COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 25, 24 October 1919, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES PROM VARIOUS CENTRES IFrom Our Special Correspondents.) WAIRARAPA At the quarterly summoned meeting of Fotni-a Lodge, U.A.0.D., tho Grand Treasure!;, Tiro. ,T. IT. laughton. will be present and explain the execiiitivo's proposals in consolidation and other matters pertaining to the Order. A welcom'p home social and dunce to Wairarapa, returned soldiers is to lie tendered in Ihe Anzao Club. Fealhersion. on Tuesday, November 4. No written invitations are being issued, but all returned soldiers nro cordially invited, nnd, with lndv, will be admitted free on their R.S. badge. Mr. John T'dy, a well-known settler of Waihnki'kp, Carterton, and a member of one of Wnirarnpa's early pioneer families, died on Monday, after an illness extending over several weeks. The deceased leaves a widow and son. The interment took place at Clarevillo on Wednesday afternoon. Shearinpf operations are now in progress on the various stations around this distrcl, nnd export by rail has already commenced. A fire broke out on Wodnesdav afternoon in the top portion of a brick building iwrf as a shoet-metnl works by Mr. A. J. IVrton. When discovered smoke was too thick to enable any salvaging to he carried, out, but the efforts of the Fire Brigade prevented tho fire spreading to the lower portion, and a large mianlitv of. material was salvaged. A large nu'antitv of material on the top floor was burned,' including an almost completed Victor dnirv vat for a Tower Volley factory. It is surmised' that tne fire originated from a fireplace u.vd for heating irons, and was fnnncd by a westerlv wind prevailing at the time. The buildin" and contents were insu.rod for <£GOO j,,".-',. "W,ix Officn. The Featherston Borough Council lias decided to invite Mr. J. C. Cnopor. chairman of the Hvdro-electric Investigation Committee to address a meeting to _be held in Featherston on Tuesday evening nnent the benefits to be derived from supporting the formation of a Wairarapa Hydro-Electric Power Board. Acting on tlie advice of a committee, consisting .of tho Mavor (Mr. J. W. Card), depoh- and treasurer (Councillor A. C. Holm'). Councillors B. S. Yclverton and F. W. Smith, the council he.? decided to move forward in the matter of raising a loan of iC2')flfl for additional drainage requirements, including .£I2OO for advances to those making connections with tiw sewerage system, nnd .€SOOO for permanent street construction work, including tho kerbing and channelling of mnin thoroughfares. Tvrigndicr-Ooncrnl H. E. Hart, 8.5.0., of Mnsterinn, and Captain P.. E. Brongihton, formerly of Mnsterton, lmve been'mentioned in the final dispatches of Sir Douglas Uaig. MANAWATU Several of the bowling and croqiwt clubs had intended to open the season in Palmers; on North on Wednesday, but tho iiiipropitious weather interfered with tho arrangements to such an extent that several of tho fixtures had to be abandoned. However, tlie Mnnnwatu Bowling and Croquet Club, which has nuquired the right to a portion of tL-o municipal greens, braved the elements and curried out their official opening. The greens were in excellent order and sever-U scratch games of bowls were played. During the afternoon a driving competition organised by the Indies of tho croquet section of the club was carried out. The contest was well contested, and in the end Mrs. M'Eao was declared tho winner with a score of 25 out of a possible 28. N'o fewer than 55.ladies entered, and the competition was watched with great interest. The Manawatu River has caused a good deal of anxiety for some years owing to the manner in which it is fitting into its banks at Hokowhitu and also at Awnpuni, besides doing a certain amount of deniage in the Tiritea district .at the foot of Fitzherbart Street closa In the town of Palmerston North. Groynes have bten put in and patching up has been resorted to without having the desired effect. With a view to \U adoption of tome comprehensive scheme for storrning the erosion, tho Manawatu and i-luiranga Kivcr Board, which tins control cl this portion of tho stream, approai'ued the Government for permission to borrow" for carrying out .the necessary work. A poll of tho ratepayers taken on Wednesday lias resulted in the proposal being carried by 113 to SI. Apparently very little interest is taken in the matter by the ratepayers, as out of a roll number of 2(-.70 only a few over two hundred recorded their votes. As the board has already adopted a- scheme suggested by the engineers of the Public Works Department, now that tlie money is available it will not bo long in making a start with the work. . Another pioneer settler of Palmerston North has passed away in the person of Mr. ITei.ry Mouldv, who died on Wednesday at the age of 8G years. Ho camoio Lvltelton some sixty years'pro in the sMsi Cressv. one of the historical "first four" ships to enter that harbour. For soma years tlie deceasod engaged in farmißjj iiii Canterbury, but about "0 years ago he came, to the Manawatu district, where ho followed the occupation of a builder and. contractor until his retirement a few years ago. At the annual meeting of the Midland Cricket. Club officers were elected as follow: President, Mr. W. L. Fitzgerald; vice-president--, Messrs. A. Mahon, W. H. Harriett, B. H. Crabb, S. E. Lancaster and A. J. Palmer; captain of first eleven, Mr. H. B. Bennett; captain of second eleven, Mr. W. H. Stevens; management- committee, Messrs, Harris-, White, M'Sweeney, nnd C. Bnmb?ny; delegates to the Mana.wntn Cricket Association, Messrs. Barnett and White. On Saturday tho junior team will play the Hiih School juniors. The Palmerston North Orpheus Society, which has been more or b*s hibernating during tho war and epidemic periods, gave ono of their concerts at tho (pera House on Wednesday ".veiling. Tho programme was a enjoyable one, and was much appreciated by a crowded audience.