PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 440, 24 February 1909, Page 9

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(mom oun special uukkebpondknts.) ,

; .-r PALMEIISTON. . At the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, before his' Honour/Mr.'.'Justice'. Chap-, man,: tho : oase of - Edward Nicholson and others-v. Himiona Kohai and others—a claim for £500 damages and an application for an injunction to restrain —was commenced. The statement: of claim set out that..plaintiffs ■wore half-caste Natives and members of tho Ngatiraukawa tribe. By a judgment of the Native Land Court dated July 21; 1908, they word declared to/bo owners of certain lands liu the Horowheriua block. . They had,erected thereon sheep pens and a woolshed, which were declared by the judgment of the Court to bo their property. They' and' their ancestors .had'occupied the lands and oarried. on :the-business of sheep farming for: about; forty ■: years. The defendants, members of the Muaupoko tribe, were owners if the remaining portion of the block, arid on November 28, 1908. when plaintiffswere about; to fcommence shearing, the defendants. trespassed upon their property, and destroyed the sheep pens, thereby, preventing •• plain-, itiffs from commencing their • shearing'operations ;on December 15, 1908. 'When plaintiffs' :wero. about to . re-erect the pens, defendants', forcibly prevented' them ,from doing so,' claiming_ that the lands and pens belonged to them; Plaintiffs w : ere consequently unable to shear their iloek ;of 3000. sheep, and there;. , fore: claimed £500 damages and an injunction restraining defendants' from trespassing on their", dands. The defence generally 'denied, ilie/facts in .the'statement of claim, and fur-' then contended that . the Court had no . jurisdiction in the 1 matter, the Native Land Court being the proper tribunal. •9•. At Monday night's meeting of the' executive Of the Paimerston Sunday School Union, pre-' limiriary : arrangements were mado for ,the : Sunday School Teachers' Convention to be . held in Palmerstori at r Easter;;' Committees for arranging accommodation and social functions''were set up,': and it was' decided to hold the welcome tea on Good Friday and a picnic at Ashliurst on Easter Monday. ; It is.: probable' that,: if. arrangements can. bo made,,-a huge combined Sunday-school will be held' 'on.. Easter- Sunday,: .as there'.- -are, 'about 'twelve hundred scholars : in. the .local schools 'connected .with .the union., 'The,-Sun-day.; afternoon : meeting.. should •be one to - be : remembered. :, ■■■■ Same indication; of' the amount of .traffic, at the ; Palmer'ston;Railway Station, may be gathered' ffom the fact .that - each; day 42 trains .pais . through it, or- are dispatched, to various,'destinations. This total -will bo materially increased- .when : traffic from..stations, Napior-' to Eketalnma , inclusive, is diverted, from the/Wairarapa, and sent via Manawatu. .. . . .. -

■FEILDING.

;,vln .connection with,the; petition vernment for the cutting up .of the Riddiford Estate.- in the Cheltenham district, winch has so largely signed by settlers ,in that locMity Und residents of . the; Feildmg; district, all arrangements have now been made■for;the presentation of: the petition •to the< Governmtot. It is likely that Messrs. :J. Bruce, W. Strettori, and AVm. Mitchell,.all of; Cheltenham, and Mr.. J. Michie.vof' Colyton, will be tho representatives of the district in laying the matter before tho Premier. • ■ The Feilding Mounted .Rifles- aro in : camp at the present •:time; on; the: racecourse, . and • l duririg?the,'past few} days- its members .have been receiving instruction in; field;ivork,:atr. tack, defence,' and fighting tactics, 'lho corps lias . been without a. captain for- nearly twelve "'and-: during thattime, Lieut: enant' -Dick rlias boon:-doing- excellent, workj-battling-against great odds to'keepi- the corps, together.: vSomo twelvo ■ months ago: it. .was' felt that there was something radically wrong, with, tlieimanagement of the corps, and.it was. ohlv with.great, difficulty: that it was hold-to-gothor. Now, 'however.; in tho words 1 if an o£Bcer':at the-camp, "things.look a 'bit:moro rosy." ..There aro close. upon-.- forty.: men-in campi : and'.thoy .are ; doingrhard jvorkyMl.-the timo they' are under the control of the otticers. In. the jovenings : lectures; are given,, .with, a vie\v to improving-knowledge.on-the .technical side of thewargaine. ' The corps was:formedin 1901. and the first officer hi , charge , was Captain R. B. M'Konzio (now retired).Tho. | other officers ■ were • Lieutenants I'\ Pleasants and Traill. ■' On- tho retirement of Captain M'Kenziei-the Rev, A.'. S.: Innos. Jones, ;who. had been chaplain, was appointed to the command, and' he in- turn'- was. succeeded by: Laptain S. Sorensen. - Since' the-departure- of. Captain. Sorensen, the corps;, has, liMn-; without a head. ~ ; - 'The first meeting of creditors .in; .the bankrupt-estate: of J. A. Hubncr, carpenter, of Makino, was held Vat the; Courthouse yesterday. • I At • the 'Police . Court yesterday Nmormng, l;Messrs W. J. B. Trewin and Tbos. ,Clapham, ;i J;'s"P.f-ori: the Bench; an . application iwas made t>y the- police, for: permission-to ■hold a motor-car which had been seized at;Kimbolton on Saturday under a search warrant. Sergeaint -Bowden-. said 1 ; the . application was 1 under seotion-365 of the Crimes Act, '1908. He . submitted that up to tho present :timo "no - information - against, a person was '.required. \ .All: the;' Act . said: was 'that:an J. Justicewho was '. satisfied that; thero was reasonable ground to; suppose;.-,a'. theft .had beeri.bbmmitt'ed '-'he" could : issue a -warrant. In ..this' case, a warrant' had .been issued on !an ; affidayit:beforo;a Justice.: It-was handed to tho police, and.- they, carried out its mandates.- They 'now asked tho Court to. permit jtliem to. hold. the. car. .for a week to enable them to go. into the matter. The Lwhole ' matter 'was in the hands of the, s_u.peribr: officer, and. the Sergeant' was await-, ihg his instructions. . He 1 supported his, ap-; plication; by a- reference' to ; Haselden, bearing on; the subject.- "I can assure, tho Court,siid Sergeant Bowden, -."that ;if the car is'taken-out of,.the hands, of the police, there , are : grave risks, of the ends of justice being.defeated.'';, After -argument the hear? ing.of tho case, was adjourned. ....

