PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 713, 12 January 1910, Page 8

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

1 (From Oar fipccial Correspondents.) .. -» ' ■ PAHIATUA. A well-attended meeting of the Mangatninofca Athletic Society was held, on Slonday evening, Mr. A. Barrell presiding. A draft lialance-shcct, showing the club to be in a very good position, was submitted, by, the secretary. Tho gate takings at the last, sports were returned as <£60 16s.—an increase on. the proceeds of former sports gatherings. It was decided to donate the society's lion, piper, Mr. Drysdale, a sum. of two guineas as a wedding present, in view of his approaching marriage, and a heart)' vote of thanks was accorded to all those who had assisted, at the recent gathering..

Tho local Boy Scouts, who aro camping out, , are having a ;very enjoyable time, and, so far, have experienced splendid weather. On Sunday morning the boys attended the morning service at the Methodist Church, and, in the afternoon, supplied afternoon tea at the. camp to quite a number, of visitors.' . Yesterday the. town 'was quite gay, a large : number "of visitors haying arrived for tho races. The course is in excellent order, and although the ; fields are not qui to as large as was the cose last year, it is anticipated that some very good racing will bo witnessed.; , At a meeting of Scarborough residents on Monday evening, a strong committee was formed to mako all ; arrangements for a farewell "social"' which -is to be tendered to Mr. J..'.H. Malcolm.

A tennis match, played on the local courts' between 1 the town and country players .on .{Saturday "'-last, resulted, after, .very evenly-contested, game's,; in-.a win for the former. Afternoon tea.was supplied, by/the Misses Warren. . ■ At. the last meeting of. the Pahiatua County Council, tho Orona County Council forwarded an. amended statement of the Pahiaiua 1 Council's share ; of the cost of tho liower Gorge Bridge. The first' account rendered was; .£820,, tho amended : statement being ,£B5l 12s. 2d. In .assessing the subsidy, -the . Government struck 'out the items: for. advertising,- engineering, -and ' supervision. On the motion of Councillor Quirke, it was decided to allot the .sum' of .£IOO yearly for the-, purpose of painting the. various bridges in'the county, "and the engineer' Mr. Dillon,- who has just taken ,up his. duties, was authorised .to employ a. matf to 6crew up-the bridges at'once. Bather a pleasing .feature at tlio meeting was the council's expressions of satisfaction regarding the work done in the past by the. county clerk, Mr. G. Moore, and, on' thffl motion Of the chairman (Mr. T.' Hodgins). ; it'.was decided to increase his salary by . £25 'per ' annum.' Mr; 1 Moore Was also voted a bonus.of iElO.in recogni-. - tion of'. the ' extra work entailed, during the time'that the council was without'an' •'-. ■''. ■ ■" ' - ' '

i Mr. A: Barrell';has. been reelected a trustee of 1 the-Ma'ngatainoka Library..; . • A . start;has been made with the improvements , recently decided upon by. the association to the P.F.A. yards. .The office. for ..Messrs. Dalgety and Co. ,-is:, already completed, and the additions to the yards will, be begun this, morning.

■ Eight marriages,";lo deaths,, and 32 births were registered • in; Pahiatua' during the quarter ended December 31, 1909. :-'Mr. G. Harold. Smith', and • family- have just returned from.'.a pleasant; motor trip through to Te Aroha. They' also made the trip between Taumarunui and Horopito, ' where it is-stated a car has not been through before.

-'- , GREYTOWN.

