PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 500, 6 May 1909, Page 3

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(ntOU ODE SPECIAL COKBESPONDE'JTS.)

PALMERSTON.

_ A meeting was held at Bunnythorpe on Tuesday ovening to consider the position in reforence to the : revaluation of land around Bunnythorpe. and Taoriui, Oroua County. Twenty settlers were presont, and Mr. R. Uurrie was voted to the chair. Mr. Campbell, who convened the meeting, gave various instances of tho unfairness of the valuation of land around this district, as compared with the valuation of land of equal value in other parts of tho Oroua County. After a number of those present had spoken the following resolution was proposed by Mr. Campbell, seconded by Mr. Rose, and carried:—"That this meeting of settlers of Bunnythorpe and Taonui protest against, and object to, tho recent valuation of land in the Oroua County, whereby the district surrounding Taonui and Bunnythorpe has ■been/more heavily penalised than" more valunble localities in the county." It was decided to send this motion to the Valuation Department. A bolt, carrying with it all elements of a sensation, took place yesterday morning, shortly after 11 o'clock, but, fortunately, it was not attended by serious result. It appears that the blowing off of steam from one of the engines in the station yard frightened the horse in one of Mr. Hunt's expresses, which was drawn up at the express stand. Swerving across the road, it came in contact with a pair of horses attached to one of Mr. Woodfield's cabs, also on the stand. . They wero greatly, frightened, and, turning round, bolted up Main Street for town,' with the express : horse after them. The latter was handicapped by having two wheels of. the express securely chained, and was presently stopped, but the cab horses continued on their career. At the crossing by the Commercial Hotel they broke fresh 'country, steering a safe but erratic course up the railway enclosure from the hotel to the Post Office, wherethey again came on to the road. They were almost stopped at the PosF Office by a spectator, but .got away again, only to be pulled up at Terrace End without any damage being done. Excitement was lent •to the occurrence by the fact that, when the cab horses got on to the railway line, the train from Wanganui was approaching down Main Street. The horses, however, got clear before the train arrived on the scene. For a long time past the insufficiency'of room and conveniences,at the Drill Shed has been commented upon by local volunteers. Recently Colonel Robin had his attention drawn to the matter, and, at his suggestion, plans of a-new building have been drawn by Captain Jickell. They provide for a drill ehed on the present site, 66ft. by 132ft.j with ten rooms, 24ft. by..l7ft. Alternative 'plans are forwarded for a wooden building (floored, with asphalt), to' cost £2650, or (floored with wood),'' to cost £2781, :'or £3200 in' brick.. ••' • . ' ;';..■ '■.... *The director of the' Technical School, Mr. F. D. Opie, waited upon the executive of the Employers' Association on Tuesday night to. urge upon employers the of the Technical School and its value .to them in their, various ' businesses. Mr. Opie askad for both moral;and practical support, and made suggestions as to the various ways.in which practical help could- be given. He detailed the various branches of the school's work, and extended an invitation to the employers to visit the school and see.for themselves what was going on. This suggestion was agreed to by the executive, and it was, decided 1 to pay a'visit to the school on. the evening of Thursday, May 20, 'when, iany member of the association who ■ desires may attend. . r '■'■'■' \ .'■ ■ .. ; ■ ' ' '

r , :, FEILDmG.v ;

An .Association Football Clnb was formed at Feilding on Tuesday night. ■;'; •'■ At the annual general meeting of the parishioners of St. Simon and Jude's Church, Hongotea, the. following,, wero appointed as a now voStry churchwarden, Mr. James'-Penny; .people's churchwarden; Mr: Edgar .Derham: vestrymen, Messrs. John Gloyno, G. F. L. Airey/F. G. Soddon, F. Bottcher, A. M. Davis,; Wm. Bpttcher, and A. 0. Penny; treasurer, Mr. E. Dorham. A meeting of ratepayers of tho district.was held. in the Bunriythorpe.; Tonm : : Hall ■' on Tuesday night.. The meeting wa x s called,for the purpose ; of ; discussing the unequal, and, oxcessive valuation of properties made recently by the Government valuer. Mr. , Currie was appointed chairman of the'meeting, and, after considerable discussion, it. was resolved, 1 on tho motion of Messrs. Rose and A. Campbell, that; tho ratepayers protest against the unfair valuations made in the district. It was also resolved that tho ratepayers •bo asked to object individually to their.high valuations. A house at Halcombe, occupied by Mr. William Hirst, and owned by Mr. Taylor, of Colyton/ was .totally destroyed. by fire at 5.30 o'clock yesterday morning. ; Very little of the. oontents was'saved. ■•■ .." ;

