PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(from our special correspondents.) —} / PALMERSTOJT. LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETING. Tho annual mooting of the Licensing Committeo was hold in tho Courthouso yesterday. Sergeant Stagpoole stated in his report that tho oonduct of the hotels in tlio Palmorston North licensing district had been vory good. Tho houses wero all clean and well kept, and tho hotelkeepc'rs wero willing to fall in with any suggestions made. Reliowals, with extension hours, wero granted in all cases. ■ CHINESE OPIUM CASES. ' Ah Kum, Ah Shung, and Ah Yung were brought before Mr. A. D. Thomson, S.M., yesterday morning to ' answer the charges brought against them, as tho result of tho opium raid in Foxt-on on May 15. Ah Kum and Ah .Shung wero charged' with smoking and having opium in their possession. 'Detectivo Quirko described tho raid, and produqed_ tho articles ho found on tho premises .occupied by the accused. Constable Woods gave corroborative evidence. ' Tho defence of Ah Kum wis that ho was not- smoking,, but was scraping the pipe to got enough opium out to.-mako a pill. Ah Shung said that ho was. riot an habitual smoker, but only'used the/drug as a medicine, as he was a victim to consumption. Ah Yung also 'pleaded not guilty,, to having opium in .his possession. Constable Woods gavo evidence as to finding tho, opium in accused's possession. ; Ah Kiinr and Ah Yung were fined £2 and 14s. 6d.. costs for having opium in their possession,, and Ah Shung £2 and 14s. 6d. for having opium in his possession, and £1 and 7s. costs for smoking. " 'The road through the Gorge is now cleared, after having been closed for years, and when the bridges are erected will, be a boon, to tho travelling public. , The bakers increased tho price of bread yesterday by one halfpenny. -• Captain ' Rodders will conduct the quarterly examinations on Wednesday next, in place of Captains Pringle and Mounsey, who .will be engaged as rango officers for-the Battalion shoot on that date. : ' TheiPalmerston North Orchestral Society, which is'to hold its.concert to-morrow evening, has been fortunate in securing tho services of Mrs. A./H. Bath and Messrs. G. W. •Wright, P. Somorville Brown, and Frank R. Johnstone. Mrs. Bath is the possessor of a fine soprano voice. Mr.. G; W,-Wright is the .winner of the gold medal at. tho recent Napier, carnival. Mr. P. Somorville Brown, the talented amateur violinist, has recently arrived 'from London, and as this is Mr. -Brown's first appeararico in New Zealand'his performance will bo looked forward to with interest. Mr. .Frank Johnstone is ■■ wellknown' here now,'and will bo remembered with .the recent Christchurch Exhibition. Tho-booking is very heavy. ■ A 'carved oak shield, mounted in silver, I lias been presented to . the Feilding A. and Association by Mr. Jas. Campion. This valuable trophy is to bo competed for by exhibitors of Romnoy Marsh sheep. ■ MASTERTON. Tliore were: three: cases of bankruntcy in the Wairarapa in May. There were no bankruptcies .in the corresponding month of last year. . _ During tho past month; 26 births, 6'mar-, riages, and 10 deaths were recorded in Mastortou. . , ' . ' , -V.' . Mr. P. L. Hollings, president, of--the,'Mas-, terton Y.M.C.A., has decided to guarantee the amount .required-by tho organisation for the employment of a paid- .secretary. '• About £500 was previously collected for this object toiTards,the;.ehgagemc)it of'a: secretary from' Ameri6a' r f6f a '

