COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 17, 15 October 1919, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS CENTRES (From Our Special Correspondents.) walrarapa The Masterton Fish Hatcilicries have so far this year liberated 800,000 fry and 500,000 moro -will be distributed shortly. This season 102,000 brown trout fry and 800 yearling trout have been liberated in the streams in,the Ekctahuna district, and a further consignment of iry will be dispatched to t'a.i:int.ua this week. The stocking of the Waingawa, Ruatnahunga, and Waipoua Rivers will be completed shortly, when a total of 300,000 fry will hnvo been liberated. Complaint is made that hares havo become as numerous as rabbits in the Clarorille district. The installation of Bro. Gordon Camp-' bell as Worshipful Master of St. John's Lodge, and the investiture of officers took place on Monday night, , The Featherston County Council has voted otSO towards the cost of a groyne in tho Waiohinc River, put in by the Ahikowka River Board in a very dangerous place at Cabbage Tree Point. The' Masterton Bowling Club has decided to accept tho -invitation of tho Newtown Bowling Club for au exchange -of visits. The total gate receipts of the Wnirarapa Rugby Union for the past season were as follow: Carterton, .£l7l lis. 3d.; Ciroytown,'.£l)s loss, 3d.; Featherston, A'SG 3s. 3d.; Masterton, £13 45.; Martinborouirh, £6 Bs.; l'ukio, £\ 17s. sd. Mr. J. S. Laing, of the Wynyard (Tasmania) branch of the Bank of Australasia, has been appointed manager of the Masterton branch of the bank, in succession to Mr. E. T. Costello, who lias been promoted to tho Napier branch. At yesterday's meeting of the Masterton County Council it was resolved to call for applications for a successor to the county clerk. Mr. F. G. Jloore, who has bson with tho council for tho past thirty-seven, years, and who is duo to retire shortly on superannuation. Eulogistic reference was made to Mr. Moore's services, and to the fact that he had always been willing to put in long hours of worktjvhen necessary. Mr. Moore, in replying, said that ho hoped that a successor would be appointed very shortly, in order that he might give the applicant the benefit of his knowledge. MAMWATU At the last meeting of tho Terrace End School Committee a letter of complaint was read from a parent whoso children attended the school stating that one of her girls had been punished'with n. strap until her frauds bled, and asking the committee to hold an inquiry and take action >'in tho matter. The headmaster 6aid that he had gone into tho matter, and found that, owing to a scarcity of teachers, over, eiglity children had to be put into one room in charge of a mala pupil ..teacher. ..Tho. class, being so big had got'out of hand, and as tho girl referred, to was seen by the teaclier to fall over .a form, he had thought she was the ringleader in the matter, and had punished her. Ho, howover, discovered that be had made a mistake in the pupil, and had apologised to the mother wheii she came to complain. A pupil teacher was not empowered to pumsii pupils, and he had cautioned this teacher that a, repetition of the offence might result in his being reported to the board, and that dismissal might follow. The headmaster stated that he had no copy of tho regulations regarding corporal punishment to put up in the sdhoolroom as provided in the Act, and the teacher might not have-been aware that he was doing Wrong in using the strap. Tho offender was a most gentlemanly j'oung fellow, and- one of fho mildest officers in the school, and he could not understand how he could have dsawn blood with such a light strap. Several members of tho committee also boro testimony to the good character of tho teaclier, and it was ultimately resolved to reply to the letter, regretting that the teacher . had administered the punishment, and giving an assurance that steps would be. taken to prevent a recurrence of such conduct.

