DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

NAPiER. > The statement lodged by Alfred Knight Davis, of Oreeiimcadows, who filed" a petition. in bankruptcy a few days ago, shows total debs £163 15s. lOtl.; assets, £25; apparent deficit, £14U 15s. iOd. The unsecured' creditors include I. Snick and 'Co., Wellington, £3-1 12s. 2d. On Wednesday afternoon Mrs. J. H. Oldham, editor of the official organ of tho W.C.T.U., was presented with a beautiful tea and coffee service from the various unions in New Zealand. At the Hastings Magistrate's Court on Wednesday a aman named Edward linrnton Foster was fined 10s and lls costs for driving a motor lorry across the railway line at Awatoto, within half a inilo of an advancing train, and failing to take notice of tho sign: "Stop.! Look out foe the engine." Foreman R. Henderson, Assistant Engineer J. Henry, Firemen 11. Trice, .7. D. Donovan, and R. Broom, of tho Hastings Fire Brigade, have' just received the two years' silver service bars, and Superintendent Bransch a two years' gold service bar. At the last meeting of the Napier Borough Council the Town Clerk submitted statements of receipts and expenditure from September 8 to November in connection with the tramways and electric light power undertakings, and reported that tho tramways, after paying all expenses including repairs and interest on capital expenditure and debiting the cost of current supplied from the power station, which was computed at 2d. per unit, there was a credit balance of £203 -is. 3d. available for depreciation. The power lighting account, after debiting- it with .interest on capital expenditure and for water supplied, showed a loss of £7b'(J Is. (3d. The high prices paid for coke and coal no doubt accounted for a considerable amount of the loss. Another contributing factor was tho supply or current to private consumers. Up to the. present there were only 75 connections; Although tho loss was shown at £7SB 4s. 6'd., interest, on capital expenditure had been provided for out of the loan, and lio payments for interest would be required out of general revenue until next July. This also applied to interest on tramways capital expenditure. Councillors considered the position in legard to the, tramways very satisfactory, and expressed a belief that the electric lighting and power scheme would right itself as tho number of consumers increased. The cost of generating current is considered too costly.

.PALMERSTON NORTH.

The Orchestral Society's concert, under the baton ot Mr. A. J. Graham, was held in the Upera House on Wednesday, Aliss -Uiiui Ciiklow, who is paying a jix months' visit from London, was tho principal singer, giving several items 1:1 her rich conualto. lYlr. I'ra'nk K. Johnston was another promine/it contributor assisting the orchestra, and giving 'cello solos. Tliu Uroua Lodge, on Tuesday, elected the following oliicers for the vcar; — J.P., Bro. S. li. Todd; Arch-Druid, W. ti. Skinner; Vice Arch-Druid, Alex. Ward; secretary, (J. fcj. Bush; treasurer, J. lilhs; minute secretary, \\. H. Galiichan; Arch-i)ruid Bards, \V. tlollier, J'-'. Mill; vico Arcb-Driwl Bards, E. 1). Evans, G. A. Gardiner; Jhsido Guardian, W. .Foley; Uutsiuo Guardian, .!. Hush. The installation, of oliicers takes place on December 10. Bro. A. Bush received.. 1 vote of thanks, and ..ivjas urcseiited" with the'' and'a :: case. He will have his name inscribed on tho merit board. Court IManawatu, on Monday night, elected the following' officers:—G.'H., Bro. G. Walker; S.C.R., Bro. H. Iloll'; treasurer, J. Aitcheson; secretary, A. J. Yortfs'; AV. Bro., A. P. Morse fminulo secretary, H. llolfe. ' Tho other oliicers will be elected next Court night. P. C. U. Bolfo represents tho court at lli-j "annual meeting of tho Wellington District.

The College Street School has secured the uso of the Sports Ground for tho annual sports on December 15.

A definite promise has been received from the Railway Department that when tho alteration of the railway station" is effected, the gas works, which have been considered by some people, since the recant explosion, to be dangerously close to tho platforms, will be placed in a different position. The contract for additions to 'he Public Library is proceeding satisfactorily, the brickwork being completed irnd the roof covered. During November, £2434 was spent on now huildings and alterations in Palmcrston North. Slot telephone cabinets arc now being erected at the station. Mr. J. G. _ Wilson vras on Tuesday reelected chairman of the Manawaiu Comity Council. The Technical School building, r.bou'c to bo built at Rongotca, will cost about £200. It will servo Glen Oroua, Carnarvon, Kaimataru, Makov.hai, Waitohi, and Taiokorea. There are now five Saturday and four Wednesday cricket teams in Tnlnwrston. The sale of work which is bein-j; hold by the members of the Congjceat'ional Church was enlivened'on Wednesday evening, by singing and ether itnmn b'v the Sunday School children, trained bv Mesdamcs Cullcii and Roe. Tho stallholders are: Mesdamcs Svnott, Roe, Burgess, Lc-iah, Stubbs. Snell, J. M. Whitehead, Munro, Duff, J. J. Whitehead, Misses Wilkinson, Hanna, Wadsworth, and Harris.

Two Palmcrston teams will probably compete, at tho Auckland military tournament January. They are from the Railway Transport Corps, entering for the physical drill events, fiid Llovdhindsay contests.

-The opening of tho Druids' Ltxluo on Wednesday at Tokomaru liad its sensational Mclo. A Palmerston partv of fivo wore capsized from a trap, aml'Mr. \Y. Hobb was severely injured. He is now in the Hospital.

