COUNTRY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 107, 30 January 1920, Page 10

COUNTRY NEWS

NOTES FROM VARIOUS CENTRES (From Our Own Correspondents.) MANAWATU At n meeting of the Pnlmerston North Branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. J. D. Harper, the association's representative on die Pensions Board, gave some interesting information to members in connection with tho operation of the Pensions Act. Referring to the question whether a man's income, and properly were taken into account by the board in deciding the amount of pension to be allotted, he said that no consideration was given lo that aspect, and that information on the subject was_ asked for only because of [wssib!e claims by dependants. He pointed out that a man in the Smith Island had been granted a pension in spite of tho fact tli.it. ho held a property of 2000 acres of tho best quality Irnd. Referring to pre-iwr disabilities, Mr. Hnrper said lhat in any case where there was the slightest suspicion Hint a man's present disabilities were aggravated by service, tho board granted the pension. In this connection ho stated thai, in t-'omo cases t.hero was no co-ordination between the Pensions and (ho Medical Hoards. It sometime.l; happened that a man who was granted a pension was refused treatment by the medical authorities. This Htnte of affairs would havo to be altered. He also mentioned that the medical staff was being gradually filled up with officers who had seen service, and this was in response to representations made by the Executive of tlio Returned Soldiers' Association. Mr. Hnrper expressed his sirens conviction that the pensions lo totally disabled men would nave to be increased, and the men who had lost nn arm or a leg should have their pensions increased. A big attempt would have to be mado to push that matter through during next session of Parliament. Mr. Harper also mentioned that all the men in (he Dominion with either both arms or both legs off (about eight) were drawing the.maximum pen-, sion, and that the two totally blind men were' allowed ,C 2 per week—J!l supplementary pension and ,£1 for an attendant.

A gentleman fiom the United States, who is interested in Jiog-raisinjj there, and who has been visiting Pahnerston North and the vicinity, expressed' surprise at the senreity of pigs in the dis. trie!'. He suggested that some of the fanners ahould pay a visit to the homo of the pork industry, in order to learn how .61001) per annum could be taken oft' Fo:ne of the good bind in the Manawntu in 10-acro areas, wilh practieally no labour but the farmer's own. En suggests tho.i: half the blojk should lw laid down in lucerne, the other half being used to run sixty breeding raws, which would produce HOC weanors a year. These could readily b? sold to dairymen at from 2."is. to 30s. when about 'six weeks old. This would not only ensure a supply of pit.'. o , but would prove a very profitable ;,. •■•-(]- v .

Tho spell of warm weather which came in at. the end of. last week continues, and yesterday was oppressive, with no wind, Harvesting of oats is now in full swing, 'and haymaking is nearly completed. Grass is plentiful, and the dairy factories working at. full pressure. The freezing works are being kept very busy, and unless more shipping is provided some of the works will have to close down soon.

Mr, J. 11. Perrott was yesterday reelected as representative of the agricultural nnd pastoral associations on Ihe Board of Agriculture.

WAIRARAPA The following are the names of soldier settlers who are lalting up the Pine park Estate at To Whiti:-W. F. Rogers, Te Kopi, Masterton; M. Ireland, Te Kopi, Masterton; F. J. Sewell, Belvedere ; H. I). Thorpe, Carrington; T. E. Snell; Longbush; W. Fryer, Carterton; W. Bradley, Woodville. '

Captain G. .13, Brunton who returned to Masterton'on Tuesday, distinguished himself by winning a championship cup awarded for fencing at '-he Royal Naval Military and Air Force Tournament at Olympia last year.

On Wednesday evening the scutch house at Mr. F. Willi's flaxmill at Martini trough, was destroyed hy firo. A quantity 01 hemp stored in the building' was lost.

Mr. S. Keedwell, who for the jiast forty-one yciirs has been a member of the Farmers' Co-operative Association, nnd for Hiirty-ocvcn years manager of tho Groytown branch, has Telired from the iirin. On behalf of the association Mr. D. Caselborg presented Mr. Keedwell with, u gold watch, suitably engraved, and in doing so referred eulogistichlly to the excellent qualities the recipient hud displayed during his long term of service. "Mr. Keedwell suitably responded.

Mr. H. E. Hart, of Mastcrton, has been appointed solicitor to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Wairarapa district for the completion of advances to returned soldiers, under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Acr.

Tho Grey town Fire Brigade will take part in (he demonstrations to he held in Mastcrton at Easter.