At a meeting of tho Manawatu Hockey Association, held on Monday night, a letter. was received from the New Zealand Hockey Association 6tating that it desired that two delegates each fiom tho Manawatu, Wnnganiii, and Feeding Associations should confer to endeavour to bring about an amalgamated association under a comprehensive name such as tho l'cildinß-Jfanawatu Hockey Association, and this was agreed to. The matter of the treatment of Mr, L. C. Kent by tho Canterbury Association when refcreeing at the recent tournament at eiiristchurch, which was brought up by a remit from Auckland, was taken up, and it was decided to support the Auckland Association in its nttitudo in respect to the resolutions passed by the Canterbury Association in its unsportsmanlike conduct in allowing such resolutions to be published through tho Press Association of New Zealand, such action in their opinion being detrimental to hockey. The Dawick Shield was presented to Mr. V. Tucket, captain of tlhe Technical School Club, which won the senior competition.

A memorial service for nurses who fell during the war and also for nurses who gave their lives during the epidemic will be held at Pahnerston North on Sunday afternoon, October 26. Two l'almerstuu nurses went down in tho ill-fated Marquette.

Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., is a visitor to Palmerston North.

At a meeting of the Manawatu Hockey ■Association Mr. W. Crump was presented with a pair of bowls in recognition of his services to hockey in the Jtanawatu district, and also for his work as skipper of tho Manawatu team on tho first occasion upon which they had won the New Zealand hockey shield. | . Another of Palmerston's old identities passed away on Monday in tho person of Mrs. W. T. Green, widow of Mr. Thomas William Green. Mrs. Green was born in London in 1842, and arrived in New Zealand in 1858. She spent many years on Akaroa Peninsula, but removed to Palmerston North in 18S8, where she had resided ever since. She is survived by four daughters and three sons and thirty-two grandchildren.

Mr. J. Munro Wilson, land valuer fo* the Manawatu district, has resigned his position with the Department in order to enter into business as a land and estate agent.

At n meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Association on Monday night a cricket club was formed, and it was' decided to enter a team for tho competitions.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands is at present inspecting properties at Bulls and Bunnythorpe under Offer to the Government for settlements for returned soldiers.

After the mwtiug of the Tlospital Board on Thursday members, paid a visit to the institution and inspected works now in progress.' The new ward, which will accommodate 22 beds, together with the small central ward and M'llardie Recreation Block, are approaching completion. With tho completion of another ward, which should ho commenced shortly, tho capacity of the Hospital will ho increased by about 50 bods. A site for a 1 grass lawn tennis court has boen selected.

About 8.30 on Thursday night, tho occupants of tho Club Hotel heard a noise on the roof of the building, and, keeping watch later on, discovered a man getting through a bedroom window. On being arrested the man was identified as John Francis O'Kecfo. He had arrived in Palmcrston North only that morning. Ho was brought before tho Court and remanded until October 15. This is tins third timo within a short period that tho samo promises have been entered. On the two previous occasions 'sums of money were taken from bedrooms, but no arrests were made. Owing to the Apitl school having fallen to a lower grade through lack of atlondanco, tho headmaster, Mr. C. C. Mills, is accepting a transfer to Longburn. dannevTrke "' Tim Chamber of Commerco met on Monday evening, Mr. IV. Dobsou presiding. Simio discussion took place oh a reply received from the Railway Department concerning a request that elei/ trie bells he installed at level crossings in the town. It was pointed out by the Department that it was imnracticable to put in electric bells. Members point ed out that such bells had been installed at Matahiwi and Piripiri, and that the

