DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2144, 9 May 1914, Page 14

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PRO? INCIAL CENTRES,

(From Our Special Oorrcspondentt) WANCANUI. Tlie Town Clerk's animal report, just issued, gives a good idea of tYio magnitudo of the operations oven in a secondary to.vn when municipal trading concerns are added to the usual administrative work. l\or the year ended March 31 last, the total cash receipts of the gas works were £33,770, and aTter payment of all expanses, including interest and sinking fund, as well as purchasing a certain amount of now plant, there remains a cash surplus of £3073, of which £2000 has been trans* ferred to the general account for the relief of rates. During the twelve years that the gas works have bec-n under municipal control, a total of has been transferred to tlw general account for the relief of rates, £24,400 was paid in interest, £11,197 set aside, for smiting fund, expended on now plant, all out oE revenue. For the year the total tramway receipts were £23,105, an increase of £5255 over the previous year. Of tire total £1042 was returned to the Gon-ville-CastleclifE Tramway Board, aftd, alter paying all expenses, including interest and sinking fund, there is a delicfency cf £99 as a set-off to which £697 is still owing to the council by the Tramway Board. The excess of revenue over expenditure during the five years that the trams have been running is £397, and the accumulated $iuk» ing fund now amounts to £4-569. The Opera. House account sliows that, after setting aside £320-for sinking fund, I hero is a profit for the year of £255. The general administrative account sliows that the receipts were £"28.342, or £122 over expenditure. Other sources of revenue bring the total amount of' casli receipts handled by the Borottgh Council during the year to, £199,032, wfile the expenditure on all accounts totalled £205,810, the excess of expen* dituro, being due to a bal;u?ee of special loan moneys which was unexpended ill the previous" year. • Tho annual rateable value of tho-borough'is set /dowir, nt. £171,854, this being an increase of £G&29 over the previous year.'

PALMERSTON.

"Local nurserymen were- ad'.lresst(l on Thursday night by Mr. G,. A, G reels., secretary of the, New Zealand"Nurserymen's Association. Jlr. Greeu outlined tho progress made in organising tko.in> dustry tliroughout tho Dominioit, A meeting is contemplated at a later date to form a local council. 9r. Barnado's Homes were tho sab-., jeot of an'interesting address en Thursday night by Mr. H. Tf. to«. organising New Zealand.' Tho address was delivered in tho Church ofChrist and. was listened to with groat interest. •

taihape.

( There was a large gathering af Masonic brethren at 'lailiapo on Tuesday, 011 tho occasion of ths instalfetioa o:f tho W.M.-clcct, Bro. A. Janws. A ball was held'in the evening, In connection with the resignation of tho Taihape Fire Brigade, a ence between representatives o£ the counSil and the brigade will ho held .with the object, of arriving at a satisfactory understanding. - It was announced that tho Hon, ■Tames Allen would deliver a political address/at Taihape 011 Monday nest; but owing to unforseeu cirp-unistanoas arising, Mr. Allen's visit to Taihape has been postponed. At-tho Magistrate's' Court on-Wed-nesday, John Cahill was charged .with obstructing a parade <jf Senior Cadets. The ovidenco showed that defendant called his son' out of the ranks, anil took him away while the cadets Ayere marching to a doctor's residence to'ur.dergo medical examination. JDcfentlant stated that he considered tho parade had been disraissfid, as nobody had appeared to 'bo ia ehafgo st tho time. Furthermore, ho had lodged a protest against the medical -examination, and had expected it to be considered. A' fino of £1 with 7s. costs was imposed. - • Er-nest Edgar'' Tataia, of Taihape, hoardinghousc-k?eper, has been ad.* judged bankrupt:

FEATHERSTON. I

'The annual meeting of hcfisehnlders in connection with the election ol a school committee for the year was held this weolc, tho Rev. G. K. StotteU presiding. Tho balance-sheet stewed a credit of £13 14s. 7d. The following committee was elected; 'Ref. G. E. Stowell (chairman), C. it. Skipage (treasurer), A. C, Holms (hou. secretary), S. Murphy, 0. Elliott, L. J. Hayward (re-elected), aiwl M, Ford. Jlr. W. Benton retired after abtfut twenty years' valuable sefvitfft. For many years ho held the offiee of chairman of the committee.

MASTERTOW.

,Tlie Masterton Homing Pigeon. Club flew a young bird produce race on Thursdav from Napier, an air-lino. .dig-* tance of 121 miles. Tile winning bird (Drake Bros.' Darling) did the distance in lhr. 27min., which represents 2:300 yards per minute. This i& a record flv for the club and tho Dominion. At the Senibr Cadet parade, which is to be held here on May 25, Gcneial Sir lau Hamilton will present the ladies' challenge cup and medal that have bpen provided for competition i-o tho Senior Cadets for shooting. The Wairarapa Caledonian Society has now a membership of 659. This represents an increase of aiboufc ■ one hundred for tho past year. • Several meetings of householders in this district-lapsed on Thursday tughfc, and school committees ware therefore not elected. ' - The Rev. Father Harnetf, who ia about to leave for Opuuake, was entertained on Thursday evening by the congregation of St. Patrick's Church, and presented with an address and purso of sovereigns.

OTAKi.

A' hunt took place on Thursday, when the properties of Messrs. llyder and Fairley wero utilised', Some, thirtysix jumps wero negotiated in fine' style., only one spill resulting, A meet ia to bo held at Waikanae at an early date, when a. Wairarapa c'ofltingent, inc-ltul-ing Mr. C. F. Vallanee, will probably tako part. Two lads named Turvey and Young wero arrested by Detective Andrews and' Constable Satberley at Wailaitiae on Thursday, and were yesterday charged with deserting from tI.M.S. I'yramus. They pleaded guilt.v, and were remanded to Wellington. - Mr. A. H. N. Taylor was thrown, from a bolting horse on Thursday, owing to a girth breaking. Bo was thrown with great.force against a post, and badly injured.