Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 85, 29 June 1943, Page 4

Local and General

Strong Man Feats One of the; highlights of the Matata sports last Saturday was the strong man feat put up by a local Dalmatian who not only tore packing cases to pieces with liisl teeth but also bent and bro'ke off short 6" bridge, spikes by the same means. His concluding stunt was the balancing of a glass of water on jLhe end of a form, again held in liis toQ;th. Slips in Waioeka Gorge As a result of the heavy rain early in the week, a big slip came down in the Waioeka Gorge at Chilcotts r about. 15 miles from Matawai. The slip interrupted traffic between Opotiki and Gisborne for some time. The Motu road was also blocked about, the same time by several slips but all have now been cleared. With the sodden state of the hillsides further slipping can be expected at any time.

Lecture To-day AiVahgenients have been made for Mrs Johnson, Organiser for the' Auckland. University Adult Education Centre, to give an address in the Presbyterian Hall, King Street, to-day at 2.30 p.m. The address which is dedicated mainly to women in the Borough will bq based on the. important subject "Woman's Part in the Post War World." War Loan Contributions Up to Monday last, the Gisborne postal district had contributed the sum of £122,215 towards the. £35,000,000 war loan, this sum representing 24 per cent of the objective for the district. The number of contributors was given as 410, out of a population of 40,000. Two areas of I he. Dominion had readied only 11 per cent, of their objective, while the highest was. 38 per cent.,, this being Auckland area. The total number >f applications in the whole. Dominion area was 19,461. Approximately a million pounds a day is required to reach the objective of* £35,000,000 by the closing date of the. loan.

£400 Profit Anticipated The Mat at a Patriotic sports meeting realised, a gross total of £550. It is anticipated by the committee that alter meeting all expenses the committee, will net a clear £4-00—a substantial contribution towards the district's quota. Horse Breaks Leg The only unfortunate feature of the sports meeting at Matata occurred. when a promising young jumper owned by Dr Bertram of Rotorua fell and broke its; leg and had to be destroyed. The accident had, quite ''a dampening effect upon the assemblage doubt as to feelings of the large crowd of specta-, tors. New Hospital Subsidy At the last meeting* of the Whakatane County Council the County Clerk reported that he had conferred with Mr Ai Brklgcr, Secretary of the Bay of Plenty Hospital Board, to the effect of increased per bed subsidy of 6s to 9s. Mir Bridger had stated that provided the increased subsidy applied to a lull year, the Whakatanc County Council rate levy

would be reduced by £1085. In answer to a question as to what this council's annual commitment would be in regard to the proposed £45,000 hospital loan, Mr Bridger advised that the Whakatanc County Council's annual share ol' interest and principal would be about £1000 to £1080. Tlie 1943/44 ho.'lPjital estimates made, provision for one instalment of interest and sinking fund on the loan. An Early Flood Boxes,, packing cases and general litter strewn haphazard across the Strand, which was. itself covered by a thick layer of silt, are the main features of a photograph handed us by Mr W. R. Sloane. The picture shows the Strand after the heavy flood in 1917, when it was estimated something like two fe.et of water poured through the shops. We notice that Messrs Bridgers Ltd. occupied the building which is now Cutlers Hardware and also that Mr Geo. Caisley shared his establishment with a chemist. The present drycleaning establishment near the Post Office was occupied by Finlay's, house furnishers and. Importers while, a Land and Estate Agency stood near the. B.N.Z. office which has remained the same. The photograph is an interesting record in itself which gives some indication of the good 'old mrin Hoods' which the town had to endure; tin the earlier days. . ; Rev. Keith Watson Writes A further letter from Rev. Keith Watson AVho is now a prisoner of war in Italy has reached us. It .reads:. A few weeks, ago I sent you a letter regarding the formation of a Kirk Session at this camp, comprising four Presbyterian Chaplains, (two Scottish, one South African and myself) and one elder—Captain Carl Ferguson of Ellerslie, Auck- | land. On Sunday afternoon, January 3 of this year we held an ordina- j tion service, whon four officers were # j ordained as elders: three' S. Africans and one New Zealander, Major Sydney Hanton, of. St. Andrew's, Wanganui. The Moderator, the Rev. John Birnie-Allan of Old Gourock, Scotland, presided. It was an inspiring service; at the conclusion of it the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was celebrated, of which least one hundred- of the congregation partook. At present we are holding a communicant's iclass—the four Presbyterian Chaplains taking various sections of it. Three classes are held during the week in (1) Origin and compilation of the Bible; (2) Dcvo- t tional Bible Study; (3) Fundamentals of the Christian Faith, We ha,ve excellent, lectures and classes oji various educational subjects and are fortunate in. having amongst us some university professors and lecturers. The social side is well catered for in concerts and plays, some of which are high class. Best wishes to you for your work. I hope Church life at home is vital and strong."