PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 252, 17 July 1908, Page 3

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(fBOM OUR BPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.) PALMERSTON. .. At the Palmerston stock sales yesterday tho pricos showed a slight, advance, but the sale was inclined to drag. Last night a fire started in Mr. H. Blake's house on Clevely's line at Bunnythorpe. Mr. and Mrs. Blake, who were attending the social in the township, cannot' account for the origin of tho fire, and aro heavy losers. 'The Rev. J. Jolly, M.A., was entertained last evening at a conversazione by his congregation in recognition of his seven years' ministry in Palmerston. There was a larga and enthusiastic gathering. Mr. Boucher is to deliver an address here in connection with tho Orchard and Garden Posts Act. .., FEILDING. Sections , at Ohakune are rising'in value, judging by tho Wanganui Education Board's experience. Recently four quarter-acre sections were withdrawn from sale, as the prices offered only averaged £90 a section. On Wednesday night tenders for these sections were accepted from Mr. Roth at £725. The Wanganui Education Board on Wednesday decided to thank Mr. J. Stevens, M.P., for the interost lie was taking in tho Bulls Technical School grant. The Hawke's Bay Board is about to hold a week's instruction school for teachers in their district,. and application has been made to the Wanganui Board for the services 1 of Mr. Brown (agricultural instructor) or Mr. Grant (dairying instructor). Permission has been given to Mr. Grant to go over. At last night's meeting of the Wanganui Board a further communication was received stating that, owing to ill-health, Mr. Isaacs, of the Education Department, was unable to give his promised instruction in handwork, but had suggested that Mr. Clark should be asked to.-take his place. Tho Wanganui Board decided to authorise tho Chief Inspector to make arrangements to comply with the. request. Tho Tapuae correspondent of tho "Star" says affce'r having had a spell of fine weather for'a few days, which had the desired effect of drying up much _ of' the moisture under foot, rain has set in, and mud and slush again predominate. Stock is looking well in .the Tapuae district for tbistime of tho year, and feed is fairly plentiful in spite of several .heavy frosts. . ' The Foilding Technical School , has nine pupils learning the Maori language. Mr. A. M. Ongley, captain' of the' football club, is acting as Feilding agent of the'Wal-' lace national testimonial fund: The "Star", reports the death 6f Captain Togner, one of the teachers under the. Wanganui Education. Board, which took place at his home in Pohonui, near. Hunterville, .last; Monday'evening. Captain Tegner has been in charge.of small schools in the Wanga- ■ nui 'education district for several years,; and latterly has been doing relieving work, his last school being Tarama, near Palmerston •North.- About a'week- ago he was granted leave of absence, owing- to ill health.' He jleaves a .widow and family. Mr. Boucher, Government Poniologist, is to be in Feilding on July 22, and will give a lec-ture-on'tho cultivation of fruit. . While Mr. Boucher is in the district, Mr. A. R. Mayo,' .of Aorarigi, will-endeavour to, get a practical demonstration of' spraying trees at his orchard,' at which the children of tho higher' standards of tho public schools will be 'invited to.be present;.' ; ' Some_discussion''.took place at' tho Mana- : watu County Council meeting on Tuesday, on ,the subject of extending the. tram line to .Bulls. The Levin to Greatford Railway deviation was also discussed, and the opinion was experossed that it would be a long time > before that deviation would he made. It was agreed to get an estimate of the cost of extending the train line from near Sandon to Bulls, the route to go over tho Bulls Traffic Bridge, v - ; Mr. A. Innes, who purchased Mr. M'Queen's farm at Aorangi, disposed of his' at Rewa for £18 an acre, ".The-' Rtiwa farm' is ' situated beyond Mr. Short's' /Parorarigi.. estate, i,'' '."Talk about .unearned increment,"'said the Chairman : of the , Manawatu County : Council (Mr. J.' G. Wilson),' at Tuesday's meeting. . "About .thirtyj-.years ago' iwo purchased steel ■ .rails, for the tram-lino at- £3 a ton J aaid now after.,using them .for 'all .the intervening time we ,are selling them at £4 a'"toh-." ,' : : I ' ' PAHIATUA. : : : The cantata "Esther" . was! performed at the Olympic -Theatre' on Wcdnosday evening by the Wesleyan choir, supported by the host, local talent." Tlio