THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4644, 4 January 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The year which lias just commenced (1924) is “leap year."

It was, stated a.t a recent meeting of the Cambridge Power Board that, largely as a result of the Board's recent advertising campaign, no less than 26 breakfast grillers had been sold during a fortnight, and also a number of electric stoves.

Mr J. Higgins, who left Paeroa some eleven months ago to visit his .sisters in Glasgow and Edinburgh, has returned to Paeroa and intends to settle down here again.

The trains which passed through Paeroa yesterday were well patronised by people returning home after spending the holidays at the beach. Railway travelling at this time of the year is far from pleasant, owing to the heat of the weather, and the dust, and it was noticeable the number of male passengers passing through during the last fe,w days who had divested themselves of thencoats and were ,to be seen lolling bark in the seats in their shirt sleeves. In fact, a wearer of the broadcloth who was accompanied by a cleric brother was observed in the Thames express yesterday afternoon minus coat, vest, and clerical collar.

The local office of the Public Works Department supplies the following rainfall figures for the month of December, 1923, for Paeroa: The total rainfall was 1.59 in, the heaviest fall being recorded on December 20, when the registered amount was 1.06 in total rainfall for last year in Pa-roa was 52.67 in, compared with 48.44 in for the year 1922.

Paeroa is gradually settling down to the year's work after the festive season. The majority of shops reopened yesterday, and although there are still a large number of people away from, the town a normal day’s business was transacted, and during the afternoon Ihe main street presented unite a busy appearance.

Many and varied are the explanations breakers of the law have to offer when confronted by the magistrate, but a new and decidedly original plea, despite the fact that its creation was due to a somewhat hc-irty celebration of the festive season. was put forward in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington last Saturday, when a. -hefty young seaman named William Wilson, fmnerly a member of the crew of the sailing shjp Forest Home, appeared on a charge of insobriety—his sixth lapse during the past six months. ‘‘Ho,w do you plead ?” demanded the clerk of the Court. “A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year I” responded accused with incongruous solemnity.

A big mob of store sheep, .some 2500 in number, reached Cambridge at the end of last week, after being driven from Gisborne. The trip occupied 29 days. The sheep arrived in good condition, there being no casualties on the long journey, and were auctioned at the Cambridge saleyards. They were all 2 and 4-tpoth wethers and ewes, mostly Romney cross. The wethers realised from 24s 6d to 27s 3d, and the ewes brought an average of about 24s 3d. The pricer, were considered satisfactory.

Tn the final official figures published by the Census and Statistics office, the estimated area fpr the 1923-24 wheat crop is 185,000 acres, as compared with 276,956 acres of wheat actually harvested in 1922-23 .season, and 352,918 acres for the 1921-22 season. The estimated area sown in oats is 445,000 acres, as compared with 445,30'6 acres actually harvested in 1922-23, and 170,655 acres in 1921•22. The acreage sown; in wheat is one of the lowest devoted to the crop during the past twenty years. . An attractive booklet, entiled “The Gateway to Sunshine,’’ together with a circular appealing for funds, has been received from the secretary of Dr. Barnardo’s Homes, London. The funds are to help bring sunshine into the lives of the destitute and forlorn little people of London, and the'’illustrated booklet shows clearly some of the phianthropic work that is being accomplished. Assistance is asked of the public in maintaining and furthering the great work of the Homes.

&W. time ago we referred to some exceptionally long grass grown in the vicinity of Hamilton (says the Waikato Times). Mr Taylor, of Grey Street, Hamilton, informs us that former records have been eclipsed, i > from r. small paddock of cocksfoot he secured a plant which had attained a height of 7ft B%in, and the plant in question was not a giant amongst pigmies.

“After having spent over 39 years in the New Zealand lighthouse service Mr R. H. Leighton, late of Dog Island, retired on December 1 and proceeded to Timaru, where his wife has resided for about two years in order to enable their youngest son to complete his schooling. Prior to that Mrs Leighton had spent 52 yeans in the service. She was born and married in the Nelson lighthouse, after which she accompanied her husband to 16 different stations scattered practically all round the coast of New Zealand. Notwithstanding the fact that the New Zealand Government Insurance Department declined to take a risk on his life 35 years ago, Mr Leighton never failed to take a watch during his long period of service, and at the date of his retirement appeared to be quite hale and hearty.

The failure of the police, so far, to solve the recent murder at Aramoho recalls the fact that a murder of a similar nature committed in Canterbury over seven years ago still rema’ns a mystery (says the Southland Times). There is no trace of the man who murdered Mr and Mrs James Frackleton Holland in their home at Raven Street, Kaiapoi, bn May 11, 1916, just as there is no trace of the man who murdered Mrs Wi liam Oates, of Somme Parade, Aramoho, on October 26, 1923. There is a striking similarity in the circumstances surrounding both tragedies. Ini each case the murderer not only studied very carefully the movements and habits of his victims, but he also chose a house that was in a rather lonely situation, a.nd for the time likely to be free from the observation of neighbours. The coincidence goes further than that. Tho murderer, at Kaiapoi as well as Aramoho, used a heavy, blunt instrument, catching his victims unawares and knocking them down.from behind. Ip both cases the murdered woman was dragged some distance before the assailant considered that he had completed his work. Those are the points of resemblance. The main point of difference is that at Aramoho the murderer’s motive Was plainly robbery. At Kaiapoi searching investigation has failed to bring to light any motive. Mr Holland’s pockets were not searched and the house was not ransacked. happy dinner party. THE LIGHTS GO OUT. In a country house recently a dinner party was in full swing when suddenly the lights fused. Not a candle in the house, and the nearest electrician miles away! It was a case of complete darkness until daylight. Always keep a few packets of candles handy in case of emergency—-and make sure of the best and cheapest by ordering Golden Ray Candles. Apply Auckland merchants.

