DISTRICT NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2307, 14 November 1914, Page 10

DISTRICT NEWS.

» JOTTINGS FROM PROVINCIAL CENTRES. (From Our SpecioJ Correspondents,) WANGANUI. At the annual meeting of the Wangaui_ Amateur Sports Club the election ot officers resulted Patron, Mr. A. Hatrick; president, Air. ,D. iM'Farlane: captain, ,iur. A. Muller; committeo, Messrs. R,'. Hollis, T. Thomas, G. Broadhead, J. Meuzies, W. B. Setter, 'N. Hoggard, It. G. Hardy; delegates 'to Centre, the captain, vice-captain, 'and Mr. G. Broadheadj delegates to Eoyal Life Saving Society, Messrs. A. Muller, N. Hoggard.

The Victoria Swimming Club has elected the following officers for the ensuing season:—Patron, Mr. A. A. Gower; president, -Mr. G. S. Gordon; captain, Mr. M. L. Lampe; deputy-captain, Mr. H. W. Cooper; secretary and treasurer, Mr. F. C. Foden-j : committee, Messrs. M. lleid, G. L. Bridge, R. F. Johnson, L. Furrie, \V. Little, H. Thornton j delegates to Centre, the captain, secretary,' and Mr. H.- Thornton; delegates to Royal Life Saving Society, the captain and secretary.. At a largely attended public meeting on Tuesday evening, addressed hy Mr, B. A. Armstrong, organising secretary of the New Zealand Moderate Leajgue, it was decided to form a local branch. Dr. Hatherley was elected. president, with tho following committee:—Messrs. A. 6. Bignell, C. M. Burrell, C. H. Burnett, ,N. Meuli, J., C. Richardson, G. Sprigg'e'ns,'J. H'l von Haa'st; Becretary and'treasurer, :Mr. F. B. Slipper. ~ ...

PALMERSTON

Questioned on Thursday at the River Board inquiry, • Air.'U. V. Jiennedy, engineer, jNapier, told Commissioner D'itzgerivld tKat when Mr. Fisher's scheme of groynes was iinisheki they would eventually form a training wall ror the river, though it might, take a little more'time and money than was-estimated". ' Mr. J. M. Johnston', as a ratepayer, gave evi-dence-in favour of tho boards "retention. Mr. JiV S. M'ltae emphatically favoured its retention. Mr. 'H. T. riyger desired to see the board with larger scope. The inquiry Continues. St. John's Ambulance .Nursing Guild held its annual meeting on Wednesday evening, when tho report showed that after a useful year a credit balance remained of '£214.' The Mayor advocated extending the nursing to country districts■ and applying for 'a subsidy from the money recently voted by Parliament. The meeting adopted the proposal. The new ofheers elected were: Uatronass, tile Mrs.-. J. Wash; chairman,. bis Worship the Mayor; treasurer, Mr. J. A. M'Leavey; secretary, Mrs. Aitchison; committee, Mesdaines Devihe, j'lewitt, Spooner, Abraham, also Mr. JF. J. Nathan ; auditor, Mr. Mitchell.

I Mr. Georfe Seifert, 'who was . Paddon's backer against Barry for the sculling championship on tie River Thames, has returned. His route was through the Indian Ocean, but his ship, the Medina, made a detour.ol. 150 miles from tho Cocos Island to avoid the Emden. Speaking .-of the boat 'race,' Mr. Seifert told ;a "Standard" reporter that had Paddon not got into bad. steering water he would have won.; Between Harrod's and Hammersmith Bridge he got into Black water, and lost four or five lengths. Barry was practically beaten between Chiswick and HaminerSDiith, and Paddon getting into . bad .water, allowed him to get away. Mr. Seifert pointed out that on training days the Thames is quite calm, barges and small craft move up and down without; disturbing the. water, but on race day they waited until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when it was -high tide, and ohurned the water up very badly. When the men were, training the water ran smoothly between the two beaches, but at full tide the boats sent it against the walla, and; it rebounded on to the boats. This nearly upset Paddon twice. Mr. Seifert is confident that Paddon would beat Barry out here. There was a better course on the Thames at Keiv, and also .on the Tyne,. but Barry, when asked, would not row there. It was a big advantage for Barry to row on the Thames, but Mr. Seifert considered thi race chould be rowed two hours before high .tide. Barry, on tha Thames, is a wonderful man,'concluded Mr. Seifert: The River Board Inquiry has ended. Mr. John liane, in supporting retention of the board, advocated the enlargement of the area- and rating of every district which poured water into the Manawatu. He considered Mr. Fisher a very good engineer, and one of the few men who had had experience of continuous protection works, but if a / larger board were established he advocated tho importation of an engineer from Europe. Mr. E. G. Sim, the board's secretary, said as the result of his scrutiny of the petition, whicli led to the inquiry, he found there were 173 people who signed twice, or signed without being ratepayers. The total effective signatures was 1120 out of 2218 ratepayer®, after allowing for plural signing where men had several properties. The Wairarapa' Centre's bowling team beat Manawatu here on Thursday by 386 against 321. Wairarapa won on tho morning's play by 54, but after lunch at the Grand Hotel won the nfternoon games by only one. There was an enjoyable smoke concert in the pavilion in the evening. A branch of the Moderate League was formed on Thursday evening at a meeting convenod by Messrs. E. J. Armstrong, R. S. Abraham, J. H. P. Strang, A. J. Mahon, and C. Dunk. The organiser, Mr. R. A. Armstrong, addressed the meeting,. criticising the Prohibition campaign. A committee was formed embracing the conveners, and Messrs. E. 0. Hurley, C. E. Dempv sey, A. Rush, A. J. Palmer, Leydon, E. Warbur'ton, L. G. West, and Mrs. West. Mr. 15. J. Armstrong is the president. In a letter acknowledging the receipt of funds for the Belgians, the Hon, C. J. Johnston, Vice-Consul for Belgium, WToto from Wellington that he bad cabled Home £7880, and was sending a further £1000 this week

MASTERTON.

The ladies of the Methodist Church entertained the representatives of -the Methodist Synod at afternoon tea on Wednesday. The Mayor (Mr. J. M. Coradine) extended a hearty welcome to the Eyiiodsmen. Mr. Stanley Parsonson will represent the local branch of the Y.M.C.A. at the annual conference of the National Committee in Wellington. Archbishop O'Shea will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to about one hundred applicants in St.- Patrick's Church on Sunday morning. He afterwards proceeds to Eketahuna. A wagon load of wool was precipitated over an embankment a few miles from Masterton on Friday morning. The driver and horses had what can be regarded only as a miraculous escape.