MASTERTON NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8182, 25 July 1912, Page 2

MASTERTON NEWS

FEOU ODE OWN CORRESPONDENT July 23. The Master-ton Homing "Pigeon Club held its annual meeting last evening, when the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—Patron, Mr H. Clarkson; president, Mr W. C. Gourlay; vice-presidents, Messrs G. R. Sykes, C. Perry, T. G. Hoar, and J. B. F. Sutherland; auditor, Mr J. Biadbury; secretary, Mr H. M. Wilton; treasurer, Mr F. B. Rosson. Tho death occurred in Wellington on Saturday night of Mrs Jacob Gunther, for thirty-five years a resident of Maslerton. Three chains of metal have been washed off the Uriti road owing to flood water backing up on the road. A big .slip is reported to have occuned on tho Alfredton road, and as it is said to be of a very serious nature tho engineer to tho Masterton County Council (Mr D. McLachlan) will make a personal inspection to-morrow. Meanwhile men are busily employed removing the debris in order to allow vehicular traffic to bo resumed. In some respects the recent floods experienced in the Masterto-n district have been a blessing in disguise. During the winter months the grass grub has played, havoc with pastures in several parts of the district, and many farmers were heavy losers through tho depredationsof the pest. So numerous had tho grub become that the efforts of the farmer to exterminate it had failed, with the result that the pest gave promise of destroying hundreds and hundreds of acres of pastures. Fortunately the flood water proved itself a friend in the work of fighting tho grub, and in many cases thousands of grubs are to bo seen Jay ing on the surface of paddocks which had been attacked. A large number of Masterton competf. tors intend to enter for the Wellington elocutionary, vocal, and literary com petitions. Several Mastertonians will also compete at the Napier competitions next month. Tho damage done by slips and washouts ih the Caiterton district during the recent flood is much greater than was at first reported. Many of the landslides have been of such an extensive nature that traffic will _ be completely suspended in some portions of the district for many #ays. Roads have been washed away by flood-water, culverts collapsed, and several small bridges have been, swept down the rivers. The damage done is the heaviest recorded for a considerable number of years It -is probable that, there will be a fairly heavy divorce list at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Masterton. In servcral portions of the Masterton district the grass has recently assumed a fresh, green appearance, this bring presumed to bo due to the warm rain which fell for three daye in the early part of last week. A movement is on foot to form an officers’ club in connection with the local Territorial corps.