COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15750, 27 October 1914, Page 4

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OCR OWN* CORRESPONDENTS.]

SILVEEDALE.

THE COUNTY ELECTION.

Mr. A. J. Hatfield addressed a meeting of ratepayers of Wainui Riding in tho Wado Hall and met with a good met with a good reception. He announced reception. »He announced himself as a, candidate to represent the riding in the Waitemata. County Council, and in doing so stated that he was prompted by a desiro to pee a better order of things brought about than at present existed. He replied to tho ratepayers' platform, and said lie was entirely in accord with the several planks, and pledged himself to act in tho council according to the wishes of his constituents. Ho severely criticised the carrying out of works in tho riding, and drew attention to the present unsatisfactory financial position of the riding. Mr. Andrew Jack, •LP., occupied the chair during the evening. CAMBRIDGE. RECOGNITION OF SERVICE. Lieutenant R. Simpson, of Cambridge, has been awarded the New Zealand long and efficient service medal, which is granted after 16 years' service. This popular officer saw active service in the iloer war. A meeting of tho Opposition Party was held on Friday evening, Mr. J. Kceley presiding. Mr. A. Scholes, who .intends contesting the Waikato seat in the Opposition interest, was present, and explained his proposed itinerary, also giving an outline of his views. A resolution was carried, assuring Mr. tScholes of the whole-

hearted support of the local branch of the Liberal League. At the High School on Friday a presentation of a gold pendant was made by her fellow-teachers and the pupils to Miss Keesing, who recently resigned from her position on the teaching stall after 14 years' service. A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held on Friday morning. Nino members were present,. A letter was read from a local resident declining to accept the position of president" he having been elected in place of Mr. K. R. Court, who icsigned when ho left the district. Mr. Priestley was voted to the chair, and explained the lack of interest by business men in the work of the chamber. Tlio chamber had done excellent work in the na«t, and much good might still be done if business men would stand by the institution and not allow it to languish. The treasurer (Mr. Veale) said the principal trouble was that members failed to pay their subscriptions regularly, and the society was in a chronic state of impecuniOßitv. There was no reason why the chamber should cease to exist. A great deal of good had been accomplished in the past. Members present expressed the view that it was desirable either to wind up their affairs, or go ahead. Mr. (». E. Clark said the present condition of the chamber was a grave reflection on the commercial men of the community. Mr. Priestley was appointed temporary president until the annual meeting, which was I fixed for Wednesday morning next at ten o'rlock. A small committee was set up to canvass for new members, collect outstanding subscriptions, and work up an attendance for the annual meeting. Messrs. H. Roche. Mackenzie, Forbes, R. Dick and Co., and G. 11. Wallace were elected members. A man named Jno. Smith, alias Driscoll, was charged at the Court on Thursday | with the theft of several articles from a Syrian named Sloman. The latter befriended Smith, who showed his gratitude by making off with some of Woman's possessions. A sentence of two months' imprisonment with hard labour was imposed. j The Cambridge Gun Club has accepted the challenge of the K.trangahape Gun Clnb to shoot for the challenge cup presented by the Colonial Ammunition Company. A meeting of the local club is to be held to fix upon a date for the contest. The Cambridge Road Board met on Saturday, Mr. G. Booth presiding. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland, mote etating that the matter of acquiring a new road through Sections 223-4, Haiitapu Parish, in lieu of a deviation of the j roar! at McCann's Hill, would he further considered when a sketch plan and the written consent of the lessee of the land were received. The Brant wood Dairy Company applied 1 for permission to fence an old gravel pit that was made many years ago on the road adjoining the Bruntwood factory, and it was granted. A petition was received praying that a road, about 14 miles in length, from R. Newcomb's to the Bruntwood factory, be i made fit for wheeled traffic. '1 here is a large gully on the road in question, which ; will cost from £150 to £200 to bridge; j but the board decided to do "he work as ! speedily as possible, as it will be a great convenience to many farmers of the western side. The board will inspect the site and report to next meeting. A tender from W. Eastwood for breaking up and re-forming two miles of the main Cambridge-Hamilton Road at 3s lid I per chain was accepted. : DARGAVILLE. BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKS. The Borough Council has decided to acquire 4500 yards of metal to further improve streets, and to carry on foreshore work at Mangawhare. Already £661 has been expended on the latter, and a balance of £339 is available for the completion of the stone facing. At the annual meeting of the Dargaville Musical Society the balance-sheet presented showed a satisfactory credit, ami the sum of £14 10s was handed over to the Patriotic Fund. The annual meeting of die local tennis club was held on" Monday. The rcpoit, showing a good monetary position, was adopted, and the following committee was elected : —Mrs. Maseticld, Mrs. D. Williams, Miss Macaulay. Miss Baker, Miss Black, and Messrs. Honeycoinlic, Wilkie, Davey, Wilson, and Derbyshire. The! matter of forming new courts in Pelwyn Park was relegated to a. special committee. The latest retains of the DargavilleKaihm Railway show that for tho 12 months' period ended September 12, the carriage of passengers, 2031, was 520 in excess of thoso carried during the previous yearly period. The percentage of expenditure to revenue, was 106.5! a considerable decrease from 143.89 of the previous year. The line is now opened to Tc.rawluiti. close on three miles bevond Kailui, and a. sum of £10.000 has been voted bv the Government to extend it a further four miles to tap the extensive timber belt in the Upper Waima. PUKEKOHE. LAWN TENNIS CLUB. Tho annual meeting of the. Pnkekniio Lawn lennis Club was held last week tho president. Mr. J. W. Johns, being in' tho chair. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows -President," Mr. .1. W. Johns: \ ice-president, Mr. Ivan .Motion'; joint lion, secretaries. Messrs. W. ]>. Hon' kins and W. Marsack: lion, treasurer Mr. H. Corbett ; committee. Messrs. ,|'. Boulston, Bockett, Mason, and Car'gill • auditors, Messrs. J. F. Deaue and ])' Bockett. The appointment of a Women's Committee was left to the women memoeis of the dub. The annual subscription was fixed at £2 for men, and £1 for women. Seven new members were elected. It was decided to commenco play on Saturday, October 31. At the monthly meeting of the Pukekobe District High School Committee, held last week, a. letter was received from the district traffic manager for railways, stating that "hen the new time-table conies into operation, a train, with pas-senger-car attached, will leave Mercer at o a.m., in lieu of the train now leaving at 8.30 a.m., and will arrive at Pukekoho a:, 9.35 a.m. Much satisfaction was expressed by the committee at tho proposed alteration, which will enable the children

