COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 161, 2 April 1919, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS CENTRES MANAWATU During -March there were 41 births, 11 marriages, and 112 deaths in l'ahiicrston North mid district. Tlio Palmerston North High School Board of Governors huvo received advice from the Education Department that the sum of ofiIO.OOO has boon authorised for the construction of a girls' high school iu Palmerston North. The new building,' which will be put in hand very shortly, will be erected on a borough reserve in t'itzlicrbcrt Street, just below the Municipal Bowling Green. Mr. A. J. Graham, presided over a meeting in tho Opera House at Palmerston on Monday night of local residents interested' in the resurrection of the Palmerston North Orchestral Society, which lias been hibernating for the past two years. There was a good attendance of old active monitors and several new members were enrolled. In all, thirty players will bo available for immediate practice work. Mr. Cecil G. Swallow was elected secretary, and it was decided to hold a general meeting next Monday night, when the date lor the commencement of active rehearsals will bo fixed. • At a meeting of the Manawatu Labour Eopresentation. Committee at Palmerston this week, the following candidates were nominated for seats on the Borough Council and the various Palmerston North school committees :-Borough Council: Messrs. P. W. Comer-ford, J. HodB 'in» B. V. M'Glone, and .11. C. Le Grange; C'ampkUl Street School Committee: Messrs. J. D. Carty, G. Ifomsen, Muirhead, E, V. M'Glone, P. T. Robinson, and Barlow f College Street School Committee: Mrs. Gill, Messrs. C. 11. Gill. Mid 11. C. Le Grange; Terrace End School Committee: Messrs. W. It. Kelly, J. HoilHns, and J.' H. Howarth; West End School Committee: Messrs S. Ea-vson, H. Carpenter, A. M'Vicar, H. Hagen, L.

Jolinston, and Penketh. It was decided < not to run a candidate for the Mayoralty, and as there is no talk of any othy ■ Mayoralty candidate being brought out, everything points to Mr. J. A. Nash M.P., being re-elected unopposed to that office. ~ n A rather peculiar case under the -factories Act was heard at the Magistrates - Court, Palmerston, this week, when-the manager of the Premier Drapory Company -was fined 10s and costs for working two' assistants on the cvo of a statutory holiday.'lt appeared that.the showroom was in the course of reconstruction, and it was essential that certain work shou d bo done so that it-might bo got ready for business on the following day. ■ Application ■■ to the Department. had been made for a- permit, but this was refused. Th" mannger pointed out that all assistants got a'half-holiday from noon every Wednesday, instead of from 1 p.m., as provided by the Act, and that ihey worked only 10 hours per week instead of 53. In addition, each employee got a'i'ortnh'ht's holiday every year on full pay. The inspector pointed out that there was no provision in the Act which would have given Mm-power to grant the permission. ■ . ,-',,, j, -i It is satisfactory to note that. While complaints are made- lliat the Agricultural Deuartmeiit is neglecting its duty in connection with the eradication of noxious weeds in the Manawatu district, the orchard inspectors are using every endeavour to stamp out tho codJm moth pest. At the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston this week ten persons who had neglected to toko steps to eradicate the iifst were fined in sum* ranginc. from 10s.'to £2, according to the extent of the affected area. \t a special meeting of the College Street School Committee at Palmerston ibis weelc. over which the Itev. A. Doull presided, the Kducation Board intimated that- Mr. Daniel Minogu'e had been ap- ■ pointed a pupil teacher for the school ; in place of Miss Grice, who had-ro- ' signed. In connection with the com--1 mittcc-'s application for increased seat-, ; ing accommodation the .board notified ; timt there was now'' accommodation for ' M pupils, and as the roll number was ' onlv 012 it could not supply more than I 20 single desks These had been ordered. The chairman of the committee remarked j that the position was extremely'bad at present, as a'jrreafc number of children were accommodated with mats on. tho \ floor. The board also advised that the 1 school would lie closed on the day of tho lk-ensin? poll, and that lliero was no ' objection to teachers acting as deputy ' returning officers or poll clerks. Ihe ' term holidays, had been fixed by the ' board as follow:-Gwid Friday ami. the 5 following week; winter: week commencing • l June 30; spring: 'week commencing Sep-

(ember 1. The annual meeting of householders will be held ou Monday, April 23', in the school quadrangle, at which adequate seating accommodation will be provided. During the past quarter (hero were 55 births, 16 deaths, and 21 marriages at Danne-virke. During March (here were 15 marriages and 10 births. Eight building permits wero issued in Dannevirke during the.past three mouths, of an aggregate value of #2625. In the past Pnlmocstou North has been very much handicappail in the matter of secondary education for girls. The only means available has been for. them to mix with tho boy* at the High School, and this school is fast becoming too small for the male pupils coming forward. The result has been that the school, which was originally designed for two hundred pupils, is now called upon to cater for 360 of both sexes, lhe difficulty of imparting the necessary education and maintaining discipline under these conditions can be readily imagined, and the wonder is that the pupils have reached the high standards that they have. ■ The High School Board has long recognised the disahiliti-'s under which the staff labours, and has been' using every endeavour to have a separate school for girls established. ■ and it is satisfactory to note that its efforts aro likely to be crowned with success, as the Government has now announced that it has allocated ,£IO,OOO towards the cost of a new girls' high school. A good deal more than this will be required, but it is understood that a scheme is well under way for obtaining -the bnlanco of money needed to provide Pnlmerston yortli with a school worthy of such an important educational centre. Draft plants wero prepared by Mr. IT. Do J. Cicro for an up'to-date school to accommodate two hundred pupils,. and these have been accepted by tho Education Department, mid'working plans anvnow being drawn. It is intended to push oil the work as speedily is possible. The matter of providing a hostel has not been lost sight of, but of course further funds will have to be provided for this purpose. ' Tho Pal inerstoii North Golf Club, at a committee meeting on Monday, decided to open the aeason x'i Saturday, April 12,

