PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 631, 7 October 1909, Page 5

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

' OTAKI. A meeting of Natives was held here on' Monday. evening to. welcome the Rev. J; .. A, M'Nickle, the new Principal of tho Otaki Maori' College.. Among those present were the Rev. Jtr. Smith and Rev. Mr. Tamuera, P. H. J.-Kebbell, Ke.nsfield, Hori te.' Waru, P. H. Tnipn,' and Eawiri. The_ Native..' speakers warmly" welcomed the Rev.' Mr. M'Nickle, but 'at;the same' timo took; oxception to the manner in, which they hadbeen treated by the trustees of the "Porirua, -Trust. The Rev. Mr. Smithi in. the coursd-of his remarks, stated that'he knew from', personal experience that Mr. M'Nickle,would ,bo a«.warmly welcomed as.he had;been on his arrival in Otaki, and since. He'stated,'that"'Monday had been a glad. day. tj . him—it had. been so pleasing to ; Bee such lieautiful.'buildings'opened, and he trusted that tho college would bo' well filled with Native children. . He'had no doubt but that the new Principal ■ would make the college a success, and it. remained with the Natives to . assist him in doing so. From, an academic, 1 point ,of view, • Mr. M'Nickle was the' best qualified teacher who had ever been in tho district,.,'and ho asked the Natives to let bygonos be bygones and'sink all'differences over the opening ceremony.' Mr.; M'Nickle, in replying, stated that he would do- his best for the welfare of the Native.: children and the college, and he asked for their co-operation, without .which the school would not be the success'that it should be..He asked them-to send 'their children. to .school regularly, and in case of. grievances to consult hiih at once, instead of keoping their children away from lessons.... It would bo. his endeavour to train his charges, not only in matters embraced'by the cuiriculum, but also in-'matters'and':ideals relating to good citizenS^A P 'fire whick occurred at about 1.20 on Tuesday morning destroyed a cottage owned and occuSied by Mr. H. Hoani, a Nativo resident of tew, Otaki. •" m iThe monthly open meeting of the Otafci United Temperance Society was held in the Town Hall on, Monday night

■; ; vFKATHKKNTON. • The animal meeting of- the Featherston branch •of the. Greytown and Lower Valley Horticultural and Industrial Society was held this week, twenty-one members attending. It was/decided to hold the annual show on November 18. . . Messrs. C. J. Kent-Johnston and A/ E. Leary were appointed delegates to attend the meeting' of tile society in Greytown. Tho books showed a credit balance oi .only ss:' Id!, 'but attention was drawn to, the fact that' the amount of prize-money given last year was .£25. greater than formerly. . The. annual meeting of the Jbeatherston Volunteer Fire Brigade was held in'the Oddfellows' Hall on .Monday evening,. there-be-ing'a full--muster of,members. Lnptain Kot> tei presided.- Tho following: is the. result of the "ballots, for the officers for tho ensuing year Patron, Mr.yW.; Barton ' (re-elected); president, Mr. A. J. Toogood (re-elected); vicepresidents, Messrs. J. Crawford (re*elected), ft: M'Donald, J. H. :Tully, and H. A. Matthews; captain, Mr. H. Retter, (re-elected unopposed) j lieutenant, A. Tait (re-elected); foreman, C. Lust; secretary,' W. Whyte; first branebman,' 0. Crawley ; second branchman, A' Trickerf first' hydrantman, E. walkersecond-' hydrantman, H. Walker, The. resignation of. Hydrantman Hutchms was handed in. and received with regret. One new. member. was proposed, aud Mr. H. Bagley-'.was olected an honorary member. Thomas Ruane was elected brigade messenger. K letter was received 1 from the Town Board giving permission to use tho board's room for meetings provided that?no smoking was' allowed. The annual report and balance-sheet were read and confirmed. : After the business had been, concluded a most enjoyable smoke concert was held. . 'A . number of toasts were honoured, and ■ songS were • rendered by members.