parts 1 wero'taken as ■follow:—Mrs. Wallis, "Esther; Mr. Manifold, Ahasuerus; Mr.. Tresize, Hainan; Mr. Specr, .Zoresch; Miss Pearson,. first' maid of honour; Mr. Williams, Mordecdi; Clougli, Hegai; Miss' Dunning, prophotess; Mr. Downard, Harbouah; Rev. Mr Speor. messenger The ' house was packed. The performance was much appreciated by the audience. . ; . The' Catholic social held at Mangatainoka and the monthly social at Kaitawa were both well patronised,, and wore vory successful for the' objects for which they wore got U P- ' OARTEETON.' . •At Carterton' yesterday the Featberston Liberal juniors defeated Albion (Masterton) by 8 to nil. This gives them a leg-in',for the championship. : r , - Owing to the Wainuioru tram-line bridge being washed away, Mr. T. H. "Ratbbone's sawmill in the vicinity has been closed down for two months. : The.'Wainuioru.-road,is also almost impassable through slips:- : •" ' 'V LEVIN. The local .Fire Brigade held its annual dance on Wednesday evening in thi Town Llall. The hall was tastetully decorated, and with music supplied by Messrs. Kearsloy and, Hayfield : the evening -was aj very happy one. Somo 120 couples took the floor, and dancing was kept up with vigour till the early hours of the morning.:. - .. :,-i • . At the Century Hall on Wednesday ievening the Y.M.C.A. gavo 'an interesting entertainment entitled a " Tennyson Evening." During the evening lectures were delivered oil the, life and. work of)the great poet,! and the' intervals between we're filled up most, pleasantly by recitations and songs, most of the recitations being from the works of Tennyson. Notwithstanding the opposition of the ; Fire Brigade dance there was a good attondarico of the public. The. Levin Dramatic Society coached! to Wednesday,, arid played ." Our Boys" there in the evening : to a .comfort-ably-filled, house. The company had .a pleasknt outing,'which was not marred- in' any way. by., the: fact that, they liad-.-to drive through, abput four .miles,; of. water,, reaching' nearly to^.the,axles-of^'their-vehicle.- '• • „ At a .recoiit'.danco. in the.Town..Hall, oho or t^o-of'those, present: lidticed rather pectir liar sounds that seemed. to be: issuing from tlie'back part of-the hall,: but nothing,coixld be .discovered that led : ,to unravelling the' mystery until' a .day or.twp aft'erwfirds, when tho .local Dramatic Society was ..holding . rehearsal in' tlio hall. During the rehearsal deep grurits and growls wera.heard frpm below, and when tho stage manager wont down below the' stage' 'for, somo scfiliery; ho very, nearly .fell into a very comfortablo little collection of pigs, that had .taken up, their abode.'in there, and wore, not' greatly increasing; tho valuo of. tho.sceriory.; . EAETXVHUIwi. The Chamber of.; Commcrco has. received a reply from tho Roads Department to ■ tho request that a sum be. placed . on the.; Estimates for tho construction of tlio EketnhuuaShannon track. It is stated that, in view of the, largo expenditure likely to bo involved, and the unsuitabloness of the coun;try that would bo traversed, tho Minister does not sec his way to make provision for expenditure as requested. There was a slight fall of snow in tho district on Wednesday night. Yesterday morn- | irig low-lying hills were capped. There is a probability that Mr. G. Harold ! Smith, solicitor, of Pahiatua, '-will be tho OpI position candidato for the Pahiatua seat. At the sitting- of .the Assessment 'Court.'on'

Wotlnesday; several objections were lodged) to. the revised roll for Eketahuna County. The whole of the valuations were sustained, except in ,ono case, wliero the improvements were increased though' tho unimproved' value was not interfered with. OTAKI. Fine weather favoured the hockey players on Wednesday, and, as a result, a fair attendance of spectators witnessed the match, Manakau v. Otaki. Both teams fought stubbornly, and for a time it looked as if the Otaki team would win. Manakau, however, by superior form' and pace, helped by woak spots among the Otaki backs, recorded a win, tho final scoro being in their favour by 4 goals to nil. The Otaki ladies put up a stubborn, fight against Ohau,'but were defeated by 2 to 1. FEATHEIISTON. The Featherston Gun Club has decided to hold a clay bird match on August B.' Mr. J. Card and Miss Eva Card left here on Thursday on a six weeks' visit to tho. South Sea Islands. ' . Gonstable Baker succeeds Constable Hammond in Featherston. Mr, A. B. Charters has been elected captain of the Greytown Rifle ■ Volunteers, of which Featherston provides a half-company.