PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 250, 15 July 1908, Page 5

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

' (FnOM OtJlt SrECIAL COniIESrONDENIS.), : . . -' O —. I ' MASTERTON. COUNTY,) COUNCIL MEETING. The Masterton County Council met yesterday. ■ -There were present: Crs. W. J. Welch (Chairman), W. Harris, J. Miller, J. Morris, 11.. 0: Toogood, J. Colquhoun, A. Murraj', R; F. Beethairi, C. C. Kebbell. ; The Engineer was instructed to deal with tho river at Matahiwi, which had got, behind the groyne on Matahiwi Road.^ The Commissioner of Crown Lands notified that the consent of settlers was no longer required for the expenditure of accrued '"■thirds," but instead an officer of the-Land Board would, with local bodies' assistance, report on proposed expenditure. •' ; • Mr. Wm. Perry wrote asking the Council to- take steps to prevent any more gravel being removed - from the south side of the •Waingawa River between the raijway bridges. It was decided to fence off the river near the bridge, and: to ask Wairarapa County Coun-cil-td'assist with, the cost. ; ■ Consent'was givon to six Teoreore settlers to erect,a.groyne along Ruamahanga River bank on cach side of the bridge, providing ' the engineer approved. 'Mr. W. Boiistead wrote complaining of the increasing number of straying stock on the: Alfrcdton Road. • The Council decided to obtain a'legal opinion as to whether stock could' be legally impounded in the present cirdiimstances. ' ' . , A j letter from-the Minister l for l Public •Workg was read, stating that,an. application from the Council for a free crant' of a £1000 loan for metalling the Alfredton-Weber Road .from Waitaiwhiti Creek to Waterfalls would receive careful consideration when the road estimates were being prepared. , ■/'Mr.'A.W.Hogg, M.P., in a covering letter, said that it was probable that a substantial grint would bo mado, if the settlors agreed to-contribute pound for pound. •/'J)r. Dawson reported a case of scarlet fever l at Langdale, and Dr. Cowie a case of ' phthisis at'Teoreore.. ' ; . V'The Public Trust Office notified : that the county sinking fund had 4 debit balance of .£773'125. 7d. : / Mr. Laing Meason, C.E., wrote asking the Council's reason for delay in going on with the Lansdowne water supply scheme. After "some discussion as to whether sufficient money had been ./raised . under the loan, it was decided to procure further information from tho prbmoters' of. the scheme. . . : '. , A claim froni E. H; Waddington for £100 compensation; for injuries caused-to'his wife arid child was.referred to tho County solicitor for/an opinioiii.as to tho Council's liability. . ; / FEILDING. . ' : I Mr;., W.. J.: Morton, Feilding's 'stationmaster, : while ,;on his 'recent holiday ', at Roto-i-ua,'.receivedvaluable collection of : roses, choice bulbs, and chrysanthemums for the Feilding Beautifying Society. The plants wiU be: laid.out .in, the railway station plots, where they 'will form: an acceptable addition to the already charming garden on the-sta-tion grounds. , :. ' The' Table Flat correspondent of the "Star" .writes that bushfelling. is now in full, swinjg in that district, and settlers are complaining about the-scarcity of labour. There is room.for a.few good.workers here just/now, and; they can earn,very good wages; in fapt, hglief. prices are being given this year than' over before, one contract boing let at £2 os. per, acre. : Wo are still having good weather,'; a little rain certainly, but not cold. So far we have' had this winter one slight fall'of , snow, which disappeared beforo midday. '.Stock are looking splendid, arid should have some records in lamb .percentages , this Coming season. ' 1 ■', Mr. C. A. Mountfort,'of Feilding, has just been promoted to tho rank of. District Surveyor; Altogether, Mr. Mountfort has served the Department for twenty-five years, arid laid ont a large part of this district; includ'irig Apiti and Halcombe. Ho was also em* ployed by the Manchester Bloek Settlement Company in laying' off tho town of Feilding and its suburban areas.' / , ' - - GREYTOWN. '■ ' ' : ;At the Methodist' Church ' on ,'Sunday, a special- memorial service was, held, at which the tablets tocommemorato,the deaths of the late Mr. Anders Andersen and Mr. Henry Robinson were unveiled. The former was unveiled by Mr.- H. Morison, as Chairman'of the Hospital Trustees,, with Mr. Jones, .Trustee, and tho latter by the Mayor and Mr: Ordish (warden). Both of the deceased .gentlemen were :woll-known and .highly respected throughout the'district, 'and a'large congregation was present to witness the ceremony.; ; Messrs. W. Udy, M. Maxton, A. ■Booth; (Hospital Trustees), and Dr. Bey, Miss Derry, and Mr.,j Webster (Hospital staff), also: present. Jlr. Andersen was an old Trustee of the Hospital. J v ' -shannon: / . At a meeting of the iforowhenua County Council. last Saturday, the following resolutions were carried:—That the Council take ;the necessary/steps ,t'o, close, for heavy' traf■fic tho' Main County Road between the Otira and ,Makerua- Station from' August ;l;to September/31 next. .That-J. Kennard be appointed surfaceman for the Tokomaru -Riding. :That Mr. Fulton, engineer,'be :asked ; ; to inspect and* report as to-the need of; protective .works to the. eastern approach to the Shannon-Foxton bridge. That tho representatives of the Tokomaru and Wirokirio Ridings bo empowered to deal with the question of the overflow of the Manawatu Kirdr, and to attend any meetings convened for'the purpose.. 'The engineer's report was, as (follows The tender for metalling the approach to, the' Shannon bridge was secured by-Whiti Rapanaiat 4s. 6d. per yard.-: About 50 ,chains of 'Denton's' contract for the deviation of tho stream have been completed, and. the -bridges and culverts have been constructed. The metalling of the Kingston and | Kara roads has been completed. Exception was taken to the width of the tyres of tho carts employed by ilie Seifert Company in carting fibre and metal. The Council manifested no interest in the proposed opening |of the Sh,-innon bridge, and decided to take no: action; in. the matter. : FEATHERSTON. • Following is the Liberal team to play Albions at Cartertoii to-morrowTidswell, Tyer, ,Gilmour, Tiki, Whakamana, Fuge, Ti-' m.ony, Bilby, Benton, Kelly, Crawley, M'Kenzie, O'Neale, Fenwick, R,. Mason, and G. Walker; emergencies, H. Walker ahd Burt. .'lt is .stated that Mr. A.' Tocker,. of Kaiwaewae,, has'purchased the Wilkinson Estate] of 2000.'acres, at Crbss Creek. The property was recently offered to the Government. for r oloser settlement, but was declined at the .price.' .The county , road, grader is at present engaged trimming up the' streets in the town..

