THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4433, 28 June 1922, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails which left Auckland on May 23, per R.M S. Makura, via Vancouver, arrived at London on June 24. Ari interesting and instinctive address will be given in the Presbterian Church this evening by Mr, Mills, of Sudan. Tlhe address, will be illustrated by lantern slides. . A hearty welcome is given to all. A fresh water supply for the Hauraki Plains would increase the Plains production 50 per cent, said Mr. W. J. Costello, of Patetonga, while discussing the rpatter recently. Mr. James Costello, the well-known, veterinarian, will address the farmers on veterinary matters in the Waitakaruru Hall on Monday next and at Ngatea Hall on Tuesday, commencing at one o’clock. All farmers are requested to attend, as the subject is of vital importance to them. -Meetings are also being arranged for Kaihere and Patetonga. The official opening of the Turua wharf is to take place on Saturday, July 8. The Hon. G. J. Anderson has consented to perfonm the ceremony. A woman motorist, who had been “going the pace,” on being called on by the traffic officer to stop, asked indignantly : “What do you want with me ?” “You were travelling at forty miles an hour,” said the police officer. “Forty miles an hour ? Why, I haven’ been out an hour,” said the w'dinaa. “Go ahead,” said the officer, "that’s a new one on me.”

The Bucyrus dredge which has been widening the Ngarua canal has completed its work there and is now proceeding to the Puhunga canal, which is also to be widened and improved.

“i'tcll a good story .that never f-aits to get a laugh,” writes a resident of Seattle, California, to a lelative in Dunedin. “As the steamers approach New York from Liverpool, the steward enters the smoking-room and announces: ‘Gentlemen, it’s the larst chaurce for refreshments ; the Statue of Liberty is in sight.’ ”

Various means have been suggested For the relief of unemployed ex; soldiers and civilians (says the "Manawn‘u Tinies”). It is morally certain that the work at the Borough Council will require to be supplemented by private enterprise. In sortie parts of the Manawatu district there are thousands of rabbits, the skins of which are worth nearly 1s each. The carca<;"s might be sold at 6d each, and provide cheap food for the poor people of the cit’es. Why should not exsoldiers and clerical civilians who are out of employment be provided with guns, dogs, and, traps, and eraploved at the task of, eradicating the rabbits ? Again, in many of the surrounding districts there is decaying timbei which might be converted into firewood for use in the centres. Coul 1 not a large number of men be employed in the occupation of. firewood cutting ? It appears to us that what is wanted at the present juncture is organisation rather than expressions of public sympathy.

The roads on the Hauraki Plains we’e reduced to a very muddy state after the rain which, fell during the week end. The unmetalled portion at Netherton is still a great obstacle to the mail and service cars. On Monday both cars were fully laden, and tihe mail car unfortunately broke a spring in a bad piece of road near Netherton, and had it not been for the alacrity in obtaining another car from Paeroa the tr,ain connection may have been missed. The service car from Ngatea undertook the journey via the Warepoa ferry, reaching Paeroa just in time for the train, while in the meantime another car had been despatched to Netherton. The Auckland Education Board ha; accepted the offer of a firm to supply exercise books free of cost to children. The provision was that the firm should be permitted to print advertisements on the cover. A 1 guarantee was given that .the advertisements would be quite suitable. A : conference between two Lands Department officials (Messrs. O. NCampbell and E. Taylor) and the Hauraki Plains County Council is being held at Ngatea to-day. Discussion on the proposed amendments to the Act with reference to the future administration of the Plains is the reason for the conference.

The portion of road .towards Kerepeelri at the Wharepoa ferry crossroads is quickly breaking up and is now one of the worst pieces on the route from Ngatea to Paeroa, though, fortunately, that section of road so far affected is not great. In connection with the proposal for the reticulation ’of. the Hauraki Plains for a fresh water supply Mr. Lockie Gannop, who recently put his proposals before the Hauraki Pjains County Council, visited the Plains at the latter end of last week. Mr. Gannon, it is understood, was making preliminary investigations. The following is the approximate number of- enrolments in the various faculties of the Otago University for the present year: Art and science, 443 : medical, 355 ; commerce, 116 ; dentistry, 90 ; law, 70 ; home science, 58 ; mining, 20. The total of Hsi2 is slightly less than last year’s total. Thus the “Opotiki Herald,” : We left our domicile the other morning. In the middle of the road was a dray. The driver (a Native) had stopped to allow an obvious tramp to alight. ‘‘Thank you very much,” said the fellow with the bluey, “I’m sorry I cannot repay you.” His language betokened he was a cut above the ordinary sundowner. “You got no hoot ?” queried the Maori. “Py gorry that bad. No niatter, I give you something.” With that he put nis hand in his pocket and fished out a ten-shilling note. Apparently his philanthropy did not extend to that amount, and he regarded the note perplextedly. He spotted us, however, and called out, “Say, boss,’ you got change for ten-shilling note?” Wa had not, and a;l[l we could dig out was half-a crown. “All right.” said the Maori, “you lend me that half-crown,” and when the coin had changed hands he passed it over to the tramp, who went gladly on his way. “Git up!” said the Maori to his horse, and left us standing in wonder. ■ We are still wondering—ifi we will ever see that half-dollar again.

The action of. the Government in annulling orders given by ex-soldier farmers for payments, on their account to patriotic societies was commented upon by a retired business man in Gisborne (states the “Herald”). He referred to .a well-sub-stantiated case which the local Defence Committee had had brought under its notice. This man, a soldier settler, had taken up dairying near Wanganui, and had given to Ills milk company an authority to pay to the Gisborne patriotic funds a certain' portion of his monthly milk cheque, on account of a loan he had received from the Defence Committee. The repayments had continued for about two years, when lately the milk company was served with a notice to the effect that such authorities were not to he acted upon unless they carrel the endorsement of the Crown Lands Commissioner. The soldier, who was also, of course, Under an obligation to the Government, was allowed sufficient out of his milk cheque to pay his personal expenses, bu.t could not make any further repayments to the Defence Committee, as the Government took the balance of l his income. In effect, the Government was transferring to the patriotic societies a much larger share of financial responsibility than was fair, tying up the patriotic funds to ensure its own returns.