PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 416, 27 January 1909, Page 3

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(rnou oott si-EctAL connksroNDENTa.V ; •:, :. ——-t— ' • masterton; Tho first sitting of-tho Wairarapa District Court for the year \vill bo-held on February 25.. No cases .have yet : been.listed for .hearing. ... . . ' • : j Children attending Catholic schools in. Masterton and Pahiatua parishes will hold their annual picnic on Tuesday, February 2. The 'gathering will take place on Newman Domain, and arrangements have, been made for ■ai special train to ..run to and from the grounds. . " ... '' .

i The Opalci Rifle Club has postponed the filial trophy shooting competition until after ■the championship meeting at Trontham, ow•ing. to _many of it's members ■' being busy: {harvesting. - In the meantime as much- practice as possible will be put-iiv by members, jwho-intend competing at Trentham. ; The club: will enter a team to compete at the Ruahine : Rifle Association's meeting at Dannevirke on' luesday and Wednesday next.

[ PAHIATUA. •• <'

: Captain M Donald, of the Defence Department,' visited Pahiatua' on J Saturday;-; and jconferred. on volunteer matters With Captain jWills. and Lieutenant Sturton, of the-Pahi-atua' Mounted Rifles. He expressed himself at the apparent apathy' shoivn ; by tiie foot corps in the district, and heartily •.approved of a, proposal to amalgamate' the : two; ; local corps,; and form thereby a' 'strong 1 ■ infantry; detachment. A meeting will probably be held ill about a month's time (the 'mounted and foot volunteers being repte:sented:fo;discuss the matter.) ; :•- i : As' a member of the Education Board,' Cap.tairiM'Donald visited both the old and neiv,'school'sites.. _ At the-former he was surprised ;to find ' considerable negligence : apparent' in tho control .arid care of the board's property. jAmongst other " discoveries," he found rifles and a quantity of ball ammunition 'were .to' all:and''sundry,- advantage .of pvhich been taken-by some of ,'the boys during their • holidays. • Shots had ■been firedUnto'' the . building containing the jammuriition: 'The'rifle's: and ammunition -hare' ibeen removed to a safer place. • j Tuesday nvas oppressively hot here, and ,the town lias been buried- all-day in smoke; ■This appears to come from heavy fires in the direction of'Palmerston. ' ■; ; ; | : If'is- reported;',that 'a-wool and hay shed, ( owned-by .Mr. B. J. Bengstrom, of Mangataijnoka, . were totally destroyed by fire' early on .Saturday' morning, the outbreak being, presumably caused by sparks from neighbouring 1 ;burning .logs. ■ The; insurance ' is ; £70 in the (National Fire and- Mariile, Insurance ' panypbut that will not-'nearly cover, the loss Mr. Bengstrom. •:■ j. Mr: MacDougal, 'the Education . Board's Ijarchitect,'.has visited- Pahiatua to inquire | jintd' certain sanitary matters connected, with the loc.al school. ~ ... '. , | [ The. already beginning to fill up in anticipation .-of' the .races ■ to: be held' here, to-. ,day and' to-morrow./■' The. course is, so far,' ilooking' ;well', and "the recent rain "will still' :improveiit, provided: the-weather-now-takes' iup..-' Giv-en fine. weather,'- the''meeting prdimises to ; be ;a; good one .in every way.." ■ '

NIREAHA.

■ ( Mr. Efsde, .a highly-respected settler' in jtlio Mangatainoka; Valley, has disposed of ; his:fainn,;t» -Mr. Ticehurst, of Carterton. .. .. , i Has been very fickle- during ■the greater part of ; the month,.'and quite a .lot of>-Kay has been lost. : However, during. -thejJn'Gt week farmers have been able to:get it ini'in. splendid order... •■ . Sutlers-are. taking a .great interest in the baij'oVuet in honoiir ofr the- Hon. A.,;W. Hogg,* i.whicli'.is'to be held: on February 5. « .

■ SHANW. y

>. Kerseis', l ":df'..vhis district,' is ,'at: present on a«yisit to; Eotoiua. j ' ■<:' s" : 1 •, Tndng':'weather,.has ■ bwh ,esperie'nced-;herei!| Sunday w'as ,f cloSe ' and 'muggy •in "thej-, extreme,-' and torrential showers fell on'Mori-' /day : .night.'r The-:weather-'is -still .very uri-. I Settled. .' V " The funds collected' by Mr, 0.-: S.,Harrison •to improve the cemetery by forming . tarred fpathways throughout .were handed over to 'the Horowhenua County Council on Monday night; ' /Mr. Stephenson cordially thanked Mr. Harrison, ,who is.leavirig in a' few days.' to take. up., the position .of Postmaster : at' Kilbirnie, . and said that the improved, condition' or the cemctery~would_. stand as a memento of Mr. Harrison's kindly and disinterested action. He held out a hope, that the,council would.give;a £1 for' £1 subsidy.The following \ committee were ■ appointed'; Messrs. T. Lirid, J. Richardson, J. Cameron, R. Wv Taylor, J. Mitchell, and S.";W.' Carter,. Messrs. „■ It. AV.-. Taylor, M... Moyni-, Kam, J. Mitchell, and A. Saunders were' elected trustees. ;