Allardicc Street crossing in Dannevirke was pnitieulariy dangerous. It was also pointed out that tlisi ex-Minister of Railways (Mr. W. H. Hemes) had sonn. time ago promised that bells would bo installed when the material come to hand. 'It was resolved to refor tho letter back to the Department, and remind them of the promises, and that bells had been installed in other places. In connection with a request that- a numerical directory lie appended to the telephone list, tho local postmaster replied to the effect that (he request could not be complied with. The chamber decided to go to the Postmaster-General over tho matter. It was resolved to urge the member for tho district to get tho sum on the Estimates for the nev. post office increased. In connection with the Mangahao hydro-electric scheme it was resolved that when the Estimates wero approved by Parliament, Mr. Birks, Chief Electrical Engineer, be invited to como to Dannevirke to report on the scheme. Tho matter oi the I'ongaroa mail service was dis:iiss?d, and it was decided that a request be made for the clusimr of the Pongnroa mail from DannevirKo one h»ur earlier than at present. It was decided that tno Borough Council bo urged to take, steps as soon as possible, to avail itself of the Government's housing scheme. The chamber decided to ask that the Mangatera siding should come under tho province of Dannevirke, instead of Ormondville, as considerable inconvenience to the \public was caused at present. . A sum of JM2IG is to bo spent on ,1 new infectious diseases hospital at Waipukurau, and authority has been given to the local Hospital Board to borrow a further iHOOO. The High School mile handicap run on Saturday resulted in a win for Massie, with Wallace a yard away second, and Thorn third. Tho ritce was run in smin. 30 3-sscc. Mr. C. J. Stone has resigned hi 6 position" as manager of the municipal abattoirs. Mr. James M'Kenzic, of Dannevirke has purchased 9000 acres of land at Pigeon Bush. In a Tide practico match tho top scorers wero H. Poolo 89 and C. E. Boggard 85. Local subscriptions to the Victory Loan reached a total of J!43,8T0. Loans to the amount of JGBOO were recommended by the Taknpau Repatriation Committee at its last meeting. J nit on ,£2OO has been subscribed to date for the War Memorial Fund. Raumati collected £51 16s. for welcomes to soldiers. Tho printer and the picture-framer got most of the amount for addresses presented to the men.Mr. G. M'Kechnio takes Mr. W. Love's place on the Ormondville Patriotic Committee. Shopkeepers have resolved that a full holiday should bo observed on. Labour Day; also two half-days for the races and the same for the show. Slums will keep open on the Saturday following Boxing Day, and will close on January 2. ' Vicar Whibley (Ormondville) is. spending n month at Rotorua for the benefit of bis nerves, and the Rev. O. Doan (Napier) is meanwhile filling his place. Mr. J. 11. Fairhurst lias resigned the presidency of the local Rugby Union on account of ill-health. Bio has always been a very good supporter of tho game and ha 6 done a lot to mnl;o it prosper. ■ Over 100 couples were present at the Municipal Band's, dance. The band and Mr. C. Little supplied most of tho dance music, 'but extras waro contributed by Mis-s Harper, Messrs. N. Gordon and Neal, and Mts. Howard. Mr. Greenwood was M.C. The function was highly successful. The Government has. purchased 3000 acres of laiulat Akitio for soldier settlement at £12 per acre. The selection is said to bo suitable for the purpose, provided that the Government roads, fences, and improves it up to the actual point of productiveness and loads it with the coat boforo asking men With borrowed capital to go upon it, Poultry raising is to be introduced at tho Dannevirke Hospital, and an incubator is to be obtained. The Papatawa School sitn is to bo extended and land taken, if necessary, under the Public Works Act.

The opinion was expressed at a meetinn of the local County Cnuncil that tlio public did not contribute sufficient to the upkeep of the rands.

Mr. J, G. Enst, secretary of tlie Wnipukuran A. and V. Association, lina been appointed secretary to tlvo Wniraiapn Hospital Board at n salary of i2OO, out of 24 applicants. Mr. East lately came from Christcluirch.

The educational building needs of Run Ron,. Dannevirke North, Matamatau. Weber, and Kumeroa, havo been before the Department, and the board's architect is to report on a shelter shed at Matamatau.

On October 1 there were SB patient* in tho public .hospital. A sunn of J6411 in fees was charged, and v 875 received The Government owed Mf& for solrfiei patients. Seven infectious caccs were reported to the district health officer during September, all with tho exception of two diphtheria cases being in the local borough. The cai<e<i gliow an increaso of six compared vith Septein ber, 1918.