' FEILDING. :' The president of the Manawatu Rugby Union (Mr. Fred Pirani). put up a good record for travelling to" meetings from Feuding to PSlmerjton during the season, oycling " 620 miles altogether, and missing only one ,pom"The wilding Operatic Society will produce "The Gondoliers" on October 28 and 29. Mr. D. H.Guthrio, M.T. for Oroua, who in-, tends taking -.up his• permanent residence in Feilding after: the close of the session, was given a-great send-off and a numbor of presentations by the settlers of Rangiwahia* just' before leaving for Wellington. . Hith'etto ' Mri- Guthrie has been engaged in farming at Ruahine.

.• OTAKI GORGE.

■ The: 'local cricket , club, . which 'last season Droved so successful under the guidance of Captain Beauchamp, has met with a serious loss. It seems that the entire paraphernalia■ of'the'cliib' bats, etc., were stored in a shed, the property of Mr.'Mills, which was burnt down, and "its contents also destroyed. MrMills himself, lost, some JE2O worth of :tools, which were'not'.insured. >' _ "Mr.'- Dnnn, ' the secretary of the Hautree Eiflo 'Club; states-that, .although the club has only been'-in existence for , a comparatively short 1 period; it has been, very successful at the range.-' With the exception ,of tho Paraparaiimu Club it fired more matches during the past year than any of its older rivals. It hhs n6iv a membership of over 40, and . possesses ah up-to-date range, equipped with a telephone, and a, large pavilion has lately been : erected, in • whioh visiting teams can .be cntertaiiied. . The club has set, a goodiesample :to .similar institutions by admitting cadets into .their ranks. They are also the •presont of the Field ChaUenßC Shield. the great rainfall experienced last week, ,the lambs in this: vicinity look remarkably well, and a good percentage can be looked. forward to; . . . -Nothing:..seems. to stir the Horowhenua County Council into ameliorating the condi-tion-of the settlers: here. : The track at times is: not.' only 'jimpassable but • positively dangerous, owing to fallen trees ana slips. For days •at a Stretch residents are-unable to .get out fcjr mails or stores. .A. petition of the.rate.payers' has'-bewl largely .signed in favour of 'a separate'county. It ,is felt .that if ; this could bo done there would be at least a reasonable chance-of improvement. ,

SHANNON

' Mr. jf Boos has left this district to .take up a position at Aorangi. -, '' „• • ; ... -In spite'of the fact/that all.the flaxmills in the district have resumed operations, .there are still an : unusually large number of-men "carrying the swag" on the -roads in and about ' There was a : good attendance at the fortnightly euchre assembly ..in the Public. Hall, Tokoniaru,. on Monday night. .Miss N. ,Spillaine iMa a handsome lady's writing " companion, and Mr. T. Boyd was the winner, of a Vatch. At the other end .Miss L. Parr and Mr. W:.<:Judd carried off the prizes. After supper, which was provided by the ladies,-a dance took placed': Miss M'Kenzie presided at the'piano. . . '. >'■ '. About forty members of the Literary, and Debating Society were • present in' the Town Hall on Tuesday; night, when the subject of debate was "Gambling or Drink, which is the Greater, Evil?" Messrs. Clayton, E. Law, Oag, aiid E. Law contended that gambling was the greater evil, and their contention was; opposed by Messrs. Esall, Gundy, Gunning, .Hensman, Mrs. Hensmau,. Misses Asquith .and Wickliffe. On a show of hands drink obtained the greater number of votes. ! This was the first occasion on which ladies took part in a debate. It is likely : that .the society's'"Journal," to which about.. thirty papers nave been , contributed, Kill be, published, shortly. The'final social will "take' place on' Wednesday week, when vocalists from Palmerston North and other town?' will contribute to the musical , programme. ' ~ : • ~ Mr. SaundersVflasmill at Montoacommenced stripping last week. ,

TjEVIK.

