DISTRICT NEWS. IN THE MANAWATU.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1908, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS. IN THE MANAWATU.

SERIOUS SCARCITY OF WATER. [Bt Telegbaph— SrKoiAiNTo The Post] LEVIN, This Day. The Levin Borough Council has arrpflged to borrow £10,000 from tho Public Trustee to eiect its gasworks in Ihe borough. Captain Anstice, of the Levin Firo Brigade, has notified the Borough Council that there is not sufficient water in the present supply to fill two hundred feet of hose, and that this constitutes a eerious menace to the town in case of fire. Afc the Fire Brigade practice on Friday evening tho main sump was emptied in about two minutes by tho brigade working the manual with only half a crow, and this was after all the available water from the races had been turned into it. The manual is totally unable to copa with anything like a big fire, and in the event of any of the business premises catching fire, tho brigade could only stand by and watch. The brigade offered to raise £100 towards the cost of a steam engine if the- council would provide tho other £100, but tho matter is shelved indefinitely, and perhaps alter half the town is burned down some steps may be taken. Th© Borough Council is negotiating with the Treasury Department with respect to raising a loan of £22,000 for the institution of a high pressure water scheme. On Sunday night and early yesterday there were many indications of rain, but all passed off by 10 o'clock, and the day was oppressively hot. The drought is so serious here that tho Levin Borough Council thought it advisable to pass tho following resolution : —"During tho continuance of th© present dry weather tho council urges all persons to use every precaution against fire. All persons lighting fires without due permission to bo prosecuted." Water is being sold, and those unfortunates who have no wells or aro unable to obtain their supplies from their neighbour's well have cither to purchase or uso tho wator from tho race 3. As these have, up to recently, been the sporting place for numerous ilockjs of ducks and geese, to say nothing of tho various kinds of stock that perambulate tho streets, one can imagine the 6eiiousncss of the case. OTAKI MATTERS. [Bt Telegraph.— Special to The Post.] OTAKI, This Day. ' A fairly heavy shower of rain fell here last night, but its duration was too brief to be beneficial. The country is becoming more parched day by day, and farmers in consequence are drying off a large proportion of their co^\s. Mrs. Hemara, a well-known native, died here last night. A tangi is proceeding.

SUPERB STAR BICYCLES. Tho latest model of biejolo is the Superb Star Superb Stais can be supplied with coaster or two-speed hub< Star Bicycles Ikuo proved themselves leliable, and intending purchasers are invited to inipert them. Adam?, Limited, Meiccr-etrcel, Solo Agenta.—isCvt.