PALMERSTON NORTH

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1678, 27 April 1904, Page 24

PALMERSTON NORTH

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The burgesses of Palmerston have at last wakened up to the direction in whi m borough affairs have been guided try a parly *of the Council who Councillor Haydon designated as a “ring" in his remar ns when speaking for the Mayoral chair -m Wednesday. “A ring, gentlemen/' he added, “that the sooner broken up, it wi 1 ba belter for Pa-lmereton." Notwithstanding a strong protest passed at tin ■public meeting recently protesting against the Hokowkitu site for the abattoirs, it is openly stated that the property has been purchased. The altitude of the Council is having a salutary efitet, inasmuch that fresh candidates are bobbing up like mushrooms for the* two vacancies at the Council table, amongst whom are Messrs B. B. Holben, C. A. ,! Loughnam, C. N. Clausen, andl o. T. Lang. After some 25 years service., a movement is on foot amongst the Councillors to retire Mr Robert N. Keeling, the poetsent Town Clerk, and vote him a bonus of 10400.

One of the matters to be dealt with at the next meeting of the local branch cf the Farmers’ Union will be the consideration of a letter from Mr J. »» Wilson, President of the Union. The letter says it is felt by the Colmial Executive that some further effort should be made either to have tlieir weekly and monthly organs more widely recognised, and their circulation increased', or that a newspaper should be started by be Union itself. To print a 32-page newspaper and circulate 5000 copies would cost <£4o a week, and as it would have to compete against the established weeklies not more than 7© 6d per annum could be charged. At that rate it would take a circulation of 5000 and <£lo worth o" advertising a week to make it r a V* The question will be discussed by the branches, and will then come before tl.e Provincial Conference and the Colonial Conference. . _ . , . Some time' ago a settler named Knight was arrested at the instance of a neig >- hour named Mcllardy for cutting a wi-e lVnoe at night. Knight was subsequent l v charged with wilful damage to property bn - on the representation of Mr Ealk win who appeared for Knight that the fence was cut under a bona fide belml that it was on his boundary, the case waj dismissed, the understanding being that „ ttnoreme Court action would be taken to hSe the boundaries defined. In me Knight started an action Hardy for damages for winngThe matter has hem settled by IvLcHardy paying £350 and & 1 expense© y and agreeing to set the fence back and express regret to Knight through the local press. The case has occasioned great local , p * T?pcentlv the Manaiwarti A. and P. Association to hold its Summer Sl-ow on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, bu P has now resolved to consult interested societies before defimteiy deciding dates, and a deputation of men will, consequently, wait on the Cai-

terton Association at its annual meeting to arrange* dates which will 11 °t clasn with the Wairarapa Society. hie rescinding of the original motion was necessary, said Mr Wheeler at the l tea .iawatu Association’s meeting’ on Sami day last, in order to prevent any suspie.mi that they were appropriating tne da es of a kindred society. The proposed direct railway communication between Alarton and! Levin is ’fceiving the support of the various loo.u bodies 1 . So. far the Manawatu and: Ilorovhenua County Councils and the lox ten Borough Council have agreed to give- it their hearty support. No reply lias yet been received from Alarton Borough Council or Bulls Town Board. As soon as their replies are received, it is proposed to ask representatives from all local bodies who favour the project to meet and discuss, the best means of pushing the matter forward by united action. The following" is a copy of letter receiv’d from Horowhenua County Council: "County Office, Levin, April 13th, 1901. To It. Bruce McKenzie and others attending deputation. Gentlemen. —I have the honour to state that after your deputation waited on the County Council on Saturday, 9th, the* following resolution was passed:—“That this Council support Pie proposition made by the Foxton deputation .advocating proposed direct railvay communication from Great-ford to Levin, and will unite with them in representing to Government the advisability of* carrying out this work.--John MtCidloch, County Clerk." The depuration consisted of Rongotea committee t,h*> Mayor of Foxton, and Councillor Sj eirs. It is extremely doubtful, however, cf the project becoming an established reality within the- next 25 —may lie 50 vearft.

The question as to whether the woodchopping events should he continued at til.- A. and P. Show was discussed at the meeting of the General Committee on Saturday. The Horae Schedule . &xv.mi tie® recommended that the events be cut out of the programme. Mr H. Gillies explained that tbs committee had taken this step, because it was considered tf. at chopping had grown rather tarn"-, end there was uot the interest taken as formerly. The- general opinion, however, v/as against the abolition of the c-hop--Img handicaps, and it was resolved, on the motion of 1 Mr Wood, to retain the events. Mr Wood considered 'that the chopping competitions/ were one ol the greatest attractions to the public. Mi H. Gillies easily holds the re 3 >vd for securing life members for the A. aml P. Association. 'At the meeting i*n •S' turclay he had another “little lot" in bring forward. He proposed Aliss Crawford Ale&srs S. R. Lancaster, Thomas Knight, Richard Lloyd (Skoney Creek), to Mac-aulay (Oroua Bridge), R. \\ all (Plimmerton), F. Robinson (Himatangi), E Stevenson, A. E. Bennett. D. Pnngle, K. M. Sunmond-s, and W. B. A. Mack, tie also proposed a new ordinary menit*ei, Mr A. McMillan, Glen Oroua. The members were elected, and a special vote of thanks was accorded Mr Gillies for hi« perseverance. The mover of the motion Mr M. Cohen, warmly -eulogised the ene gy of Mr Gillies, and praised the policy of increasing the* life members. The list represented Tl3O in bard cash. April 22nd.