PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 20 April 1912, Page 13

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) A HASTINGS. A special meeting of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce- was held yesterday afternoon for tlio purpose of h'earing the views of Hawko's Hay settlers with regard to a proposal Hint is being made for the opening up of tho Puketitiri and contiguous country. There was a large attendance. Tho president (Mr. E. 11. Williams) occupied the chair. Messrs. Bennett and Peacock outlined the scheme, claiming that it would bo remunerative. Air. Bennett said that his estimate, had been based on a statement made in Parliament by Mr. James Allen, M.P., to tho effect that light lines of railway could be built at a cost of ,£3OOO per mile. After tho visitors had spoken, and answered questions, a short discussion took place, during which it became apparent that the business people of Hastings were wholeheartedly in favour of tho proposal. A motion was carried thanking the sottlers for their attendance, and pledging the chamber to support on investigation of the scheme. A committee, consisting of Messrs. David Whyte, J. A. Miller, Eustace Lane, H. A. Mossman,. and the president, was appointed to canvass tho landowners botwecn Puketapu and Hastings in order to secure support. The settlers between Puketapu and Puketitiri have already offered the necessary land for tho route. Mr. James Garnett has been re-elected unopposod as Mayor of Hastings. FEILDING. The annual meeting of tho Feilding branch of the Farmers' Union was held yesterday, Mr. G. Sclby presiding.' Tho report indicated that the balance-sheet was satisfactory. The balance last vear had been £2i, and this year it stood at 1 .&10. In regard to. membership, it was not satisfactory to find that tho number of active members had 'fallen from 103 to 79. If all members were to canvass their friends they might induce others to join during tho year. The branch had sustained a great loss by tho death of Mr. A. E. Mayo. Mr. Selby was reelected president, and Mr, Perry secretary, FEATHERSTON. • The newly-formed Feathe.rston Hockey Club played its first matoh on Thursday against a tea-n from Martinborough. The local team were defatted by i goals to 1. Goddard scored for Peatherston, and Hay (3) and Nyhane (1) for tho victors, SHANNON. Mr. E. Law presided at a meeting of property-owners in the Druids' Hall on Wednesday afternoon, when the question of diverting tho flood waters of tho Manawatu came up for discussion. There was an attendance of about 25 landowners, and Mr. E. J. Armstrong, C.E., was also present, for the purpose, of giving any necessary information. A telegram was read from the Prime Minister regretting his inability to be present, and apologies wero also received from Alcssrs. E. Newman, M.1., J. A. Nash, Mayor of Palmerston North, and H. Greig, chairman of the Makma Drainage Board. Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., of Wellington, who owns land on »io river hank, wrote sympathising with tho object of tho meeting. Tim scheme recommended by the commission (known as Hennessy and Pearco's scheme) was discussed. It runs into tho river at the Maori Church at Moutoa, and from there- it generally keeps to tho present course of the river, but cuts off all points and straightens all bends. It will serve I the present wharves at Foxton. and reduce tho distance from there to the heads by about two miles. It starts at the Fisherman's Point, and from there euts in an almost straight lino for Foxton through the flats there to tho returned bed of tho river, which it crosses, and then cuts through the point at Matakarapn immediately opposite tho wharves. Then crossing the river and coming out a littlo to the east, near Mrs. Austin's house, it hugs the foot of the dry land on tho extreme west side of the Moutoa lowlands till it joins the present bed of tho fiver at the Moutoa Maori Chinch. Its cost as a schemo is about £150,000.' Messrs. Pearce, Hennessy, B. Gower, and Aimstrong contributed to tho discussion. Mr. Armstrong stated that there wero at present no modern appliances in New Zealand for a work of this magnitude, and it would bo a great ndvantago v if sucii'.a scheme wero undertaken) to employ trie of "the best and latest machines,, similar to> those in nso in America. This would do the work at one-fourth tho cost of tho methods at present in use in tho Dominion. The short overflow would actually become the master, channel, and thus become the river. It was decided, on the motion of Mr. nennossy, Feconded by Mr. Johnston, that tho following committee bo set up to go fully into the matter and furnish a report-.—Messrs. P. Ilennessv, E. Law, W. Pearce, H. Greig, It. M'Nab, W. Barber, H. CI. Hammond, B. G. Gower, C. C. Higginson, P. Inge, 11. Akcrs, and F. Bryant. A meeting of the committee was subsequently hold, and it was decided that tho members should meet at Wulden's Corner, Moutoa, next AVedncsday, at 10 a.m., for tho purposo of going over the route of tho proposed cut. Mr. Law was elected chairman, and Mr. E. J. Armstrong secretary.