THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30. 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4655, 30 January 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30. 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The schools under the Auckland Education Board’s control will reopen on Monday next,, February 4,. after having been closed since December 20. Consideration of the school hours to be observed during February has not yet been advised by the Board, Farmers on the Plains who have left their hay-making until late in thk season have found that the pasture is badly affected with ergot. Rathei than take the risk of poisoning their cattle some men have burned their crops. Mr J. Costello., veterinarian of the Farmersf Veterinary Club, advises that if the affected hay must be stacked a liberal amount of shell lime and salt should be mixed with it. This will not remove the danger, but may minimise it.

The following candidates from the Paeroa District High School in the Matriculation examination gained passes as under : Miss Jessie F. Ellis, matriculation ; Lilian M. Byrne, Muriel J. Taylor, Ivan Hall and C. W. Malcolm partial passes, and Miss F. MI Halligan a completed pass.

Mr W. J. Costello, the winner of j the Pioneer Standing Chop at the Hikutaia Sports yesterday, donated £1 towards the Hikutaia Memorial Gate. Messrs Wirth Bros’, circus and menagerie will pay a visit to Paeroa and show here on Tuesday, March 11. Wirth Bros, intend presenting their latest attraction I ’, which have just arrived -from England and American and full particulars will be advertised later.* A happy evening was spent at the Sokliers’ Club on Monday evening last, when the members of the Paeroa Roman Catholic Church assembled to say au revoir to Mr and Mrs F. S. Budd and family, who are leaving the district. During the evening Father Dunphy, in a few well-chosen wordSj, presented Mrs Budd with a canteen of stainless cutlery as a token of the esteem in which she is ho Id by. the church members. Mr Budd was the recipient of a leather suit-case. Dancing, musical items, and games were indulged in. Mrs Budd was also the recipient of several presentations from personal friends. Perfect summer weather prevailed for the holiday (Anniversary Day) yesterday. The day was observed as a close holiday in Paeroa by the ba?ik,s and retailers. A large number of people availed themselves of the summer day to picnic at Tarariki Creek, where swimming was the order of the day, the intervening time being spent in gathering blackberries. The annual Hikutaia Sports were held at that place and to these a large concourse of people were attracted. An enjoyable inter-club bowling match was held on the local rinks, and the tennis courts and croquet lawns were fully occupied nearly all day. The excursion trains to the Waikato were also well patronised, and a number of peope from this town visited the annual regatta and aquatic sports in Hamilton. It will be remembered that some months ago the children of the Paeroi District High School undertook a bottle-gathering campaign as a means of raising funds for schoolground improvements, and in this way the tidy sum of £5B 14s 3d resulted from the sale of bottles. The committee has now received advice that the Government £ for £ subsidy on that amount has, been approved,, and the total amount available will therefore be £ll7 8s 6d. The committee intends carrying out the following improvements ’to the grounds immediately .‘Build 135 fit of rock border to front boundary of garden in Wood Streetj, post, rail, netting; and wire fence the front garden; three flights of concrete steps to upper playground, levelling and sanding upper playground, 20ft of netting 10ft high, excavation and stonework at the north-eastern corner of the building, making up garden plots in the new section in Wood Street; painting existing seats and gate.s and new wookwork. and bicycle shelter-shed and racks. The Corbett Cup, valued at £25, having been Avon twice in succession by W. J. Costello), becomes his property. The cup was presented to him on the field by Mr Alf. Alley, president of the club. Master J. R. Elliot, of Hikutaia, a pupil of Nelson Boys’ College, has been notified that he has been successful in gaining a Junior National Scholarship. An unpleasant experience befel the men engaged on the sewerage works this morning. When working on Mrs Canolly’s property in Hill Street a hive of bees was accidentally disturbed, with the result that they became angry and attacked the men, several of whom were stung. A garden hose was requisitioned and efforts made to pacify the angry bees, but they preferred to swarm and settle near the edge of the drain. Needless to siay, the men working in the vicinity lost no time in “downing tools” and seeking a more congenial part of the works until the insects could be removed to a more favourable position. Speaking at the Pukekura factory opening on Saturday afternoon Mr Sinclair, acting-manager of the N.Z. Co-op. Dairy Co,, Ltd., stated that the company was paying put next week a sum of about £601,000, which would come as a welcome bonus to farmers. The company, acting on the advice of its London representative, had kept some 3000 tons of last year’s butter in reserve for some considerable time, with the result that it had realised an enhanced price, enabling the company to make this extra payment. The announcement was received with applause.