MANAWATU

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6745, 17 February 1909, Page 7

MANAWATU

PALMERST ON NOTES. FEOM OCB OWN COEEESPONDENT. PALMHRSTON, February 10. The fortnightly meeting of Court Manawatu, A.0.F., mis'held last night, when tliero was a good attendance and C. 11. Bro. Rosanowski'presided. Two now members were initiated, and two more proposed. ft w'& resolved to purchase a new piaito for the hall and to .reduce the tariff for hire of the hall for socials, etc. Tho first social of the season in connection with the Court will bo held on Friday next. Mr "W. Klein, of Ashhurst, met with a nasty accident, yesterday, a, horse having ticked him in the face,. breaking his jaw. Ho was admitted to the Palmcrston Hospital, where his injuries wore attended. O.lt. Bro. O. W. Blackb'iirn presided over tho usual meeting of Onward Tent 1.0. R... last night, there- being a largo attendance of members.";' Alter tho routine business had been transacted Bro. J. S. Munro, who "represented tho Tent at the recent district meeting of the order at Masterton, gave a resume of tho proceedings, Iwhicjh ho considered would greatly promote tho future of tho order. ■ A hearty vote of thanks - was passed to Bro. Munro for his services. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A meeting of the Council of tho Paltr.orston North Chamber of Commerce was held last night. PresentMessrs J. M. Johnston (president, in the chair), F. S. Goldingham, T. 11. Hodder, E. D. Hoben, M. A. Elliott, H. F, Gibbons, Captain Haydon, • and Captain Preece. Sir Gibbons was appointed to re-! present the chamber on the deputation which is to wait upon the Minister in reference to tho difficulties in connection with tho flax industry. The chairman called attention to tho efforts Which were being made to secure tho deviation of the LevinGroatford railway. Tho " Manawatu County Council was making every effort to get tho Sandoii tram across the Bulls bridge, and ho had been told that no stone would, be left unturned to SfScuro a survey of the proposed deviation. The chairman pointed out that a light lino between Rongoten and Palmorston would he vastly more useful, or even a direct road between Glen Oroua and Palmorston by way of Awahun. He also suggested that tho chamber should endeavour to secure road communication between Longburn, Linton, and Shannon by having tho railway bridge at Longburn opened to vehicular traffic. Inis would reduce the distance between Linton and Longburn by threo miles, and from Shannon to Longburn by a much greater distance. It would certainly be a great convenience. On the motion of Mr Hoben, Messrs Goldingham, Hodder, ' Preece and tho mover were appointed a" sub-commit-tee to go into tho matter of bringing before tourists and others travelling on the Main Trunk lino the advantages -of Palmerston as a stop-over place. The chairman mentioned the matter of railway facilities, and dwelt on tho weary delays at some of the stations, more especially at "Woodvillc. It was left to the president to bring these matters before tho Minister or Railways. HIGH SCHOOL BOARD. The ordinary meeting of the Palmorston High School of Governors was held last night. .Present, Messrs W. Ituthcrfiird (chairman), W. Park, W. H. Collingwood, J. L. Barnicoat, llovs. I. Jolly, and C. C. Harper, and •Mr J. K, Vernon, Rector. The application of the caretaker for j

an increase, of salary was held ovei for a report from the Ground Commit-i tee

Mr A. J. Roberts, who has loft tho town, resigned-his position as electrical instructor.,.-and., it was left to the Technical School Committee to appoint a teacher in his place. A donation of .a .guinea from Mr L. (i. West towards the prize fund was accepted with thanks. Tho resignation of Mr G. H. Bennett as a. member'of the Board was received with regret, and it was resolved to ask the Wanganui Education Board to make another appointment.