CREYTOWN.

The members of tho South IVairarapa Working Men's Club hold a social on Tuesday night. It proved very enjoyable, although there wore not a 'great many present. In tho Police Court Hugh Hood was convicted and ordered to pay costs (75.) for failing to attend parade in the Senior Cadet Corps. E. CJ. D. Harrison, for a similar offence, was fined 305., and costs 7s. A young man named A. Till was convicted of stealing a gun, tho property of AVm. Olson. It appears these two were friends, and lived at Feathcrston, but at the time were at Ohakiino. Defendant had borrowed the gun first and afterwards retained it. He was dealt with summarily, and fined £5 and costs £2 IGs. The death occurred yesterday of Mr. Honi'v Humphrov Jackson, the eldest sou of tho late Mr. If. 11. Jackson, of Stonestead Station. Woodsido. Tito deceased had been ill for a considerable time. The funeral will take place on Tuesday. Tho late Mr. Jackson was aged 6'i at teh time of his death.

MASTERTON.

At a committee meeting of Iho 'Wairarana Amateur Athletic Club, held on Tuesday evening, a letter was rereived from the N.Z.A.A.A. accepting tho terms, viz., £40. for a visit from tho American athletes. The Americans will compete at tho Caledonian Society's meeting on New Year's Day. Mr. L. Barber was elected prssidojtf.

nf Hie Mastcrtou branch of the Wellington Butchers' Union at tho halfyearly meeting held on.Tuesday. 31 r. 0. Yaldon was elected vice-president. 'J'hc case for tlie new award was fully discussed, and Messrs. M'lnlosh, A. H. Cooper, and A. Nippon were appointed the assessors for tlie union on the Conciliation Council to sit no Thursday next.

WANCANUI.

Tito Wangan.ii Corporation Gasworks show an excess of receipts over expenditure for the half-year ended September 30 of £M 507 2s. Id . the figures being.— Receipts, £17.252 13s. -Id ; expenditure. £15,7.1.5 Us. ad. For the half-year ended September 30 last tho Waiiganui Borough Council's tramways earned £10,721 Ss. Od., passengers' fares accounting for jCSOju ss. 5d., the sale of power to the Gonvillc Tramway Hoard £2021 Is. 2d,, and small sundries completing tho balance. The expenditure, including interest and sinking fund for the same period, was £11; 107 2s. Gd. With tho summer season coming on, and the consequent largo soasido and other holiday traffic, it is expected that tho slight shortage of the winter months will be more than wiped off. Tito prize money for (ho Wangamii Axemen's Association's carnival on January 1 and 2 is £330, which has already brought entries from sonic of the best axemen in tho Dominion After twclvo months' running, tho C.'onvillc-Castloclift' tramway track received a final inspection last week, from tho engineer (.Mr. 31. R. Crengh), who reported to the Tramway Board last night that everything was in perfect older. He pays a special tribute to tnc efficacy of the "Thermit" welded joints in. the rails. Ho found only one. small superficial fault in a thousand joints.

TAIHAPE.

.Air. h. A. 31'Hnrdie, of }*almersto;i North, has been appointed to the Ta.ihapo Distiict Hish .School in place of Miss Cameron. The appointment takes effect immediately. A lad employed by Mr. F. MicUler.on at Tiriraukniva sustained a dislocated itliouldcr whilo wrestlinp; v.itli another lad. The sufferer was coin-eyed to Taibane for medical treatment.

A somewhat inysterioiiK fire occurred at the Taihape foundry, the properiy of Messrs. Marsh and Miller, on Sunday night. On the following day it was discovered Hint a number of hies of receipts, invoices, correspondence, etc., which ven on the wall, had been reduced to aslies. There was a fair amount of space between ettrh of tho files, and it floes not appear as if. the flames spread from one to the other, as the intervening woodwork, is not rliarrcil to any i-strnt. Beyond tho destruction of the papers and tho ch.irrinf; of one of the walls, no great damage was done. The police are investigating. The weather 00111111110.", cold and a .sharp frost was experienced tin Wednesday morning.

OTAK!.

The half-yearly meeting of the Druids' Lodge took place on Tuesday, when the election of officers resulted as Io!.-, lows:—A.D., IJro. E. Clavidge; V.A.D., Bro. H. Olliver; secretary, Bro. J. 11. Bills; treasurer, Bro. K. Lanchester; 0.G., Bro. A. Knox; 1.G., Bro. Jas. Xoble; A.D.B.'s, Bros. Gordon and Ayre; V.A.U.is, Bros. Wilson and Braniley; auditor, Bro. AI. Ayre; musiciun, Bro. Allen. The total wealth of the lodge was stated to be over £8,00. The total rainfall for November was <1.32 in. There were 19 wet flays, the heaviest fall being .S-lin. (on November 24). Last November's rainfall was 7* inches. The barometer on Tuesday n:oniing was 23.5-J, tho lowe.'it for a year. , At a lnocting of the lloroa-'iicnHii Cricket Associatisn it was decided to ftart cup matches on December 13, and to arrange a match with a- Porirpa or Wellington team for December '27. ltangi, a Mauakau Native, waa rendered unconscious at Manakau on Wednesday owing to the forks of his bicycle breaking. He received some nasty injuries.

Tho Tararuas now k-nr a heavy ;ontihjj of snow—an unusual spectacle for this time of the year.

Several Manakan settlers are anxious to become connected by telephone, .and intend to make, representations to the Department to have their wishes acceded to.