COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 858, 10 August 1888, Page 24

COUNTRY NEWS.

PALMERSTON NORTH.

.-?■ (.FROM. OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) August 3. A meeting of the new vestry of All Saints’ Church was held on Tuesday evening, and was well attended, there being only one member absent. A considerable amount of business was gone through, and committees were appointed to carry out certain repairs to the church building which are necessary, and, among other improvements, to arrange, if possible, for the better lighting of the church by gas. A special vote of thanks to Mr Watson, the late people’s churchwarden, which by some oversight had been omitted at the annual general meeting, was passed unanimously, Mr Hankinsundertaking to convey the feeling of the meeting to Mr Watson, whose past services were gratefully acknowledged by all presont. Undue prominence having been given to some trifling dissensions wliich took place at the last meeting, I may mention that nothing coaid be more harmonious than the proceedings on this occasion, the well-being of the church being the one object which each one appeared to have in view. August 4.

A concert will come off on Thursday next in aid of the Roman Catholic School funds, and is expected to be one of the best given in Palmerston. Among the instrumentalists who will take part on the occasion I see the name of Mr Schwartz, of your city; also those of Messrs Norberg, Cohen, Isherwood, and Drew. Several new vocalists have also promised to assist, among whom I may mention Mrs Lyon 3, Mrs Russell, and Mrs Holt. All the reserved seats have already been secured, and the only fear seems to be that the Bank Chambers may prove too small to accommodate the numbers likely to be present. The Hat arid Cap Carnival will be held on Wednesday at the Palmerston Skating Rink. Great preparations are being made by Mr L. Lyons, the manager. August 6. Considerable anxiety is being felt on account of the rion-arrrival of the Trevelyan, which vessel is now about 138 days out from Glasgow ; the Hermione, which said from London on or about the same date, having arrived nearly five weeks ago. The Trevelyan has on board the mains and other pipes for the gasworks, and Mr Boudry, the engineer, representing Messrs Coates and Co., informs me that, but for the delay in the delivery of the above named material he would have been ready for lighting up by the end of this month, as the works themselves will be quite completed within a fortnight, and the laying of the mains might have been going on in the meantime.

The demand for houses in Palmerston is at present considerably in excess of the supply, and as a natural consequence the building trade is more than usually brisk. New houses are going up iu all directions, at least 20 being in course of erection. Among others there are two large houses oeing built by Mr Wollermah, in FUzherbsrfc and Ferguson-streeis—one of them, a dwelling of 11 rooms, for his own occupation ; the same gentleman having recently erected two good shops on the Square, for which tenants have been found at once. The above v/ill make up a total of something like 80 houses which have been built wir.hin a period of 15 or 16 months.' I hear also of several town properties having changed hands lately at good, prices, from all of which it may fairly be inferred that there is no falling off iu the material progress of our

(town, notwithstanding the cry of bad i limes which wo occasionally hear. August 7. The ordinary monthly meeting of the School Committee was held last evening. Present—Messrs G. M. Snelson (chairman), D. Sinclair, Short, Mowbray, Abrahams, and A. Stewart (hon secretary). The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The report from the Central School showed as follows: Average roll, 425; average attendance, 298'87 ; higheßt attendance, 352 ; admitted, 28 ; left, 5 ; now on roll, 450. The Terranco-end report showed : —Number on roll at beginning of month, 282 ; loft, 22 ; admitted, 8; average attendance, 170 ; highest attendance, 100 ; now on. roll, 268. Sundry accounts tvero passed for payment, it was resolved that the classification of teachers as sent by the Education Board be agreed to. Resolved also that the report which appeared in the Wanganui paper's as to the Palmerston schools being closed on account of the prevalence of scarlet fever, have an emphatic contradiction. The report of the. Committee appointed to consider the question of another entertainment to provide funds for the erection of shelter - sheds at j Terraco - end Schools was received, and it was decided that a musical aud elocutionary entertaiument shall be arranged to cotne off about. October 19th. No formal report was received from the committee appointed to inquire into the quostion of the division of the sexes in the schools, but Mr Abrahams stated that, he had seen Mr Fisher, the Minister of Education, when in Wellington, and that gentlemen informed him that the Committee have power to deal with the matier, provided always that no additional expense is involved, in which case the Wanganui Board would step in. It was finally decided that Messrs Abrahams and Mowbray shall consult the masters of the schools, and ascertain from them how far such division is practicable, after which, if necessary, the Inspector of Schools for the district can be communicated with. The Hat and Cap Carnival at the Skating Rink will take place to-day. Numbers of ladies and gentlemen have been in active training for the event during the past week, and there will doubtless be a large attendance both of skaters and spectators. In the case of Grant v Manawatu Road Board, in which damages were recovered by T plaintiff, a telegram has been received to-day by Mr Clarke, the clerk to the said Board, intimating tho.t as that body is not in a position to satisfy the claim, the Supreme Court has appointed Mr H. Axup as receiver, on behalf of Mr Grant, of all moneys, rates, &c., payable to the Board, in accordance with the Road Boards Act, 1882, Amending Act, 1884. Mr Axup will thus be vested with all the powers of the Board itself until it can devise means to get out of the difficulty. What next 1 August 8. A violent and entirely unprovoked assault. was committed this afternoon by a man named Evans, a bricklayer, upon Mr Wiltshire, town crier, who was engaged at Mr G. M. Snelson’s sale of effects in Tao-nui-3treefc. Mr Wiltshire is badly cut on tho forehead, and the wound looks as if a ring had been U3od. The police are on tho track of tho offender. I hear that George Housmann, who ha 3 for . some days been assisting at the skating rink, and who was conspicuous from the numoer of medals with which he wa3 decorated, has been arrested by Constable Maiming on a charge of larceny of two pairs of skates, value L 3.