I Miss Opio sent in her resignation .; as junior mistress, having accepted I the position of mistress at the Maori I Mission School at Okaha. Applications will be called to fill the vacancy. ! The Rector reported that the school ; had been open sixteen days in the present term. The roll at the end of I last year numbered 138. The present i roll number was 163—111 boys and 52 girls. Twonty-two boys and seventeen girls left at the end of the year, and fortv-four boys and twenty girls had been admitted. Of the seventeen girls who had left, six had been appointed 1 teachers; of the twenty-two hoys, three had become pupil' teachers, three were j in town offices, three learning farming and two were in the Civil Service. The examinations resulted as follows: University bursary, 1; Senior Oml Service subjects, 1: matriculation and solicitors' general knowledge 12; matriculation only, 1; senior free place, h\ There are fourteen boys at the boarders' resjdence, and two moro are. expected. The Ground- Committee reported that the drainage contract was finished, the cost being £2OO. Tho reports were adoptod. BETTER RAILWAY FACILITIES. DEPUTATION, TO THE MINISTER. Tho ; Hon. J.,*A. Millar, Minister for Railways, arrived at Palmorston this mornirtg from Wellington and was immediately waited upon by a deputation, from tho Chamber of Commerce, whidli was, represented by- tho president. Mr. J. M- Johnston, accompanied, by tho Mayor, Mr J. A. Nash. Mr W. T. Wood was also present. They were introduced by Mr D. Buick : M.F. Messrs Ronayne, General Manager of Railways, and Armstrong, District Traffic' .Manager, accompanied tho Minister. Mr Johnston said they _ wished to bring under, the notice of "the Minister tho matter of better railway facilities. With regard to_ the long delay at the Woodville station in connection with the Woodville- and Na-pier-Wellington ' express, from the time of tho arrival of the express from Napier there was a' delay of sixty-two minutes before passengers could procoed to Palmerston to catch the evening trains nortfli;or tho New Plymouth express to Wellington. With the express from Wellington to Napier there ivas a delay of thirty-ono minutes at Woodville and -"passengers arriving here' were just ton minutes too late to catch tho going to Wellington and intermediate stations but were in plenty of;time to catch tho evening train north. Tho Chamber. was strongly of opinion that facilities should bo given for passengers between Featherst-on and Woodville to catch tho Auckland mail which left hero at 10.3 p.m. ,It was suggested that, if at all. practicable, .the north and south Wellington and Napier expresses should pass at Woodville in time to allow passengers to arrive here to catch' the New 'Plymouth .express and in any case to catch tho Auckland express. They-: would also ask that tho speerl of the.trains between here and Wnngalim- bo ,increased. The Minister, in reply, said that the whole 1 matter of the time-tables was under consideration. : What was wanted was a- through service from Invercargiil to Auckland, and in order to get this it was necessary to recast the

whole of the time-tables. They wanted to run all the branch lines so as to fit in with the requirements of the public, and tho whole matter would bo gone fully into. Mr Nash mentioned tho question of having the time-table for tibo .train ■leaving, horo for Foxton on. Saturdays at noon altered, so as to permit working men to get down to tho heads for tlio week-end. Ho stated that if it could be arranged . for tho train to leave Pnlmor'stc'n at 12.30 or 1 p.m. it would permit working-men: to, take their -families to the seaside and return on Monday -morning by the early trail', • -,.--'-.-■.. " Mr Millar stated that the request would bo granted from. Saturday next, when the train would leave Palmerston for Foxton at 1 p.m.' instead of 12 noon. The Minister then proceeded to inspect tho railway station yards, goods sheds and accommodation generally. SUPREME COURT SITTINGS. AN INDETERMINATE SENTENCE. Tlho Supreme Court was occupied all this morning and part of the afternoon" with tho.hearing of a second charge against Herbert Bergstrom of stealing 209 sheep from tho Balfour estate-.at Pahiatua. The ovidenco was the same as given in the S.M. Court last wqek. After a very short retirement tho jury brought, in a verdict 'of (juilty. In passing sentence Judge Chapman said tho offenco was a serious one. He would tako into consideration that accused previously, had a good character and now had a young wife and family,- but it would never do forjudges to ignore their duty to punish offenders.- li'o wr.uld deal leniently with tho prisoner in the hopo that a good wife would help to keep him sttaight in tho future.. Ho would, bo sentenced to eighteon months' hard labour on each charge, tho sentences to run concurrently.

George Dawson was dharged with stealing tlio sum of £4 6s from Mrs Annie Bowler at tho Foxton races on January 22nd. >■ . The jury after half and hour's retirement returned a verdict of guilty. In passing sentence, his Honor read a list of previous convictions against the prisoner .in Auckland. He' had Icon / convicted of consorting with thieves and vagabonds, and in Wellington in 190 G he had received sentences of two years' and ono year for theft. In Now South Wales ho had over twenty previous convictions and tlio sentences ran from one month to seven years, tho offences ranging the whole gamut and included indecent language, stealing from the person, ahusivo language, assault and robbery and many other crimes. In answer to a question as to whether he admitted the. convictions recorded against him,, prisoner naively replid that some of them had been committed when lie was a little boy.

His, Honor. said the string of: convictions" was absolutely continuous. Prisoner's career in New Zoaland was' simply" a continuation of what he had been doing in New South Wales and Souiih Australia. He was a hopeless ease and it was necessary that he should ho under the protection of iho State. Ho' would be treated as an habitual . criminal and the sentence would bo an indeterminate one.