PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 13

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

tVROII bun Sl'fiOlAli CORfttSfONDENTS.) '. ".o . ~ PALMERSTOJf. .Vital statistics for Palmerston for tho month of December are as follow: —Births, 43; marriages, 16; deaths, 15. For thoquarter ended December 81 thers were 141 births, 34' : marriages, and 50 deaths. During tho year_ there were 521 births, as .against tho provious best 486, Teoorded last -year. The numbor of deaths last year were two in excks of . the provious yearj the numbers being 162 and 160. Marriages during . the same period showed a falling-off,' the figures being 150 far last year, as against 1/4 for the preceding twelve months. At tho S.M. Court yesterday George Wood.loyj,a youth 17 years of ago, was sentenced ■to- one month's imprisonment for the theft of a suit of clothes at Riccarton, the Justices 'ab the same time recommending that .Woodley bo sent to : tho Industrial School, instead ..of' to . prison. ■ Thoy had no power, however, to commit him to the school. On two oharges of forgery, for £4 6s. and £l. Woodloy pleaded' guilty, and was committed to the Supromo Court for sentence. The accused cashed, the cheques' at Feilding, recoiving goods and . cash in return. : ' FEILDING. '

: ' •Farmers'.are hoping that tho bright change of 'weather experienced yesterday will just about save the- situation as far as'cut crops are concerned. Oats are looking well, and root orops 'aro , coming along: 'splendidly in the Kimbolton district, where there . are several largo potato patches. Tho blight has not so far made its appearance, though the rough weather has seriously. interfered with : the growth of tho tubers. There.: was a good yarding of. sheep and a heavy yarding of cattle at the ; Feilding sale yesterday. ' Bidding for sheep 'was brisk, and good lines sold- very well. JA line of 895 rapO. wether lambs (sola on behalf 'of Mr. E ; Short) made up to 9s. 7d.» which was considered'an excellent price. Mr. Sim, Go'vornmont Inspcotor of Orchards, is at present , in ' the Feilding' district. He states that tho enforcement of the regulations rogardingi-'spraying fruit'trees is' having a beneficial-effect.. In cases where the Oftrelcss orchardists have' been losing 60 per dent,. Of their fruit,' they are nOw losing only 5 per cent. ~.. ■'- -■ A two-year-old Hereford bull, imported by. .Mr, E. Short from Vittoriiij arrived in Feilding yesterday morning. ;■ . , :' ;] ■ Mr.' Frank, .File, son of Mr.' Charles File, tho bolobratecl Kentish breodor of. EOmnoy Mar'Sh Bhee^J' 'is in Feilding. ,whieh';Hajr« be'Mi'sent'-ont for tho Mastorton Ram Fair to bo held in February. The rams, which are. at presentiiil tho trucks, at .Feilding, are to be kept, ori the Paforangi Estate till the ,'datq ibf. the.ifair: f ! -Pastor Swinerd; ( of. .tho -Feilding-/;Baptist Ohurclij /who had. been laid; aside in the Talmorston Hospital for somo timo, and who uriderwont' ; a serious ■ operation, returned homo; on Thursday. 'It, will, 'however, bo :Som©,,timo:befor6Vne ( will;be able to resilin# his oastoral.duties.

Sir.. F. Chnrker,' who Has been secretary of the" Feilding ,corps ,of the Salvation Army for.' somo. time,.i,haS;. been accepted for Army work and promoted to a captaincy. He is to take up" work. at H&wera, .and will be fare.welled, by the" Feilding j.cqrps. next: Sunday; Adjutant Dawkins, who has been only twelvo months.in chargoyof tho; Foilding .Salvation' and;who 'ia^under, marching : 6rd-• era for New Plymouth,' is also to bo farewelled., locally next Sunday. Ho proceeds to his new district next Thursday.', • .'••• A'.meeting'df the: Presbytery is to be : hold;at;Mar(»n.qn;Tuesday to' consider ; the.' call Jrom First Church, .Inyprcargill, to 'the' ReV.'Mr. Ryburn, of; Wangahui. ■ Ifc/ik probable' that, the call w , iU f 'be'^'sUStairied.:v ,! 'Mi i ;' Ryburn': '.has' 1 been in charge ,at Wangaiiui for about olaveii' 'years:: The Presbytery? will, also consider the ball'given by -tho nowlyifdhnded'charge:'at Levin to the Rev. Josopll Wiiito, of- Pleasant •Point,' South -Canterbury..- • -:;vii

