PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 3

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(in- TEi.EfinArn—srixiAi, coRRKSroNor.NTS.)

PALMEItSTON

.'os A meeting of the Wellington Farmers' a Mutual Fire 111.sumnc*> tion was liflf at 'Palnierstou on Thursday. Mr. J. 0. Wilsoi it,! presiding. It, was decided to'postpone lh< annual mneting.oflsharelioldfirs.unt.il April he in order: .to comply with the request, of till >• Public Truste-e that the annual statement 0: '?* :tV affairs of the Association lie nin.deup ai i | ) n from March 31. By the recent fire at Hun id- the Association was reported to liavi u]. sustained a loss of £400. The directors de :es eided'to'pay-the claim. It.' *»8 reported th'a: as the insurance .held to date was £80,946, Thi n " Huntorville loss was the third during tw< years.' Altogether, the affairs of the-As sociation were reported' t-o be in ' a highl'j satisfactory position. At the Manawatu .Drainage Board 01 Thursday, letters were received from thi a, Feilaing Boroiigh Council with regard t< y S r.iver erosion, and it was decided to hold i Vs conference to discuss matters,oll .January 15 IT _ At a .meeting of the Flaxmillers' Associa 3n tion yesterday, Messrs. Seifert, Liggin's ln Brown, arid' Cohen were appointed a sub committee'to collect material for an exhibi: (■ fl 'at the Franco-British Exhibition. The Nev ( - 0 Zealand Flaxmillers' Association, having been awarded a silver medal for its exhibit al a 5 Christchurch Exhibition, has been advis« that it may have the modal 011 payment 0 the cost of manufacture. . . Mr. Robinson, Government Engineer, ii S. company with the Mayor and Councillors inspected the Manawatu liiver for the pur r pose of carrying. out.protective works when 01 properties are threatened from erosion. At 4.15 a fire broke out in a four-rootne( cottage ■in Campbell Street. A strong wine was blowing, and the building was com P plet-olv gutted before the fire, was cxtin " giiished. It was owned by Mr. G. Best ®' and insured for £12-5 in the Standard Office e ' An adjacent house had a narrow escape.'an< 13 was only saved through the strenuous effort: of the. brigade. e 'l'ho Hon. Dr. Findlay presented the prize! 1 > to the High. School students, at the Muni cipal HalK yesterday evening, and also do livered a short address'. .Considerable mortality among young foa.li is reported iu. the .district. ... In some instances" foals from valuable stock have beer lost. • " "3.lie remains of the, late Mr. Stanley Hum< were laid, to rest this afternoon in the Torrace End-Cemetery'. The cortege, which was r ' of considerable length, was comprised of loca citizens, including members of the Palmer ,!• ston; Bowling Club." The.•coffin■ was .coverec with .many beautiful ■■-wreaths,' forwardec from various parts .of the district. The • Alanawatu A. 1 and 'P. -Associatior '• committee meeting . will be held on Tucsdnj next. • .'•■■ The Hospital Day] Committee mqt yesterday. afternoon, when it was reported that al' arrangements- for collecting funds; on ■ Hospital Day were well. in - hand. . The Opera ,House .was well filled on Thursday evening on the occasion of the Convent . Pupils' .concert. -The programme, was murf .appreciated. Several "of . the students mad( their debut,' and performed very ''creditably . MASTERTON. - ' a , • •- . .< The average■ attendance at. the' district - school, ' including . sido : school and secondary r classes,-is 617, out : ;of a total roll number.ol i 316. .The. monthly. report of Mr. Jackson, t .heiulmastaystatM that measles-are very pre - yalent aniongst theiufnnts. -Additional room ; is urgently. :-neofied,, owing. to, overcrowding , caused by increased accommodation required t, for secondary work. - Mr. . Jackson - has liugj gested; that, with the' opening of the now |' municipal baths,' •'swimming' classes, 'should ;. bo-commenced-amongst the scholars." - : .'lf' has -"been decided.' that.