The Humphrey badges—a five-man fire brigade competition—were again run for on Monday eyeninf, ; and won by Lieut. Gates's' team..Fireman.:.A.. Coe aiiain won' tho one-man competition quick time of 33. l-ssec. After these competitions had concluded, a general .-'meeting of : the brigade was held,. Lieut;, Work-, the; chair.,,:;; Eircman J. Cross'- was elected^'delegate-.toAattend the conference at. Hastings. Firemen Braggins, and Fisher Were recommended' td-re-ceive ..starsfor having served-'twenty-five years "in the' brigade. After tho meeting ■ memb'ers'.'adjourned?to'.the concert-room, where .Fireman ,E. J. Haigh was presented with-, a, silver, egg-stand and spoons to!.marli .the'occasioh-of. his .recent.mar-' sriage". Tlie rpresentation was made by. the chairman. -. ' , ' ;' " v

FEILDING

; - Messrs. llacmorran-(Terrace School) and ■Foster.; (Petoue, School), .members of Lthe; Executive of the, New Zealand' Teachers' Institute, have' i 'visiled:''Feildihg';.to inter>' 'view tho chairman of. the'Wanganili Education Board (Mr. F. ,Pirani) in regard to T educational: matters.; V v" During 1909 twenty-two building permits were, issued from the Feilding Bor-I ough/Council's 1 office, tho total value of-; the jbuildings being £1360. . .Ail aocidcut, to '.a youth named Gifkinis' reported ;from ApitiV. ;;It'"appears that; ho went out i'for the. purpose of "shooting', hares w-ith". a pea,,'rifle,'',but,; by some means or other, shot himself in the- foot.' Mr. Sam Daw, who had been connected with the local postal service : since : the pioneering days of the settlement; and who severed hi 3: lengthy connection with it;on the last day of last year, has been, made the recipient of a presentation. Mr: C. C. Halliday, Postmaster, -representing the Feilding, Cheltenham, and Kimbolton postal staffs, presented him with an. ebony silver-mounted, walking-stick, and a set-of gold 'sleeve;'links."" During the course of the speeches, mention was also made of the fact that Mr. Daw had never been lato. with the mails during his long period of service on • the road. ■

: Mn' Jonsen, ■ who recently returned to Apiti; froin a trip to tho Old Country, is leaving .again tor .South America, ; en route -for.Sweden. ' The. members, of'.the Apiti corps of tho Salvation Army gave :him; a send-off. .

The Feilding Swimming Clul) has decided, that,' provided the Borough" Council agreed to grant the; use.of the baths and put tip.seating accommodation, it is advisable. that tho club should take, up the West. Coast, swimming championships, , the date' of tho event to be February9.v.Messrs;- ,A. J. Trevena; and 6.: Fitzpatrick were appointed . joint secret, taries," and Messrs. D. M. Montgomery, Fitzpatrick; and F. Pirani were appointr. Ed a sub-committee to wait on tho Baths Committee of the Borough Council to ascertain what assistance could be expectedfrom that body. Yesterday the chairman of the Baths Committee (Councillor Harford) .reported that the council hadagreed to give the free.use of the baths for' the ' carnival, and that the BathsCommittee would meet the Swimming .Club with'regard, to .the 1 seating..

The Apiti Horticultural and Industrial Society, ..a flourishing body, has elected the following officers for tho ensuing year:—Patron, Mr."D. H. Guthrie, M.P.j' president, Mr. H. Osborne; vice-presi-dents, Messrs. Guy Lawson, Cowan, Duncan, and Matthews; secretary, Dr. Gregory; assistant-secretaries, Messrs. Bennett arid Elliott;'executive committee,, Messrs. M'Connell, Palmer,, Heldt, Gibson, . Decke, . Clark, and .Malcolm. . Superintendent. Saywell, who. is the skip, of tho rink at present representing. Feilding, at ; tho bowling tournament in. Wellington, is to be the Feilding . Fire 1 Brigade's delegate at the Hastings Conference next month.

