Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 81, 15 June 1943, Page 4

Local and General

Holiday for Native Schools Monday next June 21 will be regarded as a holiday l'or all native schools in this area as a gesture towards the investment of the late Lieut. Moani-nui-a-kiwa Ngarimu with the Empire's most highly prized award, for valour —the Victoria CrosN. Gisborne-Auckland Rail In answer to the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce query relative to the advisability of recommending the completion of the GisborneAuckland rail connection, the Whakatane Harbour Hoard' decided at its last meeting to recommend that the trunk railway be completed. Red Cross and Patriotic Shop The wonderful results experienced from the Red Cross and Patriotic shop for the past Jive months and recorded in our last issue as £(>lO 8s 10d, have been inadvertantly ascribed to the revenue from the 'Red Cross Shop' which though the popular title to the establishment is definitely uneorreet. The official title is the. Red Cross and -Patriotic Shop and as .such should have headed the article. Correction In issue of Tuesday, June 8 Ave reported Cr L. Luxton as, having said at the meeting of the Whakatane County Council that if the present rate was maintained it would be encumbent on the council to assist fanners when labour was avail able. By this statement Cr Luxton meant that this assistance should be given farmer ratepayers by way of a reduced rate and not by" direct financial means a.s the report inferred. Postponed Marriage When it was stated at Wednesday's sitting of the Opotiki Forces Appeal Board, that a reservist had lour children, the chairman said it was noticed that in 1941 he was listed as single, and questioned the. information. Mr Hodgson assured the chairman that it was quite correct that reservist had four; children. "He liad just postponed getting married, that is all,'' said Mr Hodgson, to the accompaniment of. sounds of amusement from the. Courtroom.

Importation of Butter Boxes The importation from America of 2,000,000 butter boxes in shooks, amounting to 8,000,000 board feet of timber, was a matter of vital importance to West Coast timber workers discussed at a meeting of the National Council. Mr F. L. Turley, secretary, reported, to a recent meeting of the Westland branch of the Timber Workers' Union. The conference had considered, he said, that before , this class of material was brought into the country from the supply of New Zealand timber should be properly organised, the general opinion being that the Forestry Department had fallen down on its job to allow such a state of affairs, to exist. The council would welcome from the responsible authorities a statement explaining why ...the position was allowed to develop, as the imports could not have been landed at under 35s a hundred, board measurement, totalling £140,000 New Zealand value. Native Rate Collection Giving his impressions after three years of NativC rate collecting, Mr A. O. Stewart, in his report to the Whakatane County Council stated

that the collector must aim to gain the confidence of the client by showing him that the collector is there for the mutual good of the client and the Rating Authority. There are many ways whereby the collector may show his willingness to help. For instance, giving the Native particulars of title of his land and if land is lying idle offering to help him find a suitable lessee; or where he is willing himself to pAy the rates hut not having the funds, advise him as to ways and means of financing, or paying by instalments. Again, the collector could assist by offering to approach someone who may have had use of the land and who should have paid the rates thereon and urging payment by him. In doing these things, it has always been a genuine desire on my part to assist them -wherever I could.