DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1814, 29 July 1913, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM ALL SOURCES. NAPIER. _ Councillor M'Grath has given notice .to move at the mooting of the Napier Borough Council, to bo held on Wednesday, that workora bo allowed to travel 011 the trams at tho samo rates as those obtaining at Wellington. At the annual meeting of parishioners of St. John's (Napier Cathedral), tlie election of officers resulted as follows: — Vestrymen,, Messrs. W. P. l-'inoh, R. W. Hansard, S. E. M'Oarthy, P. Ashcroft, 11. J. Bull, T. B. Bear, J. I'. Thomson, A. Q. Ballot, J. B. Fiolder, anil Br. Henley; vioar's warden, Mr. F. W. Williams; parishioners' warden, Mr. J. H. Sheath; auditors, Messrs. H. Bull and C. P. .Hotley (re-electcdj; synodsmeu, Messrs. W. P. Finch, P. W. Williams, J. H. Sheath, anil J. B. Fielder.

A record price wag given for <£100 at tho Napier Starr-Bowkett Building Society 011 Friday night, when ,£501) was submitted to competitive offers by members. Tho ,£IOO was "knocked down" for £iS, equal to just over 7J per cent., ample testimony to the general tightness of the money market. Early in the' society's oxistence .£45 was onoe paid for a loan for 12} years. The big prico last night was obtained in No. 3 issue. In No. 1 issue .£SOO sold for ,£l2 per hundred. Group No. 1M in No. 2 issue was the successful marble drawn to decide tho uso of . ,£SOO free of interest for 12 i years. lii the No. 3 issue nn additional JC2OO brought ,£3G per hundred. Canon Take preached at the annual meting of the Hawke's Bay Amateur Horticultural Society on Friday. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. R. D. D. M'Lean; vice-presi-dents, Canon Tuke, -Messrs. J. VigorBrown, M.P., J. N. Williams, S. M'Lerhon, E. W. lvnowles, and E. H. Williams; committee, Mesdames Hector Smith, TossA/iU, Ashoroft, J. P. Thomson, Morgan, and A. Brown, Mis 3 Kennedy, Messrs. Waters, H. J. Smith, C. D. Wilson, F. W. Triggs, IV. Eraser, C. Bougl-as, L. Levien, and J. H. Oldham; secretary, Mr. J. H. U. Murdoch; treasurer, Mr. I'. H. Simpson. November 6 was the date fixed for the show of,roses, and early in.December the carnation and sweet peii show will be held.

NEW PLYMOUTH. Tho recent cold simp has affected the growth of grass), which the week before was springing. Five and six-roomed houses in New Plymouth aro at present in great demand. Libel actions cost a heap of money. Tho Riverdale case, Playle v. the local dairy factory, law points in connection with which have just been settled in plaintiff's favour, will, it is estimated, cost the company about <£750. The Taranaki Acclimatisation Society •is continuing its good work this season, and has at the present time two hundred thousand trout ova at the hatcheries on Frankley Eoad. Half of the ova are rainbow ancl half brown trout. The eggs are ■just beginning to hatch out, and as the curator haa everything in'iirst-rate order an interesting half-hour may be spent by anyone sufficiently curious to visit the hatoherics. In addition to the trout ova, tlia curator has about fivo thousand yearling trout in tho larger boxes. The society's pheasant pens have. beon extended, and several additional'stock birds added.. , . ... The New Zealand Axemen s Association, whoso, headquarters are at Eltham, havo assets to tho value of JC3BB. Last yeai s operations showed a profit of Ihe annual report saya'"The general interest in. the snorts is gradually diminishing, showing 'that something will havo to bo done to put new spirit into them. masterton. A few years back wild .turkeys were very numerous in tho Masterton district. Now they are almost as raro as wild pigs. Reports from the outlying districts beyond Masterton indicate that thero- has been a considerable diminution in the rabbit pest this season. The weather has been all that could be desired for winter poisoning. _ 1 ' " There are at present thirty-three patients in the Masterton Hospital, sixteen of whom are fever, and'' two 'diphtlioria. cases. A whole'"'fk'niil'yj ' co'ittprisiiig 'A l ' widow and five children, are among this number. They hail from Kun'pum, and are suffering from scarlet fever. _ Tho measles epidemic appears to be spreading in Mashrton. numbers of young people being affected. An elderly man named Charles Beading, who was admitted to the Masterton Hospital from Tinui a few days back in a very low condition, died on Sunday morning. The committee room of tho Masterton Racing Club was on Saturday afternoon the scene of a pleasing fumition, when the stewards of the club assembled to bid farewell to one of their fellow-stewards— Mr. .T. B. Moodie, prior to his departure for Wellington. Several speeches eulogistic of. Mr. Moodie were mado by officers of the club, and Mr. Jas. Macara, a vice-president of tlio club, handed Mr. Moodie a handsome pair of field-glasses suitably inscribed.