Tho wisdom of making the Egmont Forest Reserve a sanctuary for birds is proved-by the'great number of pigeons,'tuis, kakas, and : other native birds now _in tho bush. The bell-birds are also becoming numerous. Tho VTarhnaki. Herald" states that twenty years ago it was feared theso birds had been quite, exterminated, but that there are numbors to bo heard in Taranaki now. The " Herald" reports, however, that shooting sometimes takes, placo insido the reservo. ■ In tlio wilds of the. North Island, amongst tlio niombers of the Aniwa tribe, there lives a .Maori whose faco in bygone days might liavo been his fortune, if it had not carried with it conditions that tlio owner is pleased werb not fulfilled. Mr. Hamilton, says tho "Lyttelton Time's," saw tho man when he was . looking for good ." subjects " for Mr. Nelson Illingworth 1 , the sculptor, and was struck with , the exceptionally elaborato tattooing on his cheeks, nose and forehead. Mr. Hamilton at once selected him as a typo of the ancient Maori. Tho members or tho tribe; however, said that ho was a "nobody," and iM not deservo the honour of sculpture. They explained' that he had been a slavo, arid'that his face had been splendidly tattooed in order that his head could bo sold at''Vgreat price in the days when traffic in. dried heads was a lucrative calling for the chiefs and notables. The man evidently circumvented the' commercial instincts of his masters until the gruesome traffic was abolished, aud after that, of course, his face was no longer a menace t-o-hie head.