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Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 42, 17 January 1928, Page 6

Tho Ulimaroa arrived this morning at Sydney. The Borough Council last evening fixed the license fee for non-working dogs within the borough for 1928 at 10s and re-appointed Mr It. Emmett dog-tax collector. In view of the New Zealand Municipal Conference to be held in Nelson next March the local Borough Council decided to renovate the interior of the Council Chambers where the conference will sit. Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., who has returned to Greymouth from a visit to the Kopara district, reports that at Mallinson’s Farm, by the Haupiri River bed, a buck chamois was found. Apparently it had wAndered from the high country at the Hermitage. Snow, ice-fields and moraines must have been traversed along the ranges.

A mako shark caught in a net near the Thames was over 14ft. in length and was estimated to weigh 35cwt. A heavy mortality of young quail and pheasant is feared in consequence of grass and scrub fires in different parts of the Auckland province. Two hundred Territorials from adjoining districts left by special train to-day to attend the Wellington-West Coast Regiment’s camp at Marten. George F. Paterson, son of Dr. H. Paterson, and pupil of the Pahiatua High School, lias obtained his junior national scholarship. He had the honour of heading the list for tho entire Wellington district with a total of 543 marks.

At last night’s mectin nr of the Manawatu Sub-Centro of tiro Royal Life Saving Society, a motion was passed congratulating Mr P. J. Robbie on saving the life of a young lady who got into difficulties while bathing at Tangimoana Beach on Boxing Day.

Tho Borough Council last evening passed a formal resolution declaring Wednesday the day lor tho statutory half-holiday in Palmerston North. An amendment by Cr. Hodgens, that Sat.urday lie observed, was defeated, only the mover and Cr. Low voting in support thereof. On the motion of the Mayor, the Borough Council, at a special meeting last night, decided to make application to tho Loans Board for permission to borrow the 6um of LI 1,000 for the purpose of erecting a library with shops and offices therein, and, in tire event of sanction being forthcoming, to place a loan proposal before the ratepayers.

Intended primarily for use on tho central section of the North Island Main Trunk line, where heavy grades and sharp curves make haulage difficult, three big articulated locomotives have been ordered by the Railway Department. The principle of the engine is to obtain the greatest power with tho minimum of axle load, the total weight of tho engine being distributed over a greater length. The new engines will have a total length over all of 77ft.

Serious damage, says the Mail, has been done in some parts of the Nelson district through motorists and others leaving roadside fires, lit to boil the billy, before making sure that all is safe. In one instance a settler kfst 150 acres of grass which was of considerable value to him and in another part of the district two huts together with a collection of tools were destroyed, obviously from roadside fires which had not been extinguished. In some parts large areas of forest as well as private property are endangered by such fires. When questioned regarding the published statements that he was going to stand against Mr Allen Bell, M.P. for the Bay of Islands electorate, Mr W. Grounds, chairman of the Dairy Produce Board, said, “I have heard nothing about it officially. Yes, I have heard whispers, but up to the present I have not considered the matter at all. When asked if he knew of a canvass for signatures being made throughout the electorate on his behalf, Mr Grounds said that he did l.wt know ol it, and if it was being circulated it was not at his request. The Pahiatua County Council, through the representative of the district, Mr E. A. Ransom, decided at a meeting on Saturday to enter a protest against the request of the Public Works Department for information concerning the capital cost and maintenance cost of the roads in the Pahiatua County since the years 1913 and 1914 to the present day. Councillors were of the opinion that this would involve the county staff in too much work, while the information could be readily obtained by the department’s officers on the record of the Government Statistician or the balance-sheets of the county on file with the Treasury. “In regard to the progress of business generally, it is too early yet to judge the full effect of changes produced in terms of my policy statement to Parliament last year, but I am pleased to see that the figures in relation to revenue are improving, and trust that, during tho remaining months of the financial year, a big forward movement will be mado in regaining and increasing traffic of all descriptions and in further improving the operating figures in relation to our passenger and freight business.” The above pronouncement is made by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Prime Minister and Minister of Railways, in conveying New Year greetings to the railway staff in the January number of tho New Zealand Railways Magazine.