PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (From Our Special Correspondents.)

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1501, 25 July 1912, Page 8

PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (From Our Special Correspondents.)

FEILDING. It is understood- that the Government has acquired (lie .section on the comer of .Manchester and tirey Streets previously owned by the Feilding Mounted Rifles, anil will ercct thereon a commodious drill lvall, which will lx> capable of extension. The building will 1» of iron, with a clav floor. Apiti is also to share in the building scheme, as i.t is the intention of tho Defence Department lo train tho senior cadet branch of the defence forces much more seriously and lo materially enlarge the scheme. Mr. T. Scobln Cornish's two new plays, "The 11th Trump" (a one act drama) n'nd "A Man in the House.'" (a farce) wore produced by local amateurs under Ml'. Cornish's direclion -at ICiwitea this week, l»■fore an appreciative audience, who turned out in fair force notwithstanding the weather. Tho author was called before (ho curtain.

HASTINGS. Mr. H. M. Campbell, M.P.; has written to the Hon. li. ileaton Rhodes, Post-master-General, regarding the delay in the commencement of the new post office at Havelock Xorth, tho. tenders for v hicli closed some months ago. "With reference to tho representations made to the Minister for Education by Mr. H. M. Campbell, M.1?.. urging the necessity of acquiring a site in Oliph/mt Road, Hastings, for the erection of a school to serve that part of' tlio district, raid thus relieve the overcrowded state ci the main school, the Huwkc's Bay Education Board has received a communication from tho Education Department stating that a grant of £850 lias been made for the purchase of the site. The price asked for the property, however, is .£IOSO. This morning Mr. Campbell telegraphed to tho Hon. James Allen, Minister for Education, as follows; —"The Education Beard informs me that you have only forwarded ■X'SoO for the purchase ot the Mahora South School site. The amount required to purchase the site is ,£IOSO. Will you please do justice to that district by forwarding the balance, which tho hoard cannot supply, as tho school is.very urgently required? Hastings valuations are rising so rapidly that valuations of 12 months' standing are quite out of date. The amount asked for the site is quite a reasonable one." Mr. Ritchie, chairman of tho Lands Purchase Board, Mr. M'Kenaie, SurveyorGcnoral, Mr. R. T. &add, Ccmmissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, accompanied by Mr. E. Lane, reptewnting tho owners of the Ngaroto and Pckapeka estates, left yesterday morning by motor to carry out on inspection of these estates, and also those of Waihau and Bauinati, with tho view to their acquisition by the Govern mont. ,