District News

Southland Times, Issue 19471, 26 November 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

District News

■itFromi Our Own Correspondents.) GORE. A meoting of the Gore Cycling Club was held in Woods' shop on Tuesday. , The report of the recent sports was presented, showing ja. credit of £6 Is, and the club is now jquite out of dent. It was arranged to hold a road race on the 30th! inst, from Gore to Mataura and back, open to all-comers. Gore ia particularly strong an sports clubs, with tennis, bowling, chess, draughts, cycling, harriers, racing and trotting clubs, bosides other societies. The Band of Hope Union is holding a competition on 26th and 27th December, •wjilch promises to be a great success. About 100 entries are in already, and the date of closing is not until 10th December. The Union represents 12 societies, and prizes are given for singing, reciting, reading, impromptu speaking, and pianoforte playing. Mr Burton (Dunedin) is to be the judge of the reciting-, reading and speaking, and Mr B. G-. Macpherson (Wyndham) of the music. The Gore loan (municipal), which was advertised during the last few weeks, was over-subscribed by ' £13,000, which shows there must be plenty of money in our colony yet, despite the cry of shortness. MATAURA. A special meeting of the Borough ' Council was held on the 22nd inst. The Mayor (Mr J. Lowden) occupied the choir, and there were also present Councillors Cameron, Heslin, Balneaves, Murley, Walton and J. Lowden, junr. It was resolved to extend contract No.. 45 so as to asphalt the footpath the full width' at contract pirice per jnrd. E. Cameron, secretary of the Mataura Athletic Society, wrote asking permission to use the recreation reserve and charge admission on Boxing Day. — Granted. It was resolved to call tenders for contract No. 4G (37 chains asphalting), up to 29th inst. The Mayor was appointed delegate to t&e Charitable Aid elections on the 23rd, and also to tho Hospital Trust election on oth December. The Mayor was authorised t.j appear at the Court on behalf of the Council in the action Mataura Borough Council v. Marshall Bros., to be heard at Goro on 24th inst. W. Humphries' application to lease section 12, block 2, was granted. NIAGARA. On tho 19th inst., a small but representative gathering of settlers assembled in the schoolroom to discuss what measures should be taken to get the telephone extended to this distrtict. Mr Robson, the convenor of the meeting, having been hj.iud to take the chair, Mr Coster, the secretary of tho Jocal branch of the Railway League, availed himself of the 'opportunity of making the meeting acquainted with the steps that had been taben to advance the cause of the Seaward Bush railway, and read the resolution which Had 1 been passed, and of which a copy had been forwarded to the . Minister, together with a petition praying the •'xoyernment to proceed with the railway by whatever route they should deem most advisable. The question of the telephone was tfien introduced by the CHairman, mid as the meeting was altogether of *one mind that electric communication with Invercargill was imperatively demanded by the growing industries of the district, the following resolution was speedily drawn up and adopted, the mover being Mr McKay (representing Messrs MofTett and Sons, sawmillers, Waikawa), and the seconder Mr Coster, of Waikawa Valley :— "That immediate application be . made to the Honourable the Postmaster-General, askw ing to have telephonic communication extended to this district at as early a date as possible, with connections at Otara, Tokonui, Quarry Hills, 'Waikawa Volley, Niagara and Waikawa." In support of the above. It is pointed out for the Minister's consideration that this district includes 'several important farm, settlements which are now^ self-sup-porting; that there are several new industries recently started, * such as sawmilling, flaxmilling, etc., which are paying considerable amounts in royalties, and in consequence of *" these industries and the general prosperity of the district, the population has considerably increased; MessW:Robson, &■ Murdoch; McKay, Ctoster. Haldane, Croabie, and McColgan were Ijecteil &; committee to communicate wittff the i. othe£ districts interested, and to take such. j <neasures aB they deemed fittest to 'atlMh the otject sought, with the'clettst possible delay*