with mixed foursomes over fourteen greens.' It was decidvd to hold tho nn',lllml tournament on August 2fi, 27, 28, and possibly 29. The number of patents m tho Palmerston North Hospital on March 1 was 711. Poring the month one hundred and ten .patients were admitted, and a similar number were discharged, whilo tliroo deaths occurred, leaving 73 patients in the institution on April 1. Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Mitchell, of 80 Main Street Palmerston North, have received advico that their son, Lnnce-Cor-poral Horace S. Mitchell, is returning to New Zealand by the Knikoura, and is expected to Arrive hero on or about April 17 Lance-Corporal Mitchell Ims seen activo service in Palestine for over throe veors and a half, and has escaped being '■icunded, although he has been m hospital several limes with slight illnesses. The volunteer nursing scheme, at lal--1 mcrston North Hospital is well on its '' wav. There arc at pr.-sent Miihcicnt applications to fill som.-! months' training, and as soon as the matron icturiis from ' her well-earned vacation the scheme will : bb put in running order. The co-opor- ' ation of (he senior nurses is to he sought ! in order to make the work possible; mdeed the success of tho whole business 1 depends upon the sympathy and coordination of the nursing stall, who performed such wonderful work themselves during the epidemic, and who nro in a position, as fully trained workers, to

understand tho need for some little elementary knowledge of bedside nursing in tho homes. In view of tho rapid eiilorgcinent of Iho hospital, which will hi a. very short time nocessilato a similar enlargement of the nursing stall', tho authorities hopa that some of the trainees will bo induced, as time goes on having had an opportunity of socio" the inside working of the hospital, to"tako up tho nursing profession ns a permanent education at the hospital. WAIRARAPAJTEMS A group ride meeting is lo be held on the Fail-view range, near Masterton, on Thursday. About'lSl) Territorials, Senior Cadets, and rilie clubmen from different parts of tho district will compete . Casual labourers in Masterton are at present earning from Is. Id. to '2s. per hour. ■ Comparatively little stock its at present licing scut from tho Wairarapa to outside freezing works. ~,,,, A court ot inquiry is lo do held at Masttrtoit this week to investigate the alleged disappearance of certain equipment belonging to the Defence Department. One bankruptcy was recorded m tho Wairarapa. timing the month of March, as against ono for the same month 'last

vear . At the weekly meeting of tho Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, an application for a loan lo set a soldier up in business was referred lo the Repatriation Committee. An application for a loan of jEiOO was deferred for further consideration. A request .for a loan from a Hawko's Bay soldier was referred to the Hawko's Bay Association. Seventeen claims by soldiers for temporary relief were granted. A public meeting is to be held at Pongaroa to consider such questions as land aggregation, postal facilities, harbour facilities, etc. The members for Masterton, and Pahiatua have been invited to be present. The vital statistics for Masterton for the month of March were as follow-.— Births, 53; deaths, II; marriages, G.

A Maori welcome for returning Native soldiers is being prepared at Masterton and Papawai. The rainfall register in Masterton for the month of March was only 35 points, compared with 4.21 inches for the tame period last year. So far this year only •1.12 inches have been registered, compared with 8.15 inches for the first three ii'onths of last year. Tho Masterton Poultry Society has applied to be allotted the championship in Rhode Island lieds in fancy poultry, and Leghorns in the utility classes. The lion. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education, is paying an official visit, to tho Wairarapa this week. Miss Jessie M'lCenzie, M.8.E., has resigned her position as secretary of the Wairarapa lied Cross and Lady Liverpool Committee.

A number of Wairarapa deerstalkers are at present camped in the Martinborough and Ekctahuna districts. Mr. and Mrs. S. V. Parsunson, who are at present in charge of the Y.M.C.A. work at the N.Z. Discharge Depot at Torquay, arc,expected to shortly return lo New Zealand.

At a meeting of tho Carterton Municipal Silver Band, held on Monday evening, Mr. T. JI. Hughes presiding, the rifles of the Lyttelton .Marine Baud were fully considered, and finally approved, with minor alterations. It was reported that arrangements were well advanced for tho'Usoof second-hand instruments, and practice would probably commence next Monday evening. Officers were olceted as under:—Patron, Dr. D. Gr. Johnston; president, Mr. W. B. Allen; vice-presidents, Messrs. W. Howard 'Booth, G. Hughan, T. 11. Hughes, AV. Jtolniond, W. H. Wolter.?, and T. S. A reus; bandmaster, Mr. U. Woodley; sergeant, Mr. Perrin; corporal, Mr. Williams; lance-corporal, Air. P. King; custodian, Mr. S. Kay; committee, Messrs. Perrin, Hughes, Kay, and King, with bandmaster, secretary, and treasurer, exoflicio.

The death has occurred at "Lowlands," Fcatherston, after a protracted illness of Mr. W. I). Sadlor. a well-known and much respected settler. A. man named' Council, who is alleged to have been violent in his behaviour while under the,.influence of liquor, to have chased his wife with a sheath knife and to 'hove threatened his employer, was arrested in the 'i'iuiii district yesterday, after some resistance, and brought to Masterton. Ho will appear in the Court; to-day.