FEILDING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 86, 11 March 1932, Page 8

FEILDING

TENNIS MATCH. The return match between St. Paul’s and St. John’s Tennis Chios was played on St. Paul’s courts on Wednesday afternoon, St. Paul’s winning by 14 sets (115 games) to 10 sets (100 games). The following are the results, St. John’s players mentioned first: Ladies’ singles.—Miss Hughes beat Miss Wilson 6—l, Miss Burke lost ix> Miss Grieve 4—6, Miss Alsop lost to Miss Lourie 3—6, Miss E. Thompson beat Miss Marston 6—3, Miss G. Thompson lost to Miss Jenkinson 3 —B, Miss Nash beat Miss M. Thomson 6 —o. Men’s singles.—Simmonds lost to Smith I—6, Julian lost to Pearce 2—6, Alsop lost to Groombridge 3 —6, Collins beat Aitken 6—2. Grindrod lost to McDowall o—6, Malcolmson lost to Wells 4—6. Ladies’ doubles.—Misses Hughes and Burke beat Misses Wilson and Grieve 6 —2, Misses Alsop and Nash lost to Misses Lowrie and Marston 3—6, Misses E. and G. Thompson lost to Misses Jenkinson and M. Thompson I—6.

Men’s doubles—Simmonds and Julian beat Smith and Pearce Alsop and Collins beat Groombridge and Aitken 6—4, Grindrod and Malcolmson lost to McDowall and Wells 5 —6. Mixed doubles.—Miss Hughes and Simmonds beat Miss Wilson and Smith 6—2, Miss Burke and Julian beat Miss Grieve and Pearce 6—2, Miss Alsop and Alsop lost to Miss Lourie and Groombridge 4—6, Miss E. Thompson and Collins beat Miss Marston and Aitken 6—5, Miss G. Thompson and Grindrod lost to Miss Jenkinson and McDowall 3—6, Miss Nash and Malcolmson lost to Miss Thompson and Wells 4—6. BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING. The Mayor (Mr C. E. Taylor) presided at the monthly meeting of the Feilding Borough Council last night, there being also present Crs. Fair, Pearce, Collins, McCorkindale, Cullinane, Pryde, Corpe and Kilvington. In reply to the request of the Palmerston North Free Ambulance Committee for the council to appoint a representative on the executive, the council decided to let the matter stand down till next meeting of the council and in the meantime to ascertain from Mr V. E. Smith, the Feilding representative on the Palmerston North Hospital Board, further facts concerning the free ambulance. The Mayor explained that the matter had previously been before the council and then it had been expected to find a considerable sum and he would now like to have full particulars before action was taken. STREET SEALING. The borough engineer reported to the works committee that the cost of sealing street intersections would be as follows for material only: —Warwick Street, £l6 10s; Denbigh Street, £33; Derby Street, £33; Lytton Street, Grey Street, £18; Eyre Street, £4 ios; Gladstone Street, £4 15s; Russell Street, £4 16s; total, £149 15s. The committee recommended that Warwick Street be sealed at once and that the other streets lie done as the borough finances permit, the council agreeing to the recommendation. GENERAL. The action of the Mayor in cabling £SOO to England for materials for the water main extension was confirmed. The borough librarian (Mr A. Farmer) reported that 248 subscribers to the municipal library changed 1426 books during February. On the recommendation of the reserves committee the council decided to apply to the Unemployment Commissioner for 1500 trees for planting by unemployment labour. During the month of February, 1932 25 cows, four oxen, 77 heifers, 350 wethers, 69 ewes, 33 lambs, 1343 pigs and 6 vealers were dealt with at the municipal abattoir. Fees amounted to £267 7s 2d as compared with £203 Is 2d for the corresponding month of last year, an increase of £64 6s. The number of unemployed relief workers in Feilding during tlio oust four weeks was as under:—"Week ending February 20, 71; February 27, 24: March 5, 75; March 12, 96. Two building permits to a value of £lls were issued in Feilding last month. Since the dry spell was broken by the heavy downpour of rain in February, the pressure of water in the mains in Feilding has remained steady at. about 801bs. Very little damage was done to the intake weir in the Oroua River during the recent flood, the borough engineer reporting to the council last night tlrat the flood waters reached to within one foot of the top of the earth embankment on the east side of the river, but no damage was done to the embankment, although a number of gabions were dislodged from their position. The fact that the seating accommo-