EKETAHUNA. - >-• : . weather ..Ji'as during. th6 f everything by;' almost.i' incessant Train, ?. : aiid .oyerytbiing and.ev6ryfiiid^^ar^ , appearanoe'. The- fact 'that 1 ' foiiv ( 'J, ( .iiicnea l of rain': has fallen since, >the!.beginning- of • tho yeatificoounts'; easily: -the: overflowing of rivers .and. oreeks,,which have: inundated a' oohsiderable area of. low-lymg ootmtry. '-'.Tho :in'g operations, ■.and„ these,.have.• been-..:sns-. ,ponde(l| !whilo acres' o£;',grass liO:rottinK.,on'. the' ground. ' Patehos ,of coreal. crops navo "been . razed to' the; grdiihd,'.'tind fruit ' trees ■ .l'av6;;'suffered; badly! ( Even 'linproteotedvkit- 1 ' oheh'g'aitaens liave .BUcoumhed to '• "tho 'con-; tinuous battering; and generally outside farm 'Operacidns/are'hungTip.'i'.'Luokilyforthejairy. . farinof : ,the' leather,has not caused - the '• milk yield to, dipiinish/ the butter-fat qualities to decrease. .. •

■ There is a much larger area of land under root crop this season than/ in- previous years, and also a.greater yield per acre. • A..largo nunjber/of.storo oattlo have re-; oently 'been'.purchased -for;districts north, of Wanganui. .- - r v i. The Ekotaliuna Borongh Conncil is shortly to' submit , a comprehensive; scheme for. water! and drainage .to' tho ratepayers 'for .'their approval. Tho scheme, which has been maturing for somo time, was hung up pending tho sanction of tho Government to advanco tho necessary,inioney.;/-The-assent of the Govern-, ineiit' has ripw" been received, but advarccs will 'Only..bo made at the -rate' of .'£2ooo . per. annum'. As' this'amount _is'consideredan-, isufficient/to'coinplete- the installation; within !a reasonable period, it is probable' that the tebuncil; will' make representation to have .the annua!advance increased to"£4000;'- -j:.

*'■'/Erolimin&'ry' arrangements / are j //well ad'vattfeW.for' the -installation' of :,th"6' 'electrio, 'lightiiig soheine, and the major portion of .tho; plaht ; is'expected to arrive at the latter, end of this month. • . ' Tho local Court returns for the year ending ; December' 31. show that 162 plaints - wero entered,l37 cases tried, £2543 Is. od. sued for, and £950 -is. lid.-.recovered. Mr. "Bert" Richards, for. /a number.Of years in charge/of'the W.F.O.A. drapery ,departmenti'has resignedrhis position,' and will ■ leave . the firm's employ;, at the. end -of the year././ \. . , ■ ■/'". . //■:■" .•The Eketahuiia branch of the Farmers', Union- has decided to hold: the annual show on Thursday, Match. 5. , GIIBYTOWN. The Town Hall at Greytown had a narrow eaijapo/' from/ destruction; oii Thursday, night. /While the Austral Uniscope' Company wore performing, the benzine pipfes separated, and the benzine ignited, causing a 'flare 'up cellar. 'Fortunately, the incipient blaze was quickly extinguished, but a fireman gave the alarm and caused a bit of a panic. Otherwise, .tho. company ..wore propared to go on with tlio performance. A member of tho company subsequently pointed out the use-" leseness of having a number of fireman on duty with, no appliances, not; even buckets, etc.. for putting out a conflagration.: • 'file weather has been extremely bad for. harvesting, and where the orops have been knocked, down by it, they have not, in many instances, been ablo to recover themselves,' and are practically spoilt for threshing purposes. yesterday the weather mended, and no.'doubt good use will be mado of the improved conditions. , . s

