LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 30 May 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dancing enthusiasts who were present on two occasions when the Rowan Tennis Club has held dances in the Rowan Hall will be pleased to hear that a grand plain and fancy dress ball is to be held under the same auspices on Friday, June 5. The music is to be provided by Boulton’s orchestra, and a waLtzing competition and novelty dances will tie special features of the evening. Good prizes are oitered for the best fancy dresses and for the waltzing competition. It is hoped that the efforts of the club will be rewarded with its usual measure of. success. The success is said to be already^assured of the grand ball which, on Wednesday next, will open the functions in connection with the jubilee of the Catholic parish of Hawera. Not only will all the parishes of Taranaki be largely represented, but former parishioners are coming from places as far distant as Auckland. There will be an orchestra of seven instruments. On a Sunday later the religious function will take place, when the jubilee serman will be preached by His Grace Archbishop Redwood; Archbishop O’Shea will sing the Pontificial High Mass and preach in the evening.

At the meeting of the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association held at Elthani yesterday a motion was passed extending congratulations to the Hon. J. G. Coates on his accession to the office of Prime Minister. In proposing the motion. Mr. F. E. Wilson (Mayor of New Plymouth) paid tribute to the services rendered by Mr. Coates, and intimated that his political friends and opponents alike would agree he was deserving of great credit for the part he had played in the administrative affairs of the Dominion, and that his elevation to the Premiership was well merited. Similar sentiments were expressed by the seconder of the motion, Mr. C. J. Belcher (chairman of the Eltham County Council), who said that as a member of the/Cabinet Mr. Coates had always given courteous consideration to reasonable requests, and would, .in the opinion of the sneaker, render good service as Prime Minister.

Further evidence was heard yesterday at the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, in the case in which the Native Trustee and others sued James Young, farmer, of Oaonui, for alleged breaches of the covenants of a West Coast Settlement Reserve lease. It was said in evidence that it would be difficult to sell the farm at £l6 an acre owing to the bad state of the land and. buildings. and. only then if the owner could leave all his money on it, as it would be hard to borrow with the farm as security. For the defence it was stated that defendant had taken over the property thirty years ago, when three part's of it were in bush, and the remainder in manuka. Blackberry was planted in this district about then, but as far as defendant knew, not on his diarm. The class of land on the farm was fair on the front and wet and sour at- the back, but notwithstanding that defendant considered his butter-fat average quite good. The whole of the improvements, which the. natives took over last year, were the results of the defendant’s energies. Defendant was giving evidence as to his work on the farm when the Court adjourned until to : day. -*