THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4491, 13 November 1922, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All sports were abandoned on the local, playing areas last Saturday afternoon on account of the 'heavy rain. Throughout t'he week-end the weather has been very unpropitious, heavy north-westerly showers and cold winds' makirfg things very unpleasant. The barometer, atlhougty rising slightly this moaning, has been exceptionally low for this time of the year.

Efforts to raise funds for churches on the Hauraki Plains are being made in more than one centre. At Waitakaruru and Turua bazaars are to be held this month for the purpose of augmenting church building funds, and ladies’ committees iiwe been for some time working energetically. At Waitakaruru it is the Methodist, residents w'ho have the matter in hand, while at Turua it is- the adherents’Df the Church of England. There is also a proposal tp build a, church at Netherton. .

Z . . A wonderful collection pf rhododendrons. running into 250 varieties, is possessed by Mr Percy Thompson, of Stratford, and it is stated that it' is the most perfect collection in, the Dominion. . * T

The “Wairarapa Age” publishes an analysis of the Parliamentary candidates to date: Reform 74, Independent Reform 3, Labour 44, Independent Labour 3, Liberal, 28; LiberalLabpur 28, Independent 18. It is pathetic, comments the “Age,” to Chink that 122 of. these people,, chiefly classified as Liberals and Labour, will be disappointed.

The Hauraki Plains County Council meets at Ngatea today. The interior of,/the recently removed engineer’s office has undergone a transformation, making it into one large office,, and it is here that to-day’s' meeting will oe held. This will be the first meeting in the new office.

The need for the establishment of a farm colony for occupation by men who negelct their wives and clhildren was referred to in the Dunedin City Police Court, states the “Otago Daily Times.’’ In the case of a man who was charged with a breach of prohibition order, Eccles stated that the accused Ireated his wife and children, very badly when he was under the ipfluenc# of liquor. If a heavy penalty were inflicted R would probably affect the family. This led Mr Bartholomew, S-M., to remark that this case emphasised the need for a farm colony. He stated that in his opinion very little could be done with men of this class until such a colony was established.

There are some who contend that the judging of dairy cattle at shows is now always judged on points and not upon production (says the Otago Dialy Times). The Timaru A. and P. Association has solved this difficulty by awarding prizes for the highest amount bf butter-fat produced upon the showground 'in 15 hours. This year the highest amount of but-ter-fat has again been produced by a Jersey cow against allrcomer,s, the official figures being ,16.81 b of milk, 9.9 test, and 1.661 b ofi butier-fat. The runner-up was an Ayrshire, which produced 1.441 b. <Tlie winning cow, Hazelweil Star, is owned by Dr. P. PickemilL

It is not generally known that the Indians of British Columbia and Alaska obtain their butter from a fish known to scientists as the polichan. It is from six to eight inches long, and very fat. Every summer this fish comes from the ocean up the rivers to spawn like salmon, Millions are taken in nets. First they are thrown into rough bins made of! cedar logs, where they lie for a few days to soften in the sun. Then they are placed in great cedar vats of boiling water, the latter bei'ng heated by 'hot stones which are dropped into them. This primitive method of heating has been found to produce better butter than when the flsih are boiled in the more orthodox fashion. As the oil rises to the top it, is skimmed off. It hardens quickly and has the appearance of lard. Beautifully white, it is not easy to detect it from butter, there being not the slightest odour of fish about, it, The Indians pack it in water-tight cedar boxes, making enough of this fls'li butter during the summer months to last them throughout the year.

Mr H. Poland, the sitting member of the Ohinemuri electorate, will address a public meeting in the Central Theatre tomorrow evening at 8 o’clock, when he will describe his platform as an Independent Liberal. He will speak at Kerepeehi on Wednesday night in the Kerepeehi Hall.

About 50 “sports” left Paeroa by' the special; train on Saturday morning to attend the Hamilton races. A fair sprinkling of racing enthusiasts' also left by the special train this morning. Big dividends were the order of the day on Saturday, and doubtless this fact has been an added inducement to followers of racing to make the trip again this morning, despite the threatening weather.

