PALMERSTON DAY BY DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 993, 7 December 1910, Page 7

PALMERSTON DAY BY DAY.

•■ • PEEPARING FOE THE BAND CONTEST. (From Our Special Correspondent.) . ' Palmerston, December 6. '.At about-eight o'clock last night an alarm was sounded on the firebell. It appears that the curtains in a room of a house in. Campbell Street caught fire through being blown on to a lighted candle, which- had been placed too close to'tho window by. a child.- The flames were extinguished, -before much damage was done. .:■ ' ; Mr. A.' Pickering presided over the monthly meeting of the Campbell Street School Committee last night. The report of,..the headmaster, }lr. F. E. Watson, gave the roll number as 709, and the average attendance as , 656. The report added that the proficiency examination would take place this week, and the an-, nual concert would be held on December' 23..' It was decided to have the whole of' the front and the eastern ■ pbrtibri'-of the playground tarred and sanded,. and also to recommend that the annual concert be held, .earlier than at. - present .arranged." . '■■"' .... •'.,',.

.'.There was a good attendance of members.at a summoned meeting of Court .Manawatu, A.0.F.,. last night, Bro. Patten, C.E., being in the chair. One new . member . was proposed, and another joined by clearance. A motion authorising the delegate to the' district meeting to vote in favour of consolidating the sick and funeral fund of the Wellington district Was negatived. The election of officers for the ensuing, term will be held at the nex.t meeting. . •

.'A: meeting of the Band Contest Committee, vras held last evening, Mr.. W; Park in the chair; A. tender for supply of gold and silver medals was accepted. The local agent of' the Dresden Piano Co.' wrote offering a gold medal, which was accepted with thanks, and allotted to the drum-major of the winning hand in the quick-step competition. The secretary of the North Island Bands' -Association wrote that Mr. Short had heen appointed •judge, at a salary- of £10, as requested by the committee. The appointment of four military judges was left in the hands of Major ! Dunk, Colonel' Pringle, and Captain Mounsey. Tho, secretary of tho association reported that Besson '■ and Company had. donated a new challenge shield, valued at '.£SO, for competition. It was resolved to aslc the Mayoress Mrs. Nash),to form a ladies' committee to - entertain the visting bandsmen at a garden party'on the ,day after their arrival. A large amount of routine business was dealt with.

■The annual breaking-up ceremony and prize-giving in connection with the Palnierston Convent High School took place last night, when there was a large attendance of the parents and friends of the pupils. Before the presentation of prizes, the students gave a number of concert items, which were all splendidly rendered, more especially the violin solo of Miss Dorothy Bagnall., In tho unavoidable absence of the Mayor, the prizes were distributed by the Mayoress. At the- conclusion of the. ceremony the teaching staff were accorded a hearty vote of thanks, on the .motion of Mr. C. A. Loughnan.