Levin Rifle Club will , be represented on Saturday-next in their match with the Ngatiawa Rifle Club for the .Fiesh Food, and Ice Col's Cdp by the followingßifleman E. 0. Lewer,;J. Devine, J. Jfuir, R. S. Young; W. Ingram, J. Wood, H. Ward and W. Francis, sen.;".emergencies, P. Jones,-L. Ingram, J\V. Francis, jun. The match is to be fired on the Levin range, commencing- at noon. • , A meeting was held on Tuesday evening in Mr. P. W. Pink's shop to mako arrangements for a' .benedicts' ball. . ; The , stormy weather n'as against a large attendance and' after making ;a- ; few preliminary arrangements the meeting was-adjourned till Friday evening, •fho new'railway oro6sing ' at 1 Bath Street has"liiow been; open :for. oyer a week and is milch appreciated; by residents. It is expected; that'';the 'new,.crossing at the railway station will also ibe -open : shortly, the work being' at' present wMT advanced. ' -Messrs; Smart ; and Thorue, . representing JFjssrs: ■ R.'and W. Davidson (of Glasgow and London)'have secured the outputs of the following; factories .for the : coming seasonßut-ter-Cambridge; ftangatapere and ■'Whangarci (half), 'in the Auckland district; MidMrtt

(half), Mere Mere and Waitui, in- the Tara* flaki districti Canterbury Central,' Christ' church district. CheeEe—Cardiff. Rahotu, and White Cliff, Taranaki district. Messrs. Smart and Thome expect to handle some 2000 tons of butter and cheese,

PONGAHOA. ■ : Summer.work.is just beginning in the district. Docking is in full swing, and shearing begins in the middle of the month in some of the large, sheds.' Tho creameries havo opened, and the cartage of milk, and cream is largely responsible for the bad state of tho roads. The weather has been' wetter .for the last fewweeks than it has been all through the winter. Several' farms" in'this district "have changed hands lately. lln the liango Road, Mr. Qninlan has-sold- to Mr.. Waterman, . and Mr. Hughes to Mr. Jtorine,. and at Horoeka Mr. yf, Gilbert' has bought out Mr. J. Gilbert. In the township of Pongaroa Mr. G. Hayns has left, and few-will be missed more, In football and cricket, and in the local orchestra he was the leading spirit; On Friday our Amateur Dramatic Company 'staged -"Withered Leaves," the performance being in ai£ of a room for the library. It was a 'wretched wet day, and the roads were, bad, but there was a fair audience. ' Mr.' H. Robinson was in charge, and took a leading Sart, and Miss E. Brenton, Miss Magill, ana tessrs. Kent, Allen, and Davies furnished able support. .The audience was enthusiastic, and resiaents are justifiably proud that the amateurs are shaping-so .well.On Wednesday/ a Pongaroa draughts team of players journeyed to Korera. After some close tames, Pongaroa . won by 13 to 11- On Saturav the Karora. team returned the visit, and this-match ended in a draw—lo points each. Preparations are going on steadily to have the timber mill working at Akitio shortly, and Akitio;will be a busy port.soon. There will be a.great deal of-summer traffic on the road that is'open right from Weber_to Akitio. It is high time that Pongaroa people bent their energies -to their coast road. It seems out of all reason that the. settlers that end should pay the heavy railway freight from' Wellington to Pahiatua, then cart 40 miles over a bad road, and, after all, pay the Pahiatua County about ,£3OO a year to use their road, when thev can have their goods brought by water to Akitio and then carted only 20 odd miles. - Why does not the Farmers' Union actively take up this question?

PAHIATUA

The prospectus of the Pnhiatua-Akitio Association has beon issued. The capital is -£15,000, in JEI shares, and, already, a considerable number of shares have been applied for. It is proposed to acquire • the old-established business of Messrs. J. and W. Sturton and Co., grocers . and ironmongers, which, many years ago,- was started- by, J. R. Graham and Co. .The chairman of the,provisional dimtors is Mr. A. M'Farlane (also chairman of the .Ballance ; Dairy . Company), and considerable interest is being taken in the movement by other prominent men in the Pahiatua district. ....•.- .. ■ -

Considerable interest is being taken in- the, newly-formed rifle club at Kaitawa. ,Mi'. D.. Ross has been elected captain, and, uj to the present, twenty-five members hove been ■ enrolled, ' including one lady (Mrs. David Crewe). . . , The Pnhintua bowling green is now in splendid coidition. It will probably be played on this week. . .. V Tho> rainfair at Pahiatua for the moL*** ;f September was 6.27 inches. • . . .- ■ • • "W. Chambers, employed by Messrs. Gillwood Bros., coachbuilacrs, got a hand .caught in a planing, machine on Monday afternoon, sustaining rather severe injuries.