DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (From Our Special Oone»poadent«) PALMERSTON NORTH. Arrangements aro being made for a Manawatu liugby team to play Horowhenua on August 8. Mr. Ben Crisp has given a handsome banner for competition in the Orftua sub-district. Mr. H. .D. Bedford, ex-M.P., now Lecturer on Economics at Otago University, addressed an audience at the Opora House on Tuesday evening in support of Prohibition. His text was Liquor v. Labour. He assailed the argument that Prohibition would cause unemployment and loss of revenue, and contended with many lucid examples that it would overwhelmingly have just tho opposite effect. Ho was asked several questions, and received a vote of thanks.

Miss Bromley,' owing to ill-health, has -resigned her position as Manawatu delegate to -the New Zealand Ladies' Hockoy Association. Mr. G. Larking has been appointed coach of the local ladies' team. / The fate o fthe "shopping week" proposal is still unsettled. The Chamber 'of Commerce has again discussed it, and referred it to a meeting of shopkeepers to bo called for August 10. When that meeting takes place Messrs. F. J. Nathan and L. H. Collinson will submit detailed proposals. ; During, the preliminary trial of John Mason, in connection with the narrow escape from derailment of the Welling-ton-Auckland express, near Awapuni, on the evening of July' 8, the acting-fore-man of the' Palmerston station (Mr. John-'Cavanagh) said that if the obstructing two rails which were laid on the lino had been slightly thinner they would probably have gone -under tho cow-catoher and wrecked the train. Tho rails had' been taken from a bridge close by.

The Chamber of Commerce on Monday evening' passed a resolution approving of- tho -Motor Registration Bill and suggesting that tho revenue therefrom should be allocated toward tho upkeep of arterial roads. The Chamber of Commorco has resolved to confer with the Borough Council with a view to taking action in opposition to the proposal to build a Levin-Greatford railway. The attendance at the Opera House on the. Carnival' Queen night was so huge that the borough inspector, who is a was quite overwhelmed,' and unable ,to secure < obedience to his fiat against further admittance. Consequently some of tho exits were blocked. When ho complained of the incident • to the Borough Council on Tuesday night Councillor Nathan declared that the Opera House was a death-trap,- and in the ease of a panic people would have no chance at all.' Tho Mayor denied • this.. Inspector Hugh is-to be-asked to report further.. ■ Councillor Woon's proposal to reduco tho £100 subsidy' to the local band had tho desired effect of raising a sharp discussion" as to the quality of tho bands performancesi since it obtained the new instruments. Councillor Woon declared that the band was getting over £1000 out of the carnival and instruments ..funds, but the town was not benefiting therefore. Oothor councillors strongly defended the band and. asked ■that thoy bo given time. The motion was rejected. A public mooting, of ratepavers will ■shortly be called to decide on the closing of tho Cook.Street crossing to allow tho now railway station scheme 'to proceed, r If tho meeting carries the proposal tho Magistrate will hear objections and give his final decision, giving or,denying the council the rielit to declare tho crossing. closed. The matter is a very controversial one. - - '• MASTERTON. A considerable number of Wairarapa sheep (chiefly ewes) ..have been railed to Wanganui during the last few days. TJiey aro going on to the new settlement up the Wanganui River. Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P., is procuring information from the freezing companies, to show the quantity of live and dead stock that passes annually over the Riinutaka. This information will bo used when the question of a deviation of ..the line comes , before the House. Sheep-worrying dogs have been causing a good deal of trouble in the Mauricoville district of late. Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co., report the' sale of Mr. C. Wayland's , Glenwai property at Akitio, consisting of 1350 acres, to Messrs. M'Donald Bros., of Mangahiahoo. A party of Wellington Savages intend paying a visit to Masterton next week. Tho Mastertoh Amateur Theatrical Society is actively rehearsing the opera "The Country Girl," which is to. be staged next month. ' A military.ball is to be held in Masterton on to-night, dt which visitors are expected from all parts of the Wairarapa. TAIHAPE. Thore was a heavy fall of snow In the high country surrounding Taihape' o% Saturday, and on Monday snow was experienced in various parts of the dis trict. • .. ° Mr. and Mrs. ¥~ J. Hintz, of Te Kapua.'left last week on a visit to Australia and the Islands, .and iyill be absent for about three months. The schedule of the Spring Flower Show, to bo held under the auspices of St. Mary's Roman Catihtolic Church, has ' been prepared and will be issued shortly. If the initial show is a success, a similar function will be held annually. The balance-sheet in connection with tho Rangitikei A. and P. Association's Winter Show revealed a debit of £22 7s. 7d„ as against a loss of £16 on last year's show. The secretary reported that a sum of approximately £30 in special prize money had yet to he collected. The following letter, from an aggrieved exhibitor, was read at a meeting of tho Committee of the Rangitikei A. and P. Association on Monday:—"l feel it my duty to call attention to the fact that a certain . amount of pilfering goes on at yqur' shows. I exhibited, among other roots, some large parsnips which I considered a fairly good samples. Others must have considered them good, also, as when I went to get them they were nowhere to be seen. . . . I would like to know what you intend doing in the matter, as I am not in a position to supply others' with vegetables -free of. cost." —The letter was received. The secretary reported that he had not been able to trace a piece of fancy work which had disappeared on the second day of the show, and it was decided to advertise for the missing article. A young man named Brico mot with a shooting accident on Kaweka Road, and had a miraculous escape from death. Ho .was getting through a fence when a pea-rifle which ho was carrying went off. Tho bullet entered his right cheek and passed through to the left side, lodging just below the left ear. He received medical attention, and it was found that ho was not seriously injured, as the bullet bad missed the vital parts.