■ : : FEATEERSTG??. . Some.tweiity tons of cheese wore dispatched from' tllo Feathers'to.n. factory on Friday for the Homo market. Tho members of the, local Volunteer corps commenced class firing at the range on Thurs-' day aftornoon. •; ■ ; A; squad of over 100 artillery men are to go into camp at Pigeon Bush on Annivorsarv : •Day. . woodville* • Messrs. J. and D. Wilson are disposing of their Kiimeroa property, and purpose settling on tho Palmerston 'side of tho ranges. There is very little change in the unsettled .weather here. Tho. only people who seem to appreciate it at all are the daify farmers, thourth they, too, must suffer from the con. tinual wind and rain.

OTAKI. _ Tlio i circuit' quarterly meeting in connection with the Methodist Chureh was held on Wednesday afternoon, the Rev. Jones presiding. The balance-sheet was considered satisfactory, while the Sunday schoolß were all reported to be doing well. The following officers wore appointed for tlio ensuing year: circuit steward, . Mr. R, Prouse'; junior circuit steward; Mr. Frank Penn j society stewards,. Mossrs. Williamß, .'Jones, Russell, and Hughes (Ofcaki), Bennett, Newson, and Andrew (ManakaiO | Clark (Eopiltoroa), Best and Yardley (To Horo), Kemp (Waikanao), and Cordukeß • (Paraparaumu); sacramental stewards, •. Mesdamea.' Prouse, Bennett, and Russell: representative to the annual conference, Mr. Frank Penn; substitute representative, Mr. R. Proußo. Leave of •: absence .'was granted to the Rev. Mr. Roberts (ptaki),- for Sunday,,,January 1 17, ana also two. Sundays during conference. It Was decided to SoeurO tho terviccß of the Revs. Paris and Riohards fori the last two Suhdays. ; ; ' l'ho monthly, sitting of- tho S.M. Court was _ held yesterday, Mr. A. D. Thomson presiding... The .forenoon was occupied'. by a case m which Charles Oldiield, of Manaiau,. and an agent for ploughs, claimed from James Nicholson, a farmer, the sum of £16 for a. plough sold. Considerable evidence was 'taken, ,the. plaintiff asserting.. that: a sale was effected, and .that the plough was handed over on defendant's behalf to the latter'e father. ' The defendant admitted that hp agreed-.-to purchase an implement provided it did all that was claimed for. it. A trial ..was. ma.de, and defendant .considered the • plough totally unfit, and - declined to havo, tho purchase completed. The. S.M. ordered that the full amount,with otjsts, be paid. Tho case, a claim for. .wages of Neilsoh'v. yickers, was this making . tlio.. third sitting ;over ' the.!same ' case. .The Magistrate considered ■it advisable, pro-' viding. ho can. fix a date,; to reserve & separate dato'.ifor the next i'hoaring,'.- Three young.'follows'..were charged with being on liconsqd premises during the currency of prohibition orders. One, VFisher,'- was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon,: while tho other two, Knocks and Hakaraia, woro each fined 10s. afid costs 75..

/.The, lawn tennis match to have been played at Palmerston' North, on . Saturday .between the Otaki and Palmerston Clubs has been allowed'to -lapse owing'to tho former being unable to send a representative team; 'It is probable, that tho'match will .take; place at an.early date. •.. V 'i . -.: !. "• Poultry-farming, is evidently ft profitable ■industry, vAt Rangiuru" the feattered tribe are especially, .numerous,' 'two large , farms now,being in existence. . .