FEILDING NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 58, 7 February 1925, Page 6

FEILDING NEWS

.(From Our Own Correspondent). Shortly after 4 o'clock this morning a shed situated at the corner of South and West.streets,, and.used by Mr E. Lawrence lit 1 , a poisoned pollard factory, was completely razed to the ground by fire. When the alarm was given by one of the »x:cupants of the house adjacent, the fire had a good hold and the building, together with the contents and machinery, was totally destroyed. HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION. Mr David Pryde presided over a largely attended meeting of the supporters of the Saturday half-holiday, and in introducing the matter stated ho had been repeatedly asked»to call a meeting to consider the question of having the Saturday halfholiday re-instated. He detailed the steps that had been taken previously, to have the holiday altered from Saturday' to Wednesday. The latter had been given a trial and had, he said, not proved satisfactory, but to i get an alteration made in the day of closing, it was neceamry that a petition be j presented to the Borough Council. This must contain the names of at least ten per cant of the voters on the doctoral roll. In order to obtain these considerable canvassing would be necessary, and ns a preliminary he suggested the establishment of a ' Saturday Half-Holiday Association, and lie moved in that direotion. Mr A. Aldia seconded the motion, which was carried. A committee consisting of Messrs H. S. Street, T. Symonds, V. A. Sutton, C. S. Jeffs, W. ■. Carthew. A. McCorkindale, A. j Mann, F. Kendall and C. B. Aitken was set up and Mr Aldie was appointed secre-1 tary. In addition to the foregoing a ladies' committee of three was also appointed. The subscription to the association was fixed at 2s 6<l and 12 members agreed to canvass the borough. INCIDENT AT SHEEP FAIR. An amusing but lucrative (for the vendor) incident occurred at the stud sheep sales yesterday when a ram was being offered by 3 ssrs Dalgety and Co. Starting at 15 guineas, the price gradually mounted to 30 guineas, and the animal was knocked down to a would-be purchaser. A protest from a/iott.er buyer on the outskirts of the ring that it was his bid led to a dispute ana a bid of another two guineas tame from the first named buyer, to be promptly capped by two guineas from the second man. All eyea were turned on the two buyers and it was seen that both required some "shaking off." Bids of two guineas came quickly till 50 guineas had been reached, when the original buyer shook off all opposition by bidding five guineas, and the lot was his at 55 guineas amidst the applause of those present.