THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4656, 1 February 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The. total rainfall for the month of January for Paeroa, as recorded by the local office of the Public Works Department, was 2.72 in. Rain fell on 13 days, the heaviest being recorded on January 21, wneh .87in. was registered. The total rainfall for the corresponding month in 1923 was 6.31 inches.

At Gpotiki yesterday a youth named Pona Tc Ponini was punishing a horse when the animal left fly, both hoofs striking Pinini a terrific blow in the stomach. The Tekaha nurse sent the Maori boy in a launch to Opotiki hospital, where it was immediately found that the case was hopeless, the boy’s injuries including a ruptured liver and severe hemorrhage. Pinini died soon after arrival at the hospital.

We have received-a copy of the February number of ‘'The Ladies’ Mirror” which is up to the usual standard. The journal forms a most complete review of the social life of New Zealand, and is of interest to all families in the Dominion and their friends and relatives abroad. "T’ne Ladies' Mirror” is a national publication, and has an equal appeal to city, town, and country folk.

The Registrar, Mr J. G. McDougall, advises the following vital statistics for Paeroa for the month of January, 1924 : Births, 8 ; deaths, 2 ; marriages, 4.

Entries for the Hauraki Plains Agricultural • and Pastoral Show, which will be held at Ngatea on Saturday, February 16, are now coming in steadily- Arrangements are well in hand, and indications point to a very successful show.

At. the last meeting of the Elstow D-iiuage Board Mr Wynyard urged that the engineer should be instructed to have an interview with the Public Works Engineer, Paeroa, to ascertain what was being done to close the gaps in the stopbanks up to Mangaiti, and the erection of flood-gates, etc. This was agreed to.

Ihe four pupils of the Kerepeehi school presented for the Standard VI. examination some time ago succeeded in obtaining proficiency certificates. Advice lias just been received that one of them. Master G. Price, has also succeeded in -winning a Junior National Scholarship.

At tne Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton last week two business men pleaded guilty to using light-weight .scalesIt was stated in Court that on December 14 a man called at the Frankton Police Station and said his wife had bought a ham from Menzies and GOl- - as weighing 161 b, whereas its weight was only 13%1b. The inspector tested the scales and found them' weighing l%lb against the customei. Each defendant was fined £3 and coots.

Mr S. M. Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia, has been taking an interest in the N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board. Having seen the good results to the New Zealand trade that have followed the establishment of the board, he requested Mr R- S. Forsyth (London manager) to give him some facts with regard to it. Mr Forsyth spent an hour with the Australian Prime Minister, and explained the details of the policy of the board and other matters. Mr Bruce also asked for a copy of the New Zealand Act that brought the Producers’ Board into being.

A plucky rescue from drowning at Waikawau, Thames Coast, when a boy uiimcG Fisher, aged ten, fell into a stream about ten feet deep, was made by another boy, Jack McLaughlin, aged 12, who was some distance awav. Hearing an alarm, he ran lo the spot and jumped into the water fully clothed. He brought Fisher tp the surface and with difficulty landed him not very much the worse for his immersion.

The new method of transit of fat lambs by means of motor lorries vO freezing works has induced the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board to experiment in the direction of ascertaining what the loss in condition amounts to compared with the driven lambs. Opinions differ as to the extent that lambs, particularly early lambs, suffer in condition and general appearance if driven any great distance as compared with lambs that have neen railed or motored. The tests, which are being carried out by the board, have been confined to lambs “pit their mothers”, (unweaned), but are not yet complete as the season is too far advanced. They will be resumed again at the commnecement of next season with the first drafts of early milk lambs. The result of these experiments will be published when complete, and will be of interest to farmers in all districts.

A pumpkin weighing 1401bs, recently sent, from France to England by aeroplane, exploded at the Savoy Hotel, London. It was destined to be made into pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving Day celebration by Americans staying at the Savoy, and i'. ,was believed t<j be the biggest pumpkin ever imported into England. It was, however (says the Taranaki Herald), quite small compared with a pumpkin grown at Mangorei many years ago by the late Mr Z. Wells. This one weihged 2131 b, ajnd was 27ft 9in in girth, and was sold for £l, half going to Wellington and. the other half to Auckland for exhibition.

Speaking on cancer, at Oamaru Dr. Barnett said that it was the duty of every medical man to recommend an operation in certain cases, but there were other cases in which radium would prove beneficial, and operations were not desirable. One drawback in the treatment of this disease was that after all the years of research the exact cause of the disease was not yet known. It was a disease of the strong rather than the weak.—North Otago Times.

■‘A lot of people think that an agricultural show is a place where a few fanatics show a few cattle and a few horses 1 , and make money. It is nothing of the sort,” declared Mr W. Ha’l at a presentation to Mr W. B. Grant (president of the Taranaki Metropolitan Agricultural Society) at New Plymouth on Friday (says the Taranaki News). Those who exhibited animals at shows were helping to keep up the reputation of stock and preventing it from deteriorating, which otherwise would happen. “And they do not make money,” added Mr Hall.

