PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1068, 6 March 1911, Page 2

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

(From Our Special Correspondents.) $—. ■ CARTERTON. An effort is being mndc to form a patrol of Boy Scouts in the Jlarlinborough district. The local scouts, i\ssisted by their Greytown friends, have given an entertainment there, which it ia hoped will help the movement along. The annual dance under the. auspices of the Ahiariiho Sports Club was held at Parkvalo on Friday evening, and passed oft' very successfully. The lloor was in capital order. Messrs. W. Benton and A. Bungay, of the Fcatherston Bowling Club, were" successful in winning the Grady medals from tho holders, Messrs. W. Fisher and W. Whyte, of the local club. Residents of Maslertou (and it is hoped that Carterton will follow) aro arranging a concert for the benefit of Miss Thelma Petersen, who is gifted with a splendid voice, and who is shortly leaving lor Adelaide for further training. The gold medal and special prize for tho most points in tho Ahiaruhc Handicap (three events) at the. recent sports were won by J. E. Johnston, of Carterton. The weather during the past few dnyg has boon very -unsettled, and is hampering threshing operations. There are at present between 200 and 300 pigs at the. Taratahi Dairy Company's premises at Clareville. Local Methodists are making preparations for their harvest festival, wliiclj will bo held shortly.

WOOOVILLE. The County Council held its monthly meeting on Thursday, Councillor Hughes being in the chair. The clerk reported that the balance-sheet had been returned from the auditor without special.tag. Tho clerk of the Oroua County Council wrote, stating that if the interest duo by Woodvillo- County on the Lower Gorge Bridge was not forthcoming his instructions were to sue. Tho matter is to be held over for a month, pending advice from Mr. Martin, solicitor;— Notice had been received from the Auditor-General agreeing to a sum of iIOOO being deducted from loan. This is a matter that has been hung up for some time. The cost of erecting Harding Road Bridge was -£1000 less, than tho loan acquired, and the council wished that amount to be credited off the loan to save interest, but the Department would not previously agree. . At the request of tho Tourist Department it was decided to erect fingerposts at the chief points on tho main roads. The Government have also agreed to the expenditure of JC2OO on Otawaha Road. There are several settlers living at the far end of Totara Eoad whose sections are in. Pahiatua County, but their only/means of access is by tho Totara Road. Tho Commissioner of Crown Lands has agreed to tho expenditure of thirds amounting to £Wi 18s. on,this road. Tho Pahiatua County Council are to bo asked to subsidise the amount,' as they have collected the rates from these for years past. The dog-tax collector re-' ported that ono settler would not register his dogs. The council instructed tha collector to prosecute. Ten metalling contracts were let, the price ranging from Is. Gd. to 2s. 3d. per yard. Several defaulting ratepayers, whoso rates amount to three figures, are to bo sued.' " Soma time ago, on account of tho dry spell, the council ceased impounding on their roads. The object was to afford settlers every facility to water their cattle. This concession has been taken advnntago of by borough residents, who have turned their stock "adrift, with the result that the council havo now decided to impound between the hours of C cm. and G a.in.