-as ' tliere> is al--1 rcady.-a.'-sutn'of.£2(lo*o in hand for. the' Seel don ; Memorial; Technical School, with - the possii hilit.y of, a. fnrthor. subsidy from the Govern- > ment, preparations . might be I .' made for the,fjr<>otionof'.tho hui 1 ding,\ Plans and spcci--1 lications are. to be preparer) forthwith, after ■ which tenders are to he called for the eroc--1 tion'of the structure. ' A requisition is' in course of preparation i : 'a.t "Ma.sterton'asking thoßorough Council'.to i hold a poll of electors'.to decide upon which , day'the shops and office's.Mid .factories' statutory half-holiday is to be observed. / . . PAHIATUA. . ' . -The. new' Yi?ar of St.. Peter's (Anglican) Church, the Rev. C. H. Isaacson, ancT Mrs. Isaacson, we're welcomed in .the' Olympic Theatre 'by! the .parishioners en. Wednesday .evening, a large number being present. After the\ introduction a concert filled -up the rest of the evening. ... , . . , SHANNON.' Before. Messrs. .Stansell and O'Connor, J.P.'s, M.. M'Grath was fined £1 12s. fid. costs for. the. theft: of a pair of liools, and John Hayes ■ was fined .£2 for assault, and 10s. for. damaging property. On Wednesday afternoon Mr. JV. 'A. Grist, wlio has resigned his post as secretary to the Shannon Land and Sawmilling Company, was presented by Mr. J. R. Stansell, on .'helialf of the Company, with a smoker's cabinet. At the same time Mr. Stansell presfuited .Mr. Grist- with a shaving-stand, 011 behalf of the bowling club, of which he was secretary.' At the Bowling Green, on "Wednesday, the Feathers were won. by Messrs. Stevenston Brothers. '- Mr.l Stansell presided at a concert 011 Wednesday night in aid of the-widow, and orphans of the late Mr. Barratt, of Levin. A-sum of £47- 2s. was realised, of which amount Mr. P. O'Connell collected £22 14s. Mr." Stansell returned thanks to the performers and subscribers, and Mr. O'Connell also'spoke. Mr. Kearsley was at the piano. A most enjoyable social was afterwards held, in which the "ribbon" dance was' first introduced- into the district. Mr. J... I. Oag has Men appointed, out of thirty-four applicants, as secretary- to tile local timber company. ■ • . . OTAKL Fnther. Schaefer left on Wednesday for Waimate 011 holiday leave, his place here being taken by Father Hurley. Very welcome rain fell here on Wednesday night and early 011 Thursday morning, and farmer's are naturally jubilant: It-is oil the tapis that more than one wedding will be solemnised here during Christmas" week". - FEATHERSTOX. ' A meeting of the Featherstcn Town Board was held on Wednesday night, Mr. J. W; Card; presiding. The resignation of Mr. C. W. Houghton, sanitary , contractor, was 10ceived aiid acoopi>od. It was decided to'invite applications for the position at a remuneration of £110 per annum. The offer of Mr. George Houghton to cut the gra.ss in the' cemetery for £3'was accepted. It was.decided to allow',the Chamber of Commerce the use of the Board's offices for meetings. It was resolved that the privilege of allowing cows to graze 011 the roadside terminate on December 21. On the motion of the Chairman, it was resolved to. place 011 record the Board's appreciation of the clerk's work in collecting all the rates, struck-seven months ago. A report on the water from the reservoir was received from Dr. R, H. Makgill, bacteriologist. Mr. W. Fuge was thrown out of his gig at Kaiwaiwai the other afternoon through tho horso bolting. Tho vehiclo was damaged, jjie occupant fortunately escaping, with -a shaking, Tho Featherston Dairy Company is'setkling. awav -350 cases of olieeso for tho Home marlcet. UPPER R.ANGTTIKEI. It is understood-that,a party of Masterton speculators is insjiecting Oh'akune and other towns 'onHlie Main Trunk'line in quest of land. Several sawmillers arc also visiting Ohakuno on tho lookout, for hush sections.