LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4397, 31 March 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The public--stand erected in the main street will be officially opened this evening at 7j15 o’clock.. The Salvation Army Band will give a few selections, and the Mayor will declare the stand open for public use under the 'direction of the Beautifying Society. Mr C. Smithi, owner driver pf a motor lorry at Hikutaia, received a rather severe electric shock during the recent atmospheric electrical disturbance. In the same district two cows were electrocuted. “If the returned soldiers can plart ■trees by way oY relief work, .as the Prime Minister suggests, they can put up stop-banks, which would be more immediately prpflt.able,’’’ said Mr W. D. Keys, secretary of the Rotokohu Ratepayers’ Association at a social evening last night*. On Monday night at the Salvation Army Hall a service of song, entitled “The Four Seasons,” will be rendered in conjunction with several musical items contributed by the band, following which all fruit, vegetables, etc., will he auctioned. Ice-'cream for sale. Open Monday afternoon for the benefit of the school children. Of latter years people had been depending too much on Government assistance, and this .sapped their selfreliance, said the Deputy-Mayor, Mr E. Edwards, a.t the annual meeting of the Tirohia-Rotokphu Ratepayers' Association last night.

A man named T. O’Connor, a millhand working at Mr R. Phillips’ mill at Komata, met .with a nasty accident a few days agpj It appears that, the mill being idle for the day, O , ’Connor went io work on a farm for the day, and was untying -a horse when the anima! pulled back. Ttie' rope became twisted around the man’s fingers, with the result that he lost part of the third finger of ttie left hand and the whole of the small digit. He was driven medical attendance ‘and sent to the Waihi Hospital.

Signposts have been elected at various important corners on the Hauraki Plains. While indicatfing the direction of z the settlements, there is one point which is lacking—that the posts fail to indicate that the PaeroarNetjherton-N gatea-W aitakaruru- road is the main route to Auckland. Perhaps the Lands Department, which erected the posts, thinks this unnecessary, but to motorists who are strangers to the district difficulties and delay-may be caused by this .omission.

A new pupil teacher in an Auckland district school is making herself acquainted with the names of the pupils. She comes .to a nice lit-' tie boy, ( and' asks; “What is your name ?" and the little chap replies, “Massey, Miss.” “Any relation to the Prime Minister ?” The little chap isn’t up to the meaning of Prime Minister, but the next boy chips in, “He’s got a brother named Bill,Miss !”

To the long list .of tributes paid to the quality of Hauraki Plains land is that of a recent visitor from Taarnaki, who made some glowing comparisons to the advantage of the Plains. He stated that he had lived in Australia for many years, and tihere was no land throughout Australasia that could compare with that of the Thames Vall&y. He spoke of the prices in land ruling in Tarawhere small holdings had realised £250 'an acre, and considered that the productivity of! the Hauraki Plains was quite equal to those areas, where as many as 80 head of cattle were carried to the j.OO acres.

Yet another requirement in political candidates h,as been discovered. Several farmers in Te Awamutu were discussing the various candidates for the Waikato seat at the next general election, and the orthodox political questions of the day were discussed. After a review of policies none of the farmers concerned seemed to find any particular fancy for any one of the candidates. Finally one of the speakers made a decisive discovery. "So-and-so is a Jersey supporter—he will do me!” And they were, all evidently of the same opinion. Anyhow, it is quite a new political requirement to have to satisfy the enthusiastic dairyman to whom the battle of the breeds is a momentous question.,

Mr Owen Campbell, of the Lands Department,/Auckland, is spoken of as the likely successor to Mr J. ,BThompson as Chief Drainage Engineer.

To-day is the end of the local bodies’ financial year, and all have been doing their best tp collect the rates. Mr E. Walton, Hauraki Plains County Clerk, reports that the Plains rates have been coming in. fairly well, but there are quite a number to get yet. There is a 10 per cent, penalty for overdue rates.

With characteristic native wit, Chief Haora Tererenui, speaking at the annual social of the Rotokohu Ratepayers’ Association last night, said that if the Public, Works Department'put up stop-banks around Pereniki’s Bend, as it proposed tp do. then the native would have sufficient land left to stand on with one loot, but would have to hold the other leg up in the air. Roar<s of- laughter greeted this witty remark.

