COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 29, 29 October 1919, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS CENTRES

(From Our Special Correspondent!,) WAIRARAPA Superintendent Freeman and Fireman B. Braggins, of the Jl'astcrton-Fire Brigade, returned from Hastings yesterday, where had atteuded an executive meeting ot tho United District Fire Brigade Association. Tho.purpose of their attendance at the meeting was to submit for approval tho programme for tho lire brigades' demonstrations to be held in Masterton on Easter Saturday and Monday. Tho programme' was passed, so that everything is now in train for the demonstrations, in connection with which speoial facilities aro to bo made for the accommodation of visitors. Tho final medal handicap competition of' tho senson, played on the Masterton golf links, resulted as follows: A. Boilings (25), net scoro'7l; C. Perry (5), 78; J. G. Bee (10), 70; E. M'lvenzie (22), 79. In tlio final of tho ladies' junior championship Miss Alma Perry beat Mies Acheson by 2 up. Masterton was considerably excited yesterday over a report that a well-known resident had been killed in a motor accident oil the Himutaka Hill, whilo returniiii! from tho Trentham races. The report was proved groundless when the centleman himself arrived safe and sound .bv yesterday morning's train. The musical picnic held in Masierton on Monday was a. success from every noint of view. The weather was fine, tho attendance large, and the receipts .beyond expectations. The quickstep competition—one of the features of the.day —was won by the Masterton Municipal Silver Band, with a total of 124 points, and this band will therefore receivo the free use of the Municipal Hall for one niirht. The "hnrd-up ball and the .concert.' both held in the evening, were largely, attended, and were very successful. and yielded the sums of .£3O and .£l6 resDcctively. Tho gate taking 3at the Park amounted to .£65. Together with the proceeds from the stalls, competitions,'and other sources, it is estimaiod that the Wairarapa Fallen Soldiers and Cameron Memorial Park Fund will benefit to the extent of about £150. Mr. Hugh Morrison presided over the weekly meeting of the Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association yesterday. Four loans, amounting to .£6OO, were granted and fourteen claims for temporary relief approved. That he was a rogue and vagabond in that he had attempted to impose upon a charitabk institution, namely, the Wairarapa Patriotic Society, and Ihnt he bad worn tho King's uniform without permission, were 1 , the charges preferred asrainst .Tames Groves, in the Masterton Magistrate's Court yesterday. The evidence showed that accused, wearing a uniform, bad called u.non t.ho secretary of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association on Saturday lost, with tho object of obtaining money with" which to pay for a bed. lie was asked the usual questions with the object of having his case placed before the Claims Board. Groves said "his name was Georie Roberts, and that he had been working for C. E. Daniell, Ltd., prior to enlisting. His badge number showed that ho was a Main Bodv man, lmt lie said lie had left with the Twentythird Reinforcements. He further stated that the reinforcement had left in November, 19H. As no reinforcement had boeii thought of at that date, tlio secretary became suspicious and telephoned to Messrs. C. .]3.i Daniell, Ltd.. and a search of their wages book disclosed the fact that no man named George .Roberts had work°d for them. The defendant further stated that he had returned to New Tiealand by the Homrata in September. When his attention was drawn j:o the way in which his statements failed to tally, lie said he had been wounded in the'head and his memory was l>ed. A little late- ho said he was wounded in the leg, Tho secretary of the Patriotic Association reported the matter to the military authorities,. who informed the police, with the result that Grovcs_ was arrested. A.ccording to tho military record's ' Groves left flie'-'Dominion with the Twenty- C ixth Reinforcements and returned in November, lfllS. Since then he lias, been shifting abov.t from place to place. Accused, who pleaded guilty, was scnf»«ced to three months' imprisonment . with hard labour on the first charge, and on tho second ho wa<t finfd lOs. . . '

