PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 649, 28 October 1909, Page 8

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

(From Our Special Correspondents.): , ■ .— —* —♦ -; ""'". %:".>*' r A successful .concert-;,was given, at Colyton last evening in aid of the. sohool funds." Mr. F. Pirani'(obairinan of itheWanganu'i Education Board) presided. : ,' , ''- ' The new.school at Dunolly,'noar- : Waituna, is to be opened next Monday.,. ... -.. •' Along the Kewa;^district, farmers are now taking advantage of the fine weather; and are busy getting' in their crops,, and. shearing their dry sheep; which.are, coming, out of their.wool in good . condition,' and quite up to* expectations. • . '■'■' ' ' Mr. Orton Stevens; of Hutt, motored through l from Wanganui to Peilding 'yesterday. 'His tonr. included a f visit to Eewa. ■ Stanway and Waituna . settlers have'been so much worried of late i by thieving that:the .aid of the police had:to be .enlisted.; S,ergcant .Bowden accordingly visited the district in plain clothes, and gathered in a large collection of articles, and two men. It; appears that, .the., sergeant went to the house of one of themen, apparently looking for something. . The man's wife-said to him: "What are you looking for?" "I'm looking, for an: inoubator "replied the officer. "An > incubator ?'■ What's thatP- What is it used, for?" asked;the lady. "In. this case," said the.' sergeant, • "it..will probably.be used for hatching, trouble."'He then 6pied what was apparently a - small table in' the corner of the drawing-room, neatly covered with cretonne, a table centre, and a few odds and ends. He moved them, and there stood the incubator. . "Where did it. come from?" he asked. "I. don't know," replied the wife. "I went to bed one night,-and, when I woke,up in the morning, it:was in tlie corner." "Ah!" replied the officer, "you see what happens through.leaving your doors open at night P'.'

OTAKI.

The nurses' cottage at the local 'hospital is neuring completion, and should bo ready'! for occupation in the course of a.few days. The site is an admirable one, and commands a view of the picturesque country below, with the sea in the foreground. ,'.-..■' ■ On Monday night an inmate of the Porirua Asylum, F. Charleston, escaped from the institution, and made his way northward. . Constable Shaw, after an arduous day's Bearch, discovered him late on Tuesday night near Te Horo. Yesterday morning the escapee was sent back to the institution.., ■ ■'. ! . The telephone is now in useat.Otaki Gorge andHautere, and is much-appreciated by settlers in these districts. - | Exception is being taken here, by several' local residents to the manner, in-which the remains of the woman.Mrsl Amelia Hemi, found recently in the vicinity of the Otaki beach, wore buried. ■ . .•'■.' ■-..■ ' ■■'.-'•

The.'Minister .for Railways' lias promised to. consider .tho views of an; Otoki deputation concerning the running of an early,morning train from ; here to Wellington. ' The Minister has promised to have, the;railway telephone connected with the local exchange.' > .'■■ ',:,■

' ' .••' levin.- . :C--'v :>;;•,. ' The annual report of'tho medical officer of the Wercroa Boys' Training Farm states that the general-health of-the inmates' ; has been food during the past year. The-water supply is,' however,'•• unsatisfactory, - and the' - report suggests the erection of a swimming-bath,' not only from the standpoint of health.'but also on account of there being no facilities for learning to swim at. the farm. 'During'.the summer, it may be pointed out,, the ; boys are often permitted-to go to the Ohau River,-near at hand, to indulge, in a "dip." ■ . ' ;'.'-, . Ten girls and two boys, from-the Salvation Army .'Children's Home, Wellington,'gave 'unentertainment in the Century''Hall 'on Tuesday' night to a good audience. The performance of .the little ones in aotion' songs, drill, etc., were well received.., Brigadier Holdalvay .was in -charge. ;:''■■■'■ , ' '■ ~.■-■•;'.;:';.;,- ~.;•, The Horowhenua .Boating Club, riot being able to make satisfactory, 'arrangements' for,'a public picnic'at the lake on the' King's Birthday, havo abandoned the ,idea, and "propose now to hold a picnic for members of the'club ■and friends. :'y ..',:■,;'..;: Mr. C.'.Strid; of Levin, has been-..digging new.potatoes of a'good table size on his section in the Setter Estate. 'These appear toafford a splendid testimony to the richness of ;the soil in that locality. .'

>• i'". ; "-'"'''". 'PAHIATU.A., "'■•',..'.':;, ■'■'■■'.

