THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4939, 15 February 1926, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The theft of a tin of benzine from a local garage on Saturday afternoon has been reported. It its understood that while the garage attendant was absent for a few minutes some person or persons wrenched the door of an iron tank in which emergency supplies are stored and helped themselves. The police are investigating the matter.

The number of pupils, at present attending the Paeroa District High School is 440, compared with 432 for the last quarter in 1925. The figures for the different departments are as follows, those in parenthesis being for the last quarter in 1925: Primary, 224' (222) boys, 169 (165) girls ; secondary, 22 (22) boys, 25 (23) girls.

A meeting of the No. 7 Road settlers was held at Waitoa last week, Mr F. W. Walters presiding, to. consider the raising of a loan to bitumen seal No. 7 Road. After a long discussion between the chairman and engineer, Mr AV. J. Gibbs, a,nd the ratepayers, a vote of no-confidence in the present administration was carried unanimously, and the .loan proposal was turned down. Mr Walters said that if that was the feeling of the rest of the riding he would ha,ve no hesitation in resigning.

In order to waste of writing paper at school 'the Morrinsville School Committee has decided to purchaise paper supplies in bulk. The headmaster considers, .that if the position were relieved for one year it would be a big help to 'the parents. The waste did not occur inside the school so much as outside, when children played “noughts .and crosges,” By the committee purchasing the paper it would be handed ou.t as. fast as required, and a lot of waste would be prevented.

Considerable indignation has been expressed by one of five local residents .who journeyed to Thames on Thursday for hte purpose of visiting relatives who are inmates of the Thames Hospital. On arrival at the institution the visitors' were advised by the staff that owing ,to the floors of • the corridors being freshly varnished visitors could on no account be admitted to the wards.' The loca,l residents pointed out that they had journeyed from Paeroa, and pleaded to be admitted, but it was of no avail. No doubt the staff was obeying instructions, but if it had been necessary to carry out the va.mishing on an ordinary visiting day the residents within the board’s district were surely entitled to some notification through the newspapers that visitors would not be admitted. It is, understood that a resident of the Hauraki Plains who journeyed to Thames was similarly treated.

The Lands Drainage Department commenced assembling plant at Waibakaruru to-day in preparation for the work of metalling Canal Road. It is intended to dump a big quantity of meta.l so that the spreading can proceed without interruption when commenced.

At Thames on Friday evening heavy smoke belching from the Congregational Church caused alarm, but the fire brigade quickly extinguished the fire, which had mysteriously started from outside the building and crept up into the gable. The building was insured for £9OO in the New Zealand office. The contents', which were damaged by water, were uninsured.

It was- resolved at Saturday night's meeting of the Paeroa District High School Committee tp declare Wednesday,. March 17, a whole holiday in view of the heavy motor traffic to and from the races constituting a da ; nger to the children.

Although the Turua Public Library contains a. very large number of books for a place the size of Turua the number of subscribers is decreasing steadily, as they are of opinion that they have read all the books. This, action si having the effect of straining the finances .and preventing the purchase of new books.

The work of preparing new issues of postage stamps for t,he Dominion is now in progress, and it is expected that an issue of stamps will be made in a month or two. The issue will, affect three denominations—the penny, the two shilling, and the .three shilling stamps. An attractive design, showing .the King in military uni-; form, will be portrayed on the penny stamp, and the 2s and 3s denominajtions, will show His Majesty in naval uniform.

The people are now being forced to modify their extravagant views and to show more respect for economic laws (says the N.Z. Mercantile Gazette). The position will become conerably worse before it is better. Not only have the people been extravagant and run riot in inflation, but they have been well supported by the government and the local bodies, but especially by the latter.

The flax-growing and milling syndicate which has' secured tjie 1600 acres between the Waikaka Canal and the Piako River has commenced operations, and a big gang of men is employed digging drains. With the exception of about 200 acres, of good clean country suitable for immediate planting the whole of the area contains a close crop of excellent flax ready for milling. Persistent rumours, affirm that the syndicate proposes to erect a mill on .the Kerepeehi block not far from the townishpj but the statements as to the size of the. mill vary consideralby. The block controlled by .the syndicate would support a four-stripper mill.