MANAWATU NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 10

MANAWATU NOTES

A deputation waited" on • the • Horowhenua County Council relative to the overflow of the* Hoiwlnima Me, whioli was damaging their land. Mr. Vincont said the lake was 18 inches higher than before, and that .about lflOO acres of fi.rstclase land was affected by the.lake, the primary cause being the Hoiwhenua water race system. The council had done but little to assist settlers, and they asked ih\ council to divert their water and prevent thenv being waterlogged. They wanted tho outlet maintained so as to get rid of the water. Mr. Proctor had a large area of land -under water, and wish-er-the council to do-something to obYinte. rhe trouble by keeping tie lake at a ' reasonable level. Tho property-owners ou tho southern end complained that the drains had not been kept open. They only asked that the lake be lowered to « normal level. M,r. Proctor said he had ' property on the eastern side of the lake and much of it was under water. The en- ! gineer said tho lake was two feet higher ! vivit.ever he hrol seen it, and.it would I Ink* some time- to relieve the propertyowners. It wns pointed out by the chairI man aiid Councillor Broadbeit that the i Maoris Had certain rights which prevented the Hokio stream (the real cause of the trouble) being interfered with. Unless a lock were put in they saw no way i of lowering tho lake. Mr. Vincent' said j -the property-owners were willing; to raise money to put in a lock, and also to have the property brought in a special rating area. >It -was agreed tl'.nt the councillors interested and the deputation meet at the lake and see what can.bo done.'

At a meeting held in connection with the Apiti Athletic Club it was decided, after a good deal of discussion, to go on with their annual sports of pre-war daj-6. A lengthy programme vaa drawn out for their meeting to lie held on March 17. 19.19, which includes .an-, open hunters' •competition, ' pony jump, and maiden hunters, besides the various other events usually on a sports programme. Tho following were elected officials for the ensuing year:—Patron, Mr. E. H. Cummerfield; president, Mr. S. Haywood; vjceprosidente. Messrs. D. Hogan,' S. J. Strahan, J. Cantwell, J. f>. M'lntyre, W. J. Viles, and .T. TownseiVtl; judges—running, events, D. Hogan, W. J. Viles, and E. Jorgonsen; home events,-A. (iower and W. Taylor; chopping and sawing, P. E. Lewis, B. Cummerfield, and J. S. M'lntjTe; handienppers. Messrs. E. Cummerfield and C. C. Hills; starter,' Mr. John Malone; assistant etarte-r, Mr. P. E. Lewie; timekeeper, Mr. A. Moyes; secretary, Mr. W. M'Kenzie; assistant secretary, , Mr. I. Cummerfield. In conjunction with sports a concert and dance is being arranged for the evening. The niiestion of the system of rating —by .ridings or uniform over the whole country, which ha? been a great bone of contention in tho TCiwitea county in.paet years-is to be revived at next Saturday's meeting of the council, Councillor W. P. Shaw (Hautapu) -having given notice of the following motion: "That this council adopts the system of vniform rating, to <Mn from April 1, 1919." At the monthly meeting of tho Olaki Town Board, a petition forwarded by Mr. J. Mnckie. dealing with rating on unimproved value, wasjecewd, together with ii letter from Mr. P. J. O'Rogan. The letter stated that as there are more than 200, but less than 800 ratepayers in tho district, 20 per cent, of signatures had to be attached to a fequieitioli. After these were obtnined and presented to the board the chairman must order a poll within 28 days. The requisition presented contained many over the reauirnd num. her. The chairman considered alf'piiblie--spirited men should support tho nroposalj ho would do ho although it wou>J double his rates. He believed in creatine a stimulus to improve Ihe township, This view was supported by others, and the clerk was instructed to take tho necessary steps, Mr. .Tnsnuh Jtoee, an old identity of Levin, died siuldnnlv on Friday Inst, aged 81 years. He left England for New Zealand in 187!), nud,'after'rwidinir in Rangiora and Wellington, made ; his home in Levin, and resided there up to the time nLhis death. He is rui'vivod by n dnndiMr and four sons, wmely. Mrs. Hose ! (Tiiumarumii). Jfr. H. TCoso ffetone), Mr. G. Rose (Rnefihi). Mr. .Tnlin Rose (Rangataiia), and Mr. .lamo* Rose (Levin).

One of Otnlti's oldest and hißlilr-pe-tpomed rwidotits, Mr. Dnnipl UoxbuVijh. died early on "Monday ,-ifternnon, a,»eil 8.5 rears. Deceased had I'wn ailing for eome Ions; linio past, nnd bis death was not nnexpected.

J ifr. nnd Mr%. J. C. tfeil, iof Weraroa. arc expected to return from Enarlnnd at iilip end of Hie month. Mrs. Neil is a (nullified medical practitioner, nnd spnnt I rta'lnst Ihrco years nn the staff of the I Putney and other hospitals attending t wounded soldiers.