‘‘The life of a country doctor is not all beer and skittles.” This assertion (says the North Otago Times) was made in all seriousness by Dr. Watt, of Kurow, at the meeting of the Waitaki County Council on Friday. The doctor produced documentary evidence in support of his contention, a resident of Christchurch having written him vehemently repudiating an account for services rendered to his deceased son. The parent said the son was of ago, and .should have made provision for his medical treatment before he became ill. Again, a young m.ui went to town with a cheque for £lOO. This he dissipated in a few days. He returned home penniless, and suffering from pneumonia. The doctor treated him, but he succumbed to his illness, and there was not the slightest hope of receiving payment for medical services. This is one of similar cases that were constantly happening in the country.

No less than 41 applications were received by the Taranaki Hospital Beard for the position of gardener at the New Plymouth Hospital at a salary of £2OO per annum.

Advice has been received by the secretary of the Ngatea District High School Committee that the Minister for Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, will be visiting Ngatea on February 13, and will open the new school In the afternoon.

The Auckland Education Board has resolved that for 1924 school vacations will be as follows : Easter : Good F’’’day and Easter Monday. May: Two; weeks, commencing Saturday, Maj/ 10, and ending Sunday, May 25. August-September : Two weeks, commencing Saturday, August 23, and ending Monday, September 8. Except in special circumstances, and with the consent of the board having been previously obtained, no variation of these vacations will be permitted. The special holidays (Anzac Day, the King's Birthday, and Labour Day) will, of course, be observed.

The rain gauge at the Lands Drainage office at Kerepeehi records that during the month of January rain fell on eleven days, a total of 2.72 in being recorded. This is just three points above the average for. the same month during the past twelve years, but is only , a little more than half, that recorded during the same period of the two preceding years.

A young railway porter a,. Frankton named Edward George Pickett was yesterday convicted of the theft of an overcoat from a railway carriage at Frankton. The garment was an old one and had been left in a carriage by a passenger. Accused removed it arid failed to hand it on to the lost luggage depot. Pickett was placed on probation for twelve months, nothing further being known against him.

A trial survey for yet another route across the Hauraki Plains for the Paeroa-Pokeno railway is now: being made. This is approximately in a straight line from the Nethertoa school to Ngatea, crossing the Piako River near the Kerepeehi wharf and the Puhanga Canal near the new bridge. From there it will proceed west to the point in the hills near Torebape originally decided upon.

A heavy thunderstorm, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning, passed over Paeroa late on Monday evening, but litle or no rain fell during the night. Early yesterday morning heavy rain fell for about an hour, after which the sky cleared and the weather remained fine throughout the day. Last evening it was decidedly cooler, and several showers fell during the early part of the night. This morning the barometer had fallen again, and present signs indicate that further raiyi is to be expected. A good downpour will be welcomed bj’ th<? farmers, as both root crops and pastures are badly in need of rain.

Prior to the commencement of the business at the Thames Valley jersey Breeders Club meeting this morning the ptesident (Mr G. Buchanan), on behalf of the club, congratulated Mr W. J. Hall on his success in gaining first honours and reserve championship in the two-year-old Jersey bull class at the Auckland December Show. Mr Hall’s bull that gained the championship was recently imported from America, and was only just off the quarantine island when shown, but, nevertheless, he beat previous ■champions from Dargaville, Whangarie, Auckland, and Waikato.

The executive of the Farmers’ Veterinary Club met on Thursday, the president, Mr C. H. Waite, presidingSeveral new members were enrolled and one resignation accepted. Mucn discussion took place on the matter .ff on: standing fees. Each case was dealt with on its merits, and in some cases the secretary was instructed to sue for the money.

The chairman reported at the last meeting of the Elstow Drainage Board that in company with the engineer he had visited the lower end of the Awaiti area, where Trustee Carter and Mr Taylor (assistant land drainage engineer) joined them, and an inspection was made of the various outlets to be improved. The chairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Carter for their hospitality. It was decided to put the work of improving these outlets into commission as soon as loan money was available. In the meantime the engineer will be instructed to prepare plans and .specifications. A resolution was also carried to the effect that all new drains in the Awaiti aiea should be provided with a batter of not less Than three-quarters to one, owing to the tendency-of that class of countiy to sliu in after the drain has been made.

On the authority of an agent the “Manawatu Daily Times” lenrps that the representative of an Australian firm, which has ten branches throug’hout the world is seeking a suitable location for a factory in Palmerston North, forty or fifty acres in extent, where workmen’s homes and ample space r’oi- extensive buildings could be procured. Several properties have already been examined with the assistance of a surveyor. The nature of the business has not been disclosed.

An excellent variety of tepieal illustrations gleaned from local and overseas sources is comprised in thio week’s issue of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review.” The Takapuna Jockey Club’s meeting is dealt with in an interesting set of snapshots showing progress of leading events, and the Wellington Racing Club’s carnival is represented in another se’-ies of commanding pictures. Hunting in. England forms a very fine set of. photographs giving a graphic view of the Braham Moor Hunt, of which Lord Lascelles is master. The Wellin.aton Provincial Amateur Athletic Championships and the Olympia Amateur Swimming Club’s carnival at Wellington will make a general appeal, as will also the swimming championship in Sydney. There is a wldg range of pictures from abroad, and an alluring stage and notion picture section.