COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 241, 5 July 1919, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS

CENTRES

WAIRARAPA

Vcsterday's meteorological records at Masterlon are: Bright .--1111=111110 (Friday), 1 hour a minutes; maximum temperature ic'riduy), -15 dog.; minimum (Thursday), 2J deg.; terrestrial iThiiriday), 29 deg.; frost "(Friday morning), 0 deg.; rainfall for it hours ended !) a.m. Friday, .13 inches; rainfall fur month, .it inches; earth temperature, one foot below surface, -l(i.

On Thursday evening a special meeting of the Board of Managers of tho Masterton Technical School '.as held to consider (he resignation r,f Mr. 1). B. Leslie, director of the school, who is about to take Ihc position of headmaster of tho Terrace School, Wellington. There wero present: Mr. J. M. Cor.uline (chairman), Messrs. .1. W. Blackmail, 15. CI. Eton, ami W. Grundy. On the motion of Mr. Grundy, seconded by Mr. Eton, the resignation was accepted, Hie board placing on record its appreciation if Mr. Leslie's services to the school during his term of office. It was decided :hat the director proceed to Wellington to interview the Department regarding outstanding subsidies.

The train service restrictions are causing much dissatisfaction round about Masterton. Several building contracts have had to be deferred, mull-it is rumoured that some large business firms are considering the advisability of closing down owing to lack of' materials.

Labour trouble has put a. temporary stop to alterations and --dditions boing made at the Ekctahuna I'ost Office. The work was being carried 'ut by day labour under the supervision of the Public Woiks Department, and everything went well until the broken weather occurred. It was evidently found desirable lo hurry on with the brickwork,'as Men were asked to work between downpours, of rain, sheltering iienrby when the weather was too severe. This (hey ronsented to, but they objected when they found that a tally was being taken of the time actually worked. As a protest they promptly stopped work, and left the vicinity. What action will be raken by. the Department is uucert.vi). At a largely-attended social gathering held in the Town 'Hall, Featherstou, 011 Thursday night Mr. P. C. Everton, who has retired from the teaching profession after forty years' service, including sixteen years spent in the position of headmaster of the local school, was presented by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Card), acting on behalf of townspeople and settlers, with an illuminated address recording the appreciation of his educational and various other prominent public activities. A cheque for a substantial amount accompanied the address. Mr. and Mrs. Everton and family are leaving for Auckland. ■ . \

BANAWATU

DANNEVIRKE AND PAHIATUA

There is no occasion for alarm on the part-of Pahnerston North householders over the coal situation. In conveying this fact at the last meeting of the Borough Council, Councillor E. L.VBroad, as chairman of the Gasworks Committee, intimated '-''at the Coal '"ratio Committee Wiui returning the coul recently borrowed from tho gasworks this week, and when this arrived thero would lie a sufficiency to tide the council over the shortage. As regards the supply of coal lo householders, restrictions were being brought into operation limiting the iimount' to bo sold to consumers. A curtailment of street lighting hnd already been carried out, nwl this would be further reduced.

Mr. Alfred Seifert, of Fnlmerston North, is leaving for tho United State by tho Tofua for the purpose of special inquiries into tho utilisation of tho waste products of llnxinills.

•Mr. R. H. Webb, who lias been manager of the Miranui ilaxmills for over twelve years, was made the recipient of a presentation at" a meeting of the mill employees at Shannon .this week. Mr. Webb has resigned his position in order to go into business on his own account.

Endeavours are being made at Foxton tt> form a company and acquire a steamer to carry on 'he Foxtou-Wollimiton trade. An option lias 'been obtained over a steamer that traded to the port some time ago. If sufficient support is forthcoming the projected company will r.urchaso not only this steamer'but probably other vessels. Already over i-jflO iias been promised in share capital.

Thenumboi- of patients in the Palmerslon North Public Hospital on June 1 wn-, 75, and 114 persons were .ulmitted during the month, making lhe lolal IS!). The counter figures were: discharge?, 98; deaths, 9; in hospital un July 1, S3,- lolal, isn. . • ' ' .

Referring to the question v of eleetrifying__ Pnlmcrston North, the Mayor (Mr. J. A. Nash. M.P.), at a meeting of tho Borough Council on Thursday night, stated that hclriid hoped to be able to divulge something important, but ho would have to postpone his pronouncement 011 the subject. Certain iuformn.tion was required from Sydney, and it it arrived within the next few days ho would ask the council to meet him immediately. If the council were going on with, tlits proposal before them at the present time, ho whs sure thej would have the support of tho Chamber of Commerce, who would take an active part in the matter, and help to push it through. The first handicap competition of the Levin Golf Club this season has resulted in Mrs. W. M. Clark winning in the ladies' section and Mr. H. B. France "ie gentlemen's. Mrs. D. S. M'Kenzie won the tie in the putting and approaching . competition.

Mr. Tom Bohanna, who went overseas at the outbreak of the war as an Imperial Army reservist, lias returned to Shannon. Private Wallace Muruock is also returning to Shannon, being at present on the water on his way back with the Australians.

Constable Condon has been transferred from Shannon to Mount Cook Station, Wellington. He has been succeeded at Shannon by Constable T. M'Gregcr, of Mokau.

Lambs may be seen on Mr. Jahi»3 Staples's land at Manakau.

A fire at Otaki this week destroyed an office used by Mr. T. Bevan and a whnre occupied by Mr. Ned. Williams. The office was insured for .CIOO. No contents of-any value were lost.

Mr. D. ]'. Baigent has been transferred from tiie Rongotea Post Office to the Pe-' lone Office.

A girls' hockey club is to bo startal at Rongotca.

. The new minister, die Kev. Galemao. has assumed charge of thf, IfethoilM Church in the Ashhur.st district.

The Foxton Chamber of Commerce has decided to write to the Agricultural Department and to the Manavratu County Council, pointing out the menace that goatsruo is in the district, and asking that, it be declared a noxious weed. Large areas of flax are threatened with (feSu'iic'Fte on account of tlie spread of the pes*, in addition to farming land being affected.

It lias been decided by the Foxton Chamber of Commerce to request the District Traffic Manager of Railways that trains be run between Palmerston and Foxton daily, instead of on only four days ft week, 'as arranged -nder'the restricted time-table.

Owing to a breakdown in her health, Miss .13. M. Brewer, of the teaching staff cf tho South School, Dnnnevirke. has been granted six months' leave of r.bseiiec. t The Horoeku-Waipatiki tri-weekly mail service hns been restored. . The' Post O.'lico i-; to remain at Waimiro. An offer of ,£l5O per acre was recently refused for rich dairy flats at Hamua, ehiiil mile? fiom Pahiahia. The Mangafniiioka Sports Society made n i.i'olil of I'-tn on their Easter Saturday gathering. The receipt-; totalled ,£133, :ind-lh«> oxi"'r.i!i!'.in> .('O3. The snciolv has voted .Bfl <o tho Mangatainoka SoldidV Tiecoplion Comniitlce. The oiiesUon of providing hot drinks at lunch-tiiiie for Ihe school "hildrcn is being considered by the Dannevirki South Si'hon! Oommilloe. About fifty children take I heir lunch to school. Mr IT. 31. Tiuisley, who loft with the Main Body, and who returned to the Dominion about Ihreo months ago, has been appointed secretary of tho Dannovirke branch of tho Returned Soldiers' Association.