THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which Is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5058, 29 November 1926, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which Is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The firebell rang out its alarm last evening at about 7.45 o’clock and the brigade was soon on the scene. The cause was a dirty chimney on fire, arid the crowd that assembled soon dispersed.

The inspector df cruelty to animals, Mr Thomas Davies, of Paeroa, had a fieQd at the Mor.rinsville Police Court last week, when nO less than eight charges against four Tatuanui farmers for ill-treating horses by working them with sor.e shoulders were heard. The defendants were fined £1 on each charge. In gumming up .the Magistrate (Mr J. W. Poyntoh) said that it was cruel ajnd shocking to work horses in the state they were in.

“It’s the last night of the session,” remarked the chairman (Bro. Flatt) at the Orphans’ gathering on Thursday last, “and I don’t wish it .to be all flat(t).”

The Sentinel steam train .engaged in the Frankton-Thames seyvice was nearly two hours late on arrival at Paeroa this morning. Owing ,to the second Main Trunk express from Auckland running late, the steam train was over half an hour behind schedule, time 'leaving Frankton. Further trouble was experienced on the jonrney to Thames due to the Westport coal which was used being unsuitable for steaming purposes. A delay of half an hour occurred at Motumaoho while a sufficient head of steam was. accumulated, after which an average, speed of 22 miles an hour . was maintained. Although there is seating accommodation for 48 passengers there was a tqtai of 59 aboard on leaving Frankton, while a further half-dozen or so travellers entrained at Hamilton. Judging by the support the service is receiving the depaitment will soon have to consider the advisability of providing extra. accommodation. -

At the last Orphans’ meeting Mr Maxwell-Walker denounced the beauty competition in no uncertain manner. He said it was degrading to .the women and also degrading to the Dominion to allow such things. It was established by a commercial firm, and should not be tolerated. He hoped that legislation would be brought down prohibiting such exhibitions.

At the social evening on Saturday night Secretary Watts said that at the last fire brigades’ demonstration at. Invercargill eight men present had a total o'f/ 400 years’ service in volunteer fire brigade work. That, he said, was something to be proud of, and showed the great civic spirit that was behind the volunteer fire brigade work. 1

The secretary of the Paeroa Fire Brigade, Driver Malcolm , writes-: “Could you, when you .are reporting upon this night’s (last night) fire, please, in the name of humanity, include the note that civilians show deplorable regard 'for our obligations to duty by riding on the fire engine, thus retarding its speed to a marked degree. When I reached the. station they had been enedavouring to start the qngine and had it so flooded that I had the greatest difficulty in getting it off the Then^civilians rode on the engine ana hampered my speedI know you will just mention this 'for the common welfare of the community.”

Messrs Hughes and Cossar, Ltd., Auckland, have an interesting announcement elsewhere in these columns with reference to Tui ale and Stout, Bell’s Perth whisky, and Browning’s dry gin.*

" The latest kind o’f betting on horses in England is by means of numbered tickets, or, which printed the totall number of tickets sold, say, 6893. The tickets cos,t 6d for the week, and the first prize is £7 each day. To win that £7 the initial starting prices of the horses at the racecourse are taken and divided by 6893. Thus 267,435 divided by 6893 equals 38, with '5501 over. The holder of the 5501 card wins the £7. There are al'sc/ other prizes.