LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4389, 13 March 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr W. M. Cullen advertises ffor sale for £3O cash a handy little residence site within two minutes’ walk of the Paeroa railway station.. Particulars of this property are advertised in Mr Cullen’s advertising space on ou>’ fourth page.

Tn the Paeroa Borough Council's Finance Committee's report of last meeting the town clerk (Mr P. C. Furley) forecasts that the Council should have practically no “ante-, cendent liability” by March 31.

The Railway Department draws attention in the advertising columns of this issue to a special advertisement in connection with train arrangements for the Paeroa races, on March 17 and 18, 1922.

Word was received in Paeroa this morning that! Mr D. W. McArthur had died at his home at Northcote, Auckland, this morning. Deceased was well known amongst the older settlers of this and Waihi districts. He was for two separate terms engineer to the Ohinemuri County, and for quite a number of years was engineer to the Waihi Borough, and later Piako County engineer. For the past few years he has been in private practice in Auckland.

As* an instance of the appalling backwardness of this town in some resnects it may be mentioned that the telephone exchange is closed on Sundays and holidays, and in the case of sickness or death no telephonic communication can be secured with outside towns, save as a great favour. This shortcoming often means great anxietly to persons in trouble, and is certainly a matter tihe Paeroa Chamber of Commerce might ber-.l its energies towards the betterment of.

Word was received in Paeroa this morning that Mr W. H. Malcolm, who was for some time custodian of the ©hinemuri Chib, died at the Waihi Hospital this morning.

At the recent meeting of Netherton butter and aheese suppliers satisfaction was expressed at the NZ. Co-pperative Dairy Company’s trading department. Mr Considine proposed that the directors should be urged to keep that department open as the settlers were saving a consid 1 - erable amount* by that department. Mr Barnett seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. Mr Sinclair said the company had been asked by some suppliers to have that department closed, and he was gratified at the meeting’s decision.

The collection made last Friday on behalf of the Auckland Province Or-i pihan Fund Campaign by the local committee resulted in an approximate sum of £9O. Full details oi this will be published in our issue on Wednesday. The effort is not concluded, and the secretary, Rev. W. J. Enticoti, or this paper., will be glad to acknowledge further amounts.

It is stated that the stop-;b.anking system adopted in this district is based on the experience of similar work in China, on the Yangtsekiang River, where the stop-banks are of great height and the bed of tihe river in some places above the level of tihe surrounding country. The v result is that when the river breaks through the whole countryside is inundated and thousands of Chinese are drowned. A similar, fate appears to be in store for this district unless the Ohinemuri and Waihou are dredged from the mouth upwards. Thousands of drains, great and small, now pour water and debris into the lower reaches, and this, combined with the up-country water and silt and pumice, are more than the river can handle unaided. Training is needed to assist Nature.