MANAWATU

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 52, 25 November 1919, Page 10

MANAWATU

The quiet of Palmerslon North was disturbed late on Sunday afternoon by the persistent ringing of an automatic alarm bell at the railway crossing in tlio Square opposite tlio Past Office. As this signal usually heralds the approach of a train, a very unusual circumstance' on a Sunday, f[iii'to a number of people turned out to see what was tlio matter, expecting nothing less than that the officials were liavinp another trial of tho Alain Trunk "Limited, but no train came and the bell continued to ring for an hour before tho mechanicians arrived and discovered that tho nlarm. had been caused by a fault in the wires. Mr. \V. J. Passmore, the well-known cyclo agent in Palmerston North, died flt the public hospital on Saturday night after a protracted illness. Ho was n prominent member of tho local fiio brigade, aa well as of tlio Oroua Lodge of ihuids and tho Manawatu Motor-cvelo Club, and took a keen interest in the welfare of all these bodies. His death took place at tho early age of 31 years. Ilia funeral, which took placo on Monday afternoon, was largely attended by members of tho bodies with which he. had been associated.

Thevo was a large attendance at tho Catholic bazaar at l'almerston North on Saturday night, and brisk business was dono by the stallholders. The preliminary heats in the tug-uf-war contest were got off. Bott and Bayly's "sixcylinder" team were drawn against 11. L. Young's "Kalamazoo" team, and won two out of the three heats. The Feeding Freezing Works No. 1 team easily disposed of tho l'almerston North Gasworks No. 2 team. Voting for the queen amongst the stallholders has commenced, and goes on vigorously. At closing time ou .Saturday night tho preliminary results were: St. Yincent, do Paul stall (Miss A- Hurley), 21,000 votes; sweets stall (Miss L. J,owe), H,400; fancy stall (Miss S. Watson), 7200; tobacco stall (.Miss F. Pascal), 5280; flower stall (.Miss V. Hartletti, M2O: United Valley stall (Miss. C. Balmer), M 0; total votes cast, 83,700. The bazaar was again well attended during Monday. Tho annual meeting of the Manawatu Hunt took place at Palmer.slon North ou Saturday, Mr. S. It. Lancaster (president) occupying the chair. The annual report and balance-sheet, which were both of a very satisfactory nature, wero adopted, and tho following officers were elected for the ensuing season: l'atron, Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P.,; president, "Mr. S. R-. Lancaster; treasurer, Mr. L. 11. C'ollinson; master, Mr. E, Short; acting-mas-ter, Mr. N. .1. Short; deputy-masters, Messrs. AV. and T. It. Taylor (Kiwitea), 10. 1). M'Ewen (Kairanga), J. Shaw (Raugitikoi-Bunuythorpe line), 11. 1?. Lancaster (To Maitai), L. 11. Collinson (l'a'Wfitnn North*, T. Shaw (Aokiiu-tc-re), E. E. Short (Feildiiic), T. Parata and D. K. Buchanan (Waikanae); committee, Messrs. S. 1?- Lancaster. E. Short, W. Taylor, D. I'ringle, 11. Gillies, .T. Parson'!, 1). li. M r Fwen. E. E. Short. T. 1!. Taylor. .T. Purcell, S. AV.' It. Evans, 11. B. Lancaster, L. I[. Collinson, 11. D. Buchanan, N. J. Short, 11. Roberts and T Shaw; executive. Messrs. S. B. Lancaster, N. .1. Short. 1). Pringle, L. H. Collinson, D. B. M'Ewen and H. D. Buchanan; auditor, Mr. N. 11. Sinclair. The huntsman reported that tho "pack" now comprised twelve and a half coupler of grown hounds. A number of matters of detail in connection with the coming season having b:en dealt with the meeting closed. At tho annual meeting of the Linton Ri'le Club, held at; Palmerstou North, thi' report presented, after stating' that as a min'aturc rifle club the members were s'rll very enthusiastic, and were doing their best to keep tho club together, referred to the need of a permanent shooting range. A deputation had waited unon General Richardson, and after hearing it. he prom'sod to have the question of reopening all rifle ranges closed during the war reconsidered. If a range were provided, tho only obst.acls vr-.uld be removed to making the. club a strong and efficient one, afi tho members were very enlhusiiislic. Dur'ng the year two matches had been fired on opan ranges, ono at Dannevirke and ono at Fcxton, both of which were won by the Lin ton Club. At the Dominion rifle meeting nine members had competed. Btlmn. A. ('lovenlncV had finished well in the lirst fifty, and the other member;! were fa'rly successful, bill (he lack •:)!' conveniences for practice had proved a serious drawback. Members had also successfully competed at the Ilawfce's Bay meeting, held in April, and the club only missed winning the te.miM match by a few points. Tn the miniature competitions the championship wuw won by J. Griffiths, with air average, of over thirty per shoot. The report concluded hy expressing (lie hope that members would slick together for the sake, of what th" club had been in th" p-vVi.

Very few Palmer-don North soldiers have had a pk kmv.'king about than Gunner Irvine . Baldwin,, who went through long s?rvice ou tho Western front urtscatiiod to within a week of the armisticc loin;,' signed. On .November ■! last year, however, he was in the advance on Lo Quesnoy, and whilo repairing his Lewis gu>i undei' liro his "No. 2'' was killed by a sniper. II" himself was afterwards shot in the ankle, and wis making back for cover wlu-a a shell dropped near him and blew the rest of his leg away, culling two k'.rge wounds in (ho left arm and thigh. He rein.v.ied for four hours unattended. By that timo hi* was so far gono Hint the surgeons could not administer an anaesthetic w'hon cutting away the leg 'bones. A long period of intense suffering in hospital followed, but eventually Baldwin, by virtue of a gcod physical constitution, pulled through sufficiently well to be able to tjet about with tho aid of-a slieli. lie returned lo=t week by the Arawa, and was very cordially welcomed back by the chairman (Mr. Thomas Parsons) of the directors of the New Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union, Ltd., in which company lie was employed when enlisting, it is a coincidence that Baldwin's brother Thomas, also an employee of the Dairy Union, lirnl I,is right leg shot off below the knee in tho lighting on I lie Somine in