PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 766, 15 March 1910, Page 8

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

(From Our Soccial Corresjioudents.i ■ — . LEVIN. Tho Rev. H. A. Kennedy, ■ M.A., one of tho foreruiiners of tho Anglican Mission, which is to be held in September next, 5s to preach in St. Mary s, ; Levin, on ' March 23., A tennis match, was played 011 Saturday at Levin between I'araparaumu and ■ Jjovin B teams;. the latter winning by ■ 11 sots-to 1,-93 games to 39., , ■ On Saturday the Progress Lodge, Loyal Orange.lnstitution, was 'inaugurated in , the Century Hall. Representatives were present from Wellington, Lower Hutt, Petone, and Palmerston North. BroVi G. , Carruthers was installed as. W.M., Broi . !N-. H. Heath as treasurer, C and Bro. R. - : Carruthers as secretary. Four, new mem-->/jbere were initiated, and it is expected ithat: others'will : be initiated at the next 'meeting ' a fortnight hence. After . tho v. : fcusiness had been completed, the brethr ien' :sat. down '■ to; supper, an - incidental - toast list' Tjeing honoured. The new lodge gives promise of becoming a strong one. \ - . Mr. Br E. Gardener, ■ one of/the can. j didates: for tho Wellington Hospital Board;-addressed , a at Wereroa on- Saturday evening in furtherance of his candidature. !Mr. H. J. :Eichards, a :. County. Councillor, recommended those -.-'present-to.'vote-for Mr. Venn along with Mr., Gardener;. but : Mr. ' Jas. M'Leavev, ■another County Councillor, objected to (Mi-. Venn's claims being advanced at that meeting, as they were there solely in Mr. 'Gardener's interests. ;.;v

OTAKI

At,- the 'annual meeting ..of the Otaki Hockey Club, the following, were elected office-bearers for ' the , season President, ■ Mr.. C. L. Hartmann"; . vice-presidents, [Messrs. A. Bright,, A. Thomson, H. Nicol- . ■60n,. L. St. George, and Martin Simcox; captam, H.'Bright; vice-captain, H; CockTell;. Match Committee, , captajn, ■ vice•captam, and secretary ; . secretary,.- T. IM'Call; Management Committee, captain, vice-captaiu,-; secretary, G. Thomas,, and G. "Noble; delegates,-H. Cockrelland G. Thomas; - The balance-sheet showed'' a credit of '>62;85. .'3d.,:' It: .was decided .to, play a match'nt Otaki on Easter Monday .with-the Wellington Hni-llai Club. Mr. A. H. Rollo, one of the candidates for the Hospital- and ■ Ghantable Aid Board election,;has'been 'addressing'rater ipayers in various- parts o£ ; the district; judd'in" each' case;-has. been promised)warin support. -, The;;, electioni'y however, is -' not arousing, much-, interest;.' and" the"; polling .rill:not bo heavyVJi'-'-f - , v. ,sV;.V ' Mrs. 'J.- G.-Stevens'has loft Otaki :for a fortnight's holiday, • the time to 'be divided between Wellington and. Wairarapa.'.; Mr. Stevens, ihlso" intends/ viewing:, the thermal:; regions,«but chiefly on business-matters.- _. '. . " ~ Ofalti-Natives arc preparing for a large gathering of visitors—the'occasion being the . reopening; of the Maori Mission Church. The . function takes place' .on Sunday, and huiulreds of are expected to participate. > : In'VtKe. afternoon they will hold a banquet, while,-. in the evening,- the Jiuropean/ members of the community will hold ail Anglican serviced

A DISPUTED ACCOUNT.

