TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

Items Of Interest From The Provinces MOTOR REGISTRATION First-day Total Higher hi Palmerston North Forty-four motor-vehicles were registered at the Palmerston North Post Office on Monday, the first day on which the office was open for this year’s registrations. This number is higher than for the opening day of last year, and the authorities are hopeful that early registrations will continue, thus avoiding the usual last-minute rush. Drain-Clearing Contracts. The difficulty being experienced by drainage boards in getting contractors to undertake drain-clearing work was mentioned by Mr. H. R. Green, at a meeting of the Manawatu Drainage Board. He had recently visited the Hauraki Plains, he said, and the drainage board there had succeeded in getting only one-third of its work attended to, and was in a very awkward position. The Manawatu board was much better off.

Farmers’ Union Conference. Important remits dealing with the constitution and work of the New Zealand Meat Board will be considered at the interprovincial conference of the Farmers’ Union to be held in Wanganui toward lite end of the month. Many of the branches have forwarded remits. and it is likely that the chairman of the board. Mr. T. A. Duncan, will be asked to attend and put the board’s views before the delegates.

Young Farmers’ Tour. A party of 32 members of the Young Farmers’ Clubs in the Manawatu district, will leave Palmerston North by train this afternoon on the first stage of a 12-day tour of part of the'South Island. The party will-be under the leadership of Mr. W. Howell, of the Pollangina club, and their itinerary will include Ihe territory from Rangioru to Mount Cook. They will visit Mr. A. Grant’s Clydesdale stud, the irrigation lands, grass and clover areas, and certified potato farms. In Christchurch they will visit the Wheat Research Institute, the Agronomy Division Station, and Lincoln College, and will hear the Young Farmers’ Dominion debating championship, in which the Apiti team, which won the North Island championship, will compete.

Woodville Calf Pool. A most successful year’s operations was reported to the annual meeting of the Woodville and District Bobby Calf Pool, over which Mr. E. Harding presided. The balance-sheet, which showed a satisfactory financial position, was adopted. Officers elected are: Chairman. Mr. Harding; secretary. Mr. G. C. Isakson; committee. Messrs. IT. J. McPeak, B. Clark, J. Oxenham, A. F. Curry, J. 11. Goldsworthy, R. C. Leach and R. H. Morgan.

Severe Hailstorm. The Waitotara district apparently received the brunt of the severe hail and rainstorm that was experienced at Wanganui and to the northward at the weekend, and a man who has lived in the district for 50 years said it was the worst he could remember. Hailstones as large as sixpenny pieces fell, and they created a deafening roar as they struck the roofs of houses and bounced on to the tops of motor-cars and other objects. Many windows were broken, and leaks were started in roofs that hitherto had been quite sound.

Hospital Administration. Before giving an opinion .on the future financing of public hospitals, the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce has decided to await a report from the Wanganui Hospital Board when a full year’s operations under the Social Security Act have been studied. This decision was made foilowing consideration of a resolution passed at the annual conference of the Associated Chambers that the whole cost of hospital administration should he borne by the State and made a charge on the Social Security Fund. The chairman of the Wanganui chamber, Mr. D. G. O’Toole, said the Wanganui board was not prepared to make any statement till a year’s operations under the new legislation had been completed. Mr, C. P. Brown said it would be a great mistake to centralize hospital administration. If the hospitals were taken over by the Government local control would go, and that was against British tradition.