PALMERSTON NORTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9098, 26 May 1908, Page 6

PALMERSTON NORTH.

NOTES AND COMMENTS FOR ; THE WEEK. ] < (Special Correspondent.) ( To begin with, the recent visit of he Hon. Minister fo- Agriculture to .'almerston was fraught with a good leal 'of importance not only to the ;ho whole district, but I believe to Lhe dominion. The ostensibly object ;if Mr McNab's visit was to attend the banquet an connection with the local branch of the Dairy Farmers' Union, but the fact that lie was enabled to arrange a meeting wiih Union members of the committee of the Manawatu A. and P. Association, and discuss the vexed question of the Dairy School site, was of vastly more interest and importance. There were several rather vital points which needed discussion, and as a matter of fact the Association had appointed a sub-committee to meet an authorised agent from the Department of Agriculture, and go into the matter. The fact of the Minister at the head of the Department happening along was the verv best thing that could have occurred, and the meeting between that gentleman and the committee cleared the am.o3phere completely with the result that everything was very quickly put upon a satisfactory footing. The sites for the Dairy School itself and also for the caretaker's cottage were decided upon, and these have since been confirmed by the general committee. The wh)le ua:ter has now been placed in the hands of the Minister for Agriculture, and it only now remains for his Department to proceed with the erection of the building at their sweet will. But I understand they are particularly anxious to get the school started at the earliest possible moment, and they are therefore not likely to lose much time. The Minister appears to be very earnest I in this matter, and is obtaining the very best advice from experts so i s to have a college that will be right up to date in every particular. The builJings and plant, I am fcild, will run into something like £lo,ooo— more than less. When complete, the school will be placed in charge of an expert of the best talent procurable, and in addition there will be a number of professors to gi\e lectures, etc., to the students. These latter, it is expected, will in a very short time, number hundreds, as it is anitcipated that not only youths anxious to learn, but many of those already engaged in butter and cheese making, will take advantage of the opportunity to improve their methods. Notwithstanding the prognostications on all hands that u time of depression is about to fall upon us, fresh indications keep cropping up that the people of Palmerston North at any rate are not very much afraid. Business appears to be pretty good all round, and within the last i ten days three or four new societies have been started, which is a pretty sure index to the state of trade. There is always a difficulty in initi- \ ating new undertakings whether for indusrtial or social good—in time of depression, and the fact that they are cropping up like mushrooms with us, should speak for itself. The local Philosophical Society is of quite recent birth, but its operations can be made of infinite good for the community at large. An instance of this was given only last evening, when the Municipal Hall was filled to overflowing by an audience which had assembled to listen to a lecture by Dr. Cockayne, a scientist of great learning, whose address was on sub-. Antarctic flora and fauna under the auspices of the Society. The lecture was very interesting and instructive, more particularly to the young people, of whom I was glad to see a large number present. The lecture was illustrated with a number of very fine lantern views, which conveyed a splendid idea of the Islands, etc., under review. Then we have just had a Savrge Club launched among us, with more candidates for membership than can conveniently be accommodated. Tonight (Saturday) is the opening night, when a party of between forty and fifty Wellington Savages will supply the programme for the evening's amusement. An Art Society is another institution which has just been organised, and its advantages to the community ; painted in roseate lines. This, also, has a strong membership, and a very influential following. It is proposed to hold several exhibitions of paintings and kindred works of art during the year, so that in the near future we may see a number of Palmerstonians making great names for themselves in the world of art. The fust act of the new Mayor, Mr J. A. Nash, was to call a meeting of those interested in horticulture with the object of inaugurating a Society to carry on this good work. He received a generous response to his call, but something has evidently gone wrong —the ground had not either bean properly prepared or the heat applied to the young plant was too severe—because after budding forth for a few hours it became blighted, and I believe fresh seed will have to be sown. There would appear to be three parties in the camp —those who have been running All Saints' bulb show, the members of the defunct Fruitgrowers' Association, and those who are seeking to form a new society. The atter were in preponderance at the meeting and elected a committee which the other parties hold is not representative. However, the members of the committee, I understand, are quite prepared to retire, and, if another meeting is called, to allow a more representative body of management to be selected. Another sore point is that at the first meeting it was resolved to exclude ladies from the management, which, I think, was a grave error, because the ladies have proved themselves quite capable of making a great success of their bulb shows without malo ajd. The main feature of this week's functions has been the great gathering of Masons at Palmerston to consecrate a new hall just erected by one of the Palmerston Lodges. There J were close upon three hundred members of the craft present, and the occasion marks an era in the Masonic history of Palmerston. Wairarapa district usually supplies a strong representation at these functions, but I understand there were only two present, and they hailed from Carterton.

Very little interest was manifested in the election of a Borough Councillor yesterday to fill the vacancy in the Council caused by Cr Nash being elected to the Mayoral chair, but things' livened up a bit when it was found that the supporters of the late defeated Mayor. Mr Essex, were making a determined effort to put Mr Roger Mulrooney, a local publican, into the Council. Mr H. Palmer's then got to work, with the result that they returned their man by a majority of 133. A third candidate, Mr Payne, only polled 98, with Hie result that he loses his deposit by a quarter of a vote, 98J being required to save this.