COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 200, 19 May 1919, Page 8

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS . CENTRES \- MANAWATU At a meeting of the C'ollogo Street School Committee at •J'almcrston North nt the week-olid, it was resolved to draft a circular letter to lie forwarded to (ill local school committees pointing-out tho advantages that wuld necruo through the formation of «n urban school board, to control the four Pnlmerston State schools, in lieu of the present system of control by individual' committees. Messrs. Lo Grange and Baker wero appointed delegates to tho Monawatu School Committees' Association. On the motion of Ihe liev. Mr. Doull it was decided: "That the Education Board be iipproached on the conditions under which the poll for the election of a committee is takon, and asks that the board approach the Department to have better regulations framed during next session of Parliament. Tho headmaster reported thnt Jljiss M. Doro had commenced duty fls probationer. Twenty new- dosks had 'been received from tho board. Tho upper classes had been practising patriotic songs and special drill in _ preparation for the local peaca celebrations. Tho Feilding Borough Council has voted .£SOO towards tho purchase of a sito for a technical' high school. The Government has already allocated an initial sum of ,£oooo for tho erection of school buildings on the site. The Palmorston North Welfare League met last week, Mr. J. Linklater presiding over a large. attendance 01 members. A committee was formed, and the meeting then adjourned till Friday evening of this week, when an executive will. be elected, and several important matters', discussed. ■ ■ . • ~ A sitting of the Conciliation Council was' held at Palmerston last week to hear a claim for an award by the era-, ployees in. the soft goods and allied trades. The proceedings were similar to those which took place at the sittings of the council at Napier and Wanganui,. tho omployere objecting to (in award on the grounds that it was not wanted in country, districts by either of t'he parties, -ft was finally decided to refer the dispute to the Arbitration Court. ■The euchre party and danco held at Palmerston North. &■{ tho week-end to further suppl?mont tne funds of the bt. Vincent de Paul Society's stall, proved a great success, bothfrom the social and financial aspects. The euchre prizes were won- by Mrs. lirody and Master A Avmue. Consolation • prizes were awarded Hiss O'Connor and Mr. Baker. . _ /

Mr. and Mrs.E. A. Aampbell, of Eongoea, leaving the district, were nst week faiwelled by the local settlers t a gathering held at the. vicarage. Mr. Jarapbelt has managed they Eongotea rninch of the Bank of New Zealnnd for line years, and he has now been appointd manager of the bank at Greytmvn. The Eev. Kempthorne, late of St. .'eter's, Wellington, who has been ap»inte<l vicar of Askhurst and Pohaigina districts, is to be inducted by Archleacons Innes-Jones and Kempthorne at it. Mary's Church, Ashhiirst, to-morrow svening. Sergeants E. Kolsall, M.M., and J. Maunder, and Private Alex. Thomson, of Ashlnirst, are back from tlie war. At a'meeting of the Otaki Fire Brigade last week the secretary reported that a deputation had waited on the Otaki Town Board relative to a, grant, and stated that unless assistance « available the brigade would have to disband. VTho board promised that the matter would be considered when the estimates were drawn up. It was resolved to suggest to the board that a firo rate be struck over a limited area. The Otaki Patriotic Society hna decided to hand over, to.tlie.Horowhenua County 'Patriotic Association a snnr ot .£2OO, 'including .£4B in war certificates. This leaves a balance of about .£6O, which it was considered would be amplo to meet any claims on the society. - ■ Mr. W. W Wesfaway, of Te Horo, has sold his i6-ncre farm to Mr. B, E. E, Gawler, of Niroaha, at the rate of, it is reported, .£9O per. acre. / . Marked dissatisfaction with regard to the working of the: Government scheme for-placing returned soldiers on the land was expressed at a meeting of the Mauawalu Patriotic Society at Palmerston North- Inst week. Tlio subject was broached "by Mr. ,T. M. Johnston, who referred to a typical case from Auckland, where a soldier had endeavoured to secure land in Iho Morrinsville settlement when that land was cut up. The eoldier in diiestion had been unable to obtain any information regarding land matters in other parts of the country from the authorities up there". Mr. Johnston went on to say that land given to many of the soldiers was absolutely no good, and he referred to the state of affairs at Tokapau. The Minister was going to.T'akapau in response, to the statements of the men that th'oy could ■not make ends meet. . According to Mr. .T. A. Nash. M.P., the wholo trouble was that the Government would not buy good land. If they wauled the best land they had to pay for it. If they put me -non good land of small acreage they would do well. There were, however, one or two cases where the Government had settled returned soldiers on ftist-class.lauO, and in this connection he instanced a portion of the Highden estate. ' Mr. Nash . added that he shortly proposed to interview the authorities on the question. Mr , . _'H. M. Jlaycook pointed out. that the Returned Soldiers' Association had asked the 'Land Board to state its reasons why some of the properties offered to them for sale had been turned down. The Department invariably alleged that the land was , either too high in price or unsuitable. If the,present Land Purchase Board could not be induced to improve matters they should lie replaced. Mr. Nash stated that the Government had been considering the purchase of land just outside thn borough of Palmerston North. The discussion then dropped. Some little time ago it was decided by the Catholics of Palmerston that the nhurch needed replacing by a larger and more up-to-date structure. Since then the congregation • has been steadily organising, with a view to obtaining suffiuinnt funds to build a new' church. Already the, iCCOOfI mark has been reached, and a.big bazaar is to be held. It is proposed to erect an edifice which will cost ,£20,000. and plans" are in course of preparation.- Negotiations are in.progress to borrow sufficient-money to warrant a start being made with the- builcliiiß'- , . .-: ..