PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 690, 15 December 1909, Page 8

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

I (From Out Special Ootreeronilenti.)

.-".■'•■'■ ■■-'• ' :~" •" — ' ; MASTERTON. _Tho monthly meeting of tho Masterton County Council was held yesterday. Present: Councillors W. J. Welch (chairman), R. Beetnam, J. Colquhoun, and J. Morris. The Eublic Works Department wrote asking the council to consent to tho road deviation at Mangaru. - Mr. A. W. Hogg, MJP:, forwarded to t the council the reply received from tho Minister for Roads in reference to tho application of the County Council for a grant of .£SOO for metalling a section of the Alfredton-Weber Boad from Tirauraea homestead to tho Waterfalls School. The reply stated that tho representations on the subject had been: noted for consideration when tho Public Works Estimates are being prepared. Tho Boads Department fonvarded a copy of an Order-in-Council, declaring three miles and four chains- of the Hjnomoa-Alfredton Road to , be a county road m terms of the Public Works Act, 1908. The Finance Committee reported as follows:—General account, debit, iIOSG 7s. 7d.; local bodies' loans account, credit, JC1059 135.; debit balance, £212 4s. Id.; receipts since November 10, .£391 19s. 9d.i It was resolved that, in reply to their letter, the Martinborough Town; Board be informed'that at the Local Bodies' Conference which took place in connection with the Victoria Home for Incurables appeal, it was arranged that the' expenses should be borne' by the local bodies concerned in. equal proportions, and not on" a pro rata basis, and the claims were therefore made accordingly. It was also resolved that a copy of the objection made by the Castle Point County Council to the claim-of this council for a share of the cost:of the maintenance of the Masterton-Wai-mata Road for the year ended March 31 last be forwarded to Councillors Toogood and Beetham 'for their information and instruction.' It was decided that a copy of Messrs. Wiso and lvnighfs.letter, offering Mr. S. M'Kay George's property, at Alfredton for sale to the council be forwarded, to Councillors Murray and Kebbell. After hearing the engineer again on the subject 'of Mr.-.P» Fabian's claim for compensation for the accident'which occurred to him while driving, on tho Tβ'Ore Ore and Bideford Epad on August 19 last, it was resolved that this committee does not see its way to making a recommendation' to the council to reconsider tho decision refusing to recognise liability in tho matter. Mr. Laing-Meason, engineer for the Opaki-Lansdowne water supply scheme, reported that he had inspected the 'works, and had found them to be in good condition. In respect;to .contract-No; 2at Lansdowne,-the contractor's term of maintenance was still current, arid did not expire for a month from date. He'thought that it would be advisable to take over.the spare pipes and Mother material from the contractors at prices submitted : l)y thorn ■';';.- PAHIATUA.; ■"'-,... ..A.meeting of the-Pahiatua Chamber of- Commerce was held,.on Monday evening, Mr. W. Tosswill presiding. • Mr. A. Weston, was rebleoted secretary, • and Mesers. J. K. Carpenter,'A., S. Evans, L. T. Herbert,' V.'Prosser, J. ,W: Sturton.land Clifton were elected a holiday committee. This committee will meet tonight, to arrange holidays' for the .ensuing year. During.the course of the meeting several of the members of the chamber complained of delay experienced in receiving goods by rail from WeUineton. ' ; The annual meeting of the Starr-Bowkett So-' ciety will bo held on December 20 in St. Peter's Schoolroom, when the fifteenth appro-priation-for will aLso be drawn by ballot; .-■•/. -. • .- ■ ' "■' \ ■.'.-: ■■• '.- ■ ■'. • , Mr., and Mrs. Dunning have returned from their tour to the Old Country, both looking much benefited by the trip. ■ , . . A concert:, in aid. of the Pahiatua District High School funds will beiheld in the theatre this evening. . ■ . ' . •■ Welcome showers of rain, the first, for over a fortnight, fell here'on Monday siternoon. The rain was much appreciated by those people dependent on tanks for their water supply, • and' it will'aleo have. a beneficial effect on root'.;crops. , , "■■ .., , :-.. , . .-"....■ . W. Burns, -in.; the employ of 'Messrs.. J; W;:Sturton,:and:>.Co.,' had the misfdi-tuno' to break-his collarbone last week. It appears that he'lwas' cycling down the hill to Mangarainarama—a very steep grade-and, the brake i n ?iC° act, Bm ' ns w «s thrown heavily on to:the.road, ■uritli'' the above-mentioned unfortunate result. ,-■-..