FEILDIIvG. • ■-! ■ That" the 'building' trade .is fairly brisk in Feilding is indicated by the fact, that during May the Borough Engineer' issued permits for. new. houses and additions to others to .the'-.'value ! oft_ £3022. _ Six new dwellinghouses were included in these permits, and in addition, to this several, houses are: in course of .construction "within the town, but outside the borough boundary., . Mr. J./M'lS'eall,. who. has Jiecn teacher of. the Knrowarcwa School for some time, has been presented with an address and a.handsome token of esteem, from .the children of. the locality, oil the occasion, of his departure for Wellington. : V> Sir; J. C.- Hill, rcctor of the Feilding High; School, was taken ill on Friday, and has had' to remain in bed since that day. ' \ -.. ; Lieutenant B; fjiandilands, of the' Feilding Mounted Rifles, was on Saturday night presented with a ;pair of field glasses by tho members of the corps prior to leaving for Tauranca. Mr. Tom Brown, late retail manager for the Gear .Company in .Wellington, has had a great misfortune since ho settled in Feilding- At the-o'lid of last weok he lost a fifteen-year-old son, who died' from blood-poisoning, and yesterday his daughter; Miss Brown, who was only nineteen years of ?ge, died suddenly whilst resting on a bed in the home of her uncle, Sir. M. Hyland, of Manchester Street. i'.The singing evangelist (Mr. Stephens) began the second week of his mission in Feilding on Sunday/ , /'. ,■ Feilding experienced an unusually heavy frost and cold snap this morning. Cheap excursion'fares on,the railway induced n large number of people to travel by yesterday's trains., , / . During tho month of May thero were registered At tho Feilding Post Office eighteen births, five marriages, and three deaths. . The framework of the new post office at Apiti is up, and the contractor is . making good progress with the work. The Feilding Golf Club's new links are to be opened to-day with a men's bogy competition in the morning, and a mixed foursome in the afternoon. ;" -Mr. Banks, of Kimbolton, has-secured tho contract for the re-erection of tho dairy fac-tory-at Apiti, which was destroyed by. fire recently. ■ I Only one case of infectious disease (scarlet . fever) has been reported in the borough sinco January 1. There were three diphtheria cases reported in the Oroua County during May. Tho many friends of Mr. Ernest Short wiil be pleased to hear that ho is making very satisfactory progress towards recovery. ■ The Feilding Football Club senior and third-class teams are now at the top of their respective championship ladders in tho Manawatu Union contests. ' PAHIATUA. ; Yesterday morning, though bright and sunny, was tho coldest felt this winter There was a heavy frost on. tho flats,' and a slight sprinkling of snow on the ranges. Messrs. James Carolrtn' and Fred Tucker prominent settlers at Pongaroa, aro at present in town. • Tho latter intends proceeding to settle in Tasmania. Roads to tho back-blocks are beginning' to break up, and travelling is becoming rough. LEVIN. A large lamp was upset in Mr. H. Hall's billiard saloon on Thursday. night, and, but for the prompt action of Mr, Hall 'and Mr. W. E. Faulkner, nothing could havo prevented a seriouo fire. Mr. Hall suffered several rather serious burns, and has since had to carry his arm in a sling, OTAKI. " Tho funeral of' Mrs. Hakaraia Hoani took place on Sunday. The tangi still continues. Mr. D. Nees is the successful tenderer for tho erection of an AnglicaW church at Paekakariki. Tho town at present is full. of visitors,, who are hero for the races to be held tomorrow and Thursday. The football match, Kia ,Toa v. Levin juniors, to have been played here, on Saturday, lapsed, the Levin players failing to put ill an appearance.

SHANNON. The -weather yesterday was very cold. There was a hoavy frost on Sunday night, with a slight fall of snow on tho Tararuas. Jlr. G. B. Hull, secretary of the Makerua Estate Company, visited Shannon yesterday. Tho social in connection with the Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club will tako tho form of a euchro party and dance. Shannon seniors wero defeated, on Saturday, at Shannon, by the Ivia Toa Club by 21 points to G. It was a case of Maoris versus pakehas, and the former,' as tho. score indicates, had all the best of the game. Shannon forwards plaved strenuously, but, with the exception of lloos,wero very slotfi Bronghtnn played best among the local backs. Tjmrcs was uood, and Day potted a goal. " Ilie Otalu team all played well,' and were ' far too speedy for Shannon. Parata and Henry were conspicuous in the rear division. Tho visitors' full-back did somo good kicking an(J fielding. Shannon juniors wore defeated by Hui Mai B ; at Manukau,'by 37 points to nil.' •

FEATHEIISTON. V/ \ On Saturday ilie Rifle Club continued shooting for'Mossrs. N. Matthews's and. E. Bockctt's trophies. Mr. T. Benton was-the winner, and Mr. R- Parker second;' Mr. J.-V. Reed was third.' '' The Paka Koura Ladies' Hockey Club are, to play a match with tho men. here oil Wednesday nest. ; ■ " ":V ~ , RANGIWAHIA. .Mr. J. M'Neale has-been 1 presented with an address and • handsome present on tho, occasion'of his leaving this, district. ' • >