PALMERSTON NORTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4637, 16 April 1902, Page 6

PALMERSTON NORTH.

(By Oar Special .Reporter.) Tuesday. Samuel Clare was fined £l, and costs, at the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Come tins morning for selling snore-weight bread. tj V lO Inem^ers of the Palmerston North Rifles made a valuable presentation to a sergeant of their company. Air A. Rdo, on the occasion of nis marriage. Captain Mounscy made the presentation on behalf of his men. The following hockey team will represent the Pioneer Club against the Palmerston Club to-morrow:—Drew, Watt, Cameron, George, Poad, Campbell, Bell, Fenton, liurbush, Puklowski, Clark. The following officials have been elected to the Manawatu Hockey Association:—President, Mr H. F. Gibbons; vice-presidents, Messrs Warden, Korslako and Abraham, and the Rev C. C. Harper; secretary, Mr Burbush (reelected) ; treasurer, Mr D. Scott. The championship matches are to commence on May 7tb. A ping-pong tournament is to bo held on the 23rd inst. Ths fine gallery of. photographs of stud stock which the local Agricultural and Pastoral Society possesses has been augmented by some' Jersey studies, and an excellent 'enlargement of a champion Romney lamb of Mr Rowland’s. The pictures have all been donated by the owners of the stock. At the first half-yearly meeting of the directors of Abraham and Williams, Ltd., Mr B. S. Abraham, chairman of directors, presided. It was decided to declare a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum, and to allow a rebate of one half per cent, to shareholders who have transacted business with the company. A substantial sum was carried forward to the reserve fund. The directors expressed satisfaction at the results of the first six months of the company’s existence. A motion expressing appreciation of the efforts of the staif was unanimously passed. It was stated by Mr M. Cohen, president of the Chamber of Commerce, in his address to the quarterly meeting of the Chamber this evening, that the Agent-General had requested that all printed accounts of meetings of the Chamber should be supplied to him. Mr Cohen regretted that the council had not yet attained the dignity of hawing its proceedings published, and he trusted that this necessary advance would before long be accomplished. The want of accommodation in the local railway goods-sheds was simply disgraceful, said Mr Cohen, at the Chamber of Commerce. Affairs at present were in a chaotic state, .and it was to he hoped that some temporary accommodation extension would he immediately provided. The important question of a site for the proposed municipal Opera House was brought up by Mr B. S. Abraham. Mr Abraham proposed “That the Chamber recommend to the consideration of the Borough Council the centre of The Square on one side or the other of the railway as a suitable site for the Opera House and municipal buildings.” The site the mover had in his mind was m front of the present band rotunda, the roads around the rotunda to he deviated. No formalities, he understood, would be necessary except the consent of the Borough Council, and an enabling Bill would only be required in the event of the road being blocked. A fine building erected immediately opposite Fitzherbert street would bo a great ornament to the town. The Square would, in his opinion, bo further improved by replacing the present shrubs by a well-laid-out flower«-bed, to be under the care of the caretaker of the Opera House. The result would be a great improvement to the beauty of The Square, and one which would materially help to make Palmerston more attractive to outsiders, and so induce them to come and reside in the place. In regard to putting the post office on the opposite side of the rotunda, that question would rest with the Government. If the Government could be persuaded to exchange the present post office site for the position suggested in The Square, a valuable site would he gained to the borough, the interest on which would more than pay any charges of interest on the Opera House. Mr Abraham concluded by asking members of the Chamber to attend at the next Borough Council meeting, when that body would be asked to agree to the proposal. Mr Barnicoat was not in favour of cutting up The Square at oil, and so taking away a valuable breathing space. Then, if the Opera House only were erected in The Square it would present a one-sided appearance. Mr Abraham’s motion was seconded by Captain Preece, and ultimately carried. Referring to the Palmerston-Pahia-tua road, Mr Abraham said that a buggy and pair of horses could now be driven across the hills at any time. He believed that as soon as it was improved it would be one of the principal highways between the two coasts. Highly complimentary reference was made to the manner in which the president (Mr Cohen) had represented the council at the recent conference of chambers in Wellington, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Cohen for his able representation.