COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

■ ■■a- ■ •• - THAMES. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Friday. At the fortnightly meeting of the Thames Borough Council last night the following tenders were accepted:—Supplying horso and driver for watering cart, C. Short, 15s per day and 9s per half-day; first-class kauri timber, Bedford Bros., 19s per 100 ft; carting, C. Short; and ironmongery, J. H. Smith and Son. The monthly gold returns from the local banks showed the amount of gold purchased during the month of May to bd as follows: Bank of New Zealand,, from borough mines 6450z, and county 161 oz; Bank of New South Wales, borough mines nil, county 5530z. An application I was received from the May Queen Gold Mining Company for the subsidy on 27ft of sinking in the Queen of Beauty mine, accompanied with a. certificate from the inspector of mines certifying that 27ffe had been sunk during the month of May. The amount was passed for payment. A special meeting of the Council was held this afternoon to confirm the new by-laws regulating the use of the newly-constructed tennis courts in the Victoria Reserve, and it was decided to open the courts to the public on the 22nd inst., the fees being fixed at 3d per game, including use of appliances, and 20s for annual tickets. HAMILTON. A well-attended mooting of those interested in the formation of an orchestral society was held on Thursday evening, when j 20 memuers were enrolled. Mr. S. Riley ! was appointed conductor, Mr. Langley I Shaw hon. secretary, and Mrs. Shaw and ! Messrs. F. T. Wilson and G. inside a committee. WHANGAREI. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Whangarei, Friday. The St. Andrew's Society held a success- ! ful concert in the Drill Hall last night. | The Auckland St. Andrew's Pipe Baud i was present, and gave a number of selec- j tions. Scotch dances and vocal items com- j pleted nil excellent programme. During the evening the prizes given by the society for the best essays on several subjects, were presented to the successful competitors by the president, Mr. W. A. Carruth, who stated that it was intended to offer these prizes annually. [FROM OCR OWN" CORRESPONDENTS.] MAUKU. The annual meeting of the Mauku branch of the Wniuku Railway League was held on Satur- j day last- and was well attended. Mr. A. Barker (president) read an interesting report of last year's proceedings, which w.n.5 adopted. A resolution of sympathy was paegeTl to the family of the late Mr. James Boden. The hon. secretary (Mr. Simpson) read the. financial statement, which showed receipts to be £7 and expenditure £2 4s 4d, tho balance'in band being £4 16s Sri. Votes of thanks were .-recorded to the outgoing committee, special mention being made of the efforts of the secretary. The. old committee was reelected, with Mr. William Finlay to fill the place of one who had left the district. The election of a delegate from the branch to go to Wellington to support, the member (Mr. Massey, M.P.) in urging the claims of the railway was then taken, Mr. Baiter being appointed. A concert and dance was held at tho hall on Monday evening in connection with the Railway League to provide, funds for delegates' expenses. The function was a marked success in every way. Before tho proceedings started a resolution of I sympathy was passed to the family of the late j Mr. Boden. A tableau, entitled " Excelsior," wag i well staged, and a long and varied programme . was then gpne through. _ Refreshments were proI vided, and the petition in favour of the, proposed I railway was then largely signed. The floor was j then cleared for dancing. The proceeds amounted to £7 clear. S PUKEKOHE. A meeting of the trustees of the. Pukekohe Library was held on Tuesday in the library, when it was decided to hold a concert early in October in aid of funds to procure new books. The Pukekohe Presbyterian Church was packed on Wednesday afternoon, when the marriage of Mr. Thomas Fitness to Miss Man- Ferguson Adams, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ad,ams, of Pukekohp. took place. Miss Penman i played the. " Wedding March." and after the ceremony the party adjourned to the Masonic Hal!, where the.wedding breakfast was arranged, over 100 guests being entertained. A collection of 100 wending presents was on exhibition. In the evening an enjoyable social was held in the hall, Mr. William Jones and Mi.?Ees E. Rankin. Crawford, Chipliu, amd Stewart contributing enjoyable items. Games and dancing were kept up till a lata hour. Mr. B. McCowen, who has been in business for about 25 years in Pukekohe, has sold out to Mr. W. Lees, from the Wade. Mr, Lees will take over the business on August 1.