LEVIN

Members of the Levin Borough Council and Horowlienua Council, comprising Councillors Watson, Richards, Windley, and Freeman (County Council), and the Mayor of Levin (Hr/B. R. Gardener), Councillors; Cameron, Hudson, Arcus, Palmer,, Franco, Lancaster, and Hannnn, visited Hokio Beach, 011 Saturday after-, noon to inspect tho sand dunes and drift areas, and discuss what could W done by way of reclamation or protection. The pnrty was accompanicd by Mr.,'J. Malcolm, county engineer, and Mr. E. M'Donald. Councillor Prouse, who has pro-: perty at'Holtio, explained to .tho party the efforts wtycli ho had taken personally, by planting both lupin and marram grass wherever bis land was threatened by the sand, with tho.result that lie liad eomo good pasture wliere otherwise there would' havo boen only a barren waste. The genoral opinion formed, by tho visitors seemed to bo favourable to the planting of lupin, which grows, rapidly' to a height of several feet, and is not affected, by either wind or sea. air. The great difficulty to united action is that the. land in question bolonga to Maoris, who will do;-nothing to protect , their own property. Tho only alternative, it is. ■felt, is. that the Government should resumo it or give the-local authorities.concerned the ipo'wer..to acquire it. The hvo

councils are to visit Waikanae on Satur.r day next ;to inspect the reclamation work done by Mr. W. H. Field, 'M.P., on liis properly. The plant and office .fittings of the defunct "Levin Daily Times' is to bo submitted»to public auction nest week, by order of the Assignee. The Borough Council has decided that water for motive power shall be charged for at the rato of 2d. per 1000 gallons; and that residences outside the borough shall be.-supplied upon a valuation, basis on a maximum of 10 acres, with the addition of .15 per cent. upon', tho. rates charged for: water within the borough.... At tho conclusion of the ordinary business meeting of the New Century Tent, Levin, 1.0. R., on Monday evening, the members held a "social," to which they invited a few friends, Bro. T. G. Vincent, P.C.K., presiding. An ' enjoyable programme was gone through, after which supper, was served, the eveningbeing brought to a' close by the singing of "Auld Lang Syne." '. . . 1 In the Horowhenua Cricket_ .Association's championship competition, Te Horo meets Levin Y.M.C.A. at tho Training Farm on .Wednesday,- when the following will represent Levin:—Vincent, Howe,' "Sloan, Everett, Shuttleworth,' Pringle, Thomas, Keys, Laurie, Allen, ; and Copeland; emergencies: Parker, Hooper, Anderson: v .

■ FEATHERSTON.

Rain is badly-needed in this district at present TheTe seems ; to be a good deal of it'foiling on tlie bills, but so far very little has fallen out" on ..the plains. The Feathers ton . Firo . Brigade bold their monthly meeting on Monday, ..when, there, was a full attendance, Captain Better presiding. Second hydrantman, . H.' Walker, resigned from the brigade, and was granted a clearance, Fireman J. Holland being elected to the vacant position.' Christmas and New Year greetings were received and acknowledged from various brigades.' The committee ap-. pointed for the pnrposß of reporting on plant and' gear recommended that extra appliances, including • 200 ft. of hose, two 18-in. branches, two fin., and two ?in.. nozzles, and an axe be procured. It was also dccided to obtain two additional helmets.

OTAKI.

Indignation,lierd regarding railway matters has' been further aroused by . the •Auckland to. Wellington express now refusing to. stop, at Otaki as formerly, and also omitting to carry mails. Many, passengers, unaware, that 6uch a change had been decided on, may now be seen staringin astonishment as the train rattles by at what is termed express speed. At present, 'feeling in . Otaki towards the Minister, is mixed,- but,-' on. tho Whole, not kindly.'. • . • • . . The vital statistics for .- Otaki for the year are:—Births,. M; deaths! 21; marriage certificates, issued, 20. ' Mr. Paul, a popular member of the staff of the local branch of 'the Bank of Australasia, has resigned his position on account of ill-health. .