Mr. Rohald. Cameron,-late of Auokland, has,'purchased Mr. Fred Nicholson's farm near'Ashhurst,;together, with his dairy herd,' etc. ,The sale' wrs effected by a Feilding firm. ■ ~' ■ ~.; . ~. ■ ' •'';' What may'bo'taken as a very-reliable sign of Feilding's progress- is the work at the railway station. '-Business' 'there' is brisk/ and; although the pressure' of the heavy stock season is practically over, a sufficiently large export and import ifado is being carried on to keep the .officers busily at work.' The outward railage of wool, sheep, cattle, and pigs is still on the increase, .thus showing that the district; of which Feilding is the centre, is becoming more and more a supplier'of stock for other.districts...: '■'■ . The new Courthouse is progressing steadily towards completion. 'The outer walls and the: roof are finished, the plasterers have covered nearly all the' brickwork, and;there .now rcn.asn Only the floors, > arid fittings/to bo'added. : ■ .

LEVIN.

The first. meeting of the newly-elected Levin Borough Council wa3 held yesterday afternoon, when the Mayor (Sir. B. R.; Gardener) was installed by Councillor Cameron.Tho 'Mayor iwas ' congratulated by all the councillors present in turn.' Councillor Mackenzie sent an-apology'-for. unavoidable'.abseuce, having been called,out of town. All tho other councillors wore present. The Levin School Committee: held a special meeting on Tuesday, evening, when Mr. J. F. Williams, of ilasterton, was. appointed to the'vacant assistant-master's position. The committee, decided to meet. at the school grounds, on. Saturday, May 15, to. '.NMsirlcr the planting.of trees, oto.j thereon. ■ : In connection with the running-down of .sheep by the. mail; wain (reported .vaster? ■

day), no fewer than 39 animals wero killed, and the lino was strewed with the dead animals for nearly 500 .yards. Is is felt hero that it is about. fame the Eailway Department granted the oft-repeated request formore crossings, as at present all the- traffic across tho lino has to go by Queen Street, and it is a wonder that accidents have been so few, considering' the amount of traffic) goino; that,way; Only the other.day,a horse and "trap just ©scaped being run down by, a few,feet., The animals killed on Tuesday belonged to Mr. Dentin, and had just been §urchased at. tho sale of Mr.- J. R. Maconald's stock at the local yards,. ,\

.GBETTOWN,

Mr. D.- P.; Loasby made the usual declaration as Mayor yesterday. Nominations have closed for the three councillors required to make the nine. Messrs. F. Hayes, W. Brunton, and P. Rogers were nominated and declared elected. ;

SHANNON

Among the remits to be submitted by tho local branch of the Farmers' Union to the Eketahuna Conference are the following:— (1) That' attention be called to the excessive value put upon the unimproved value .of land; (2) That an amendment to the Drainage, Act is desirable. .-■

OTAKL

The annual meeting of the Horownenua Hockey ■ Association was held on Tuesday night at Manakau, but owing -to tho absence of the secretary no report or balance-sheet was sub-nitted. Tho following officers were elected:—Patron, Mr. W. H. Field, M.P.j president, Mr. Glackcn; vice-presidents, Mesdames Monokton and Catloy, Messrs. Bright, Brown, and Bevan; secretary, Mr. Kilmister; representative selectors, Messrs. Parker, Bevan, end Sims. All championship matches will start on May 19. Miss Hurley, and Messrs. M'Meekan, Kilmister, and Sims wore.deputed to arrange fixtures. Trouble arose over securing and each club is to be requested to send in the names of six players who will act whenever their team ;has a bye. ■ , , ..■-

The football fixtures for rdxt Saturday's championship are:—Kia Toa (Otaki) v. Levin, at Otaki; Manakau v.. Shannon, at Shannon.. The opening day for the junior competition has not yet been decided,