DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1911, 20 November 1913, Page 5

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (Prom Our Special Oorresronaenti.) PALMERSTON. .'At a meeting of creditors of Michael Horsey King, sawmiller, of Raurimu, held here 011 Tuesday, debtor, in tho course of a written statement, said that thrco years ago lie acquired a farm of •161 acres near New Plymouth. This was mortgaged for £-1500. Ho then had about £600 cash, but the place was in bad order and, after a year, lie found his finances inadequate. The interest. mid rates amounted to £300 per annum. Ho tried unsuccessfully to sell, and after exhausting all liis resources, including £350 advanced by Mrs. King, and his sou's savings (£100) he effected an -exchange of -5; acres .for Messrs. liggers and Co.'s sawmill at Raurimu. Arter making considerable improvements to the mill, and overcoming a serie3 of accidents', ho was put into difficulties by discovering that the Onehuuga Sawmilling Company refused to take any second-class timber. A meeting of his creditors at Taumarunui had asked him to file, and ho did so. Mr. White (representing the Onehunga Company) dollied having refused to take second-class timber, this being included in the agreement. The debtor said that he had frequently complained of thoir not doing so. Ho had sold them white pine at 4s. 6d., totara, rimu, matai, and maire at 6s. b'd. on trucks. He was not' aware that this was an' impossible' price to sawmillers, but when he examined his position, ho found that he was losing tid. per hundred feet all round. Mr. Walker (representing Collett and Co.) said if dobtor had been able to sell his timber in ar. open market he would have been a'l right, but he was tied by the agr<emeno which he took over from Eg- . aers and Co. He had asked the Unehunga Company to take over the mill and pay the creditors in full, but they refused. The company had launched Eggors and Co. on the project with nothing ahead but disaster. Sir. Wynyard (representing. the Onehunga Company)': ''No I If so, why isn't Eggers bankrupt?" Mr. Cooper (also representing Collett and Co.): "He got out in time." The meeting adjourned to enable the Onehunga Company to mate an offer for the mill. Tho local Druids have accepted an invitation to attend the opening ceremony of tho new. lodge at Tokomaru on December 3. The election of local, officers takes piace at next meeting, and the installations will be held at a public function at Feilding on December 19. ■ The Rev. H. G. Rosher, vicar of All Saints, hss had to enter a private hos<pital, and will undergo an operation for appendicitis. ' - A farewel! social gathering was held at Rangiotu on Tuesday by settlers " as a mark of esteem of Mr. G. Kendall and family. It was attended by the Mayor and others from Palmerston, i where Mr. Kendall comes to reside;' A • presentation of a tea and coffee service was made. i Palmerston butchers held their annual ■ pjenio at Aslihurst yesterday in splen- • did weather. Five brake-loads attended : and there was also an interesting na- • rade of butchers round the Square, • wearing, the characteristic blue aprons. An invitation had been sent to the Hon. L W. F..Massey, who courteously acknow- ; ledged it and wished the butchers a - very enjoyable gathering. Inspector Hugo visited the local fire j brigade yesterday and witnessed practice. He also delivered a lecture. Whooping cough is very prevalent in ; Palmerston. | On Tuesday members of the Post and Telegraph- Officers' Association passed tlie following resolution: '"Tljat., this ' meeting endorses" tho" actibn/takto'b.t 1 the delegates in a recent interview with 1 tho Public Service Commissioners, and ' has every 'confidence in" the Executive Association and will loyally stand by > them in any action which they may 1 deem necessary to effect a settlement of the present deadlock." i At the Starr Bowkett Society's, draw ) on Tuesday, Mrs. E. A. Lyon secured . £200 free of interest. ■

MASTERTON.

