DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 5

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES. PALMERSTON. The report of Mr. Fisher, of Lower Hutt, on which a scheme for protecting l'almerston from the Manawatu River will bo based, will bo discussed on Thursday. The Baptist Church Debating Society closed its season with a mock banquet. The Town Band's new brass instruments have arrived. They number twenty-five, and cost £650. Telephone slot machines are to bo erected here, one in the Square and tho other on tho railway platform. Tho Manawatu and Wost Coast Caledonian Society has passed a vote uf condolence with tlio family of tho lato Mr. Smith, of Pahiatua. Last week tlio l'almerston branch of the Farmers' Union discussed tho British West Coast trado, and agreed that tho development in respect to West of England ports would improve tho conditions of tho Home trado generally. The meeting endorsed a Levin resolution in favour of a compulsory analysis of calf foods, and decided to consult local manufacturers on the subject. Entries for the elocutionary competit, tioiis, beginning on September 24, number 189, as against 146 last year and ' 132 for the previous year. Mr. Spong, ' of Dunedin, is to act as judgo. Robert Parkes, who has worked at . Gisborne- as a wharf labourer, at Wellington, and in a Manawatu flaxmill, 3 and who also spent a week in hospital, t is now serving a week's imprisonment 3 for vagrancy. He entered a house, . and was found in bed. Ho had pvej viously been a bookmaker's clerk, but r had been warned off the course. o NAPIER. a Mr. A. L. Upchureh and Mr. J. Heet ney, of tho Hastings post office staff, ) havo been transferred to Eltham and - Waihi respectively. , ' s A commercial and farmers' club is bo- . ing formed at Hastings. 3 Tho official opening of tho Napier tram 3 service will take place on Monday. 0 Tho original hockey team selected to t represont tho Hawko's Bay ladies in tho 1 tournament at Wanganui left by tho d mail train on Saturday, Mrs. W. Helm, - Clivo, accompanying the team as s cliaperono, and Mr. J. Niven, of Napier, , as manager. Dr. Harvey,.of Napier, and his cliaufi feur had a very narrow escape on Wed- - r.osday whilst motoring on Tongoio Hill. - The car skidded, went over an embankt ment, and turned' a complete somersault a on to tho ground about 40 feet below. 3 Dr. Harvey jumped clear, but tho driver fell with 'tho car. Neither, Ijowever, - were injured. t FEATHERSTON. " Tho Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for 1 Public Works, arrived hero by train on J Saturday morning, and was mot at tlio station by Sir Walter Buchanan, M.P., 3 and a deputation of members of tho ' Town Board, consisting of Messrs. J. s W. Card (chairman), A. Donald ; W. "' Benton, and B. Yelverton. _ Speaking to tho Minister, Mr. Card said that in " view of tho different routes suggested s for the deviation of the Rimutaka railway, the peoplo of Foatherston were anxious to havo some information as to tho Government's intentions on the . matter. Local opinion favoured the I old coach route over tho ltimutaka, ' which would allow Featherston to be on tho main line inT stead of a branch line. Mr. Fraser replied that nothing had been settled in .regard to the routo of tho deviation, lis had no reports from tho engineers s yet, and when'theso wero received they EESHSJStBXSZESSSIEESSiE

would have the careful consideration of n himself and tho Cabinet., If the dovia- A tion wero made, caro would bo taken to t select tho best routo for all parties coil- p cernod. Tho Minister afterwards went o oil to inspect tho site of tho proposed new bridgo over tho Waiohino River, and visited Maryborough in tho afternoon. v Mr. J. A. Primmer, veterinary sur- q geon from I'almerston North, gavo a I lecture to farmers on Friday afternoon y at South Featherston, on the subject of ; two prevalent complaints affecting dairy ( cows. There was a largo attendance, s and the address was admitted to be one J of the most instructive of its kind yet c given hero. v MA3TERTON, c A caso was heard in tho Magistrate's I Court on Friday in which H. M'Guinness claimed a sum of £11 from Messrs. Fly and Young, carriers, on account of tho loss of a dog, which was entrusted to tho defendants at tho Mastertoii railway station. Tho defence was' I that tho dog had been placed in a stable on the express instructions of tho plaintiff, and it had either escaped or been stolen. Tho magistrate non- J suited tho plaintiff, with costs. ' A hockey match for tho Thompson- 1 Payne shield was played 011 Friday lietween teams representing the Post and J Telegraph and Excelsior Clubs. 1 a strenuous contest tho match resulted J in a draw, each side scoring a goal. A highly-successful concert was • held ? in Knox Hall on Friday, under the 1 auspices of Knox Church choir. . Tho Rov. A. T. Thompson and an ' excellent programme was submitted. J A conference of representatives of ' the Masterton, Eketahuna, and Ponga- ! roa- Chambers of Commerce was held 1 at Ekotalmna last wfeck, to discuss 1 matters connected with the proposed Eketahuna-Pongaroa motor Bervicc. . CARTERTON. ( A deputation representing the local j .bodies met the Hon. W. Frasor, Minis- i tor for Publio Works, at tho old Waio- j liino Bridgo on Saturday morning, and asked him for a subsidy towards tho new bridge, which is imperatively necessary. Tho deputation was introduced by Sir Walter Buchanan, M.P., and comprised Councillor T. V. Moore, act-ing-chairman, Wairarapa County; Air. F. Feist, Mayor of Carterton; Mr. D. P. Loasby, Mayor of Groytown; and Sir. A. D. M'Leod, chairman of the Featberston County; and Councillor Martin. It was urged upon the Minister that this bridgo was on the arterial j road from Wellington to tho north, aud ■ that the local bodies who had to erect it wero entitled to expect tho Government to bear a share of tho expenso. l The Minister was favourable, and pro- • mised to place a sum on the Estimates to assist tho work. The • Wairarapa Caledonian Society held an inglesido at Gladstone on Friday ovening, a large number of visitors ' being present from .Carterton, Master- 1 ton, and other parts of tho Wairarapa. i The gathering took tho form of a wol- < como to Sir Walter Buchanan, who gavo 1 a most interesting speech. Tho Calodonian Society's Pipe Band was in at- 1 j tendance, and a feature was tho High- . I land dancing. Not the least onjoyablo • 1 part of tho function was tho cutting 1 : of the "haggis" after it was played round thd room in tho customary fash- ' ion. Dancing was kept up with vigour J until an early hour, when tho gathering j broke up. ' J Tho Carterton Company of the 9th ' Battalion of Territorials is taking stops j :to form a pipe band. When the com- ' pany went into camp they took a , pipor with them, and the result was so I ' pleasing that it was decided to organ- ] ise a company band of four pipers and ; two side-drums, tho uniforms being , khaki kilts. Two pipers and the drum- • | mers are already availablo, and two 1

more pipers will go into training. Sii Walter Buchanan has already presents:! tho company with a sot of pipes, and possibly his examplo will bo followed bj others. OTAKI. The annual ball, hold in connection with tho Ohau Ladies' Hockey Club or Thursday evening, at tho Institute Hall, was a great success. Tho hal was nicely decoratod, the floor well polished, and tho music, by tho Missof Cook, of Otaki, all that could bo dosired. The Brown Banner and Mackenzia Cup wcro presented to tho clul during the ovoning. Mr. H. J. Kichardß is well forwirc with lamb 3 this season, and on Tliurs day dispatched a fine sample from nit Levin farm for tho Wellington market.