LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4299, 3 August 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Paeroa Beautifying Society has decided to purchase the band rotunda at Karangahake and ’.to re-erec,t ic immediately in front of the old site of the firebell.

A war memorial in Paeroa- is long overdue, but better late than never. The Borough Council has the matter in hand, and it is probable that certain suggestions towards rectifying the omission will shortly be made public.

Juveniles are now to be admitted as members of the Paeroa Beautifying Society. It is stated that the scholars of the Paeroa District High School are displaying a most laudable desire to beautify the environs_of the school. In this object the Society wishes to give them every encouragernent.

The wandering cattle nuisance now has a redoubtable opponent in the Paeroa Beautifying Society. On Saturday night a straying animal,, it is alleged, did a certain amount of damage to the beds on the rockery at the Methodist Church'corner, and the Society has decided, with reluctance, to take legal proceedings against the owner.

“That which is wrong with Paeroa, as with many other towns,” said a public citizen in the course of a chat on local affairs, “is that the burden of things is being carried by the few. There are many people having a stake in ,the town who never take an active part in anything.” A companion remarked that Paeroa was now just at the stage when a little more push and practical public spirit w0u.1.1 send the place definitely ahead on the road of progress.

The attention of shareholders of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. (Thames Valley Ward), is drawn to Mr H. O. Cooper’s notice in our advertising columns tp-day. Mr Cooper has been a resident of the Waihou district for some years past, and has held many public positions. Prior to going to Waihou district he resided ’"near the Thames. He is familiar with ’the work, having spent some nine years as a director of the Waikato Dairy Company. At the present time he is one of the Thames Harbour Board members, and i» recognised as an able member.. He is out for economy and efficiency of administration.

“The people of Paeroa are among the best givers in New Zealand,” said a resident in conversation with fellow citizens a day or two ago. “They subscribed £4OOO for war purposes as a grand finale to five years of giving, beating a larger, neighbouring town by some hundreds of pounds.” “Yes/' remarked another, “that is so, but the drain of subscriptions has been very heavy and people are feeling the pinch now. Nevertheless, thej’ would subscribe liberally once more if a war memorial were the object.”

Doubt is expressed Dy the Police as to whether or not .they have power to prosecute owners of wandering cattle or horses that do damage to certain work done by the Pae’roa Beautifying and Improvement Society. For instance, it is held that the rockery at the Methpdist Church corner is on private property, and could be fenced in at any time, though < f course no one expects any such course to be taken. The police point out that even a municipal hall, owned by a borough council; is only "public,” within the meaning of the law, when being “used for a public meeting or entertainment, Ir certainly seems that a definition of the term "public place” would be very interesting.