PALMERSTON NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14786, 30 January 1912, Page 2

PALMERSTON NOTES.

Considerable local interest is being evinced in.the election of a councillor in the Borough Council on Wednesday to replace Cr Page, who tendered his resignation at the last mooting of the council. Drs Howden and Harrison and Mr A. Millar arc the participants in a three-cornered contest, and every ono of the candidates is deemed to have a chance of winning the seat. Interest in local municipal matters has considerably increased during the past few months. It is a rare thing to see three participants in a contest lor n by-election to the local council, there being usually somo difficulty to secure even one candidate. But fortunately tin: questions of water supply and the new town hall have made the borough council a body of somo importance, and as many of the electors are thoroughly dissatisfied with the site of the now town hall, thy election promises to be a particularly close one. i

A large number of local resident: arc this year spending their holidays at tho seaside at Shag Point. Since the coal mines then l closed down the great majority of the houses lie empty, but at present tho Paliiiorston visitors fill all of them In addition to the "campers" the booking by rail to Shag Point has been" larger than ever before, and this despite very showery weather On Wednesday last —a lovely tlay—there was an especially largo booking to the seaside resort, and the picnicking parties hnd an onjoyablo outing Laige crowds again travelled to this picnicking ground on Thursday. Unfortunately tho line morning did not continue', and a lioavx thuiidershowor broke over the district shortly after noon. The picnickers had to take advantage of every shelter available, and the train arriving at I'alinerston at f> o'clock brought a crowd of travellers who had spent an afternoon under anything but tho most favorable circumstances.

Several of the shops in the mam street of the town hail a narrow escape from fire on Saturday, ft appears that Mr J. Morrison had left his motor cyclo in his oliice prior to going into the country, but returned to bis office before setting out on his journey. Mr Morrison had reached his ollice only a few minutes when his motor took fire, evidently as a result of pi-trol leaking from tho tank. Had Mr Morrison lint ma do his timely return tho ofiice would undoubtedly have taken fire, and as it is situated in the middle of a largo number of wooden shops a serious conflagration would have been the result. Motors have caused trouble in tho past in various directions, bur this is the first- occasion in this locality when a motor has gained the reputation of being a lirc-mnkor.—Own correspondent.