“Gazette" District News

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4388, 10 March 1922, Page 3

“Gazette" District News

WHAREPOA. NEED FOR DRAINAGE. DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL. A deputation waited upon the Thames County Council on Wednesday, relative to the need* of better drainage in the Wharepoa district. Cr. W. Brunton introduced the deputation. The spokesman, Mr H. L. Andrews, said he understood that in previous years the> rate had been paid out of the general rate, but this year- there was a drainage rate of 2d in the £. The settlers would not object, as long as the whole of the rate was spent in the riding. They wanted power to appoint a board of there or five members, under the Council, who could call tenders and see that the work was doner Regarding classification, some areas were classified “A,” which did not get as much benefit as other areas classified "B.” The Chairman (Mr H. Lowe) : Why did you not object within the specified time ? —We did not know of it. Mr Andrews also complained of the damage done by stock tp the drains. The Chairman: The owner of the stock has been requested to fence the drain. Mr Andrews : I understand that the ratepayers' money is being spent to pay half the cost of the fence. The Chairman : That is not correct. Cr. P. Faithful: Dp you not think it would be a fair thing that all the settlers on the” Onetai dr.ain should be made to fence ? —Yes. The work is costing 4s or 5s a chain more on account of the tramping in. Cr. Brunton said he had advocated drains until he had “drains on the brain.”. He thought it a pity that the drainage board having a district from. the Kau,aeranga River to the Hikutaia Creek? had not been pushed on. The Wharepoa group was the only one that was active. Personally he was willing to pay his . drainage rate. It would be the best expenditure he could make. He had .always done his whack ; in fact, he had don? drains for 2s a chain, getting through only two-'chains a day.

The chairman said the Council constituted a drainage board and acted fn accordance with the requests of groups, but the settlers had been apathetic. Moneys' collected in a drainage district would be spent in that district, and on drainage only. Money had frequently been spent out of the general fund for drainage work. The Council thought money should be raised especially for drain age. “You gentlemen have overdrawn your riding accounts year after year and that is why we have a large overdraft. One riding does not contribute enough in a year to make a mile of road, and we have 165 miles of roads to keep up. Are separate riding accounts kept ? asked Mr Andrews. The Chairman : Yes, and your riding account is overdrawn now. Your revenue is £6OO and you have already spent £699.’ Mr H. T. G. McElroy (County Clerk) said the drainage was on the boards for some years, and finally he took charge 'of it; a classification was made, and opportunity was given for objections. It would be quite illegal to spend Wharepoa drainage money in any other district, or on any work other than drainage. The rates coL lfectable this year, would be £450, and the work to be undertaken in the fol\ lowing order: Onetai drain, Centre, Wharepoa ’ South, the Handley-fWin-der, clearing willows in Omahu creek. Nex*- year flood-gates would be tackled. The need was to bring the drain beds down to their original levels.

Mr Darrow said that three hours of rain flooded the drains because they had been neglected. The mullock had been thrown up on the edge of the drain and fell, in again, and thus the expenditure was wasted. Cr. A. Alley considered that not one Wharepoa settler had room for complaint. Hikutaia end was prepared to help Wharepoa end to the extent of £lOO. If drains were not cleaned the property was worthless, but if the drains were kept clean the land was worth as much as any in New Zealand. The chairman remarked that Cr. Alley, with Cr, Brunton, had worked hard to get £5OO for the Wharepoa Road, but the Government would hot. subsidise., Cr. Brunton said he had not been invited to a meeting that had been held. A speaker said an oversight had oc-. curred. THAMES. THE WATER SUPPLY. Some members of the Thames County Council fondly hoped that the Thames Borough' Council would jump at the chance of purchasing the County water race, but so (far the Borough Council has proven rather heavy-footed at tlie jump. Since it has been getting its water for years at a cost below production and retailing it at a profit, the Borough Council is n'ot likely to saddle itseL with an additional burden of capital expenditure, besides a rise in rates to consumers. Even if in a years’ time, when the present, agreement as to price expires, the County Council puts the charge up ,the Borough Council can simply raise the rate and still make a profit without increasing capital expenditure. WHAT OF THE FUTURE ?

