PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1057, 21 February 1911, Page 9

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

. (From Our Special Correspondents.) • * SHANNON. ;■•.•••■ A party of about fourteen horsemen left Shannon.early on Saturday morning to visit tho Mangahao Stream, which, it is hoped, tho.Government may bo induced toi harness for. electrical power purposes, Iho main object of the excursion/was to l ascertain what was the size and volume i of.tho stream, especially at this period > of drought, when all tilo flaxmills, which > might bo served with power • from this . source, ard working at high pressure. . Included in the party were Mr. W. H. s Held, M.P., Councillor G. N. Stephen- } son, Messrs. W. If. Gunning, M. Moyni--1 nan, and. others. No representative of J tho FlaxmillerV Association, which, how- ' ever, i 9 understood to strongly support i tho project, was present. During the • day Mr. Stephenson took various nltii tunes. Tho first measurement taken was at tho entrance to the Tokomaru Valley, where tho Shannon Timber Company's tramway bridges the Otaura Stream. From Shannon to tho creek at this point tho ground rises IGO feet. During the ) previous night the wind had dispersed the siiioko clouds from tho valley, and a good view was,-obtained of the suni bleached landscape lying between the , Tararuas and the sea. This beautiful valley is_ for tho most part well wooded , with native bush on both sides, but here and thero recent "burns" have made i great black gaps in its verdant splendour. The track can accommodate two riders abreast with case, is well formed, and, at this season of the year, is in firstclass condition. On tho saddle, which is 1150 feet above Shannon, the party was joined by Mr. Lambert, who ha's recently built a house on this long-sighted eminence, and who proved of great assistance during tho day. Down in the valley beyond, the country looked invitingly green. The. horses were left on Mr. Batehelar's clearing, and the explorers proceeded onward on foot. At Mr. Batchelir's wharo the altitude from Shannon is 025 feet. Mr. Staples's wharf was passed, aud, ascending Batehelar's Hill, the excursionists looked down on Mr. Root's house—recently erected, andthe first homestead' in this lonely but refreshingly green vale, through which | the TokoniSru Stream wanders. Oh. reaching tho crest of Batehelar's Hill,- the theodolite gavo on altitude ISSO feet above Shannon. The "feed" on these clearings was comparatively plentiful, and the sheep were in good condition. Behind the hill lies the 'Mangahao Valley, the country towards the Wnirarapa boirig clothed in dense pristine bush. To the right. Mount Dimdns Years its summit 5000 feet above the sea-line. The pioneers experienced some difficulty in negotiating this la*t hurdle. Th?ro was apparently no vestige of a track. Much "cooccing" was indulged in. and frequent reference was mado to tho compass and tho patchy sunlight. Onco tho stcop'klope,' which runs down to tho stream, was reached, "progress was rapid—not t6 say sudden nt times. .It wns, in fact, hardly, necessary to do anything but.sit down, and trust to tho Supplejacks. ' The Mangahao runs' here rapidly, now''over a wide -shingle bed,, and again through a. rock-bound gorge. -Possibly there is no more cold, refreshing, high-land river than this. In volnmo and swiftness it realised the expectations of. the most optimistic. Tho riverbed is here 900 feet nbovo Shannon. After lunch tho parly started on the return.journey, Mr.' Field acting as botanist, and pointing out many of the rarer native flora. It was ono thing descending the valley's side, which, covered with bush, rises almost precipitously four or five hundred feet, out an entirely different matter ascending. Eventually tho crej-t of..the highest sniir was reached. At tha foot 6f ; Batehelar's Hill the explorers, footsoro and' thirsty, were supplied by Mr. and Miss Root and Mrs. "Lambert with refreshments. In tho afternoon sun tho distant ocean and,tho devious Manawatu River, shone like'the' gold which is said to lurk somewhere in the. rangesi .Shannon was reached in the oveninj. ■•-•'■'■ FEILDING. v . !: Mr. B. Brennand, of Feilding, 'passed tho first section of tho 8..\. examination, and Mr. A. Baddelcy the-first section.'of tho LL.B, degree at the recent >i«w Zealand University examinations. On Friday afternoon next, members . of. the local branch of the Farmers' Union are to be asked to consider a proposal that a field day bo held for farmers, .the programme to include a ploughing match. After this question has been settled, Mr. T. E. Sedgwick, who recently brought out 50 boys from London and Liverpool nnd settled them on New Zealand farms,' is to give an address on the immigration' of English boys for New.Zealand farms. • Speaking on hospital' matters nt the last meeting of tho Kiwitea County 'Council, tho chairman (Mr. Hockly) said that he hoped that Councillor Fowler (their representative' on tho Pnlmorston Hospital Board) would, in the interests of the ratepayers-of the county, oppose any proposal to mako the hospital free to patients. Councillor Fowler said that his views on the matter were in accord with those of tho chairman. ' At the annual meeting of tho. Apiti Chamber of Commerce the following officers, were elected;— President, Mr. F. Heldt; Vice-president, Messrs. F. S. Guy and A. Gibson; Mr. H. Bloomfield. Tho following notes are from Awahuri, which is three miles south of Feilding:— Recent harvest returns have been good, both in quantity and quality, but the turnip crop will be a failure this season. Mr. Woightman, junr., has just threshed out-some- -wheat-(River--Piate)( -and. it-is, pronounced to bo . the best sample seen for some considerable time. The same remark applies to several oat crops. Mr. H. H. Stephens has cut out elbso upon three nnd a quarter tons to the acre of oatsheaf chaff, and Mr. Geo. Phelps about three tons. Good returns are the order of tho 6eason. Tho grass seed crops also have turned out well. Potatoes this sea.son in this district have so far escaped the blight, and some good samples aro to lw seen.. The clover crops, on account of the very dry weather experienced, are rather backward, but the rain .will bring them on. Rnbbits are now practically obliterated from "tho Kiwitea county, nnd farmers aro thus free from the troublo which threatened them a year ago. FEATHERSTON.' •'. A case i of alleged sheep-stealing is being inquired into by the police. ~ . Motor-car and cycle owners have now decided to erect a bridge, sufficient for their' purposes, across Abbott's Creek, at the foot of tho Rimutaka. Tho struc turo will consist of-two substantial platforms, placed side by side, over the stream, a space being kept between so that stock may not eaiise damago by using it. A representative of the Car Owners' Association was in Featherston on Saturday, making arrangements with Mr. Viles, on whoso land tho bridge will be. The work will bo commenced without delay. OTAKI. Messrs. Bills and Allen, who have been representing tho local Druids nt the conference nt Auckland, have returned home. Mr. Allen also toured Rotorua. Mr. Campbell, of Duriedin,'is relieving Mr. C. H. Hartmann, manager of the Bank of Australasia here, and who is at present on furlough. Mr. Campbell /will, .on leaving here, proceed to Pnlmcrston to fill a vacancy there, caused by Mr. Hughes's transfer to Levin. Master George Ayre was thrown from a horse on Saturday, and sustained rather severe facial injuries. It is tho intention of the Hutt bowlers, now on their return from Wnngnnui, to call at Otnki and play games with-the local rinks. Present indications, however, aro that the match will have to bo abandoned on account of the rain. GREYTOWN. Gas pipes aro now being laid down at the southern end of tho town. • The monthly meeting of the Groytown District nigh School Committee wns held On Friday evening. The bank balnnco was reported as £14!) 10s. lid. Tho head- . master reported that, the junior cadets had won tho shield for shooting, and that Cnlnnr-Sergcant Lorimcr had won the medal for best shot. i