THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4495, 22 November 1922, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The one sure method of obtaining efficiency is by attracting the best brains. That is the real road tp true economy.

The necessity of having an addiCHAMBER ENDORSES PROPOSAL, was informally discussed at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last monthdy statements are, however, some statistics on the matter before passing any resolution.

A meeting of the wives of members of the Hauraki A. and P. Association was held yesterday to make arrangements for the luncheon for the judges, stewards, and other workers on show days. A further, meeting is to be held to make final arrangements.

The recent spring show .of the Hawlie’s Bay A. and P. Association produced a profit ofi £220 18s 6d, as against a loss of £229 5s 10s in 1921.

Mr F. R. Howard, eyesight specialist, representing Samuel. Barry, 290 Queen Street, Auckland, is visiting P,aeroa and may be consulted at the Paeroa Hotel on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday next.*

Mails which left Wellington on October 161, via San Francisco, by the R.M.S. “Tahiti,” arrived a: London on November 19.

It may not be generally known that it is an offence against the Waihi borough by-laws for a taxi-driven to break faith, with an engagement for hire of ills car. It is understood that this particular section of the by-laws has not always been observed by the taxi meh, consequently the Borough Council is taking steps to enforce observation. Hence a, prosecution is pending, and the case will be heard at the next sitting of the Magistrate’s Court on December s.—Telegraph.

“The land is the goose that lays the golden egg," said. Mi - W. A. Allen, the Thames Liberal-Labour candidate, as Ngatea on Monday, during the course of his address to the local farmers.

The wild pig menace in backblock districts is causing considerable alarm among settlers, who are unable to fight the hordes of boars and ■sows, which are over-running the country right into Taranaki, states a Whanganui exchange. In some al the valleys up river settlers have lost almost 50 per cent, of their lambs, and they are at their wits’ end to know Ihow to cope with the evil.- Numbers of sportsmen recently engaged in pig shooting to see if; they could minimise the evil, and although the killings were numerous, they seemed to have no appreciable effect. Many flocks have been decimated, and it seems as if the Government will either have to tackle the menace in a practical way or provide cheap ammunition through rifle clubs for use among those who will organise themselves into bands and make war in an effective manner upon these outlaws. One settler, when he heard a peculiar noise as if there was a disturbance among his' sheep, went out to see what was wrong, a.nd found several big boars feeding on lambs which they had killed. When he attempted to drive them off they attacked him, and lie a.ad a miraculous escape from being killed.

The matter of urging upon the Minister of Public Works the necessity of proceeding with the erection of the new post office was discussed by the Chamber of Commerce last night, and it was decided to endeavour to ascertain from the Minister when a definite start would be made and if it will be possible to expend the grant of £5OOO in this finanical yean It was thought that in view of the Minister's unqualified admission of the needs of a new office that steps will, bo taken to proceed with the work.

Keen inquiries are being made of holders of seaside houses' by those who would like to spend the school holidays by the sea. Quite a large number of families have already made arrangements to spend the Christmas and New Year vacation at tiie Thames Coast.

Messrs Haddon and Papakakura had a splendid meeting at the Presbyterian Church on Monday night. Enthusiasm ran high, and both speaker and singer were highly appreciated. Mr Papakakura is a beautiful singer, and has toured Aemrica with the Chautauqua Company. He was encored again and again.

At Ngatea on Monday evening Mr W. A. Alien, official Liberal-Labour candidate for the Thames eletcorate, sa'd that he had been moving round Ngatea and kept Ms eyes wide open. He had come to the conclusion that it was on the eve of its greatness'. Later he said he 'hoped to see progress at Ngatea on sound lines.

‘‘ln the past it seemed that when a man joined a county council a strip of road metal began to find its way along to that member’s gateway or homestead. Then it stopped, and the member, being satisfied, usually resigned from the council.” So remarked a citizen at a public functoin at Tolaga. Ba.y.

An alteration has been made in the Northern Company’s Paeroa-Auckland-timetablc, the steamer leaving Auckland fpr Paeroa on Thursday next at midnight, and leaving Paeroa again on Friday at 11 p.m.

“This is- a truth. It is no election ‘eye-wash’ at all,” said Mr W. A. Allen, official Liberal-Labour candidate for the Thames electorate, at Ngatea on Monday evening, when stressing an important point. -One mayi, perhaps, be curious to knpw if all candidates’ electioneering remarks are all election “eyewash,” unless the authenticity of same is guaranteed, as Mr Allen apparently thought was necessary.

At the meeting pf the Chamber of Commerce last night Messrs W. H. Lloyd and C. D. Topliss were elected members.

In tiie four years before the war a young market gardener netted £2OOO off 20 acres of river deposit land at Palmerston North—when no enlisted £5OO was sent to his mother and £l5OO invested. Two years ago he took up a soldier’s section and lost his all. With his’ own labour, and borrowed capital, which he expects to repay in two years, be has again started a garden at Palmerston North, and will sell the products in Wellington.

At an inquest at Masterton concerning tne death of an infant the mother said she put her baby to sleep in the pram, placing the pram j.n the hall for quietness. She looked at the child occasionally to see that she was all right, and each time found her sleeping. Witness continued her housework, and upon the third visit to the pram saw the child lying across the pram with,.the strap across her tfiroat. Witness released the strap and found the child was dead. The Coroner found that the ch’ld. met her death accidentally by being choked by the strap of the perambulator while sleeping.

The orchards in Waitekauri. district are very promising. The stone fruit is doing particularly well, while the apple trees are covered with bloojn. There is no doubt but that in a few years’ time Waitekauri will be a great fruit-growing district, and with a market so handy those going in for fruit growipg should do well.

The population of New Zealand increased by 5006 during the three months ended September 30 last. Of this increase there were 4153 more births than deaths during the quarter and there was an excess of arrivals over departures of 953- The proportion of births was 14 girls to 13 boys. The population for the Dominion and mandated territory is as follows: New Zealand, 1,255,948 ; Maoris, 53,370 ; Cook and Niue Islands, 13,300 ; Western Samoa, 37,850 ; total, 1,360,468-

On Saturday night at 11 o'clock the six-ropmed house owned by Mr Keith Fox. Hauraki Road, Turua, was completely destroyed by fire. Mr Fox at the time was the only occupant, anl had retired for the night, when he was awakened by dense smoke in the bedroom. With the assistance of a neighbour he made his escape, being somewhat badly burnt. The house and furniture were completely destroyed., and Mr Fox will be a. heavy loser. The house was insured in the South British Office, but there was no insurance on the contents.

A good story was related by Mr F. D. Opie during a lecture in Palmerston North, states the local ’’Times.” A man wished to catch 0 certain riverboat, and accordingly packed his bag and started out in the direction of the wharf, congratulating himself the while on the amount of, time at his disposal. Imagine his consternation, upon arriving at his destination, at seeing the boat already six feet away from 'the edge of the whai f. Buttoning up his coat, grasping his' bag, and taking a deep breath, he ran to the edge of the wharf and leaped. He landed full, length on the deck, his bag vomiting its contents in all directions. Immediately the captain ran up and demanded an explanation of his conduct. “Why,” said tjiq man sitting up, “J wanted to catch the boat; H’s just going out.” “You silly fool!" answered the captain, “it’s just, cpming in !”