PAHIATUA. The balance-sheet submitted to tho annual mooting of the Pahiatua Fire Brigade showed that tho receipts for tho year ended June 30, 1914, totalled £58 15s. 7d., and tho expenditure £50 17s. lOd. Tho election of a lieutenant. for the current year, io. which there were three nominations, re.

suited ill Fireman F. Punch being elected. Captain AVallis was presented with .a two-years 'service bar. The recipient has seventeen years' continuous seivice with the Pahiatua Brigade to his credit. Competition trophies won during the past six months were awarded to Lieutenant' F: Parkes (challenge shield and gold medal), Foreman J. Stokes (gold and silver medal), Hydrantman L. Stokes (silver medal). A fiveyears' service medal was also presented to ex-Branchman A. Munns. Pleasure was expressed by the. members that thp outbreaks of fire charing the year had been extinguished in their early stages, and that the loss by fire had only been £55.

Miss May, of Mangatainoka, the Mangatainoka Athletic Society's candidate in tho recent Pahiatua Carnival Queen competition, was entertained at a social gathering at Mangatainoka tho other evening', and presented with a handsome gold expanding bracelet, with a gold watch attached. Mr. L. T. Herbert, a well-known resident of Pahiatua, leaves shortly on a trip to tho United States and Canada. Mr. Herbert, who is lieutenant of the Wellington Mounted Signalling C&rps, was presented with a travelling the members of the corps, as a mark of the esteem in which bo is held. During the absence of Lieutenant Herbert, tho corps will be under tho command ol Sergeant-Major A. Bissott. During a visit to the Hawera district two well-known dairy farmers, Messrs. C. Bottomley, Mangatainoka, and F. Cresswell, Ballance, each purchased a number of pedigree Jersey cows, for tho purpose of improving their dairy herds., The annual representative Rugby- fixture between the Dannevirke and Bush fifteens will bo played at Pahiatua on Saturday. Tho Bush-Puketoi match will probably be played hero on the following Saturday. At.the meeting of tho vestry of St. Peter's Church {his week, Mr. J. P. Douglas, people's warden, tendered his resignation. Mr. Douglas, who has been in ill-health lately, intends making a trip to tie 'Old Country at an early date. _ / Satisfactory nominations havo been receivod by the Woodlands Hunt for the annual Steeplechase Meeting, which will be held on the Pahiatua racecourse next .week.