But. after all, a borough like Thames, with over 5000 inhabitant's and likely to develop still further, should certainly be the actual 'own'er of the town water supply. Morally, as well as from motives of policy. *t should acquire the race. Morally, because it is unfair that the County should be compelled to continue shouldering the burden and taking the risks now that the residential area of Parawaii and Block 27 is in Thames Borough l , and the County is really only a glorified road board area ; from policy, because the Borough should get the source of the

supply because the inhabitants should not be dependent on any outside body for such a vitally important com-, modify as water—especially if the borough is (going to become more thickly populated. The failure of the Borough Council to acquire the water race is rather a bad .advertisement for Thames, as it-would seem to indicate that the Borough councillors are doubtful of their town ever extending to any greater dimensions. There is another very important point to consider ; namely, that owing to financial stringency the Borough could acquire the water race more cheaply now than it is ever likely to be able to do in the future. Public men should be concerned more with the future than the present." In this instance too great a regard for the ha pence will mean the shelling out of pounds by posterity in the Bort ough of Thames.

NGATEA. SCHOOL COMMITTEE. At a meeting of the Ngatea School Committee on Wednesday, Mr W. McDuff occupying the chair, a resolution was passed thanking all those who helped to make Monday’s picnic a success. The parents and those who supplied food, Messrs W. J. Clare and W. G. Hayward, who put cars at the committee’s disposal, and’ Mr T. Wheeler; who acted as host to the picnickers were specially mentioned in the vote of thanks. A donation of £1 had been received from Mr J. H. Nicholson for prizes. Mr McDuff was deputed to wait on the memorial committee in an endeavour to arrange a meeting to enable the school committee to express its views regarding the form of a memorial. OVERCROWDING OF SCHOOL. The fact that no move has yet been made by the Education Board tb enlarge' the Nsate a school is causing the local school committee to show a little anxiety concerning the health of the children, especially during the coming winter months. What was once the school sheltershed is now being used as a classroom, and still there are nearly twice the number of children on the roll that there should be if the health of the pupils is to be considered. With no place to eat their lunches and nowhere, to put their wet. saddles and coats, and no shelter during the play hours except the classrooms, the lot of the Ngatea school children during the winter months will not be a happy one, and should call for some drastic move on the part of the .house-: holders.

At the school committee meeting on Wednesday evening, Mr W. McDutf presiding, a letter from the Education -Board stated that the inspectors had reported that while the matter was an urgent one, it was not very urgent. The Board would go on with the erecton of a shelter-shed when funds were available. The committee was by no means satisfied with the state af affairs, and it was suggested that the committee should take possession of the old shelter-sheg, at present being Ijised as a class-room, and turn it intp its former use of a slielteh-shed. The children occupying that building would then be sent home till sucu time as additions were made. This was only a suggestion, however, and in the meantime the secretary is to write to the Education Board in strong terms, telling the members of the board that they should resign if they cannot make accommodation for the children jn a reasonable manner. Some health circulars from the Education Board advising the school committee to see that the grounds we r e kept clean and to burn all rubbish called for criticism from the committee men. who thought it was adding insult to-injury, failing to provide healthful accommodation and yet instructing how to reserve healthy surroundings. A GOOD TEST,. An exceptionally good test is reported from Ngatea. The. usual test for a cow is about 4, but Mr Davidt son recently had tested a cow which gave a test as high as 12. A BOLD ASSERTION. It is an old saying that ‘‘familiarity breeds contempt” ; lots of truth in it, top. A good fellow always “wears well,” and so it is with many things in everyday life. The good things wear well; they last, increase in popularity. Praise must be earned, and praise for Doan’s Backache Kidney Pills has been ‘justly earned in New Zealand? Year after year their good work has continued, and there are few householders not familial’ with the name of Doan. It’s a bold assertion ‘o make that nothing in modern medicine can show such a record. But the proof of it lies .'it the endorsement of people we know. Here’s a case :— Mr E. Woods, builder, Seddon Street, Waihi, says : “Having proved that Doan’s Backache Kidney Pilis are a first-rate remedy for backache and other ills arising from disordered kidneys, I have much pleasure in recommending them to other sufferers. My back used .to ache a good deal, and I could not st.oop or move freely without feeling a sharp, stabbing pain through my kidneys. Notwithstand-.. ing the fact that I always felt tired and sleepy during the day, when night came on I could not get proper rest, and it was beginning to tell on me. One day I was advised to take a course of Doan’s Backache Kidney return of my old complaint since Doan’s Backache Kidney Pills cured me some years ago. My experience proves that Doan’s Pills give las H r.g benefit.”

Two years later Mr Woods says : “J am pleased to tell you I have had oo Pills, so I got some at once. After using them for a few days I began to improve, and from then on my recovery was assured, four bottles of the Pills curing me completely.” Doan’s Backache Kidney Pills are sold by all chemists and storekeepers at 3s per bottle, or will be posted on receipt of price by Foster-McClellan Co., 15 Hamilton 'Street, Sydney. But, be sure you get DOAN’S.