TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 189, 7 May 1940, Page 12

TOWN AND COUNTRY

Items Of Interest From The Provinces BEQUESTS TO CHURCH £5OO For New Sunday School Building The will of the late Mr. G. H. Bennett, Palmerston North, provides for a gift of £5OO toward a now Sunday school building for St. Paul’s Methodist Church and £lOO for the St. Paul's missionaryfund. Mr. Bennett had for many years been a member of the church, and at the evening service on Sunday night the Rev. Clarence Eaton said that such beneficence, following a long period of . continuous effort in the interests ot the church, had crowned a life of splendid endeavour not soon to be forgotten.

Buggy Returns to Service. One result of the petrol restrictions in Masterton has been the pressing into service once more of a buggy belonging ■to a resident. The buggy had been laid aside for many years and was .in need of a thorough overhaul and painting, and this work is now being carried out in a car painter’s establishment. The vehicle was built in Masterton in 1911, and when it reappears on the road in the near future it will carry all its pristine sparkle and glory. •

Juror Fined for Being Late. Failure to answer the call for service on the grand jury at the I almerston North sessions of the Supreme Court resulted in Mr. D. G. Glendinnmg being fined £5 by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers). Ten minutes later Mr. Glendinning arrived and explained that he had been engaged on business.and had not noticed the time. In the circumstances the fine was reduced to £l, the Clnel Justice stating that both grand jurors and common jurors must understand that when summoned they must appear according to the requirements of the summons. Farewell to Schoolmaster. ’

Mr. Arthur Manz, of the Otaki State School staff who is joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force, was entertained by the staff and children last week, the headmaster, Mr. Adams, .spoke m high terms of Mr. Manz’s capabilities, and a presentation was made by the mayor, . 1. Atmore.

Stock Lost in Manawatu Gorge. Instances of live stock being lost while being driven through Manawatu G°;= e were brought before a meeting of the Woodville County Council by Cr. vy. Galloway, who asked whether fences cou-d be erected. The chairman, Mr. M. O. Grainger, said the gorge road wae under the jurisdiction of the Main Highways Board, and all the council could do was to write asking for information. After a brief discussion it was decided to take no action in the meantime.

Road v. Rail Transport. The fact that one road transport concern operating in the Waipukurau. district had carried no fewer than 100,060 sheep and lambs to the works last year waa mentioned by the stationmaster >n Waipukurau, Mr. T. Martin, in reviewing the inroads made by road transport into railway business in the Waipukurau area. The carriage of sheep and lambs by rail had shown a steady decline during the oast live years, he said, and the figures had dropped from 299,311 to 143,929. The drop in the carriage of wool had also been pronounced, and the railway was now carrying only a little more than 11.300 bales. Probably an equal number was now being carried by lorries. To See Exhibition Closing.

There was a general exodus from the Wairarapa on Saturday, many hundreds travelling to Wellington for the closing of the Exhibition. All road and rail services were heavily booked, and a constant stream of cars passed down the southern highway during most of the day. A special train which left Woodville on Saturday morning added a further four carriages at Masterton, and four more carriages were added to the afternoon train’s usual rake. _ The railcars were also heavily patronized. Manawatu Competitions Festival. Splendid entries, numbering up to 36 in some classes, have been received by the Manawatu Competitions Society for its seventeenth annual festival. The programme will,extend over a week. Fish Defies Indentification. Found by Mr. W. J. Smith at its last gasp on the edge of the Mangatainoka River at Konini, a fish 29in. long and weighing 7Jlb. has provided something of a problem of identification. Though it is believed to be a brown trout, several fishermen have pointed out that it lacks many of the distinguishing marks of that species, and that it may even be a salmon. It carries none of the characteristic speckled markings of the brown trout, and its head is a glossy black without any of the usual spots of brownish red. Identification as a salmon would be possible by the tail, but this is missing; the fish bore evidence of having had a hard time, as there were several fresh wounds on its body. It is estimated that if the fisn were in good condition it would scale about twice its present weight, approaching the last record trout secured in the river, strangely enough by the same man and in the same circumstances, in 1937. ■ Mounted Rifles Parade.

A parade of C Squadron, WellingtonEast Coast Mounted Rifles, was held last night in the Masterton Drill Hall. There was a good attendance, and the opportunity was taken to farewell the men from the unit who are to enter camp witii the third echelon shortly.

Railwayman Trii.nsierngl. On Saturday night Mr. F. Southgate, of the railway staff in Otaki, and who has been transferred to Lower Hutt, was entertained by the Otaki branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association, and presented with a rug in appreciation of his services as secretary. Tlie presentation was made by Major General Young.