• THE HU.TT LOAN INQUIRY. In tho minutes ~read-.; at,.fast night's meeting ,of the Hiitt ' Borough Council, ,: it.- was reported that' the conncil'had :re- :■ cured,'' in committee,' an'.account' from Mr'.;'> G._ ' Laing-Meason, ...consulting. • engineer,- in connection'witli'his services to the council. •• • ~ I :i' " : The account was made up' as follows'. . Be" «£52 J OOO loan, / :10s. ' plans for Eastern Drainage,'-£lO7 :17s;; re Everest's Creek,- £21; total,. £181 7s:;' On the motion of," Councillor Baldwin; seconded by. Councillor 1 CI ere, the council, in committee; had' resolved':': "That' ' the account be, referred back to.: Mr.''Laing■Meason, and that, his "attention be drawn ,io >the items charged in connection with the-loan inquiryy.'-and. the Creek Jevels, and that 1 it'jbe ■snggested"that 'propably. these items have been, included ui error, as! theKai^; 1 works- required, to - be . carried oiiturider the' agreeriient 'of Febriiary.9, "j • The item .of for plans and Ipeciiications ;in connection. ; with the. . eastern Drainage scheme was passed for payment. 1;;■ :-j;'' ■' .' | -. The following .. letter ..was . received last tvenuig from Mr. >Laing : Meason"ln re-, gard to. the'item's of my account, 10s., and £21, they were not'includqd in error, : ss your council is inclined to' think,. and the work entailed was not in any wa> part- of. the vpork required to bo carried o ?y ) 7' late firm under ! the', agreement ■of February 9, 1906. By that agreement, any late l firm undertook. to- supply. plain of the . works to. be executed,: and to" visit the . works twelve times during the four years ending. February; 9, 1910. This, we , and, indeed, we paid many- more visits than-, we were '■ strictly.../called 'upon' to make. We wercnot in anv' way. .conperned with' the financial: aspect of - the question, and the fact-that the transfer of certain suras-of- money : from. one item, to which they .were' allocated. ' to' another Pas ourbusiness! pr.'cori- : M'Oi. Had the 'work been carried out by .icontxact, .as we repeatedly:advocated,' the : i- r?' al -would not have been 'exceeded,- and ' the works would "certainly - have ■ been -completed easily within the four years - w o .aUowed..for' thein:..7i'About the beginning, of last; year; your ' council began to suspect that the total - cost' of. the works would' greatly. exceed the" amount of the the. Borough . reported & .that 'this-was' not so, and lift w * s . plenty of money to complete the whole; scheme. V Your council ayidently thought / differently,: and : they me _to report *ons the conditions existing at the end. of. your financial year ' land Investigation,: and I reported, as you are i W«v ,an additional:£12,500. would required. ..This .'view - of. -mine, was C ? ufa<iiI ' : thereupon approached , the- ratepayers - and obtained finifon anCl i°°j. r - a further, -.loan '■ o!£2« • m"! an °P dn: that j£2500 more would be necessary, to :finish We. works . At ■ the time .1 received ' in-irtruchons.-to, make this investigation, .jt, mi J* lu 7"°!. - e ' aa d -your . Mayor reih -in P r °h"Wr : cbst about showihg that it was fully understood ml?, if T aS Paid :for this work, I olSo had .several conversations with vour who asked ,me, , in view o/the r' position the council was J hlm • tbat-;a fair".charge be £10.0,: but . that,' under the cfrcumstances, ■ 1 would / reduce it as muoh as,,lmpossibly. -could.-, -As .'regards the ltem $ -f f " r ' ihe estimate on the Everest Creek diversion ier en thß re P >rted •priginally oii this mafl oS' ?«f. an: entirely: different «?f' - »-v ,? ro P os ' ll ' then was to ? divert ' .the creek through -the Ketonei. borough, and not along White's Line, as at pret? :be; carried "out" conS'l P 7 .epunoils. ; ' Pqtoiie Borough C/ouncil decided to - withdraw from tliis. proposatsome ago, and it,;wss - not until quite, recently that, your council instructed- the other scheme £?/ , the., diversion conduit should' >e. Tfithiii your liorough, or as nearly so as. possible. This I did, ■ taking' careful levels, sparing no time or' trouble,:.and depgning a thoroughly'efficient" work; Mv charge "lor- this,- under' ordinary circumstances, woiild ' havo been ' . much -'more ?"t' at' thevrequest of the; Mayor' I reduced- it very greatly"" • • ! ■ • ~9?n, s Weration of- the letter' was '.''deferred, that at : might be dealt, with at'a full meeting ofv the "council.