COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 128, 24 February 1919, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS

11 IN THE~WAIRABAPA j Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P,'has suggested to j the Puhiatua County Council that they should instruct their solicitor to dnitt •! a local bill to enable the setting up ot a , board of control for the Mn.naw.itu Gorge 1 Road and upper bridge. He has noilhed , Mr. Smith, M.P., that ho will be glad , to co-operate with him m the matter. < There are at present thirty-four town , and rural workers' dwellings in Master- , ton. Seven new dwellings havp been, erected by the Government during the ! last two years. . ■ Members of the Masterton lire ling- I ade took the motor engiue nil shining , and bright, to the railway station tlio , other evening to welcome home a return- , ing soldier. , r ~ „ , The Rev. Dean Tom. M'Jvcnna completed twenty-five .years of ministration lit Pahiatua >on. Sunday. The popular Dean is a brother of Monsiguor M Kenna, of Masterton, and was formerly stationed in Masterton. In the early days he ana hi* brother were prominent iootballers. There arc at present forty patients inthe Masterton Hospital, including jive in the isolation ward-two diphtheria and threo cerebrospinal meningitis. In connection with the exhibition ot the "lantana" shrub at the Masterton show, which although cultivated as a species of verbena and sold by .some nurserymen, is a scourge when allowed to spread, the experience of a Yvairarapa nurseryman in regard to another weed may bo mentioned, .states the "Age. lews a°o a certain horticultural society ottered a prize for the best new or rare plant. The nurseryman had cultivated in Ins hot-house what he likened to be a new species of the cineraria, with a 'beautilul yellow flower. The judge had no hesitation in awarding it first prize, 1 lie plant was subsequently discovered to lie the noxious weed known as ragwort. The question of resuscitating the Masterton Pipe Band was brought forward by Mr. Sam Sinclair at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society on Friday night. The matter was discussed at length, the general opinion being that nothing should be done until the members who had been promised hat their places would be kept open for them had returned from active service. Rabbits are gradually penetrating portions of the Masterton and Wairarapa districts . that have been comparatively "clean" for the last twenty years. The situation is viewed with anxiety by Mr. AY. W. Awdrey, formerly of Pahiatua, who has relinquished the position of sub-editor of the Hawera "Star, to engage in farming, was the recipient ot presentations from the proprietary and stall of the "Star." . A visiting settler told an ' Ago reporter that the decline iu prices at the Masterton mm fair this week' was not singular. There had been .the same experience at Feilding and elsewhere. "You hit the nail on the head," he said, "when you stated that owners ore looking now ■ for ' lop-nulehcrs.'" ... At a large gathering in tho Caledonian Hall at Masterton on Thursday evening, a presentation was made to Miss B. Gillespie, who is shortly leaving for Dunedin to take up a course of study in massage. Also, during,the progress of the annual meeting of the VVairarapa Caledonian Society on Friday night [lie newlv-elected president (Mr. J. B. M'V. Cahvellk referred to the fact that Miss Helen Gillespie, who had acted as secretary during the indisposition of her brother, was leaving the district. The ; president stated that Miss Gillespie had i been most attentive to her duties and had won the respect and admiration of tho "directors. They felt that they, could not let her leave without showing some token of their deep appreciation, and he • had' much pleasure, on behalf of mem- , ' hers of the society, in handing Miss Gillespie a gold expanding wristlet watch 'and a cheque for ,£lO. The Eketahuna County Council has been going into the question of loss of revenue through the Crown's taking up 1 land for settlement and thereby dopriv- ' ing the .council of the general rates from ■ such land. The law as it 6tands pro--1 vides that the general rate be not paid by 1 the Crown even if the land is leased. 1 Tho county iu question lire seeking co- ; operation of other counties in application 1 for an amendment of the* law. The

Hawke's Bay County Council, while ad- ] mitting that such a position is undesirable, take the view that the Government should bo assisted as much as possible in settling soldiers. Id the weight-judging competition at the Mastcrton show the weight of the bullock was 1132 pounds, and of the-pen of sheep 209 pounds. The exact weight of the bullock was judged by Mr. Rolwrt Morris, who takes £10. Nobody judged the weight of the sheep, but four who were within one pound will divide the prize money.