LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4523, 5 February 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The. district schools re-open tomorrow. The Minister of Public Works has announced that the Otira tunnel wiil be’ open for goods traffic next monti and regular traffic in April.

Tn a cricket match played on Saturday between Paeroa and a team representing the Power Board, Paeroa, won by an innings and ten runs. Though one-sided, the game was thoroughly enjoyed.

Mr W. G. Hayward, of Ngatea, has been nominated as a candidate for a seat on the South. Auckland Land Board. Of recent years Mr Hayward has taken a keen interest in public affairs, and he is seeking election, as the result of a request made by a la'rge number of ratepayers.

A visitor to Paeroa on Saturday informed a “Gazette” representative that with the linking up of the East Coast railway Paeroa would become one of the most important inland towns in the North. “I notice,” he said, “that you are proposing to change the name to Paeroa Junction. It’s a splendid idea, because it must become a big junction.”

Jack Johnston, conqueror of Jim Jeffries and former heavyweight champion of the world, has been boxing daily in 'the gymnasium at Madison Square Garden, and has been performing so well that it is understood that he will shortly appeal to the Boxing Commission for permission to engage in a series of ring contests in 'New York State. Johnson believes that he can defeat Harry 'Will’s.

While the railways are groaning under the burden of hundreds off official and Parliamentary “dead-,heads,” the unofficial deadhead is getting short shift, (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). The drive against “scalers,” initiated recently, is still bringing hosts of offenders to t,he police courts. The commissioners stated that up to date 190 cases have been brought before the suburban courts, and 50 more are pending. The fines have ranged up to £2 and costs. Unless the practice shows signs 'of abate ing steps' may be taken to have the by-law amended, so that a heavier fine may be imposed. A big percentage of offenders are youths and girls over 18 years of age who are travelling on half-fare tickets.

“The citizens, as far as contributions to public institutions are concerned, always give,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Dr. Thacker) when speaking of the needs of the gardens and domains. “It is the great rich people in this 1 city and in North Canterbury who die and leave nothing. This, in tihe circumstances, is an absolute scandal. Rich Auckland people die and leave parks and all kinds of things ; and our citizens are richer than Auckland citizens. I hope the newspapers will make a’ note of this, as some people' here are approaching the Great Western Gate that all of us must pass through, and they may make codicils to their wills.” Paeroa please copy.

Mr F. Robertson, of Kapuka, has discovered at Waituna Lagoon, Southland, a bottle containing a message purporting to be from persons shipwrecked. An old. frayed piece of brown paper, which was taken from the bottle, and now in the possession of the police, contained the following word--,: “Help. We are wrecked on an island 38% deg. S-, 17% deg. lat. (here follows a word that could not be deciphered, but seemed to be either E„ ES., or S.) — Geo. Williams, J. Aitken.” Until an examination is made (the effects of immersion in sea water for any length ,pf time usually furnish a valuable guide), the inspector is not prepared to express an opinion as to whether the message is genuine or is a hoax. The Customs Department has been advised of the find.

The cricket match between Rotorua and Thames, played on Saturday, resulted in a win for Rotorua by a small margin of runs.

An exceptional number of passengers travelled by the mail train this morning, all the seating accommodation in the second-class' carriages being occupied when the train left Pae-

That there is plenty of money available in Marlborough for investment in solid securities is demonstrated by the fact that the River Board has quietly raised £lO,OOO on 6 per cent, debentures in less than a month, and then there were considerable sums offering when the board’s requirements had been met. The £lo,oo’o was subscribed by twelve people, in sums ranging from £lOO to £3OOO, states the Marlborough Express.

Tlie Te Puke Town Board has decided tp telegraph to the Minister for Health protesting against the attitude of the Tauranga Hospital Board lit refusing to,sanction the erection of a new hospital building at Te Puke. The Health Hcpa'rtment has approved of a new building, and a deputation is to proceed to Wellington to urge that the decision in favour of the district be put into effect.

