PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1204, 12 August 1911, Page 14

PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

iFtom Our Special Correspondents.)

FEILDING

The Borough Council has declared sweet-briar, gorse, iicnny-royal, ragivcrt, and blackbcrrv to bo noxious weeds. A Fcilding bociety for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been formed, with the following officers:—President, Mrs. Owen; vice-president;, Messrs. .F. G. Cobbe, K. Short, A. li. Choppell, J. Prior, D. 11. Outline, M.l\, K. MacLonnon; coininill.ee, Messrs. 11. M'lntyre, P. Piraui, N. Gorton, Mesdames Lclhbridge, Peat, Barton, Cotterill, Cobhe, ami Miss M/Lean; secretary -and,treasurer, Mr. JJ. E. Murphy. At 5.30 o'clock yesterday morning a fire was discovered in tho shop and premises occupied by Mr. B. Spiro, fishmonger, in Manchester Street. The Haines bad obtained a good hold before the alarm was raised, but tho fire brigade, getting quickly on the scene, very soon had tho outbreak under control. No cue was in the place at thi> time, but Mr. Spiro explains that he had gone out at 5 o'clock leaving a lighted lamp on the table. Tho furniture was insured for .£135 in tho National Office. Mr. D. Sutherland owned the building. Tho insurance is not available.

OTAKI,

There are at present very few patients in the hospital, but tho sanatorium is practically full. The- funeral of the late Mr. Albert Strawbridge took place yesterday afternoon. A large number followed.' Numbers o£ lloral tributes wcro placed on tho coffin. The local branch of the New Zealand Dairy Farmers' Union is at present paying Is. per lb. for butter-fat, but, in addition to this, the suppliers receive their butter at lid. per lb. over butter-fat rates. Members of the local Druids' Lodge will engage in a euchre tournament with members of tho Bowling Ciub on Friday night next. On tho last occasion on which the teams met the latter club secured na easy win.

GREYTOWN,

Tho Boy Scouts, with tho assistance of a ladies' committee, hold a successful children's fancy dress ball this week. Tho young p»op!o were all admirably dressed, and looked very pretty on tho floor of tho hall. After tho marches, etc., they had games and supper. The seniors present afterwards "took the floor," ana spent a pleasant evening in dancing. ■ The Borough Council have decided to havo central lamps for lighting the streets.

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(From Our Special Correspondent.! '- 9— UPPER HUTT TOWN BOARD. Tho monthly meeting of the Upper Hutt Town Board was held on Thursday evening. There were present: The chairman (Mr. J. B. Harrison), and Commissioners Uilibons, Webb, Benge, Quinn, Burrell, and Davies. A letter was received from the Hutt County Council notifying acceptance 01 the subsidy of ,£llO to be paid towards 143 construction of the Moonshine Read bridge. On Commissioner Benge's motion it was'decided to apply at once lo the Public Trustee for a loan of ,CSOO for the erection' of now offices for the board. The architect for the board (Mr. I. T. J fair) is to be instructed to call for tenders for the erection of the building. There was a long and somewhat acrimonious discussion on tho stoppage, of certain borough works, which ended in a motion being passed to suspend all works for the present, ponding an inquiry into the financial position. In his financial slatement, the clerk (Mr./M'Curdy) slated that the total disbursements for the financial year up-to-date amounted to ,£IO7B. The overdraft at present stood at .£fi3o. ' A resolution;was,passed confirming the building by-law of the district.. HUTT RIVER BOARD. Messrs. R. Stewart (chairman), A.' !!. Roots, and P. J. Finny attended the monthly meeting of the Hutt River Board held this week. In his report, the overseer stated that in the upper or new district (from Masojn's Gardens to Silverstream Bridge) considerable erosion, of land has takpn place. At one point a most extensive and serious scour in tho river had occurred. At the back of Mr. Welch's property,' at Taita, known as Harris's laud, tho river would have to be checked, otherwise it would outflank tho groynes, and a.deviation of tho river would result. Should this take place, not only would thero bo extensive damage and loss of land in the vicinity, but it would seriously affect the works in . the lower district, so further erosion must bo 'prevented.