THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, AUG. 23, 1909 DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 184, 23 August 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, AUG. 23, 1909 DISTRICT PARS.

On Thursday last a match was played at Te Kuiti between a team composed of Green and Colebrook's and Railway employees, and a team chosen by H. Rothery. After a fast and exciting game the Te Kuiti team proved victorious by 31 points to 1-1. Friends of Mr and Mrs Irvine of Taumarunui, will he pleased to hear that their little daughter Marjorie has recovered from her illness. She had been under the care of Dr Zobel at Te Kuiti for a considerable time, and theseries of operations for disease of the skin have been a complete success.

The advertisement of Mr H. Currie of Kihikihi, appearing in another column with reference to wire w«ve mattresses is worth the attention of all householders. Prices will compare favourably with anywhere. Attention is drawn to the advertisement of Messrs O'Leary Bros, and Downs, seed merchants, Auckland, appearing in another column. This enterprising firm which has won its way into the front rank of Auckland's businesses, and occupies a deservedly high place in the esteem of country settlers, is prepared to supply garden, orchard, and farm seeds and requisites at lowest prices. The Hockey Club Social eventuated last Thursday evening and was a pronounced success. There was a good attendance, and the floor was in excellent order The music, supplied gratis by Mrs Williamson, piano; Messrs Kirk, flute; Gresham and Saunders, violin, was choice. Light refreshments were provided, and dancing was kept up with vigor till midnight, when an enjoyable evening was brought to a close.

The Athletic Conference, sitting at Brisbane d?cided, with a view to arousing interest, to bring U. C. Walker, the sprinter, and Heflerman, the long-distance runner from Durban, about next Christmas, to give four appearances in New Zealand and two in each of the Australian States; New Zealand is to guarantee up to £IOOO. It is stated that Mr McLean, contractor for the Otira tunnel, refused to let the matter in dispute in regard to the lamps go before the Conciliation Commissioner. The men have decided that the executive of the Miners' Federation shall now represent them in the matter.

The question whether there is any I prospect of the teaching of elementary agriculture being made a more outstanding subject in the educational system was brought before the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, at Christchurch. Mr Fowlds replied that there was no immediate prospect of a change being made in this connection. It was his opinion that in some schools qutie as much was being done as it was possible to do in primary school work, without seirously interfering with the general education for which the primary school was mainly intended. The only thing that was wanted was to get the present system more generally extended, and that could only be done by giving the teachers an opportunity to secure the training which was necessary for them before they would give instruction. He hoped to see all the training colleges doing something in that direction. The district high schools had already been circularised, with a view of their adopti ing a definte programme providing for | agricutural education. As they were very largely situated in farming communities, the Department took the view that they should have a bias towards agriculture or dairying.

At a meeting of the committee of the Christchurch branch of the National Defence League at Christchurch on Monday, the secretary reported that he had written to the Mayors of district towns, with the object of arranging public meetings to discuss the Defence League's programme, and that favourable replies had Speakers would go from Christchurch shortly on lecturnig tour, for the purpose of creating enthusiasm on defence matters. Between 400 and 500 names had been enrolled during the past five weeks. Nearly 200 lists had been put in circulation, 20 heads of departments and of large commercial firms had been personally interviewed. and in all cases the platform of the League had been approved, and influence promised to induce enrolment of members. Numerous subscirptions towards the general funds had been received, and, speaking generally, the prospects of the Canterbury branch were in every way satisfactory. We are told, says the Sydney Evening News, that New Zealand is povertystricken ; that her people are oppressed by a heavy burden of taxation; that, in spite of prohibition and local option, she drinks too much. We are also assured that her population is decreasing by reason of emigration to the more favoured and prosperous Australian States. It is, in fact, widely asserted that our enterprising neighbour is financially, socially, polictically, and in most other directions in a bad way. Her Premier, however, when in Sydney, flatly contradicted all these rumours, and emphatically stated that there was no ground for such calumnies with regard to the young Dominion. And, says the "News," we believe that Sir Joseph Ward was thoroughly justified in his repudiation of hostile criticism- -New Zcalanders are not the kind of people to suffer deterioration. Their climate their national record, their superior type of politicians absolutely forbid any supposition of the sort. And, at any rate, their representative in England has taken the lead of Australasia, as evidenced by his speeches, in statesmanship and patriotism. The King, in the conversation which followed on the audience given to Sir Joseph Ward, also gave the Premier a message for the Dominion, expressing the Royal satisfaction with its prorgess and its patriotic aspirations. Edward VII and his advisers may not know everything; but they know enough to withhold congratualtions and appreciation from any decadent State. A feature of the tenders received at the last meeting of the Wellington City Council was one from the Powellised Timber Company, near Ohakune, for sleepers for the Lyell Bay tram line. This process consists of injecting molasses into timber, and is largely used in Australia and other parts of the world. The tender of the company was for white pine, and was not accepted by the Council, as there was no absolute proof extending over many years that this class of timber would stand as well as other timbers. It is 3tated that had the tender been for Powellised black birch, or rimu, the fate of the tender might have been different, as the Mayor and a number of Councillors would prefer to use New Zealand wood for sleepers and other purposes, thereby keeping the money in New Zealand, instead of sending it to Australia. It is possible that the Powellised Wood Company will be tenderers for further works with wood other than white pine, and the fact that, if this process enables the city to use a quantity of the timber employment will be given to a large number of men in the district, will no doubt carry weight. The Powellised process will probably have an effect on a number of woods in New Zealnad, which are not very durable owing to their being grown in moist country, but which are rendered as durable — by the new process —as the well known jarrah and black butt. In Victoria and New South Wales, a number of soft timbers have been made as durable as the hard woods by the use of the Powellised process.