The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1916. LOCAL & GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 May 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1916. LOCAL & GENERAL

ihe increased cost oi beuziue and car accessories hair-hit the county engineer where it is felt,, audi lie asked itia council on Friday for an increase oi ■£2o per year, the increase-to bo retrospective from May 31st, 131.3.rR 1e increase was granted during the duration of the war.

liie only way to reduce the overdraft is to clip the engineer's wings in regard to expenditure," said; ihe county chairman oil Friday. (Councillor Stephenson: Hear, hear.) He asked'councillors if they had any work to be done during the coming year to put the amount on the estimates, tie intended to block any work not provided; for. Councilor Stephenson sukl that the chairman's intention would hare his hearty support and Councilor Bioadbelt <!<so fetiniated that he won im agreement with the chairman on the point. -» «•

County ratepayers, according to .\fr G. A. Monk, are under the impression that it is not necessary to pay their rates untii just before the levying of the ten per cent penalty. This -was not so. Within fourteen days of he issue of the notice the coun'ty clerk had power to issue a summons for their recovery. This should he done. Councillor Ryder said that this generally was not understood. He was not aware of it. The only way to acquaint ratepayers with the position w»s to sue someone. He onvedi rates and was .■filling that he be brought before the court in order to advertise the matter. Councilior Kebbell suggested that councillors pay their own rates first, and then prosecute ratepayers who fail to heed the rate notice. I

Tin' Horowlienua County Council's general account 'ha® increased from £2500 in 1912 to £-1600 in lf)lC, an increased expense of £2100. Nearly all thit; increase is clue to tlie Wellington Hospital and Charitable AidBoard which accounts for £17-10 of the amount.

Excursion faaree oil the New Zeainid lta/LLways will be obtainable from Ist June to 3rd June (the King's Birthday anniversary). Details are" set out by advertisejnent on page 3.

At Councillor Better's instigation the County Council placed tlie n m of £2o on the estimates as a suWdy for the Levin public library.

Four sections of a quarter-acre eac i, also eleven sections ot 32 poles eacli, at e for lease; tendiers to be addres.«d to Wellington Education Board. J.'lie sections are in Levin—respectively situated in Bath-street, Salisbury-street, Queen-street and Chamberlain-istrcvt.

''If you go down there they'll skinyou," remarked the engineer to Councillor Keibbell at Friday's meeting of the County Council to considor the estimates, when the letter suggested that the £120 provided for the grading and the formation of the footpath along the weet .sido of the road through the Village Settlement be struck off the estimates. The amount was left on so that there will be no need of the flaying operation.

Tlie county ranger made application to the council on Friday for assista'ice in the puichase of a light "motor car for the purpose or getting a.bout •he county. ,'ilie matter was held civet till the next - meeting of the counc'l.

Tho Wellington Land Board an Thursday approved the transfer til Section '20, Horowhenua Village Settlement, comprising iive aores from X. M. Golf to J. Follett.

A large shipment oi motor oars from San Francisco was on board the steamer Ti'aibomo, wliicn arrived at Auckland on Wednesday morning. In all there were aibout 200 oars, of wliicli about oO are to be landed in the northern city and- tlie balance are xor Wellington. A inuni,bor of the motors were brought as deck cargo.

The chairman of the County Council told hie fellow councillors at Friday's •special meeting that he considered they would be well advigod it they raised the wages of the surfacemen in the council's employ. Me suggested an increase of (id -per day oin the present rate o.t 9s per dlay—the increase to stand during the . continuance of the war. The cost of living in many -jasjs lias .gone up 25 to 50 per cent. Councillor Freeman agreed with the chairman. Other local !bodie« were paying 10s per day". The increase snoM.d be paid a war bonus. Councillor Kobbell also agreed with the proposed increase. It would mean increased! exipenseS and the, 3- wouldi have to raise the rates. Counciipr Oat-ley said that the council should not give an increase until "the men made an application ; or it. Councillors Ryder .and Rottei contridered that it they granted 6d a day rifce now they would forestall any application that may- ue made by the men tor an increased wage. Councillors Venn, Stephenson, and Broadbe/t algo supported the propositi increase, and in was agreed; to, only Councillor Catloy opposing it.

l'artly as the result of the eff jrt made by the Girls' Friendly Society, (ind partly owing to't ; lie receipt of several donations, the members oi the society are forwarding .more than £20 towards the hospital a/nd general work of the Melanesia!! mission. Had the weather been more favourable hist Wednesday, there can be no doubt that the result would have been even better still.

it ie understood (says the iStar) that there is no abatement in the number of eayee of scarlet fever which are daily being adimitted to the Auckland hospital. Ilie average or four or five cases is being steadily niaiiitaaned, and, as the admissions are greater than Mie discharges, it is obvous that unless there is a slackening off in the epidemic an awkward problem will shortly be facing the hospital board.

"You have spent hundreds oi pounds on a wind-driven place at Tauherenikau -Which will never be fit for a tamp," was a remark made by Mr i). liuick in Parliament recently. "'The ground is stony and the wind blows so hard that the grass can't grow. * i know it. 1 have been blown off my horse there." (Laughter). Mr Buick urged that Rangiotu was much to be .preferred! to Tauherenikau as tfie ite for a training camp.

A chance remark made in the courge of*a case at the Juvenile Oourt in Auckland the other,day indicated that "cigarette parties'' arc popular among the small boys ol JVewton. Oil this subject a police officer informed a Star representative that in the district it was quite customary lor small boys to overcome the money difficulty, and •it the same time evade statutory restrictions by forming a cigarette 43lub of six one of the members being over lifteen years ol age. Each member contributes a penny, and the lad ol fifteen makes the purchase of a packet ( t cigarette* with the resultant sixpence. Being "a man" at. fifteen, 60 far as the smoke rescuing law goes, the ecn.il)r member is JegaJlv entitled to the < igaictti *, which lie later shares with the five junior members of the club who retire to sirne secluded s]M»t to enjoy their fonWlleu whiffs aaid wrestle with the physiiea.l qualms caused by the fruits of uheir cuteuess.

A *\ ellington message rupoi'tis that the Prime Minister coninuittedi hdmseil to prophecy regarding tlie war outlook inst night. on the pensions scheme, which he maintaiuied must .')e as progressive ae our experience peril utteJ, ho declared: 1 'J. : in sorry. to say the outlook in the way of bringing the war to a close is not good. ' do not think it will end for a long timo to come. I'm not a<n export, but #>ok ait the position from a common-sense point of view. Wc have to be careful, beoause the outlook Inday is not so goodi tor the conclusion of the war «« jt appeared a year ago. j At tlie Horowhenua. Fruitgrowers' j Association's depot Jonathans are sell- ! ing at as per case, and •sturmers a/t (!s 1 and 7e per case, while York pipp'ns j are colling well. Hothouse tomatoes are clearing readily at 8d per lb. Onions are still renlißing Id per lib au<l potatoes are quoted at £6 to £7 Os per ton. |

The seal of the chairman, councillors and inhabitants' or t'he couinty of Horowhenua has 'boon affixed to tile debenture for £7L)U in respect to a loan of £700 tor-constructing and met. n idling Arawhata road.