THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5059, 1 December 1926, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One of the visiting judges at the local, show this, morning expressed his surprise at the progress that Paeroa was making. He expressed thQ opionion, also, that the citizens were particularly 'fortunate, ejnd were to be congratulated on. .having such an area as the domain with its beautiful trees and up-to-date appointments right in the heart of the town.

Mr J. L. Saunders, acting director of dental, hygiene, Public Health Department, Wellington, was in. Paieroa this morning, and conferred with the Mayor and members of the High School Committee concerning the establishment of a dental cinic ♦nt the Paeroa schooL

The local' registrar (Mr W. E. Ward) supplies the 'following vital statistics for Paeroa, for the month of November, with the figures fo’r the correspo'nding mopth last year in parenthesis: Births, 9 (2) ; deaths, 2 (0) ; marriages, “4 (0).

“New Zealand, with a population of 1,400,000, consumes 15;000 tons of butter each year, to one-fourth of our annual export,” remarked, the president (Mr A. H. Mackrell) at the annual conference of the Chambers of Commerce in Wellington. “If we, doubled our population we would consume 30.000 1 tons of butter a year, equal to liaff of our present annual expolrt, and so the problem of finding markets for butter and all other produce of the land to which this comparison applies, would be lessened.”

It has been decreed (st'ajtes the Morrinsville Star) that shortly, with the new lease, travellers and the general public will not be able to buy chocolates at the bookstall on the Morrinsville railway station. It is said that the object is to protect the refreshment rooms at Frankton. At these rooms chocolates sdld. So as to allow the Government a monopoly no “chocs.” are to be sold at the Mcrrinsville bookstall. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that at the Frankton bookstall the sale o'f cigarettes as well as “chocs.” is b.arred.

Ten surnames alone, in Br.itain are shared by no fewer than 2,293,600 of its inhabitants. There hire 530,000 Smiths, 204,000 J. Smiths, 425000' Jones; 320,000 Bro,wins, 238,800 Taylors; 180;000 Davies; 158,000 Wiislons, 122,400 Walkers; 120;000 Morrises, 108,000 Wrights; 90;000 Coopers. EVen the rarest names, are not unique; as the following examples prove: Beetle 150, Coffee, 54, Bernard Shaw 30 1 ; Tea 12; Fido 435; Bread 3; Gotobed 426'.

Nitrate of soda or some closely allied substance, possibly saltpetre, has been sold at Namier as sugar. It is reported that half a ton or so was disposed of by one grocer, the mistake only becoming apparent after numerous complaints. The substance, it is stated, was purchased by the grocer from a wholesaler and sold in good faith as sugar.

The value of the ability to swim is undisputed, and great strides have been made in teaching the art ’to young school children. But there are unfortunate people who, in spite of numerous lessons from experts, develop panic directly the supporting line or pole is removed, and find it absolutely impossible to learn. People ranging in age 'from five years to over seventy years are taught each season at the Christchurch tepid baths by Mr H. Breward, and his latest a'cquatic pupil is a lady o'f seventy-two years of age who does her width at the baths two and three times ej week !

An iihstence of the splendid lasting qualities of puriri, and its' suitability Ifor fencing posts, has come under the notice o’f the Cambridge Independent. Some of the fencing posts in front of St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Cambridge have just been removed. It was ’found that the posts three or four feet underground were absolutely sound, and on being put through it was found that the timber was in a perfect state of preservation, and apparently good 'for many more years’ service. These posts, have been in the ground for the last 'forty to’ fifty years.

Yesterday, being St. Andrew’s Day, was observed by the bunks as a holiday. Flags were flown from the post office and Public Works Department’s office to mark the anniversary. The school dental officer, Mr F. GStockwell, 8.D.5., has; completed the treatment o’f the children of the Kaihere school and has returned, to Ngatea, where his services will be available ,to children until Christmaa In view of the lack of appreciation of the free dental service it seems unlikely that the department will continue to maintain the dentaj officer in comparative idleness on the Plains after Christmas.

Tenders have been called for the erection of a school at Golden Cross, Waitekaurj, and this, will supply a long felt want to the settlers in the locality. The member for Ohinemuri, Mr A. M. Samuel, has, been pressing for this school 'for some time past.

Diseuss.ing the visit of the Governor Generaj to the Plains on Tuesday next MrW. E. Willy observed that it was 149 yeajrs since a direct representative of the King had visited the Plains. Pressed for -an explanation, Mr Willy ..said that in 1777 Captain James Cook, who- held a direct commission 'from the King, landqd on the Plains.

“If all s ports were- stripped of atom df danger, there would be no sport at all,” said the coroner at the inquest on George Hart, the boy boxer, who died as ,thq result of an injury received in a championship bo'ut at Hull. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

A Paterangi settler remarked at a meeting of farmers in Te Awamutu a ’few evenings ago that there was a ewe in his district that had, to date, given birth to 23 lambs. When another. Paterangi man sought to .correct the veracity of the speaker by saying, “You mean 33, don’t y®iu ?” the. reply was, “Oh, don’t make it too ‘ hot. These fellows will doubt my statement as it is !”

Promoters o’f a raffle in connection with a church bazaar on the Plains recently were supprised to note that half , a dozen tickets were entered in. the name of “The Missed Family.” Inquiries disclosed that the holder of the. tickets resented the fact that the minister of the church h.ad not Chilled on his 'family and he had adopted this method o’f bringing the fact tC the minister’s notice.

“In memory of 56'5 persons killed by reckless driving in New York since January 1, 1926.” Such is the inscription on two or three tombstones which stand in South Broadway, New York, where a subway carries the traffic, allowing the ’formation of a grass plot in the street.. The stones were seen by Mr J. Ji. Staples, of the Lyttelton Times advertising staff, on July 16 of this, year, when he passing through New' York a'ftei* attending the annual convention of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World at Philadelphia.' “It looks as A’ they are going in for: a total of a thousand,” said Mr Staples. “They alter the total after evei’y accident. They had over 500 with half the yea<r gone.” Speaking of the traffic of New York, Mr Staples said that it was extraordinary to a New Zealander. While he was in New York one, of the subways, was out of action through a strike, and it. estimated that this had put 50,000 private cars on the streets.