MILTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 29

MILTON.

April 9. — A successful entertainment was held in St. George's Hall, Milton, on Monday evening, in aid of the local Catholic school. The first item on the programme was a selection, "Stars and Stripes,' 1 by Mr Marryatt's string band, m which the performers acquitted themselves creditably. Mr J. M'Lean gave an acceptable rendering of " Queen of the earth," and Miss Mary Morrison, who made her first appearance~T>efore a Milton audience, achieved a decided success m her singing of ' Killarney " and " Robin Adair," and had to submit to a recall in each case, her encore numbers being "The wearing of the green" and " Arrah, go on ' A recitation entitled " Ordered to the Front " was given by Mr Pastorelh m a manner that left little 'to be desiied. Mr T. J. Anthony's humorous song "Dance with me" found a lot of favour with the audience, and he had to contribute another song, " 'Tis easy to forget " (another amusing item), before his hearers were satisfied. Later on in the evening Mr Anthony favoured the company with " The Irishman's toast." Mr Marryatt, an old favourite m Milton, contributed " Kitty Tyrell, ' and Mr P. Mullins " The skipper's flag," both items being well received. Mr J. Dee appeared to advantage in his contribution C Kvmberley "), particularly in the dramatic portion of it. The first part of the entertainment was concluded with an Irish item entitled "The Two New Micks in Town," the performers being Messrs E. Kehoe and J. Dee. A cne-act comedy, " An Irish Engagement," constituted the second half of the performance, and caused no end of amusement to all present. The various parts were capably undertaken by Misses Smith and HefTernan, Messrs Anthony, Pastorelh, J. M'Lean, and J. Dee. During the interval the Rev. Father O'Neill briefly thanked the performers for their services and the audience for their patronage. April 15 — A very old colonist has passed away m the person of Mr Fj-edenck Wayne, who died at his residence. Milton, on Wednesday evening. The deceased gentleman, who was 67 years of age, came to the colony over 40 years ago. For some time he was engaged in pastoral .pursuits in the Sh?g Yflley district, but afterwards sold out bis interests there to his partner, Colonel Kitchener, and took up the Glenledi estate, neaT Milton, where he resided about 15 years. During the time the estate remained m his hands Mr Wayne spent very large sums on its improvement ; but it ia generally understood that the returns -he received did not by any means compensate him for the expenditure he made, and he eventually retired from farming pursuits and took up his residence in Milton, where he resided up to

the time of his death. During his residence here he carried on business as a general commission agent, and lately had been employed as sub-enumerator for the town in connection with the recent census. It was while engaged in the duties connected with th«t work that he was seized with the illness which, despite the best medical attention, terminated fatally. Mr Wayne was a, man of liberal education and a cultured mind, and during his long residence in the colony had taken a fair share -n its public affairs. He sat m the Houes of Representatives as member for Hampden for pome time, and had on different occasions occupied positions on minor local bodies. He was or.c of the oldest justices of the peace in the colony, anrl had for many years undertakei the duties of actingcoroner for the district when oecsion required He was also a prominent member and had occupied vrious positions m connection with his church, amongst others being that of lay leader. Mr Wayne was a gentleman of kindly disposition, ever courteous, an r ' always having a due regard for the feelings of others. In Irs public life he was characterised by the conscientious wav in which he fulfilled the duties which fell to his lot, while in his business relationships he was marked by extreme honesty and integrity. In shoit, he was as fine a specimen of a genuine Christian gentleman as it is possible to meet, and the colony generally, and this distuct m paiticular, is the poorer iiom hi 3 loss.

Water Supply — The proposal to introduce a water supply into Milton his leeched another stage, Mr Leslie Reynolds's repoit on the project having been laid before the Borough Council at its meeting held last Wednesday cvenwg_ Mr Reynolds examined four likely sources ot supply— the North Branch of the Tokomairiro River, the Upper and Lower Narrowdalc Creeks, and the watersheds of Mount Misery. He confined himself, however, to giving detailed estimates of two — the Noith Branch and the Lowei Narrowdale Creek, — the other two souices mentioned being considered unsuitable. By obtaining the supply from the Narrowdale Creek the length of main required would be ioui and a-half nules, as against seven and three-quaitpi miles necessary if obtained from the North Branch. On the other hand, the supp 1:'1 :' from the former source is likely to be deficient in ouantity in a dry summer, so that provision would hive to be made for a dam to ptore IC,OOO,OOOgaI and costing £2600. while the water being of an interior quality, filter-bsds and a service reservoir at an additional cost of £-2550 would also be required. The water from the North Branch being of excellent quality anrl of quite sufficient quantity, these two items of expenditure would be avoided if the suup y is obtained from thit source. Mr Reynolds's estimate of the cost of obta-iing » supply from the North Branch is £13,394, and from the Narrowdale Creek £15,195, and, after due consideration, he recommends the council to adopt the cheaper scheme. With regard to lighting the town, he estimates the cost of introducing water from the North Branch, combined with electr.cal power sufficient to run 750 le-cindle-power lights, or double the number of eight-candie-power lights, ?t, approximately, £24,250. After the report had been l°id before the council, a short discussion took place as to whether the initiative in the way of reform should b? takra by the present council, or whether it should be left m the hands of the new council to be e'ected shortly. It was eventually resolved, on the motion of Cr Taylor — " That the plans and specifications be left at the tow.i clerk's office, where they could be inspected by the ratepayers, and that a pub)ic meeting be arterwaids held to discuss the matter." The scheme is likely to be opposed by a certain cl<>9s of the ratepayers, though whether that opposition is strong enough to go to the trouble of electing a council opposed to it remains to be seen.