THE Hauraki Plains gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5105, 25 March 1927, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As the result of negotiations oarried to a successful conclusion by the chairman of the Hauraki Plains County Council (Cr. E. L. Walton), the l oading work in .the Netherton riding will be continued with practically no further delay. At the last meeting '•f the council a decision was reached to stop the work until further loan money became available. On Mr Walton’s representations the Bank o'f New Zealand has agreed to advance a further sum against hypothecated debentures, and a special meeting o'i: the council is to be held this month to pass the formal ]-esolutions. On account of the wet weather there has actually been little loss of working time on account of the suspension of the work.

Mumps and whooping cough are very prevalent in several schools m the Wanganui Education Board’s district. On the Main Trunk Hue some of the schools have been obliged to close until the visitation subsides. S';>me of the cases have been serious.

That the summer is drawing to a close and the autumn season is at hand has been clearly evident lately. The last two, or three nights and mornings have been very much colder, but bright days of sunshine have prevailed. The prospects for a fine weekend locally appear to be favourable.

A picture entertainment, the proceeds of which were to go to the Kerepeehi street lighting fund, was given by Messrs Innis and Herkt in their Kerepeehi hall on Wednesday evening, but owing to the wild state of the weather the patronage was sc small that expenses were not cleared.

The town had quite a busy appearance yesterday, and there was a large number of people in the main streets during the day. No doubt the stock sale which was held in the Paeroa yards, and the fact that the day turned out to be fine t attracted settlers’ wives and families to the town to engage in shopping while the man qf the house attended the sale.

The eighth annual meeting of the Thames Trotting Club is to. be held at the Parawai Racecourse ta-mor-row.’ Special trains have been arranged, and, given a reasonably fine day, followers of the light harness sport should find plenty to interest them. Horses will race the left-hand-ed way of going, and the public will have an uninterrupted view o'f the racing from the stand, which will be almost opposite the finishing pest.

An advertisement wf interest to the ratepayers of the Ohinemuri County appears in our advertising columns.

The unmetalled section of the Pae-roa-Pokeno main highway between Waitakaruru and Maramarua is now in a bad state as a result o’f the recent wet weather, and so far nothing has been done to remedy the matter, despite rumours to the contrary. The service cars are getting through, but the state of the road has frightened much of the other fraffic. A start has been made with the erection of a concrete bridge on the route of the proposed deviation. It is situated on the up-stream side of the present bridge at the Waitakaruru end of the unmetalled section.

The Kerepeehi boardinghouse is to be closed down at the end of the present month on account o'f lack of business due fa the decrease iji the number of single men employed by the Lands Department about Kerepeehi. Whereas at this time last year there were about 30 men depending on the boardinghouse for their meals, the number has now fallen to four or five, as the department is employing a great many less hands, and preference is given to married men. The greater part of the department’s is now far distant from Kerepeehi, and the gangs find it more convenient to camp on their jobs. The boardinghouse is. to be altered and reopened in the near future by Mr Kneebone as a grocery store.

At the last meeting of the Piako County Council an amount o'f £2290 was written as uncollectable rates, representing soldiers’ and Mapiris’ rates. Since the previous meeting the sum of £7600 lias been collected in rates.

It is not generally known that bees can be carried through the post, but tliis is being done successfully. Six queen bees arrived in Whangarei by the Auckland mail recently. Each was enclosed in a little crate measuring four by 2 } /> inches, the zinc-lined receptacles being well perforated to allow > f adequate ventilation.

The two new shops in Normanby Road, which are in the course of erection for the National Trading Co., Auckland, by Mr W. W. Scott, are naw nearing completion. The- plasterers and painters are already on the job putting in finishing touches, and it is hoped to have the building completed towards the end of next week.

On account of the boisterous weather on Wednesday evening a dance organised by the Ngatea Cricket club ■had to be postponed until the following evening. Splendid weather was then experienced, and there was a good attendance at the function, which passed off very pleasantly. Among those present were the members of a Waihi orchestra, which had been engaged to play for a dance at Kaihere, but which had been postponed until next week on account of the state of the unmetalled roads.

The present Mayor elf Waihi (Mr W. M. Wallnutt), will seek re-election for a third term, a potential opponent being the deputy-Mayor, Dr. Thomas G. Short.

Weather permitting, the inter-club cricket competition on the Plains will be continued tp-morrow, the matches being as follows: —Kopuarahi at Waitakaruru, Kaihere at Turua, and Ngatea at Pipiroa.

A fire at Thames at 8 o’clock on Wednesday evening destroyed about £lOO worth, of gear in a small shack at .the entrance to the Occidental mine. The brigade turned out, but as the fire was above the water supply line it could do nothing.