THE Hauraki Plain Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4652, 23 January 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plain Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A public farewell is to be tendered to Mrs F. S. Budd at the Paero;v Tennis Club’s courts on Saturday nest, January 26, at 3 p.m.

It was stated at the Thames Hosputal Board meeting yesterday that the Hauraki Plains County owed £BO7 odd, and the Thames County £155 8s lid. Members expressed the opinion that the board should press for payment. The local bodies were collecting the rates and using them for their own purposes. The board’s credit balance in the bank stood at about £25.

Last month 66 bankruptcies were registered throughout the Dominion, as compared with 49 in December, 1922, and making 696 for the year. The principal sections contributing to the year’s bankruptcies were as follows : Farmers, 173 ; labourers; 58 ; motor trade, 47; builders, 18 Farmers account for about 25 per cent, of the total, although there is an appreciable decrease in the number acompared with 1922.

During the month of December 35 males and 30 females were admitted to the Thames Hospital and 42 males and 29 females discharged. One male died, leaving 20 males and 17 females in the institution. The number of out-patients attended was 19 males and 8 females, and to these a total of 209 visits had been made. Thirteen operations on males and 22 on females were performed during the month.

’the following Paeroa Dfstirct High School pupiis are among those who have qualified for junior free places at the Junior National scholarship examination held last Npvembei . R. E. Brumley, A. J. Flatt, W. M. Litherland, D. D. Fleming, and Eva White. Zt the meeting of the Thames Hospital Board held yesterday it was reported that on Christmas Eve every put lent in the hospital was presented with a gut by the Salvation Army, and a gift lor each patient was also re<eivoil from an unknown donor. A do’iatioii of £5 was also presented by the Women’s National Reserve ’ for Christmas cheer for patients. Work is expected to begin shortly upon a seveii-iStoreyed building in onof Wellington’s best residential areas, to be fashioned upon the American plan of Hats, whereof individual occupiers will be able to secure perpetual rights. The cost is estimated at about £60,000. The building will be of ferro-concrete, sound-proof, and designed to resist earthquake shocks. Twenty-eight flats will be provided, and on each of the seven floors will be grill rooms. A roof garden will top off the building.

A difference o.f opinion regarding the fulfilment of a sharemilking agreement between Mrs E. Martin, farmer, of Ngatea, and Mr L. C. Lipscombe, sharemilker, also of Ngatea, was referred to arbitration under the provisions of the Arbitration Act, 1908, at Ngatea on Monday last. Mr W. G, Hayward was sole arbitrator, and Mr Garland, of Thames, represented Mrs Martin and Mr E. Walton represented Mr Lipscombe. The proceedings lasted several hours, eight witnesses being heard. The award has not yet been made. A settlement of dispute by arbitration in this manner is just as binding as though the award had been made in a court of law, and is much preferable.

The district nurse to Natives reported to the Thames Hospital Board yc-.terday that she had visited 13 European and 39 Maori, patients in their own homeb. The Native Pas at Thames, Kopu, Kirikiri, Hikutaia; Omahu; Kpmata; Paeroa; Kerepeehi; Waitakaruru, Manaia, Hikuai, and Tairua had been visited; also the schools at Kopu, Hikuai, Tairua, and Manaia. Fees received totalled £1 5s 6d. The district nurse at Patetonga reported having«attended‘ 15 patients and collecting £2 Os 6d in fees. Mr Mita Brown, of Kerepeehi, has presented the nurse with a hor.se.

The Australian pack of canned fruit is going to be a big thing this year (reports the Melbourne “Age”)The estimate of the Customs Department is that 24,500 tons of fresh fruit will be processed by the canneries for home consumption and export. Of this quantity 2500 tons will be apricots, 10,500' tons clingstone peaches, 2500 tons freestone peaches, 3500 tons pears, and 5500 t-wis pineapples. When the fruit is put up in tins it is estimated that there will be 2,100,000 dozen 30oz tins.

Owners of land on the Hauraki Plains who have not yet paid their county rates have been notified that the 10 per cent, penalty will be added shortly if the amount is not paid. Sixty summonses for the non-pay-ment of last year’s rates have been issued in accordance with a resolution of the council. The amount involved is about fiSOO 1 , and the cases will be heard at the Courthouse, Thames, on February 5, 1924.

. The opening day on Saturday of the Patetonga Tennis Club proved a most enjoyable affair. A large crowd, attended, the weather being ideal far playing. Mr J. N. Patterson, on officially opening the court, paid special tribute to the good work done by the committee, and said.that much still remained to be done. One court had been concreted, while the other, he hoped, would also be done in the near. The opening wound up with a dance in the evening, about £9 the nett proceeds. Much that added to the enjoymnet of the evening were the numerous musical items, contributed by Mrs Lloyd, Misses B. Wallace, darken, Cotter, and Messrs A. Buchanan and D. Pike. Mrs Lloyd played excellent dance music and the accompaniments.

So far the .Waitakaruru Tennis Club has received no challenges for the Howell-Williams Memorial Shield. The competition is open to any tennis club in the counties of Thames and Hauraki Plains, but challenges must be forwarded to the holders of the shield before the first day of February. The Hauraki Plains Tennis Association is the controlling authority, and may at its next meeting decide where the matches should be played.

A peculiar accident occurred to the baby of Mr and Mrs Osborne, Lahore Street, Wairoa, one evening recently (says the Napier “Telegraph” correspondent). Mr Osborne had left the little one on a rug on the lawn when a wandering cow entered and stepped on its neck, inflicting injuries which necessitated the insertion of several stitches.

The constable of a New Zealand village, a man of exceedingly good nature, found it necessary to lock up three tramps whoi had strayed into his Jurisdiction (relates the “’Hawera Star”). Shortly atfer the arrest he was met by the Mayor of the village, who, observing the constable hurrying down the main street, asked. “Where are you going, constable?" “Oh !” exclaimed the constable, “the three tramps I just locked up want to pl as bridge, and I’m out hunting for a fourth!”