DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (Prom Oar Bn«ot<il Oorretfondeiita.) PALMERSTON. Tho now stationmaster at Palmorston, Mr. F. C. Day, began duty yesterday under difficult circumstance's, owing to the slips and floods. The Borough Council will hold a special meeting on Monday to consider tramways, purchase of gas works, establishment of swimming baths, deBtruotor, and now library, and the purchase of a recreation reserve. Members of the Licensed Victuallers Association yesterday presented a purse of sovereigns to Mr. Mas Eberhardt, who is visiting Germany. A man named David .Quinn, whose overcoat _ was saturated with Thursday 1 s rain, coolly bung it up outside Hallensteire Bros.' shop, and donned' a new overcoat, selected from the- firm's best weatherproofs. When oaptured by the police he explained that ho bought it from a man in tho street. The Magistrate sentenced him to 30 days' imprisonment. A meeting of farmers, arranged for Thursday Inst, in, connection withstho establishment of freezing works, was affected by the weather and adjourned. The College Street School bazaar yielded proceeds totalling £46. NAPIER. During tho 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday 1.28 inche3 of rain fell. Thursday was the first day for about six months thai it rained throughout the day without a break. Owing to the Tecent showery weather delaying shearing tho November wool sales have been cancelled. Portion of the Karamu block sold by auction at- Hastings yesterday realised £110 per aore. ' Mr. L. H. M'Hardy will probably be appointed the Hawke's Bay representative on the Board of Management for New Zealand of the British and Dominion's Producers' Association.

MASTERTGN. A four-roomed unoccupied cottage, owned by George Butcher, was completely gutted oy firo to-night, Tho insurance is not available. Mr. W. Johnson, manager of the Bank of Australasia, ha-i Seen .transferred to Timaru, and will be succeeded by Mr. E. T. Costello. of Timaru. During the past week Lieutenant Rose, of the New Zealand Defence Staff, has. been conducting a class for musketry instruction among tho officors of tho local area. The class has been well attended, officers being prosent from all parts of tho district. Mr. J. LomaSj Secretary for Labour, mot a number of applicants for rural homes on Thursday, and explained that the prico asked for land for the purpose was so far in. advance of that fixed oy tho Government Valuer that nothing further could bo done in the meantime.

Tho annual meeting of the Masterton Crickofc Club was held on Thursday evening, Mr. AY. C. Perry presiding over o fair attendance of members. The annual Teport and.balancesheet. which showed the club to bo i.n a satisfactory position, were adopted. Sir. AV G. Beard was elected president, nnd Mr. T. Jordon secretary and treasurer. It was decided to open the season on Saturday, and to enter two teams for the Saturday competition.

Tho grass grub is reported to hovo again made its appearance on farms in the neighbourhood of Masterton. This is sn,id to bo duo to the excessive rain of the past month. A meeting of- those interested in acclimatisation matters is to be held here ,on Monday evening next, to consider the advisability of forming an Anglers' Club. A proposal will also bo made to set up a sub-eommitteo to co-operato with the AVellington Acclimatisation Society in acclimatisation matters. Tho proposal of tho Bo&rd of Managers of the Y.M.O.A. to wind up affairs was considered at a largelyattended meeting of members on Thursday evening. -After tho position of affairs had been fully oiscussed, tho proposal of tho managers was negatived on tho voices, "and a committee was set up to confer with tho board. LEVIN.

The following resolution was passed by the Lovin School Committee at a recent meeting:—"That, whereas there is widespread dissatisfaction among householders of Levin and district with tho rural course system of education obtaining in the District High School, and many pupils have left the school long before the completion of their course, and whereas the grounds for dissatisfaction are: (1) That the agricultural instruction is too meagre and general to bo of any practical use or value, leads to no definite end, and is not linked up with agricultural colleges and Government farms; (2) that the curriculum is crowded with too many subjects for full and effective instruction in any one of them; (3) that no distinction is made between tho sexes and between different types of scholar, and no provision whereby pupils , may elect to specialise in such subjects as may fit them for the calling their parents wish them to fill; (4) that under this system the door is closed to tho University unless extra coaching is obtained and paid for outside the school hours, this committee is therefore of opinion that the system should be so amended as to bring it more into harmony with the needs of every typo of scholar, nnd with the practical idea of fitting our children for the vocation in life, and urges upon the board and the Department to take steps to give effect to this resolution."

Hessra. Lees and Church, 128 . Cuba Street, will hold their first annus! white sale on Thursday morning, OctoberSO, at 9 a.m. Some of the bargains will » found described in an advertisement elsewhere in this issue. Messrs. Dalgety and 00., 'Wellington, insert in this issue particulars of tuo sale by auction of eight Manawatu dairy farms, comprising tho wcll-knoiTO YVootlclyffo Estate. They. will ho offered at the Town Hall, about tho mmdle of November. Messrs. Abraham and William*; Ltd., will hold their Palmereton annual cattle fair on Wednesday, October 29, at tho yards, Boundary Koad. entries to date comprise some 1200 n?a<i ot well-hrod cattle. Messr3. Thomson and DaM«i?b, papier, havo 1500 acres, freehold, of twosheep country, sis mile 9 from Takapau railway stntion, for disposal. Mossm. W. and G. Turnbull and Co. will hold their spring cattle fair at Waipoua yards at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oc_obcr 25. Upwards of 500 head of firstclass cattle will ho sold. In this issuo will bo found the_ timetable for tho Eastbourne and Bay s Day ferry service for to-day (Saturday), ®unday, and tho holiday time-table for Monday (Labour Day).