The rotunda recently erected in the main street* by the Paeroa Beautifying Society is now complete. The structure, which is electrically lighted', has been painted in an attractive chocolate and cream design on the exterior, the ceiling being a pale blue or sea-green, according to the light one sees it in. Funniosities about the deceased “Bombardon Band” notwithstanding, the rotunda certainly does fill a void and lend a pleasing prospect to the locality, and will come in usefully for open-air performances and .recetpions. And maybe the Hauraki Band (Thames) will come alpng occasionally and discourse sweet music which, will engender and cement inter-communal fellowship, Picturesque, effective, witty, and amusing was an illustration of .the difference in the volume and continuity of flood waters in this district now as compared 1 with the early times, as described by a native present at the annual reunion of the Rotokohu Ratepayers’ Association last evening. Tjhis Maori said that in the old days the flood water came over where Mr Thorp’s house is and ' remained- there .for about a day. But now the flood remained and played a tune under Mr Thorp’s house for about a fortnight. The Association appointed a deputation to wait upon the Minister for Lands and Railways (Hon. D. H. Guthrie)! to protest against the . causes of this unappreciated watery melody, and sundry other kindred’ undesirables. The Minister will be ip Paeroa on Tuesday, where he will arrive flrom Thumbs, after the, Hauraki Plains tour on Monday. , An announcement appears in this issue from Mr J. A,. Wardell,- electrician and magneto specialist, Hamilton. Mr Wardell has made an especial study of magnetos, and possesses •some valuable and delicate instruments for the. testing pf them. Within a few minutes he can tell just what is wrong with a magneto, so that it can be corrected with certainty and expedition. A point is made of giving prompt despatch of magnetos sent in for repair, so that there is a minimum of delay for the farmer awaiting- the return of the instrumert. Particulars are contained in the advertisement;. The Waikino Old Boys? Association Renuion takes place to-night. A full report will appear in Monday’s “Gazette.”

A country ininister who was, a guest at a wedding recently presented the bride with a large'-tiype Bible, and later on, when proposing a toast at the breakfast, explained his reason for selecting this present by saying that in so many houses where he was called upon fio perform christening ceremonies he was given bibles with such small print to read from that it tired his eyes badly.

Perhaps motorists coming into Paeroa past the racecourse have noticed an apparently blank notice board, and .have wondered what, message it* had beep ineant to convey. On close inspection it is found that it once bore .a notice that the speed limit from there on was 15 miles per hour. Now, if a. car scorched past this board ! (if scorching is possible on that road) and tflie driver was charged for exceeding the speed limit, he would be convicted, while the authorities had, failed to see that the warning was clearly painted on the board.

A Sydney journal has the following satire on the new fashion in bathing costumes: “She came along the beach in one of these tight-fitting bathing costumes of stockinette, lowly cut at the neck and laced up at the sides, _and without a skirt. It was a flimsy, vivfd, dashing red. The other girls in green and blue and yellow slashed costumes, with lacings let in at the sides, glanced casually at her, commenting at her figure. Suddenly there was a universal gasp of horror. AH eyes were turned upon -the sea. The gazers were paralysed with shock. The girl in the slashed red stockinette had plunged into the. waves/* She ihad actually wet her bathing costume. It was ruined for ever.”

A few days ago (states the Northern Advocate) a 1 Whangarei ipan went to an accountant’s office to do some business in connection with income tax returns. Suddenly he took his watch from his pocket, glanced at it, and exclaimed : "Good heavens, I’ve got to be at the Courthouse in two minutes to be married. I nearly forgot.” He rushed off, intimating thpt he would come back later to complete the taxation business. The Northlander is the latest to enter the ranks; of New Zealand newspapers. It is published at Kaitaia, in the “winterless north,” by the uncrowned king of that district, Colonel ’Allen Bell, who rals.ed the capital for the concern in rather an original way. Falling out with ttie Kaltaia Age, the existing newspaper, he started out by addressing meetings throughout Northland and asking l|is auditors to- subscribe for shares of £5 each bn the understanding that they would never get their money back arid never obtain a dividend. In this way he raised £3OOO, and The Northlander is the result.