■ j ; ; '-'-: " 'CARTERTON. ',"' A private hospital is shortly, to be established in Carterton by Dr. E. W. Smyth. He has secured premises :in High Street, which were designed for, and used for some time as, a nursing: home.' Tho want of. a private -hospital in the town has been felt on many occasions, especially when accidents occur- out in■.the; country.. At present these cases have cither to bo taken'to Greytown.or Masterton, and very often tho long journey to these institutions does not tend to improvio. tho condition of patients. Sixteen young deer were brought in from Longbush on Monday, having been trapped for the Acclimatisation Society. The deer at liongbush are said to, 1» plentiful, this season. .' The following officers wero installed at Mon-' day's meeting of Totara Lodge, TJ.A.O.D.:— A.D., Bro. P. Ashton; V.A., Bro. J. Gavfer; 1.0., Bro. N. M'Kenzie; 0.G., Bro. G. Hart; A.D.B/S, Bros. C. Whyte and -R. Smith; V.A.B. s, Bros. W. Abbott aud H. Cantin; secretary, Bro. H; H. Hart; treasurer, Bro; E Martin. . . • ' ■'■■•.' . - ' y GREYTOWN. V ; A meeting of tho trustees of tho South Wairarapa Hospital was hold on Monday. Present:' Messrs. W. Udy (chairman), W. Moore W. J. Nix, M. Maxton, A. Booth,- M. Ross, and E. Ward ,Tate. Tho coinmitteo of ttio Wairarapa District Hospital Board were also present,: but Dr. Valintine, of the Health' Department, whom the conference was to'meet, was unavoidably absent. Be however sent a telegram asking, for tho plans of the proposed building to, be.sent to his office for modification, thus ■ presumably agreeing to tho new structure : being proceeded with. 'It .was pracdecided that the old structure should be pulled down, and on the plans being approved, the Board'will grant the necessary money for.construction. General■ business was then, taken. The financial statement showed a credit balance of ,£378, ss. Gd., and the matron reported that there were ten patients in the institution at present. , Mr. W. J. Nix ,vas appointed visitor for the month. .FEILDING. . Sportsmen who patronised the Pphangina River on Sunday, were struck with the large numbers of dead 'trout that are floating down the river at present- Several trout were :Opened and it is surmised that they have been killed, with;lime.; . No fish were caught that day :and the. -anglers nvere justly disgusted hundreds' lying dead about the stream. ,','lt is the best season, we have had for four years,", says a Halcombe man.. -' 'Teed, is everyabundant, crops aro promising .well, inilk is flowing in a never-ending stream, and altogether we men on the land are having a' ' • ; '■' ' '; ',' 'The Halcombe school gardens are,at present looking; in the best of condition. They have been kept in spleadid order by the children and should, be well up near the top in the A.. and P.- Associations school-garden competition.:. The judging for this event was begun Messrs. 1 , . Y.. Lethbridge and A. R. Mays. They were /accompanied by Mr,- Jos. Weightman, sen., who has always displayed a keen interest in the competition. "Ngaio," the original! three-act Maori drama written',by Mr. T.Scoble Cornish, of JFoilding, is to be produced in' tho Drill Hall; Feildlhg, on January 28, in.aid of the funds of the Palmerston Hospital. A bright little comedy, "Castles in Spain," ako written by Mr. Cornish, will precede the drama as a curtain-raiser; The two plays are to be produced by ama--teuri , ".' ■. . ■ ; ..'.;,.. ■ .-.■'..... '.The chairman of the Wanganui Education Board (Mr; Fred. Pirani) has been asked to present,the prizes to the Kimbolten scholars ;his : evening, to the Tokorangi School and Feilding District High School on Friday, and' to tKoColyton School on Saturday afternoon. , A rata ..tree,' planted, in the Denbigh Square eleven years. ago by Mr. L. T. Brown, is at present in.blossom. This is the second vear that the tree has produced flowers, and it dispels the idea. that ."you havo to- wait a lifetime" for the rata tree to bloom. : Nursos Webber and Sexton, who have conducted tho To Ngawa private hospital in Peilding for some eighteen months, left on Monday for AVellington. . '■ -Jrl /: '"OTAKI. v '" ■'- ■ ■ ';-".■-. While working at Mr. Mister's mill on Monday' afternoon, Mr.' T. MTall gashed .his foot severely owing tb the 'stroke' of'his axe being misdirected through touching a vine. He was brought into town for medical, aid. . .; , ■Out of funds collected for. furnishing the Anglican Church at' Manakau a. handsome' eot of ■ comnfunion vcssols and a pair of candlesticks have boon provided, while a knoeler has been presented,by a parishioner. . . .