joining the train from stations south of L'nkekolie, to arrive in time for the opening of the school. It was derided to wiite»to the Department to the effect that the running of the train as proposed, Mould give much satisfaction to the committee and parents. A largely-attended meeting was held in the Borougn Council Chambers on Wednesday evening to consider the advisability of forming an athletic sports league in Pukekohe. It was unanimously decided to form a club, to be called the Pukekohe Athletic Club, and that the sports meetings held under the auspices of the club should lie open to both amateurs and professionals Officers were elected as follows: — Patron, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey ; president, Mr. ('. K. Lawrie: vice-presi-dents, Messrs. ('. Clarke, I. .Motion, J. Pollock: secretary, Mr. A. 0. Woollctt; assistant secretary, Mr. \V, 11. Guest; treasurer, Mr. J. O'Loughlan ; committee, Messrs J. Beattv, J. McKav. V. Rogers, W. Duggan. J. MeGlvnn, W. Wright. A. Mcßae, W. ('. Cargill," T. Askew. W. Bryant and Marshall; auditors, Messrs. J. T. Stembridge and W. ('. Cargill. The matter of which union the newly-formed el.ib should affiliate with was left to the committee to decide. At a meeting of the committee held subsequently it was decided to open an account at the National Bunk and the treasurer, in conjunction with cither the chairman or secretary, was authorised to sign cheques. .Messrs. Beattv, Mcßae, Rogers, McKay, and Guest were appointed a. sub-committee to draw up a pngramme of events with suggested prize money and report at the next meeting. HAMILTON. W.C.T.U. The fourth annual district convention of the W.C.T.U. was held in tho Wesley Church ou Thursday last. Tho delegates from auxiliary branches—Cambridge, Matamata, Morrinsville, Ngaruawalna, and To Aroha— welcomed by the president of the district union, Mrs. Auld. Reports of the year's work were read by each delegate, by tho president, and others, and Mr. W." F. Mason, representing tho No-License Council, gave a short address. The following resolutions were carried :—" That this meeting views with great displeasure the attitude the present Government has taken in the increased number of racing days." That this meeting strongly resents the Licensing Bill being thrown out.'' " That this convention expresses sympathy with the sufferers in tho recent Huntlv'mine disaster." At the evening session the president gave, a short address, drawing attention to the coming of age." or The 21st birthday of woman's franchise in New Zealand, which, she said, was secured largely through the W.C.T.U. Mrs. Hogan, Cambridge, spoke urging young women to work for furtherance of the temperance cause. Mrs. Brown. Matamata, appealed to all present to place no-license and national prohibition before all other issues at the coming election. Mr. Foston, Waikato no-license organiser, gave some useful hints in regard to the work required. Dr. Waddell gave an interesting talk on the effects of alcohol amongst the very poor in the great cities of Scotland. WARKWORTH. HOSPITAL AFFAIRS. A public meeting, called by the chairman of the Town Board, was held in the Town Hall on Thursday night. October 22. Mr. A. Warin presided. The principal business was to discuss the delay of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, especially in regard to accommodation for maternity cases in tho proposed local hospital. It was decided to send a strong deputation to meet the board and lay the urgent need for such accommodation before the members. A small committee was also set up to obtain information as to the cost of running the hospital under local control and the area of the surrounding district which would be willing to contribute toward the upkeep of the institution. Arrangements have just about been completed between the owners. Wilsons Portland Cement Co., the lessee, Mr. Angus, and the Town Board, whereby Warkworth residents will have reserved as a park a, fine area of native bush adjoining tho township. The area in question contains an unusually largo and varied collection of native plants, and the town is to be congratulated upon securing the use of it. Details in connection with the agreement were discussed at Thursday night's meeting.

Another question of public interest was also advanced a stage at tho same meetingnamely, the formation of a fire brigade. Arrangements were made to obtain information as to the purchase of a manual engine. A number of volunteers | have, signified their willingness to form a | brigade. 1r " ' ARATAPU. TENNIS CLUB MEETING. At a recent meeting of the local tennis club the following officers were elected: —Patron, Mr. W. W. .Simons ; president, Mr. T. Keane; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. H. McCarroll. H. Hockin. E. Dwyer, J. Young. H. Montgomery, T. French. J. W. Williams ; committee, Mesdames Morgan, Montgomery, Stanaway, and Harrison. Miss Main, Messrs. G. Stallwortliy, and F. Pivott. | HELEXSVILLE. HOT SPRINGS IMPROVEMENTS. A large private hotel has just been completed opposite the Helonsville Hot Springs Sanatorium. There are 23 bedrooms and a. billiardroom. Verandahs and balconies commanding a fino view of the Kainarn Harbour and flats are a feature of 'the structure.