THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5089, 16 February 1927, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A special" meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council is to be held this evening. Included in the business' on the order paper is '(he authorising of tire raising of a loan of £lOOO for street improvements within the N’ormanby Road special rating area. The committee set up for the purpose is also to report on tee proposal to take a poll of ratepayers in connection with the erection of municipal swimming baths.

The following return of patients treated at the Thames Hospital for the 12 months ended March 31, 1926, showing the proportion of patients from each district, was tabled at Monday’s meeting of the. Thames Hospital Board Thames, Borough : Patients treated, 377; fees, charged, £3129 14s; fees paid, £1347 19s 7d. Paeroa Borough : Patients, 81 ; fees, £B5B 3s ; Tees paid, £479 o's 6d. Ohinemuri County : Patients, 78?fces, £839 8s; fees paid, £469 Os 6d. Thames County : Patients, 188 ; fees, £1415 6s ; fees paid, £643 life Bd. Hauraki Plains County: Patients, 238; fees, £2271 14s ; fees paid, £792 9s 2d: Total Tees charged, £8514 ss. Total fees paid, £3732 Os 2d.

Replying to a member at the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce meeting last evening Mr W. E. Ward (postmaster) said that the telegraphic business at the local office had nearly doubled itself since the removal to the new building last June. Mr E. Edwards said that the information was proof that the public was no; slow to avail itself of the facilities if .the department would provide them.

A resounding crash from the neighbourhood Oif the factory disturbed the usual quietness of Turua on Sunday afternoon, and some people thought the factory boiler had burst. A wellknown business man had driven his car in'-o his garage, and without stopping the engine or disengaging the gears he .took his foot off the clutch lever, with the result that the- heavy vehicle crashed through the rear wall..

The necessity for extreme care in carrying out chemical experiments was exemplified at the Matamata Junior High School last week. A class was being instructed in the making of chlorine gas, and in the course of the experiment, the pupils were invited to take a sniff of the mixture. Unfortunately two pupils, a boy and a girl, obtained more than their fair share of .the gas. and were taken ill and had to receive medical attention. Both sufferers have now recovered.

The need for an old men’s home in the district was emphasised at the monthly meeting of the Waihi Hospital Board last week, when the acting-medical superintendent (Dr. T. G. Short) asked for instructions as to an old man who waia recovering from an illness, but having no home could not be turned out of the hospital. During the discussion that ensued Colonel Jo.wsey said that while he was not in favour of turning .the patient out, yet the hospital was too expensive an institution to be treated as a boardinghouse. The board decided to get in touch with the old man’s relations, and in the meantime lie is to remain in the hospital.

The Kerepeehi School Committee has altered the date of the annual school picnic (which is t,o be held at New Brighton Beach) from Saturday, March 5, to Saturday, February 26, to enable the teachers to be present.

New Brighton Beacii is now firmly established in public favour among Hauraki Plains people. On Sunday last over sixty motor-cars were counted on the recreation ground, and there were many cars in the next bay, and al-ng the beach towards, Miranda near the shellfish beds.

The management committee of the Paeroa Athletic Club met on Monday evening to consider the arrangements in connection with the gala night and fireworks display on March 17, in which function the Paeroa dental clinic fund will benefit to the extent of 50 per cent, of the net proceeds. Mr J. Walmsley presided over Messrs G. H. Taylor, D. Snow, J. Fox, E. Preston, T. Hale, W. Moore, and K. L. Slyfie’ld (secretary). The congratulations of the club were conveyed to a member, Mr A. R. Morrison, of Netherton, whose list of successes (including t.he Waiuku Cup) .has been praiseworthy this season.

During a discussion at the meeting of the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce last night the opinion was freely expressed that subscribers were not getting t.he efficiency that was expected with regard to the local telephone exchange service. On-the motion of Mr W. Marshall seconded by Mr P. Williams, it was resolved that the department, through the local postmaster, be approached with a request for better attention.

Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following cases by Mr F. W. Platts, S.M., at the Paeroa Magistrate’s Court yesterday : State Advances Office v. J. Munro, £6l 8s 3d ; W. R. Dales v. J. F. Montague, £1 10s ; E. Nelson v. J. A. Spencer, £1 15s. Judgment summonses .’ K. Wright, To Aroha, was ordered to pay T. H. Hale £7 Is 6d, with costs 15s 6d, in default five days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as debtor paid half the amount in one month’s time ; Paul Penny was ordered to pay W. Stephenson £l3 0s 4d, with costs £1 Is, in default seven days’ impirsonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as debtor paid 10s a month, the first payment to be made on March 15. Jack Tawhiti was ordered to pay W. Stephenson £6 12s 2d forthwith, in default four days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as debtor paid £1 a month.

The Turua school was closed at mid-day on > Monday, in accordance with the authority given the headmaster and chairman of the committee by 'the Education Board to take such action when the state of the weather warranted. On several occasions last week the temperature in the Ngatea school was above 80 degrees, but, the school was not closed, as the headmaster considered the children might as well be having classes in tne open air as. waiting about for the buses, which would not. arrive until •the usual time. Were it, no,t for the fact that ever 80 children travel to and from school by motor-bus a. halfholiday would have been declared on account of the heat.

In connection wtih unemployment in Waihi the Mayor (Mr W. M. Wallnutt) has forwarded details in writing to Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P. tor Ohinemuri, who is proceeding to Wellington this week, urging that -immediate representations be made to the Government in the matter of providing local relief works, the completion of the Waihi Beach road being suggested as the most urgent and beneficial work from a provincial standpoint. The Mayor’s representations have been supported by a letter from the Miners’ Union also urging the necessity of immediate action in the direction of finding employment for those out of work.

At a meeting of the unemployed at Christchurch on Saturday, a man giving his name as A. P. McKay, of Christchurch, stood out from the crowd and offered £2oo' to the relief fund. “The cheque will be waiting when you call,” he said.

A schnapper weighing 10% lbs was caught from the rocks at, the Thames Coast on Sunday. Fish are very plentiful in the gulf at present, and launch parties from the Plains have secured big hauls.

The metalling of a short stretch of the Puhanga Canal road near Ngatea has commenced. The is being undertaken by t,he Lands Department for the County Council.