THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4813, 20 February 1925, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The work in connection with the new railway yards and station is now progressing rapidly, and the department hopes to have the new station working early in April. The action brought before the Supreme Court, Auckland, by John Endean (Mr Leary), Auckland, against W. F. North (Mr Tuck), Paeroa, claiming £1382 4s 6d for damage alleged to have been sustained by Are through a flax area, was concluded late yesterday afternoon. It is understood that the case was reduced to three issues, and that the jury gave their verdict in favour of North on each count. One of the best informed and keenest men connected with the dairying industry in Taranaki informed the Hawera Star that he had been experimenting for some time with the use of salt as a weed killer, and had found that none of the weeds upon which he had used the salt had been able to resist it, not even blackberry. Elne salt w,as not effective, but the very coarse kind, in appearance like rice, was proving very satisfactory. The application of about a tablespoonful was sufficient. The salt did not disappear with the first shower of rain, but dissolved slowly for about three weeks, during which time it destroyed the weeds effectively. A man could do an acre a day. The coarse salt cost about £3 a ton, and that amount would probably be sufficient for 10 acres of weed-infested land. After about five months the grass would grow on a patch from which the weeds had been destroyed, and, entering lhe soil, the salt acted as a fertiliser.

A councillor moved at the Manaia Town Board meeting “that the town clerk write to the occupiers of graves in the cemetery and endeavour to ascertain their present address.’’ Hs subsequently amended the motion slightly, says the “Witness.’’

The cutting down of Moore Street ana the filling in of Taylor's Avenue, in connection with the local railway work, is being rapidly pushed ahead by the Railway Department. Rails have been put down, and wi':h the department’s up-to-date plant the undertaking, which is of an urgent nature, should not take long. The Tiroilia Quarry Company was .the successful tenderer for the supply of metal.

An exchange states that many people with private telephones have been surprised on receiving notices from the post office calling upon them to pay the cost of a business 'phone (£3 extra) or as an alternative cut the number of their ’phone from advertisements appearing in newspapers. Failure to comply means the cutting off of, the telephone. It appeans that it is not only necessary to omit the number of a private telephone from newspaper advertisements, but from billheads and envelopes. The enforcement of the regulation has affected quite a number of people, but however unpleasant it may be, resistance is useless and people may as well conform first as last to the regulations.

This week's issue of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review" should make a wide appeal to all. The famous All Blacks occupy the centre pages with incidents of the matches at Christmas time against Hampshire and other counties. Racing followers be keenly interested m the prominence given to the recent successful meetings at Taranaki, Gisborne, and Rotorua, depicting starts and finishes of the principal events. Holiday scenes at Westmere (Napier) make an attractive page, while sailing races on the Waitemata, life-sav-ing competition at Paekakariki, form other very interesting sections. Special pleasure will be taken by cricket enthusiasts in the auotgraphed photographs of Gilligan’s team. Amongst the miscellaneous items are the ladies’ swimming championship of N.S.W., steeplechasing in England, Paris in flood, etc., and alluring fashions, personal celebrities, and stage and film favourites bring this popular publication up to a very high standard