. A committee meeting"of the'Pahiatua-Akitio ;A|. and, P. on Tuesday evening, Mr. J. C. Cooper presiding., Mr.. W. Norrell's resignation as a: vice-president was accepted with regret;'and 'a resolution was passed, wishing. Mr. and Mrs. .Norreli and. famv "ily.fhealth and. futureVprosperity,in.their, new-, home. A discussion took place.. -oh'-. Mm W..'■■ iMitchell's notice.of motion: "That,the.industrial exhibits* be shown, on the .racecourse," and,also' oh nn jHerrrctive proposal-by Mr.'W.'.l Tossvill that .they.•„be'shown.,.,ia.',tho j!Hall. Tho laker proposal was qarried.-;' The committee then discussed the conditions'of the dairy, cow competition, which, promises be '' one of .the features of , the "show, s and formulated,'conditions as follow:—Best dairy: oow | (any age,, to be judged on quantity and quality of milk); cows to .be inilked,at -home jh the presence of stewards appointed by, "the..committee; the stewards'to watch and .weigh, the milking'-on' the evening' of Saturday, December i, and also to watch,,weigh', and-take!sam-ples of the two milkings'-'.on the morning and : ! 'evening of December's; handing these'samples I to - the secretary, for testing purposes; the rei.suit of tho testing, to,.be printed in, the cata'logue of tho show;: 6wners..of ( prize-winning animals to be notified to bringi.their co'ws, : to the show;, any prize won -.by-- an!-animal' not. present to bo forfeited; not more than'--24 hours'to ..elapse'between the first'milking on Saturday, December i,. and the -third milking' on ,the evening of Sunday, December 5; own-' I ers to choose their own houjs ,of. milking;; entrance fee-to be ss); entries to .close with the' secretary on November IG, at '. 8 p.m.. Prizes - are to. be as, follow:—First,','• JES ss.' (presented: byMr. J. B.Westlake); second, 3s.;;third, ~£l !15..-. '■',-'; "- ..';'; ,'- •'■': ■'■-:.'.-; I The oponing of the cricket season on the Ee- , creation Ground took place yesterday in perfect 'weather. 1 , The wicket .was in' fair; order, but, as is usual at this time'of the.year, the scoring was not large. A' match, Wesfc.-versus East, was won by West by seven runs. ■ -The following were the scores:—West, 'Pittendreigh 0, T. Bacon 2, Pearcy 0, T. Hawke 3,.A. H. Dallaston 16, Hobbs 5, Harvey 1, T.' Walsh G, 0, J). Richardson 2, A. Finch' 2, and D. Wilton (not out) 1; byes, 4; total, 42. East: A. Morrison 4; N.. Milligan 1, H. Thomson 0, J. Carpenter 4, Rev. Mr. Spiers 0, J. Bntwistle 0, A-. Cosford I,'G. Tester 0, T. Wilson 6„Shaw 3, V. Norrell's (not'out), M'Cardle 11; total, '-35. ■ ■;' ■ ■'.- '

;,' :o ,-WAIHOANGA,. ;,, -''. ,';

Otaki 'Gorge no .' longer exists in name.' , It Has "been" officially changed :lo .AVaihoangft ;by thevpostal- authorities—a cliaugV suggested by the : settlers some time, ago, but not listened to at the' time, ' ; •.'■ ';,.' . •■ Our postal • arrangements need some alterations. • A letter ■ posted here' {or Wellington is not delivered in that city until four'days have-elapsed: Now, as .TeHoro is only some eight miles from.the post office' here,' surelywhen the mails are cleared. they could be •taken direct there and forwarded, instead!of lying in the Ha'.ttere -office for two.days. -At present, if one, has occasion/to send' an Vim-; portant or business letter, to town, he has to ride'either to Te Horoor. Otaki to-do' so;. ', '•',' The Toad here has been very bad lately owing to', slips.. Recently. it was quite impas T . sable for vehicular traffic and, dangerous, for rid-! ing. .It will;'be some days before 'the- neces-sary-repairs can be made. ; ■-'.'/' Mr. H. Fraser met with an accident - this 'While walking through the bush .he slipped and fell on the edge of an axe which ho was carrying, cuttinghis leg severely.;First;aid'was promptly rendered, and! he was assisted 'borne.'- .' ■ ' -.'■ •".:,'■•■ - •"".. The! Eautere Rifle • Glut will fire a match against "Levin on the third' Saturday in; November for the Fresh Food and-Ice Company's cup.'' !'".-■'■ '■■' ''.'■"■•'-.' ;■•: :v-"v'"''•" A "rosebud" ball'is'to, take'place atParaparaumu on' October 29. ' It-'will be the last dance'of the year,''and is-being given by tho ladies of that-place.! Tho:following':ladies are acting as organisers:—Misses G.' Wootton, tA Weggcry, D. Wallace,-I. JJowsett, A. Berrctti, and Whitings. ' " "\