>, The Masterton Swimming Club is to 1 open the season to-day, when two • events will be got off. The secretary of thefTYairarapa Caler donian Society has been advised that t; Mr. D. W. Walker, of Christchurch, lias i consented to act as judge of the pipe 1 music competition at the annual sports, 3 to be held on New Year's Day. J Shearing operations have bcoii delayed ; a good deal by tho broken weather of the past few weeks. It is now expected f that it will be well into December be- . fore the larger sheds are cut out. b A considerable number of applications r for work have been received at local 3 labour agencies during the last week - or two. Most of the surplus labour is . being absorbed at the shearing sheds. - OTA'KI. ? Local grocers are complaining of- the 9 shortage of sugar, all stocks being very J low, while one of the largest firms has * not an ounce in stock, despite frequent 6 applications. The trouble is due to the 1 strike. 9 Miss J. Bevan was a passenger by " the Devon, for England. She expects to 8 be away for at least two years. T The majority of the potato crops in i this district are looking very well, and I there are but very little signs of"blight. Fruit trees are also bearing well, and s a record harvest is anticipated. !> It is-understood locally that many o Chinese gardeners will seek fresh place's II next season, the leases of many prosent 0 lands terminating this year. y TAIHAPE. Ordinary goods traffic between Mar- , ton and Taihape has been resumed, the last of the slips having been cleared J away on Friday last. .' [j The official opening of the Taihape Bowling Club's season has been fixed for November 27. A canvass has resulted in the memberI. ship of the Taihape Athletic Club being i- increased to nearly 150. r Tho Taihape Chamber of Commerce 11 lias been asked to co-operate with the Utiku Chamber with the object of se- :. curing a later train south from Tai--0 hape. The co-operation of the Mangat weka Chambor is also being sought. s Although none of tho mills have been i- closed down, the number of men employy cd in the forty mills under the direc- . tion of tho Rangitikei Sawmillers' Assos ciation has been reduced by about 200, g owing to the depression in-trade caused •. by the strike. The erection of the bridge over' the j Hautapu River at Utiku, to replace the . structure which collapsed, some time 1 «so, will be commenced by the Rangib tikci County Council shortly after i Christmas. '

l\ FEATHERSTON.

The, annual meeting of. the Wnirarapa n Automobile. Association was held at o Featherston on Tuesday Mr. t Martin Elgar in the chair. There were t about twenty members present. The ; committee's report for the year showed -.that £10 was voted' towmls improv- . ing the Riimitaka Road, and a sum of i' money was also spent in repairing Abbott's Creek bridge. Several muchneeded reforms have been carried out as , tho result of the associations activity, ■I viz.: direction posts have been erected ' at various places in the district, culp verts have been put over streams, ._ Calais-Dover trays for motor-cars havo \ been supplied to tho Wollington-Lyttcl-ton ferry steamers, and tho Union Steam s Ship Company has promised to have 0 suitable boxes made on its steamers for ■_ tho conveyance of motor-cycles. In Uio ~ nintter of speed limit regulnlions, obl structions on Highways, etey.lhe assa-

ciation has endeavoured to protect the- . interests of motorists. During tho «'i«tcr, motor-cycle, reliability and petrol tests were Ireld, which attracted good competition, and arrangements - aro being made to hold a motor sports meeting on the Taulic-rinikau racecourse early in the season. The total receipts for ilia twelve months were:— LVi 14s. Bd. (members' subscriptions £30 10s., ?ales of badges and colours £21 15s. Bd., motor-cyclo trials £18 95,), and the expenditure was £67 9s. 9d. (badges £20, I'i motor-cycle trials £10 lis., stationery, printing, and advertising, £13 os. 9d., being the principal items). Tho surplus of assets over liabilities was shown to be £12 ss. sel. Tho report anil balancesheet _ were adopted. It was decided to raise the- annual subscription rates from 10s. to £1 Is. for cars, ss. to 10s. 6d. for motorcycles, and 2s. 6cl, to ss. nl for ordinary bicycles and jjon-owncrs. Tho question of joining tile N.Z. Auto- Ci mobile- Union was left to tho incoming |' committee, with power to act. Special a reference was made to tho services of It the chairman, and of the hon. secretary fi 1 (Mr. I. V. Wilson), and the latter ivas £ granted a bonus in recognition of tho . di dutjes performed by him. Tho foi- ] H lowing officers were elected:—President, |' Sir Walter Buchanan, 31.P.; vicc-presi- jj dents/Messrs. W. Howard Booth, T. E. oi Maunsell, J. O. Bidwill, M. Elgar; hon. f treasurer, Mr. W. G. Miller; hon. Audi- J| tor, Mr. G. Feiiwiek; secretary, Mr. j\ I. V. Wilson; all the foregoing being re- H elected. The committee appointed was: P Messrs. G. T. Stewart, A. To.cker, J. W. % Card, A. O'Neale, J. C, Bidwill, A: J. si Toogood, M. Ford. Alfred Booth, H. A. G Bunny, A. N. Broadbeirt, J. D. Smith, H. E, Jackson,, H. Hart, and A. Irvino. £ 5-