FEILDING. The Mayor (Mr. Ongley), the Town Clerk (Mr. Geary), and about half the members of tho Borough Council are to undertake a tour through the Taranaki district for tho purpose of inspecting the electric lighting systems of the towns in that province. It is realised by the councillors that the best thing is to have firsthand knowledge of the lighting scheme. There passed away at his,farm, "Borderside," -Parawanui, on Sunday night, Mr. William Brookie, one of tho pioneers of this coast, at the ripe ago of 93 years. Mr. Brookie leaves tlnee sons (one being Mr. William Brookie, of Sandon), _ four daughters, and numerous grandchildren to mourn the loss of one of those old settlers who did so much to make this coast a place of residence for the thousands who now find homes there.

LEVIN. A short time ago the L9rm, Chamber of Commerco wrote to tho Jlinistor for Lands asking what steps the Government aro talcing to combat the sand-drifts evil in the Levin district. On Friday a reply was received stating' that operations ara a.bout to bo commenced to combat this evil 011 a. block of Crown land on the (South, side of the Rangitikci River. 'When this block has bocn satisfactorily planted other blocks will be similarly dealt with, but Crown lands would in nil cases bo given preference, and a 9 the land in t.ho Levin district appears to bo mostly private or Native lands, it was not proposed to take any steps regarding such lands nt tho present time. Information as to the best way of coping with this evil could, however, be obtained from the officer in charge of the, operational Mr. E. Phillips Turner, Wellington. . . The death occurred at midnight . on Friday of Mr. J. Irvine, of tlie firm of Irvine and Co., Ohau. Ho was of o. retiring disposition, but in his circle of friends he was highly esteemed. Tho funeral took place yesterday.

OTAKI. A man named Ernest Brown appeared at the Police Court yesterday charged with committing an indecent act. Ho was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment with hard labour. Tho Territorial Ball Committee met on Saturday night, when the secretary (Mr. C. L. Cook) reported a credit balanco of nearly -6G. DANNEVIRKE. On Friday evening tho Dannovirke Library Committee held a special meeting for tho purpose of selectiug n librarian, in succession to tho late Miss Bales. Fifteen applications were received. It was decided to recommend to thu Borough Council that Mrs. Fisher, formerly postmistress at Maugatera, be appointed to tho position, 'i'ne recommendation will be dealt with at the council's meeting in a fortnight's time. Mr. \V Karaitiana lus presented tile Dannevirke Hunt Club with a handsomn flilver-moimtcii hunter's crop, to bo awarded as second prize in the Farmers' l'oint-to-Poinr Steeplechase oil August (i.

MARTON. An entertaining evening was spent by tho girls of tho Upper and Secondary Departments of the Marlon District Iligli School, when the recently-formed Literary and Debating Society debated "Town and Country Life." Town life was defended by Edith Mayo and Reg. Ivillgour, whilst Violet Finch and L. Neumann spoke in support of country life. The voting at tho close of tho debate was in favour of country. Air. A. Lancaster carricd out tho duties of chairman. A number of songs, recitations, etc,, wuro also eirc"