Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 258, 15 January 1941, Page 4

Local and General

Greetings to Troops,

Cablegrams conveying the greetings of the Borough and County of Whakatanc went forward during the Christmas break to the New Zealand troops on active service. Forty Chimneys Down at Ruatoki. It has been possible since the 'quake last weeic to obtain a corrcct count of ail the chimneys down in Ruatoki mid the figure is forty. Apart from this there were thirteen others damaged some of which will have to be dismantled. Swimmers at Ohope. Swimming is still indulged in by Ohope residents who in spite of the slight fall in temperature declare that the water is still as warm as ever. Since the weather calmed there were many bathers observed to be taking dips yesterday and on Tuesday. Automatic Ho»i*n, A resident of Ohope recently discovered to his alarm that every time his car turned one of the many bends on the beach approach road, his horn sounded without his touching it. Somewhat discomforted, if not a little guilty, he had the car examined and discovered that a small filing of steel had become lodged between the Avail and the live contact point and every time the wheel was turned out of the straight ahead position it caused an arc and sounded the horn. Patriotic Funds. In his report to the Tauranga County Council at its monthly meet ing on Friday, the Cou.nty Clerk, Mr H. Lewis., stated that it was interesting to note that the residents in. the County still continued their laudable efforts towards thfe Patriotic Funds Appeal, the amounts paid into the office to date amounting to £790 5s lid and £318 5s 3d subscribed to the Red Cross and Salvation Army Appeal, the principal subscribing committees being Otamarakau, Pukehina, Pongakawa, Paengaroa, Maketu., Rangataua, Gate Pa, Otumoetai, Te Puna and Omokoroa. It was possible that other districts might be making their donations in to other than the county office, he added.

Old Orchard Cut Down,

For a generation many Whakatanc district householders have obtained cheap supplies of localgrown fruit from the six acres of orchard at Thornton planted 25 years ago planted by the late Mr Alfred Sheat, who demonstrated that excellent fruit can be grown on the Rangitaiki Plains. Last winter all the apple and pear trees were cut down as they were no longer profitable, Avhile the stone fruit crop this season has been a failure owing to bad spring weather. Recently several motorists have wasted their benzine in making "fruitless" journeys to the orchard,, so the present owner, Mr "E. D. Sheat, has advertised that lie has no iongev any fruit for sale.