MASTERTON

; ; The monthly meeting, of ;tho Masterton Council/was held-, this- week, there being' present Councillors W. J. i Welch (chairman),;.' J. .Foreman, J; -Miller, , J.j Morris, H.' O. Toogood, J. 'Colquhoun, C. Kebbell, and K. yßeetKam.' Mr.; C. •A. Pownall wrote on', behalf.of Mr..;P. Carr, stating that, through ■ the., construction of- the Lansddwne waterwol'ks,• 30 acres of his' property had .been, fldoded,; and become' absolutely, useless.■'■; A committee, consisting of Councillors. Welch, Foreman, andi Morris, was-appointed to visit the locality,; in : company -. with- the . engineer,■ and'to report .at next meeting.An application" for the transfer of l!r. Ti A; Weston," jun.'s, • slaughtering license;, to Messrs. J. Moore and Chas. Johansen, 1 of Kopuaranga; was granted. The secretary to the Treasury -wrote, ■in ;Teply ■ to the ; application of the' council for a loan of. '£500 fori constructing' head -'works/ and distributing l'aces in the ,' Fernbridge water-supply.' district, stating that,-as the. maximum of funds allowed by law under. The ; Local-'Bodies Loans -Act,' 1908, had been promised, to thou- fullest extent, and, moreover, as Tho New Zealand State Guaranteed '• Advances ' Act, '-'1909, ! ; repeals Part 2 of Tlie-Local Bodies Loans Act, 100S (so far - as loans being granted to local • bodies -• are. concerned), - ho regretted that .the council's ■ application could not ' be" ontortairied/': The Treasury also wrote , iu - regard to the £050 loan for the - Mangaiei Road, : stating that it could not be provisionally approved, as' the miixir miim nmount of- funds allowed by law ' under Tlie Local Bodies Loans Act, 1908, .liad . been; promised to their fullest extent. ■ -f. ';; , The Aldtio " County •' Council :wroto ■stating that, after fully considering the -question of. the* cost of maintenance of -.the - WaiEoki t Road' within 'the Mast'erton' 'County, they had decided: to'make the. ) following offer (-without, prejudice) to operate . from . the,- beginning of tho. next financial , year: "That, half :tlie ; general rates,.of .Messfs. Liverton, Peagram, Robbie, - and Higginson, after deducting a; proportion' of official expenses from, the total amount collected,' be handed over 'to the;'Masterton - Coun-. -cil towards - the upkeep, of the ■ Waihoki I Road,"within the Masterton County,- for 'the .'-benefit of the above-named ratepayers.'' .. ■ Councillor Kebbell stated' that in company with Councillor Murray, he had waited on the Akitio Council in conriection.with the matter; and had put the .-whole" position .before that body. Ho moved:; '/That'- the' 'offer be accepted." i'Thii.-was' carried: On the . motion- of |-Councilloi-' Toogood a committee, consistring of; the chairman, and Councillors Foreman, Beetham, and the mover,; was rappointed to meet a.committee.from the' -Masterton - Telephone : Company, with a view to' forming;.regulations for. registration under, the Unclassified Societies Act. An application from the Castlepoint j'-County Council for the. services of the county, engineer to lay out a piece of road ;was granted.. Councillor Toogood reLferred to the pound-for-pound subsidy up ■to' Sl2o'.for'the Uriti and Kiversdale :Roads, whioli had been granted some time' •ago' by the 'Government'.'' The - grant, ■however, had , lapsed owing' to the JSI2O riot being raised. It liad,-however,, been reinstated sinco then,' and, at a previous meeting of ' the council, , he had . moved i.that they give .£6O towards tho.required 'amount. ' Mr. Riddiford "had since promised £50, and, as.;.tliey were "a. few .pounds short of the required amount,-lie moved that the amount granted by ■ the council be increased to '£70.' This was carried. A letter'was received from the' Wellington iichool- Commissioners, ask•'ing that, in the event of .the council not seeing-its wajr to- form and fence the ■proposed Toad in Section 151 in Block 14, Puketoi, it might take over, the -road unr formed without pledging .itself •to any .action it might think , fit, to take, -in future. It was decided to consent:to the taking of : the road on that underetanding.' ,Thb finance committee reported' as. under: General fund account, Dr.; £3333 is. 3d.; .local bodies loan account, - Cr., '£1059 135.,.Dr.j balance,. £2102 Is. 3d. : Tho receipts since December 14, 1909, totalled £563 -3s'. lid., including £261 ; 17s. 9d. for rates and £216 12s. for thirds from , the Akitio County Councili v..''