The weather during the past week was far from pleasant on the aHuraki Plains, and when the wind abated somewhat at the latter end of the week the rain came in frequent heavy squalls with an occasional light rumble of thunder. The glass was very low on Saturday and yesterday. On Saturday atfernoon the barometer read 29.1, going down 'to 28.95 in the evening. It rose a little yesterday, but was still. 29.00 in the afternoon, rising to 29.15 in the evening. The rain which has fallen Is considerable, and has filled the farmers’ tanks.

“We spend £8 pen head per annum on improvement of horses,, but educational expenditure is only £3 per head per annum,” said Mr A. O. Buehler at the Palmerston North West End School Committee meeting when expounding the merits of a resolution passed by a combined teachers meeting (states the “Standard”).

Mr W. M. Wallnutt, in proposing a vote of thanks and confidence in the sitting member (Mr Poland) for Ohinemuri, at that gentleman’s meeting on Thursday night, criticised the Government’s attitude towards aid to prospecting and in the treatment of small mining syndicates. He asserted that the charging of rents and survey fees in conjunction with the unsatisfactory tenure together with other restrictions. were impositions that rendered the position in regard to prospecting—the pioneer of permanent mining development—practically a farce. The whede system needed readjusting if the Government really meant to he sincere in its efforts to assist the prospector.

A peculiar incident occurred at a farm along t'he Waipa Riyer (says the Ngaruawahia Advocate). The owner of the property had been in the habit of allowing some of; his pigs to wander over a paddock in which horses’ also grazed. A few days ago a boar developed a violent dislike of the larger animals, and proceeded to attack .the horses.' The boar maimed three severely, one so seriously that, recovery may not be possible.

The Pahiatua “Herald" understands that quite a number of cheese factories in the Pahiatua distript have sold their outputs until the end of the present year at prices that, enable directors to guarantee substantial re.turns tp the producers, and considerably in excess bfi t'lie prices prevalent last season.

“Pigs can’t stand draughts,” s,aid Mr If. W. Gorringe at. Te Ruhunga (Poverty Bay district) in his address on swine husbandry. “The make no flesh when they are cold. Their houses must be weatherproof—they need as much comfort as you do, and when you hear them squealing at night you know they are not getting it.”

A somewhat unusual case, which has been engaging the attention of Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., at Roxburgh, was ‘brAuglit to a conclusion in the Dune'din Police Court (states the “Otago Daily Times”). Some time ago a maintenance order in respect of a child was issued against Robert. Shaw Gordon, on the application pt Jessie. Robina Kinastpn. Subsequently Gordon received a letter, alleged to have written by the mother of t'he child, thanking him 1 , for taking the blame, and stating that he was not the father of. it. The letter also stated that the girl’s father was not really her parent. On the strength of this Gordon applied for a rehearing, with the object of having the order cancelled. The Magistrate refused the application for a rehearing, and granted solicitor’s costs (£3 3s) and witnesses’ expenses (£1 13s) against Gordon.

A large eel was secured by a Maori a day or two ago in one of the ponds near the oil derricks, Moturoa (states an exchange). The eel was taken on a large hook las'hed to a stick, and upon being “jagged” straightened out the hook and escaped. The Native, however, was not to be denied. After adjusting the hook he returned to the fray am] hooked the big “tuna,” whidh turned the scale at 221 b, and was between five and six feet in length. The Maori was h’gh'Jy delighted, and upon being questioned next day if the “tuna” made good eating remarked: “Py korry, tdt te koot kai, five men eat tat ferra and nefer leave any.’’ And the manner in which the Native stroked his waistcoat left no doubt about his appreciation ofi the flavour of the “kai nui.”

Amongst, the resolution passed at the last meeting o£ the Wellington Chamber of Commerce are the following: "That (a) as a matter of equity and with the object of attracting a larger amount of liquid money for the financing of commercial enterprise the banks be asked to pay interest on credit balances of current accounts of £lOO and over ; (b) that the half-yearly charge of 5s for, keeping customers’ accounts be abolished; (c) that all internal exchanges on cheques be abolished.” “That opportunity for the fullest publicity should be given to Magistrate’s Court proceedings in the case of recovery of debt, and that the Government be requested to take such steps as are necessary to amend tlhe exsiting practice and enable a search to be made of Court records by any person upon the payment, of reasonable fees.” For Children’s Hacking Cpugn, Woods’ Great Pepeprmint Cure.