The following vital statistics for the month of December, 1923, for Paeroa have been supplied by the local registrar, Mr J. G. McDougall: Births, 8 ; deaths, 2 ; marriages, 4-

it is estimated in Wellington that the reduction in freight of sixpence a case on fruit exported to England this season makes a probable gain of £19,000 to growers on the anticipated export;

After six days of gruelling hot weather, accompanied most days by north-westerly wind, welcome rain commenced to fall early this moaning, and continued .showery throughout the day. Needless to say the rain is very welcome, and has come at a must opportune time, considering the parched condition of pastures and gardens, and when the holidays are practically at an end.

Seventy-five Chinese were arrested in Haining Street, Wellington, on Tuesday night as the outcome of one of the biggest and most successfully organised police raids that have been conducted in Wellington for years.

Some idea of the number of people travelling on the railways can be gathered from the fact that 1231 people were served with meals at the Marton dining room on the Saturday before Christmas. At the refreshment counter 3351 persons were attended to.

The annual meeting of the Ohinemuri Public Library will be held on Friday next, January 11, at 8 p.m. Sul scribers and others interested in the institution are invited to attend.*

Perfect summer weather prevailed during the New Year holidays, and a large number of people availed themselves of the opportunity of spending at least one day on the beach, either at Thames or Waihi. At Puru, Thames Coast, is quite a little colony of Paeroa folk who have cottages there in which to spend the holidays. For those less fortunately situated Waihi Beach appears to claim the attention of many who are seeking a day’s pleasure at the seaside. The convenient railway time-table, and also the fact that motor-cars, meet the trains on arrival at Waihi and run picnickers straight to the beach, returning again in time to catch the last train has been an added inducement tn people who wish to spend a cheap yet enjoyable holiday.

During the time the festive season is at its height the majority of the public give little thought to the Posi and Telegraph officials who are working at full pressure to get messages of greetings through to people in other parts of our world. To these officials the Christmas a,nd New Year period is a veritable nightmare, because of the extra .work —entailing long hours of strain —that they are ca’led on to perform in despatching and receiving telegraphic messages. Something like a record has been established at the Paeroa post office this Christmas, as no fewer than 374 telegraph messages were c.espatche'l and 350 received on Christmas Eve alone, and on the succeeding days the messages increased correspondingly. No doubt full advantage of the shoi t Christmas greetings telegrams was availed of in view of the fact that they were accepted at 6d this year, <ts against 9d last Christmas. In addition to the large increase in telegraphic business the' mailroom stalf experienced an exceptionally busy time. The mails were very heavy and the parcel and packet pest showed a large increase over last year’s figures. Despite the cramped quarters and general insufficiency of accommodation at the Paeroa post office the staff worked loyally and wel’, and established a very creditable performance.

The N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board has received a cable from its representative at Buenos Aires, South America, advising the following shipments to the United Kingdom for the fortnight ended December 29 from Argentine and Uruguay. The figures do not include exports from Patagonia, Chile, or Brazil : 181,930 quaiters of chiPed beef, 38,310 Quarters of frozen .eel., 51,746 carcases of frozen mutton, and 70,795 carcases of frozen lamb. The quantity-shipped to the Continent of Europe during the same period totalled: 105,802 quarters of. frozen beef, 17,596 carcases of frozen mutton, and 901 carcases of frozen lamb.

With .the New Year races close an the heels of the Christmas events timely photographs of the Auckland Racing Club’s carnival and Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting find 'a prominent place in the pictorial side of this week's issue of the "N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review.” The opening day’s events of the former big fixture are interestingly depicted in snapshots, while the trots have a picturesque showing of the leading items. The Royal wedding in London, Lord Carnegie and Princess Maud, is the subject of two specially attractive pages, and the centre pages are occupied with studies of leading figures in sport and industry ip various parts of t)ie globe. The Wellington and Ponsonby swimming carnivals make another striking series, and the stage and motion picture sets widely dealt with.

“People talk about the busy bee,” said the beekeeper showing off his hives, “without quite realising how very busy these tiny creatures actually are. No other animal or insect crowds so much work into its busy life as does the worker bee. There is the concentrated essence of nearly 4 000,000 flowers,’’ .said he; pointing to some 601 b of honey taken from the hive. “It is calculated that it takes the nectar from 62,000 clover blooms to make one pound of clover honey. These bees regularly fly a mile to reach the flowers which are richest in nectar, and as it is said it takes an average of ten visits to a bloom to sip all the nectar it holds, that means 20 miles to exhaitse one flower. In that 601 b of honey there is the result of work entailing, i n the aggregate, flights equal to nearly one million miles. And all that has been done in a few months. Now you sec how apt a simile it is to talk about the 'busy bee.’ ”