PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1110, 25 April 1911, Page 10

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

(From Our .Special Correspondents.) WOODVILLE. Mr. Rowc Fennell gave the annual treat to the small folk of the town on Saturday last. That day was Mr. Fcunell's birthday, and for years past lie has celebrated it by giving a liuge t-ea-party, inviting al! children. One of the competitors in the motorbicycle test, run on Saturday, unfortunately took the turn cf road which leads to Ballance, instead of keeping to the main road. After going some miles he began to find the truck very unlike what a main road should be, and soon was assailed by doubts as to his whereabouts. Eventually, reaching a settler's home, ho woke the inmates tip, and inquired his way, only to find himself miles on the wrong track. He decided to retire from the test. The comity clerk is now compiling the ratepayers' roll for the county. In regard to this matter there seems to be some need of alteration of the date on which this should be done. The roll is compiled and attested as for June, but the annual election of councillors takes place in November, and, at this election, every voter must be the holder of the property that appears as scheduled on the roll. Between the months of June and November, however, a number of properties may change, hands, and, in such cases, neither the party whoso name is on the roll nor the new purchaser can vote. •

CARTERTON. Mr. F. Zillwood, who lias been a resident of Pahiatua, is leaving there to follow farming pursuits in tho Dalefield district. Tho Wairarapa Egg Circle obtained 2s. 2d. per dozen for their consignment sent forward last week. Already - this season's lambs' are to be seen skipping around on Mr. W. Fisher's farm at Clareyille. A freak of Nature, in the form of a two-legged pig. has made its appearance on Mr. 6. Hooker's farm at Belvedere. It is reported to be doing well. Mr. H. Fairbrother, assistant in the ironmongery department of the local branch of the W.F.C.A., left Cartcrtou on Monday on a trip to London. Prior to leaving lie was the recipient of a useful travelling-bag from his . fellowemployees. The population of the borough of Carterton, according to tho last census, is 1542 —761 males and 781 females. SHANNON. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., has forwarded a letter received-from the Minister for Public Works covering a summary of the report made by Mr. F. C. Hay in 1906, on the possibility of the Mangahao and ' Tokomaru Rivers as sources of power for the development of electoral energy, together with a plan showing the various schemes considered by Mr. Hay. The following is a summary of the report :—Power can be developed from . the Mantjahao and Tokomaru Rivers by diversions shown on the accompanying plan, which diversions supply the water at a considerable elevation above tho plains near Shannon and Tokomaru. Power stations have been assumed to work at full'pressure 12 hours per day, and, on that assumption, the power available and the prime cost aro approximately as follow: — Mangahao: Scheme A, brake horsepower developed on turbino shafts 10,000; prinio cost, £320.000. Scheme' B (a little less favourable than A). Scheme C: 8000 brake horse-povrcr,- cost £240,000. Scheme D: 6500, £198,000; Scheme E: P 7OOO, £233,000. Tokomaru: 4000, £132,000. Tho Ohau River and its tributaries aro not suitable for economic power development. No attempt was:made , in the reports above-mention-ed to estimate- tho market or the annual cost per unit.- Schemes A and B, which are the schemes most likely to be of benefit to the district, have their power station situated near Buckley, while schemes C, D, and E have their stations situated above Tokomaru. From the plan- it would appear that the exploring party, which recently made an excursion to the Mangahao River, touched tho stream at the very source of Schemo D. A public meeting is likely to be held shortly to consider the reports, and move further in the matter.

LEVIN. At Saturday's meeting of the Horowhenua County Council.the General Manager of the New Zealand Railways wrote (with regard to the council's letter. , urging that the Department should proceed foithwith with the provision of overhead bridges near Tokomaru and at Buckley's Crossing) that be was directed by tho Minister for Railways to stato that the general practice was to put the work in hand on receipt of the contributions to be mado by the local bodies concerned, and, after giving tho matter every consideration, the Minister regretted/that ho could not see his way to make any exception in the case of this council. The letter was received. The town has decided to re-form the Chamber of Commerce. Some of the first matters to be discussed arc tho questions of the half-holiday, and the Lcvin-Great-ford railway. The work of erecting the Carnegie library in Oxford Street is progressing satisfactorily. The edifice, when completed, will be a valuable addition to the public buildings in the town.