“GAZETTE” DISTRICT NEWS BUDGET.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4377, 13 February 1922, Page 3

“GAZETTE” DISTRICT NEWS BUDGET.

KOMATA BEEFS. EUCHRE AND DANCE. On Saturday a most enjoyable evening was spent in progressive euchre and dancing at the hall. Mrs P. Ryan won the lady’s prize, while Mr F. Waite was the successful gentleman. Dancing followed the euchre, and the cbo'l night was ideal. Judging from appearances, the young people thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and they certainly did justice to the good supper provided. FLOOD DAMAGE. . Considerable damage was done in Komata by the floods. Few realise the violence of a flood in these hilly districts. The water ' rose six , feet in an hour, and the tearing rapids, alone fearsome, became indeed a terrible menace when huge logs, many feet through* came swirling down liks matchwood. Everything movable-— cattle, fences, bridges, etc.i—was swept before the terrific onrush. On Wednesday the school was unable to open, as the sch.oo'l bridge, was wash-< ed away. -The school summer house fern house shared a similar fate. Of course there ,Is the other side —about an 111 wind. Well, we have heaps pf firewood. The old settlers say that it was the worst flood experienced here for 25 years. , • ' KEBEPEEHI. PERSONAL. Mr and Mrs McMorrin, of Auckland, Mrs E. Watson, of Thames, and Mr.P. Watson, of Auckland, made a holiday visit to Kerepeehi on Wednesday, inspecting the' works and making a trip up tlie Piako River. Mr McMorrin is a drainage engineer'from the Auckland officej of the Lands Department. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE 1 . The Ngatca postal committee, which controls the 30-odd subscribers to the Ngatea telephone exchange, recently received a communication from the district telegraph engineer, Auckland, asking for a meeting of intending telephone subscribers to be called. Mr McDuff, secretary of the commit--tee, has replied stating that it would be difficult to have a large meeting, but suggests .that a canvass .of! the district may result in 80 or 100 subscribers being obtained within a radius of about, seven or eight miles of the Ngatea post office. It is the intention of the Department to take over the private lines at Ngatea. HIKUTAIA.

TIMBER EXPORT. The considerable production of timber in the Hikutaia district is having a good effect on the commercial life of the township, and large quantities k of milled timber are exported weekly. Residents anticipate that the place will get a fillip when the proposed Netherton-Hikutai,a bridge is con : structed, thus drawing much more ■ traffic from the Plains into Hikutaia. i ' —— NG ATE A. FACTORY SUPPLY. With the 'flush of the dairying over and the season drawing on the 4 supply to the Ngatea factory is not as great as in the spring, but though the sup- . ply has fallen off a little, the factory hands are still kept continually busy. THE SOIL. An instance of what the s,wamp lancf will grow is seen in a vegetable 1 garden at Ngatea. where there is a f huge cabbage, the heart of which is fully 36 inches in circumference. Strawberries and a/1 kinds of fruit trees and vegetables are also flourish'-* ing in this particular garden, which is well sheltered with trees and , hedges. LADIES’ SHOW MEETING. A large number of Ngatea ladies attended a meeting on Saturday (afternoon to make arrangements for refreshments on Show day (next Satun I day) for the judges/ and other showofficials. The ladies fully discussed, the arrangements and appeared verjenthusiastic over, the work, so that the show committee may feel confident that' matters pertaining to the inner man will be efficiently attended to. TENNIS MEETING. A meeting of tennis enthusiasts ♦ was held at Ngatea on Saturday to endeavour to revive the Ngatea ten- - nis club. As little information regarding the club was ascertainable it was decided to hold another meet-: ing when the club’s books would be produced and the past affairs clearly outlined; There is no reason why a strong club could not be formed at Ngatea, as it is a larger centre than some places which have recently shown considerable activity. The Ngatea tennis players at present use a court i on the "school grounds. If a ’strong " ' club were existent it could obtain courts of its own. Mr W. G. Hayward stated recently- that he would give the club some ground if he was sure . that there would be a strong and energetic club to put down the courts and control them. , £ ’ , NETHERTON. THE HALL FUNDS. , With a commendable spirit of activity the controlling body of the Neth-i v erton Hall is organising various forms of entertainment in order io augment the hall funds. Dancing classes have been edmemneed, the first being held last week, when about 45 attended. A picture benefit and a dance have also been arranged. HAYMAKING. Haymaking is practically all over in the Netherton district, and many L fine sta'cks are in evidence. The aftergrowth has come on with amazing rapidity, and Mr T. Vowies, who has been in the district for a number of a years, gays that during the time he f has lived there he has not seen grass k grow as it is growing at present.