PAHIATUA.

At a sitting of the' Magistrate's Court, held before Mr. \V.' P., James yesterday morning, J. 0. Taylor was charged with drunkenness, ■■and fined 55., or twenty-four hours', imprisonment.,' ..A prohibition order for twelve mbrithß was also made out against accused. , E.'.lul-. jock, charged with committing a breach of the iby-laws:',-'by allowing, a 'horse to stray at large,, -was fined. _6s. and. costs 7s. Annie Ward, 'charged with'theft at Mangatainoka of goods valued at 165., pleaded guilty, and was convicted and ordered to come up' for' I: sentence; when called.upon.- '

SHANNON

• Delegates from the New Zealand Flax!millers ' Association recently; conferred \yith. • representatives - of .'the Monawatu Flax Emi; ployees' Union atFoxton, and suggestedto the workers' representatives that they shouldjoin with tho . association -. in', asking' the : Arbitration: Court to review, its award on account, of the present depressed state of tho .industry; 'A: meeting of the union was hold in; Foxtori last Saturday, and Mr. H. Greig. .president. of • the New. Zealand ' Flaxmillers : Association,.'has received notification . from; tho secretary of. thj> union that they'cannot' see. their way to join: with: the association in going to the Arbitration Court for a revision of the award. ■ •

OTAKI,

; The''atmosphere in this district is now clouded , for . miles with.-: smoke,, caused . by various settlers burning off on the hills. From ;Reikorangi one or two large burns are. reported. •, - :• ■■; . : A rolief fund in aid of the survivors of the Penguin has. been started at Heikorangi. .- Despite the hot weather, hockey is becoming a subject of interest here, and the annual meeting of the local men's club; will be held on Friday. The License ticket for the coming electionis as follows: —Messrs. Gibson and James (Levin), Barclay (Shannon), Pearco (Piiliautanui), and Brown (Otaki).

GREYTOWN:,

; .,The .'now minister for St. LukeV Church, Greytown, having arrived:-.at ; from tho Old Country, will reach Groytown oil 1 -Thursday next. Ho will stay; with Mrs. I-Calders ■ till the' Vicarage, is: finished, whon 'he. will take up- his residence there. His

first sormori will be prcaohed at St. Luke's 011 Sunday, when, 110 doubt, a full congregation will bo present. . , The Greytown Gun Club have received intimation .that the clay pigeon championship will bo fired-''at. Greytown' on the Ist ana 2nd of Juno next, Mr. J. Lawrenson has resigned- from the secretaryship, and Mr. Webster; has boeri appointed in his stead. A return. match with Featherstori will be .fired on March 13.

LEVIN

An accident occurred at the Levin Hotel 011 Monday afternoon, when a child, the daughter of -Mrs. Higgins, a visitor staying at the Levin Hotel, fell from tho landing on, the first floor into the hall of the hotel. The child was rendered unconscious, but regained consciousness. about 1 a.m." yesterday morning, and is doing well- under- tho circumstances. ■

V..Tho Levin Amateur Dramatic Society are Staging "Caste" this. evening, 'and,, judging bv the booking,.a large audience iriay bo anticipated. ■: , -Mr/Archibald Gray, a'well known resident 'of Levin, -has boon in ill-health for, tho last week or so, and is leaving for Rotorua ; on; Thursday next in order to recuperate.

Levin hopes to have gas installed and ready for the-residehts', requiremonts by May next. TKo work; of laying l the gaß mains is . being proceeded with rapidly. . -The Levin.Boating Club intend to hold the initial, races for the Walkley Cup this ; afterriobn.v;';':

•'A! party ,oif about: thirty farmers and stock inspectors paid a visit to'tho Weraroa experiment farm. They were entertained by Mr./Drysdale,' the manager.' Professor Kirk accompanied, the party and gave some valuable information .to; the visitors.' - ' ,