LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4681, 31 March 1924, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the meeting of suppliers at Ngatea on Wednesday a supplier mentioned that an English gentleman while at Ngatea had put. a letter in a. box of hiiltiT with the request that the person receiving the butter should communicate with his English address. The supplier bad since received a letter which stated that the box of butter had been received by the Maypole Daily Co, and the man handling it had mentioned that of the fifteen brands of butter bandied by that company he considered the New Zealand Company’s Anchor brand the best.

With regard to the Robert Whitten ca<c, reported in the “Gazette” on Wednesday last, representations were made to the Bench for a stay of proceedings. On Friday afternoon the presiding Justices, Messrs P. E. Urena.> and B. Gwillium, sat to consider the representations. Mr Eric A. Porritt appeared for the complainant in the case and Whitten was attended by Mr Frank-Smyth, farmer, of Netnerton. After hearing the petition tho Bdnch stated that it was prepared to request the police to stay execution of the warrant for arrest until April 6 to enable Whitten to find the necessary sureties, but that this time was given on the express condition that the defendant remained on Mr Smyth’s farm at Netherton, under hi?, control but that if Whitten required to. leave the farm for genuine bush ncss reasons the police have to be notilieu, and defendant must be accompanied by Mr Smyth. Mr Porritt ag v eed to the conditions as set out or behalf of the complainant.

In peaking to the toast of “The iM'iing Industry” at the Waikino Old Boys’ eunion on Friday night Mr W. C. Kennedy said that when Mr H. Holland became Prime Minister of New Zealand miners would only have to work two hours a day.

In a statement at Dunedin covering the considerable drop that has taken place in the price of chocolates manufactured in New Zealand Mr R. Hudson said that this was not a temporary measure. The local manufacturers had been badly bit by enormous importat ons of English and foreign lines. The tariff duty of 3d a pound on chocolates and 2d a pound on confectionery was altogether inadequate, as was shown by the fact that the importations jumped from £149,740 in 1921 to £291.134 in 1923. The manufacturers, he said, were out to recapture the trade, and so had decided on a drastic cut.

Attention is directed to an advertisement intimating that Mr G. H. Blackburne has decided to place his services a.s an accountant and auditor at the disposal of the public of the district to n limited extent. Mr Black-' btinie is a retired banker, but has for the last few years practised accountancy and auditing in Wellington and the Manawatu. He holds the Fellowship of the N.Z. Society of Accountants.. their highest grade*

A Catholic Social is advertised io take place in the Soldiers’ Club tomorrow evening.

Among the local authorities that, have received official sanction to th? rinsing of loans are the following: Cambridge Electric Power Board, reticulation, £25,000 ; Thames Borough Council, purchasing water-rftce and in•.••’dertal purposes, £20,000; Piako County Council, bitumen-sealing and metalling roads, £12,200 ; same, metal-, ling, £350 ; Hauraki Plains County Council, construction of Turua-Orongo roads in bitumen, £4520.

Norman (“Wizard”) Smith, the motorist who recently established a record for the Auckland-Wellington journey, is to be prosecuted by the Waitomo County Council for exceeding the speed limit, the council having instructed its ranger to take action.

For some time the commission charged on post office money orders issued for payment within New Zealand has been at the rate of one penny for each pound or fraction thereof, with a minimum of sixpence. Commencing on: April 1, a substantial reduction will be made. The rate will bo reduced to sixpence for sums not exceeding £lO, with an. addition of threepence for each £5 or fraction of £5 above £lO. Thus a money order for £l5. which to-day costs one shilling and ninepence for commission, will be cliarged ninepence, and £49 will be charged two shillings instead of three shillings and fourpeilce. The reduction also affects money orders issued in New Zealand for payment in the Pacific Islands: Aitutaki, Ahi”, Manga.a, Mauke, Niue, Penrhyn, Karatpnga, and Western Samoa. No alteration is made In the rates chargeable'on money orders payable in other countries.