Mr Julian Grande, author and journalist, who is the accredited correspondent at Geneva to the League of Nations for the “Daily Telegraph,” the “Observer,” the “Birmingham Post,” and the “New York Times,” and is an occasional contributor to the “Spectator,” has come to New Zealand to visit the birthplace of his late wife. Mrs Grande died at Geneva during the League of Nations Assembly in Setpember of last year. She was the daughter of the late Hon. J. B. Barnicoat, of Nelson, and had a distinguished journalistic career. She was at one time secretary to the late Mr W. T. Stead, and she accompanied him oh some of his most interesting missions to The Hague and elsewhere.

New Zealand newspaper proprietors are apparently not yet assured of any probable reduction in the cost of newsprint, paper, remarks the “Otago Daily Times.” Mr Howard Smith, president of the Howard Smith Paper Mills, Canada, expressed the opinion when lie arrived in Brisbane last month that the forecast of another paper shortage in the near future is right. While there is no actual shortage at present, there is 'certain stringency ; and higher prices are, in Mi Smith’s opinion, likely to rule on account of the increased cost of wood used for paper pulp purposes.

The question, on which day slhaL the weekly half-holiday be observed in Coromandel County ? has ruffled the usually placid course of local business men’s daily round. Sbma desired, Wednesday, a large number “plumped” for Saturday, and, for the first time, the Mercury Bay storekeepers made a stand for consideration of their wishes regarding the holiday ; they preferred Thursday. The Council discussed the matter at some length at the special meeting last Monday, the argument at times reflecting an appreciable amount of heat from several of the councillors. In the end Cr. Lyon’s amendment was carried, and Thursday was appointed the day for the statutory weekly halfholiday in that county. This 1 comes into effect for the year beginning after March 31 next.

One hardy old Scot who was present at the Turakina Caledonian games on Saturday was a shepherd who had put in a 22 miles’ walk to get there, and at. the end of the day he started out on foot to 60 the return journey. By that time he had had his full of the bagpipes and the dancing. He was also fairly full in another way. But for hini Caledonian games only came once a year, and were something not, to be missed.

A pretty Rumanian woman, Euflmia Gherman. 25, who possesses two medals far helping .wounded on the battlefield, and was herself wounded, has been refused admission to the United States, where she had gone to be married, on the groupd that she can neither read nor write. She has returned to Liverpool with her lover, Goerge Caprita, a naturalised American and the owner of a confectionery business in Canton, Ohio.

“Why not put three or four business telephone connections on one party lino ?” was a question put :o Mr S. Shrimpton (chief telegraph engineer) at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Because, replied Mr Shrimpton, the cost of party-line equipment was ever so much greatei than that of exclusive lines. In sp'te of the present objections to the higner rates under the new schedule, he thought that very few business men would want a party line. The department would put three or four private residences on a party line ; but to put three or four business men on the same line would oevrload the line.

A good story is going the rounds concerning a settler up the Wanganui River who recently discovered that his telephone was out of order (says the “Chronicle”). As search for the defect proved futile, he had to procure the services of an electrician. The latter experienced similar difficulty in locating the trouble, and flnallj’ decided to inspect the line. About three miles from the house his search was rewarded- At a •spot where it sagged considerably some Maori women were using it as a clothes line.

“The Chatham Islands is no place for a farmer,” said Mr J. A. Thomson, headmaster of the Te One School, during the course of the visit paid to tlie Canterbury Education Board's meeting by the Chatham Islands school children recently. Mr Thomson added that it was the absenteelandlords who were making money out of the islands, not the residents. The freight to bring sheep over here was 7s 6d per head, and with other charges on top of this a farmer could not make much out of sheep if he ?.or, say, only 17s per head. He instanced the case of one (farmer who had lost about 300 sheep out of a mob of 700 sent over here, and added: “You can’t expect Chatham Islands farmers tp be wealthy.”