dation at the municipal baths is in a bad condition and needs renewing was mentioned by the borough engineer to the Borough Council last night. The seats are to receive attention. AWAHURI ROAD SEALING. On the motion of the Mayor and Cr. McCorkindale, the Feilding Borough Council last night decided to make immediate representations to the Main Highways Board and to the Manawatu County Council with the object, if the finances of both bodies permit during the next financial year, of bituminising Awaburi Road from Haggitt Street to the South Street bridge. The Mayor explained that, with a £2 for £1 subsidy from the Main Highways Board, the board would thus find £4OO of the estimated cost of £6OO for the work, the balance being divided between the Borough Council and County Council. Although there was a possibility of a greater subsidy being obtained, the Mayor thought the non-appearance of the extra concession should not deter the two councils from sealing the piece of tho road. RATING REBATES. The case of the small boroughs of under 6000 populations in regard to the 12i per cent. rebate on rates which was recently made available to county ratepayers by the Main Highways Board was put forward by the Mayor at last night’s meeting of the Feilding Borough Council. The disadvantages under which the ratepayers in the borough mentioned were obliged to submit through the unequal rating burden of boroughs and counties wore explained by the Mayor and the following resolution was carried unanimously: “That in the event of tho Highways Board deciding to continue the special grants to enable counties to make a percentage rate of rates to county ratepayers, the board be requested to make similar grants to boroughs under 6000 population on the grounds (inter alia) as follow: —(a) That very few of the smaller boroughs own profitable undertakings such as electrical supply to supplement their rate revonue; (b) that owing to the smallness of the population the burden of maintaining roads and footways is, comparatively speaking, a greater burden in small boroughs; (c) that a considerable mileage of main highway is frequently included in small boroughs; (d) that several small boroughs, on account of considerable traffic, had, prior to the benefits accruing from the main highways funds, laid down in permanent materials several miles ol streets forming part of main highways; (c) that extensive areas of farm lands are included in small boroughs and the higher borough rates are a heavy burden to this class of ratepayer; (f) that the interests of ratepayers in small boroughs are more directly bound up with those of tho farming community than are the ratepayers in cities and larger boroughs; (g) that a copy of this resolution bo forwarded to the member for the district, the Minister of Public Works and all boroughs under 6000 population with a request that the boroughs accord their support to the resolution and represent their support to the Minister of Public Works and their member of Parliament.” Enlarging upon the points he had raised, Mr Taylor admitted frankly that the 12i per cent, rebate which the farmers had received on their rates was most welcome, and,as a town man he hoped they would receive it again. In these questions of rate rebates, the Mayor went on, the small farmer in boroughs had every claim to consideration as he had disadvantages to contend with compared with the ratepayer just outside the borough boundary. The man in the borough was paying rates at the rate of £2 per acre while land of a similar nature about a mile away, and not subject to any borough rates at all, s;x:cial or otherwise, was paying somewhere about 7s or 8s per acre rates. These men had received the rebate while the man in the borough liad not. Apart from the small farmer in boroughs, the business man was experiencing just as heavy weather at the present time and it had to bo borne in mind that town money had contributed to the petrol tax from which funds the rebate on rates had been made possible, and if the rebate was to be continued next year the Mayor thought the boroughs of under 6000 population should be in the picture. Mr Taylor considered there was justice in the resolution, and evidently the Main Highways Board was determined to set aside portion of its funds to bring about the question of derating, and in this respect the resolution contained a good deal to commend itself. There were, of course, larger boroughs of over 6000 population concerned also, but these would look after themselves. At present these boroughs were enjoying eight per cent, rebate from the board and they might well move that the percentage be increased with some justice in the claim. The council discussed the Mayor’s motion briefly., it being seconded by Cr. Collins and carried. AMATEUR ATHLETICS. Tlie Feilding Amateur Athletic Club conducted a successful sports meeting on Wednesday evening, the following being the results: Two mile cycle race.—Kitchen (180 yds.) 1, Neil Stevens (200) 2, Woodman (200) 3; time, 6.9. Four mile cycle race.—Kitchen (220) 1, Stevens (270) 2, Lamberton (220) 3; time, 12.13. 880 yards flat.—Beazer (50) 1, O’Leary (40) 2, Benge (60) 3; time, 2.6 3-5. Boy’s half mile cycle race,—Ryniker 1, Griffen 2, Wilkes 3. Boys’ flat race.—Lamberton 1, Batten 2, Lamberton 3. NOTES. ' The men’s senior championship of the Feilding Lawn Tennis Club has reached the finals which will be played on Saturday afternoon between K. G. Salmond and D. Coombe. Both players are at the top of their form and a good game should be seen.