TURUA. TOWN DISTRICT PROCEDURE. The residents' of Turua, where steps were recently taken, with success, for the formation of a town district, may be interested in the history of a similar movement at Leeston, Canterbury, where, as at Turua, there were a number of persons who signed both petitions, for and against the proposal. In the Leeston case, according to the “Ellesmere Guardian,” 86 signatures were required to make the two-; thirds in favour, necessary for the carrying of the proposal. This number was secured, but was nullified owing to' the fact £hat some of the signatories had signed both petitions. These names were 'disqualified by law, and the petition quashed. In commenting on the case, one of the solicitors remarked : "Apparently ‘Mr Fac| ing Both Ways’ was to be met witll in every community, and in the LeesA ton ease he assumed an importance’ that it [the law] never intended he should occupy.” , , PATETONGA. FOOTBALL DANCE. The Patetonga footballers held a most successful - and enpoyabl'e social and dance in the hall on Friday evening. Nearly 100 guests were entertained to a good musical programme, the various items being rendered at appropriate intervals between the dances. The musical programme was contributed by Mrs Cotter (songs), Misses Tizard (violin solo) and Cotter (accompaniments), Messrs W. Higgins (recitation), Henry (■song), Wallace (spng), and' Master B. Douslin (song). The dance music was supplied by Mrs Henry and Mrs Cawd-, well. Messrs H. V.- Maukes and A. Paton were M’s.C. A euchre tournament was also conducted during the evening and the lady’s first prize (a rolling-pin) went to Mrs Heineman, while the gentleman’s prize -(a shaving outfit) was Won by Mr Heineman. Mrs Douslev and Mr H. Johes won other prizes. A guessing competition, for a hat was won by) Maurice Costello. On behalf of the football club Mr J. Costello gave an address, and pointed out the large cost incurred in travelling, expenses to Ngatea, where most of the matches were playedPatetonga had only a couple of home matches.

As a result of the evening’s success, the football club’s funds should benefit by abdut £l6. ' NEW TELEPHONE CONNECTION. From to-day the Patetonga post ioffice which is connected, only with Thames, will also be Connected with Morrinsville for telephonic communication ■ Most of the party lines at Patetonga have been installed, and the subscribers are now awaiting connection with an exchange at Patetonga.. Subscribers as far north as Kaihere (Ngarua end) will be connected with Patetonga when the lines are connected up. , . PATETONGA-PAEROA -ROAD. Che residents of Patetpnga, equally with those of, P,aeroa, are as keenly desirous as ever that something further should be done to advance the project of the proposed direct road to Paeroa. The people of Patetonga can see the electric lights of Paeroa quite plainly of an evening, and would greatly like to have the means of direct access, giving them a quick outlet to the railway junction, facilities for . secondary school education, and ultimately the use of the maternity hospital and casualty ward which must'be erected in Paeroa before very long. No doubt the first favourable opportunity will be taken for renewing the agitation on behalf of a project which must inevitably come to fruition sooner or later. v WAIKINO. REPAIRING THE DAMAGE., On various portions of the road to and from Waikino, men have been employed lately repairing the damage caused .by the recent flood, which, caused havoc in some places with its unprecedented violence. Between. Karangahake and Waikino a great bight was washed put of the road, and this portion is fenced to guard against accidents. WAITEKAURI. ROMANCE OF THE PAST. The stranger visiting Waitekauri might hardly credit that a few years ago this little township was a busy hive of mining industry, where men. of many nationalities gathered ip the quest for gold. The buildings now look very dilapidated, but Nature has '-been-kind to Waitekauri, for it is a. pretty place, with its hills covered in native shrubbery, the township nesti ling in a secluded basin between thp hilis. In the district around farming is carrie'd on very successfully, the land responding fairly generously on. the flats to cultivation. The road out is steep, but the views compensate the traveller for his trouble. KAIHERE. PARLIAMENTARY TOUR. Working on the assumption that the Parliamentarians would be touring the Hauraki Plains at the end of this month or at the beginning of next, the Kaihere people have been making preparations. It has been suggested that a gala day be hold to celebrate the occasion. At a meeting of the deputation corns mittee Mr A. B. McDonald was elected chairman and Mr E. Harris secretary. An entertainment committee was formed at a meeting on Wednesday evening, consisting of the following: Messrs A. G. Davis, C. Hooper, D. Cowdrey, E. McDonald, N. Torr, H. Walters, and G. Sexton. ' A further meeting of the committee will be held when a definite date for the tour has been announced. A meeting of ladies is to be held shortly. *