,./.' ■■■ :- /. r -':'; •-■' .' . ;'The ; .first,meeting .of creditors in the bankrupt estate .-of-:\V. -Richards, ' butcher/ 'of Manakau, was held yesterday. In the ,-absonco, of. Mr. G.-. J; Scott, Mr. H, N. Cookp, acting-.District Official:.'Assigneei presided/ The ■ financial statement-showed the .total debts t0:,b0"£567 2s, 4t1., and the total assets £669 25.-Bd.', with an estimated'surplus of £102 05..4 d.v H; •'-■ ~.:.,/:..:.;.; :;-;;.■:

, Bankrupt, in, his written statement, set out-: that, among causes; of his bankruptcy, were unnecessary pressure, of his mortgagee, thp long credit expected by. his"customer's in generalj and that too much money was exacted from-the'business from its cornmencemont. After the dpbtor had leen examined, it'was decided that his books shpuld be .investigated by an accountant, ■ ..'

The Rangitikei-Polo Club is sending two teams to Palmerston North on Wednesday next to compete against teams. from tho Manawatu ■; blub..' The following'(. have been' qhesen : to rwrescnt "the local olub (2), Levinjß,. Abraham, Giesen, Clifford; Moore, Goring, Johnston, and H. N. Watson. Gifson, howover, isunable'to piny, and his .place-in. the team has not yet. been filled. '■ 'Collections' were made' at St.- Apdrowla Church, on Sunday, in aid of the .'Messina' sufferers, the'total amount-obtained being £7,125; ,-:- : ',-r •;-.'.' y-

FEILDING

'. Last year parents; in the Wanganui Edu-. cation District were fined £50 Bs. for' tho absence" of ohildren from school. ". '•■'.:' ■"" Mr. Albort. Adsett has. secured .the' right from: : Mr..: Levin ;to timber on tho property near. laonui, formerly owned- by Mr. E. J.'Riddiford, and will commence operations within' a fortnight... He anticipates that'thero :_is ; two years' cutting th,erej and the timber, is-of good quality.. .Oil Sunday the town was enveloped in dense smoke from a bush fire oh the Sandoh Road, and the. people were complaining that a layer ■of ashes-was spread through their housesearlytjiis mornmg, .A.smart sho>ycrof rain fell, however,i and cleared the atmosphere, as well as making ,a' welcome cool change, jn the •tempera-tuft.'*'•;'' :':■ ' \ : 'v/' ,: ■■;.-. "".'/.% • ■ for the swimm'jng carnival in •Mr.' Carr'-s laka : next' Saturday are well forward; .'-. -~- .:' '."'".■

M3VIW.

: A : Blight qutbreak of.fire .occurred at Mr. Phillips s cycle shop "on Saturday evening. The' occupant's promptness in meeting tJie situation prpbpbjy averted ..Soriqu§ : conse-. qucnce's.'-;' ,;; " ;, 'v ':'■'.■"'* ■,'"■''.''' i,' .■■■

GUEYTOWN;

-.-.' Thp'Maofiliand Court, is .'sitting at;Groy4 town just now. 'Messrs. Mair and Wiremu Purangi Wharepurangi, are-the assessors. A bloqlc of some 22,000 acres, Waitetuma, is to be subdivided, and portions'of. it sold, Haro Parata is acting for the Natives.

OTAKI

Tho annual general meeting of the Otaki library; subscribo^ s was <_ hclpv on • Saturday, night, Mr; R. Booth presiding. T)io balancesheet showed that tho- bank overdraft had been reduced during the year from £02 6s. 2d.' to £88 13s. 7d,; Tho following committee of management was elected:—Mosdamep Jennings and D'Ath, 'Mossrs; Booth, : Eagar, Smith, Ponn, Simeox, Freeman, and Ling. Mr. Smith'was authorised to purchase books on behalf of the committee during tho year. ' Owing to a temporary shortngo in justices of the peace, a case of drunkenness sot down for 10 o'clock yesterday was adjourned sine die. Why tho appointment of moro justices is npt proceeded with is a conundrum lyhich Otaki residents cannot answer.