Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 54, 25 August 1939, Page 4

Local and General

COUNTY FINANCES The clerk reported to the Whakatane County Council at Tuesday meeting that £1617 Ss 2d had been received as the 1938-39 rate subsidy. The previous year £1611 8s 7d was received. Accounts amounting to £3079 3s 3d were passed for payment. RATES European rates outstanding as a\ August 11, 1939, amounted to £2402 18s sd, according to a statement tabled at Tuesday's meeting of the Whakatane County Council. Of this amount £1647 5s 9d was owing for 1938-39, £441 9s 4d for 1937-38, £94 18s 3d for 1936-37 and £219 5s Id for years as far back as 1931-32. PLANTING AT OIIOPE The Whakatane County Council will replant the burnt.out spur at the Ohope Domain; with ( Five Finger trees, as these are stated to be lire resisting. The eastern Ohope reseive will be retained as a picnic grouiuV and the necessary tree clumps planted to provide shade.

STATE HOUSES The following have been the successful applicants for the five Whakatane State houses now ready for tenancy: Messrs W. Tod man, A. E. B. Guptill, W. G. Henderson ) AV. E. Hanlon, R. C. Wilson. PETROL TAX The recent increase in the petrol tax will, it is cost the Whakatane County Council an addi - tional £350 a year, made up of £lt»0 on the planers, £34 on the grader and £156 on the trucks. These figures were contained in the engineer's report, tabled at Tuesday's meeting of the council. TAUPO TRAGEDY The six children of Mr and Mrs Edward Biddle, Maoris employed at the Maori land development settlement between Tokaanu and Taupo were burned to death .on Tuesday night when the hut in which they were sleeping was destroyed bj* fire, Great sympathy will be felt foj*,the parents by Maoris and Europeans in this district. MATATA MATTERS A complaint that rubbish was being dumped over the side of the high way through Matata was before the Whakatane County Council when it considered the minutes of the works committee at its meeting on Tuesday. The engineer asked the council to have this practiec stopped, as it was ultimately intended to widen, the highway and have a suitable row of trees planted. -Attention was again drawn to leaking water mains which were destroying the bitumen surface. The committee recommend, ed that the dumping of rubbish be referred to the health inspector with instructions to confer with Cr F. J.. Burt and take action, and also that the Edgecumbe rubbish.' dump, should receive his attpntion,, . s .

AFTER THE DANCE .. An overcoat and a lady's bag were left in the Winter Show Hall after Tuesday 'night's successful Hard-up Ball. The owners can get them* on application to Mr J. G. Mulholland, The secretarythe ball committee. BUSY BEES The drone of bees made one look up with surprise as one passed a section near the Commercial Hotel. A pussy willow was fully out, and in the warm sunshine yesterday morn, ing bees by the score were busy among the heavily-pollened tufts of yellow. . RUGBY PLAYERS There has been some comment over the absence of E. Howell and Aliipene from the Bay of Plenty team to play Poverty Bay to.morrow. However, both these men are playing in the Tairawhiti team at Gisborne. The New Zealand selector J Mr E. McKenzie, is watching the game. He is to select the New Zealand Maori team to meet the Fijians. TE PUKE INGLESIDE Whakatane and Rotorua Scots visited the Te Puke Scottish Society last Saturday for an enjoyable and spectacula.r Inglcside when the chiefs were piped to the dais in traditional fashion. The visiting chieftains were Chief J. H. McDowell, Rotorua, and Chief W. Simons Whakatane. Dane ing was interspersed with Scots items, the marching and • countermarching of the Rotorua Pipe Band being particularly enthusiastically received.