LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4775, 12 November 1924, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

+ The Minister for Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) is expected to pay a visit to Morrinsville this evening. Train alterations in connection with the Thames races are advertised in this issue. The first pile of the new wharf at Thames was driven yesterday. This is the start of the harbour scheme, estimated to cost about £60,000. It is stated that the Prime Minister is suffering from sciatica and will probably spend a few days at a resort and receive bath treatment. The Thames 'Valley Show at Te Arolia was opened to-day, and will be continued to-morrow. The Waikato Show takes place next week, and the Paeroa Show the following week. east month in the Hauraki Plains County, buildings permits to the value of £3510 were issued. These include three milking-sheds, three additions to dwelling houses, and thiee shops. The Church of England annual bazaar will be held on November 20 in the Gaiety Theatre. Competitions in both cooking and cut flowers. Attractions for all.*„ The Morrinsville School Committee is taking a vote of the parents on the question of introducing the Nelson system of Bible instruction in the schools.

The Armistice Day ceremony at the Paeroa District High School was male very impressive. The teachers explained the significance of the day and a two minutes’ silence was observed.

A two minutes’ silence was observed by the Hauraki Plains County Council at its monthly meeting yesterday in accordance with the request of His Majesty the King to thus commemorate Armistice Day.

According to the Government statistician the cost of living, as far as food and clothing are concerned, is going down. The cost of Jving gen erally is 13.64 per cent, lower than what it was in February, 1921.

There are exceptions to every rule. During the two minutes’ siience yesterday two persons were to be seen walking along Belmont Road. Observers came to the conclusion that ignorance was the cause of the action.

The Paeroa Presbyterian Church Is 'represented at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand now being held at Palmerston North by its minister, the Rev. Richard Morgan.

Blackberry is beginning tc take a firm hold throughout the Hauraki Plains County, and the council’s inspectoi proposes to take the matter in hand this month. He has given notice to several landowners to clear •their property.

At yesterday’s Hauraki Plains County Council meeting the' engineer said that there was hardly a sound bridge in the county. He would prepare a comprehensive report on the matter. It was necssary to obtain stocks of planks and stringers.

The Auckland Education Board’;? architect, Mr Putmain, paid a visit to Paeroa yesterday. He inspected the improvements recently made at the school, and in conjunction with the contractors he examined the site of the new technical school.

Discussing the recent charge of 2s for each treatment for outpatients' at the Thames Hospital the secretary commented that formerly there were about twenty cases a day obtaining free treatment, but since the change had been fixed at the beginning of the month there had only been 33 'cases in eight days.

At the meeting of the Thames Hospital Board on Monday Dr. Ritchie, medical superintendent of the hospital, wrote from Edinburgh recommending that he be given authority to purchase certain instruments on behalf of the board while in Scotland. The cost would be about £sff. The request was granted.

Influenza is causing considerable inconvenience on many farms throughout the district. One day a well-known settler had four of his family and t,wo of his share-milkers down, and he was not, feeling well himself, but the cows had to be attended to and the cream sent to the factory.

The Plains County Council assembled for its monthly meeting at 10.30 a.m. yesterday. The finance meeting occupied till 12.30 p.m., when an adjournment was made for lunch. Resuming at 2 p.m., the council’s attention was occupied for half an hour by a deputation’ and till 5.15 p.m. on reports. Correspondence was then taken, the time oepupied being four hours. General, business took 13/4l 3 /4 hours, and the meeting closed a little before midnight.

The Hauraki Plains County inspector informed the. coun.cil that the straying stock nuisance w.ajs giving a great, deal of trouble throughout the county. He intended to take more drastic action in the future with regard to it. In many cases gates were left open for stock to go out, and numerous landowners weie in the habit of turning their stock on to the roads at night. It was very hard to trace the owners of such cattle.

The anniversary of Armistice Day was duly observed in Paeroa on Tuesday. Upon the report at 11 a.m. on Primrose Hill work was suspended for two minutes and all traffic ceased. Men and women stood still in memory of those who gave their lives in that momentous struggle which was brought to a close six sears ago. Most men stood with uncovered head, and children were heard asking their mothers the meaning of the sudden quietness. Flags were flying at the District High School and the Ohinemuri County Council offices.

In spite of thje many attempts by the struggling farmer, the gum lands of the North Auckland district have proved unsuitable for general agricultural purposes. Cropping is not a paying proposition in those parts. There is one exception, however —tobacco thrives well in these latitudes, and splendid types of leaf have been produced on soils that not long ago were covered with ti-tree and ffern. \ small portion of these waste lands r plaited in tobacco would be sufficient to transform this poverty-stricken district into regions of affluence an I wealth ; £so' net is the average yield of a tobacco crop pier acre, and often more. Few people realise the immense possibilities of the tobacco industry, but anyone wanting information on the subject is referred' to the ready manufactured article, ‘‘Riverhead Gold,” mildest of all; “Toasted Navy Cut -(Bulldog), of medium strength; and “Cut Plug No. 10” (Bullhead), full strength. Do not forget that all three brands are toasted, and therefore more wholesome than the average class of goods from oversea", often so harmful on the score of excess nicotine.*