MANAWATU Bowling tournaments took place on each of the three greens at Palmerston North on Labour Day. On the Palmerston North Club's green a pairs match was. .contested by thirteen couples, aud resulted in a win right out for Welch and Mowlem. who scored four wins and no losses. ■' The other players were:— O'Callaghan nnd Jolly, 3 wins, 1 loss; Simmons and Michie, 3—l; Hills and Ramsav. •3— I; Bryant nnd Solitt, 3—l; A. Aitken and J. Crump, 3—l; J. Aitken and Neodham, 2—2; Hodder and 1 Seifert, 2—2; Ferguson and Smith, 2—2; Stevens and Stevenson, 2—2; Wilson and lteid, I—3: Goldfinch and Stewart, 0—1; and Wimsett and Brown, o—4. On the Mnnawatu green there was a keenly contested game for the Dixon Cup, which a nicked team from the Foxton Club endeavoured unsuccessfully to wrest froiii the. local club. Manawatu won by 2G uoints to 22- The competing teams were —Manawatu: : Joiies, Hankins, -Fastier, and .Radford (s.); Foxton: Nyo, Mandl, il-awke. and Whibley •(«.). , A Labour Day pairs tournament was also played' ontiiesnme green; in which sixteen pairs competed in a six-roinid game. The winners wero Corbridge and Wilson, who succeeded in appropriating five games out' of the six. A pairs competition on the Terrace End green was won by Bailee and Skinner, Greer and Rumble being the riinners-up. A collision occurred on tho Coal Creek Hill between a motor-car driven by Ser-geant-Maior Beattie, of . Feilding, and a motor-bicycle ridden by Mr. James Peitigmv. of ICimbolton. Tho two vehicles met at a very dangerous corner, and both were, considerably damaged. Mr. Pettigrew, who was badly cut about the 'knees and hands, was conveyed to Feilding. where he received medical attention.

. An nccident'surrounded with a certain amount of mystery is reported to have happened on Sunday about a mile from Palmerston. on J.tho E-angitikei Bond. Not- far from Araliuri a patch of five chains of concrete has been laid down on the road as an experiment, ami a lad who was cycling into Palmerston from a neighbouring farm, met a car coming along the concrete surface. lie remembers nn more after observing the car apDronchin?. This was at nine .o'clock in the morning, and about five o'clock in the afternoon, when the boy came to himself, ho found that ho was lying under a hedge, but how he got thoro he was unable to tell. Ho felt stiff and sore, lis if ho had collided with something, and -tho bicycle he had been riding and a batr ho had been carrying were nowhere to bo found. The lad managed to struggle back to tho farm, and on medical attention being procured it was discovered that he had sustained a slight concussion of the brain. Ho is not. however, in a dangerous condition. The police have the matter in hand. At Palmerston. yesterday nn ihquest if considerable local interest was opened on the body of Florenco May Dixon, tho wife of a prominent citizen, who died suddenly on October 2-t. Formal evidence was given by tho husband, who. deposed thnt the pair had always lived happily and had never had s.ny disagreement. On reaching home ho hail found his wife in a back bedroom, dead. For somo time she hnd been on i>ad terms with, some of her relatives, and this had apparently preyed on her.mind. Tlo produced letters which had passed between Hie relatives and deceased over which she . had brooded, and which had considerably upset her. Tho police at this stage asked for nn adjournment as a report of the Government Analyst on the stomach had not an-ived. Tho inquest was adjourned sine (lie. A conference of New Zealand parage and motor proprietors was opened at Palmerston yesterday. Over a hundred delegates were present, and it is expected that 2"ifl will be present to-morrow. An interesting address was gi*'en by Mr. IT. G. Ranger, president, who mentioned that it was intended to hold n big Olyimiian Exhibition of only English cars and accessories in Christchurch next year. Many matters of interest io motor people will bo discussed, and during tho session

the question of the good roads movement will be brought up.

DANNEVIRKE Tlio official opening of the bowling season took Blace on Monday- Tho president (Mr. J. C. Carston) delivered an appropriate address, and Miss Car3ton threw the first "jack." Tho usufil match President v. Vice-President then took ulace, the former winning by 53 to 54. A. cricket match between High School and Dannevirko resulted in a win for Hieli School by a narrow margin. A motor accident occurred hero on .Monday night. Four men (Messre. Eli Bond. John Miller, R. Grant, and Wilkinsl were travelling in a motor-ear towards Mangatera, when one of the front tyres burst, and the drag on tho car caused one of the back tyres to como off. This caused the ea.r to capsize, and tho occuuants were thrown out and badly bruised, but none of them was seriously iniured. •