THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5184, 28 September 1927, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A total of 18,458 persons are employed in the- New Zealand Railways service, as compared with 17,990 at March 31, 1926. Of the total employed, 9738 are stationed on the. North Island main line and branches and 7284 on the South Island main line and branches. The locomotive branch employs 6662, and the traffic branch comes next with 5579.

A strong sub-society of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society has been formed at Te Aroha. At the meeting of the- Ohinemuri body on Saturday the question of boundaries was discussed. At the present time the Ohinemuri Society’s boundaries are- the old Ohinemuri County boundary, but with the formation of the Te Aroha Society it was decided that the- Ohinemuri boundary would be altered to extend as far as the Waitoki Stream only.

The gardens along the frontage of the Paeroa District High School in Wood Street are a blaze of colour and beauty at the present time, and are the subject of much admiration by pass.ers-by. Included in the beds of flowers are English marigolds, perennial candytuft, arum lilies, anemones, alyssum, and primroses. The whole of the. frontage-, comprising over 80ft, is under the care of Mr E. G. Preston, of the secondary department, and the work of tending the plots is done by him after school hours.

An application fropi the East club to play a match against Waikino at Waikino on October 8, was granted at Monday night’s meeting of the Paeroa Rugby Union. It was also resolved to approach the Waihi union inviting it to send a third-grade team to play a curtain-raiser to the Thames Valley v. Auckland match at Paeroa on Saturday next.

“Going at 6s. Any advance on 6s ? Going at 65.” A smile lit up the auctioneer’s race- as his hammer dropped. This was the price realised a lb. in the open mart the other morning for the first Christchurch-grown tomatoes (says the Sun). It works at about a shilling a tomato. There is always keen competition among the grower.* of the Christchurch district, to be the first to get their fruit on the market, and the honour this year goes to Mr Falla, a well-known Dallington grower.

The Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce has decided to urge upon the Borough Council the need for the adoption of a scheme of community lighting, as- outlined by the engineer of the Thames Valley Power Board, Mr N. G. McLeod. The scheme, briefly, is that business people be encouraged to make their premises attractive by a greater use of current, to be used for hours aftor dark. The chamber was most enthusiastic in the matter.

Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. First aid for coughs, colds, influenza

It has been the custom of the Railways Department to insist upon a form of indemnity being signed by passengers travelling from Paeroa to To Aroha by an extra goods train. This matter was. brought before the department by the Te Aroha Chamber of Conimercc, and a reply has been received that the practice of securing indemnities will not be necessary in future.

Some excitement was caused yesterday morning by the peregrinations of a cow. The animal, with her calf, was being driven along Arney Street by the borough ranger when s,he attempted to double back. While an effort was being' made to head her oft the cow got up on to the footpath, and, espying the front gate open at Mr D. G. McMillan’s residence, she rushed through and on to the lawn. The dogs followed, and, becoming terrified in the unusual surroundings, the animal dived forward and, slipping on the concrete, fell inwards, on to the verandah. In turning round in the confined space the beast poked her horns through a window and shattered the two panes of glass. Some little children were playing outside when the cow entered the gate, but they were unharmed.

Fori the. past seven years the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce has been very persistent in it.* effort to have a cold swimming bath in ths Domain converted into a tepid one. It has been argued that there ai' e ample sources of hot mineral water available, but the Minister of Tourist Resorts, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, despatched an officer to Te Aroha and had a report made on the matter. The- report advised that by interfering with the springs the danger existed that the springs already in use might be jeopardised and the baths in existence probably put out of action. However, at the last meeting of the chamber it was agreed to despatch a delegate to Wellington to discuss the matter with the Minister.

A reminder is given of the meeting to be. held in the Centenary Hall, Paeroa, to-night, when Mr R. Champtaloup, service officer for the Auckland Automobile Association, will speak on the aims, objects:, .and work of the A.A.A.. It is hoped that there will, be sufficient support given to enable a service station and inquiry bureau being formed in Paeroa.

In declining to accept a certain position at the annual, meeting of the Paeroa Cricket Club last night a member remarked : “It’s no good to me. I heard too many hard and unkind things about me last season.” Another member remarked, “Well, your shoulders are broad enough to stand them, anyway.” Nothing, would persuade the first speaker to accept the office.

A sp&ll. of very cold weather is being experienced locally at present. On Monday afternoon there was a heavy thunderstorm and vivid flashes of lightning, but little- rain feill. During Monday night and throughout yesterday a strong wind from the south-west prevailed, and -heavy sleet showers fell intermittently during the day. There is no marked improvement in conditions to-day, and peopleare- feeling the sudden change in the temperature after the .Wurm, springlike days enjoyed last week.

One evening this week at 10.45 p.m. the, Frankton-Thames late train left Frankton with over ninety passe-ngers. Three were twenty-three passengers from Thames on the return journey at 3.15 a.m.

A baker’s motor-van was blown off the, waterfront road into the- harbour by a gust of wind at Wellington on Saturday afternoon. The van was driven by Mr W. Darragh, who was unable to free himself and went with the van into about 6ft of water. Help arrived very soon and Mr Darragh climbed put at the back of the van by means of a ladder. Sixty loa.ve.s of bread were lost. Mr Darragh received a slight injury to his back.

In a paragraph dealing with the transportation branch in the Railways Statement appears : “During the year experiments with tire- various- designs of rail motors have been continued. One steam rail-car is doing useful work as a subsidised newspaper train running between Frankton Junction and Thamesi”

A request of a most unusual character came before the Horowhenua County Council at its last meeting, when a woman living in Tokomaru asked that she should be appointed, as ranger for the period of one week, says an exchange. As explained in her letter about 14 horses- persisted in spending many hours outside the gate of her residence. It was in order to stop this annoyance that she dethe council to appoint her to the position, which she would fill for one week without payment of any description. As long as she could get th© horses which camped outside her gate, she explained, payment was not required. To assist her in her work, she was the possessor of a good dog, and of a suitable whip. The lady’s offer was not accepted, however, it being explained that, if the horses complained of were giving her trouble, she would be quite- at liberty to drive them to the pound.

Wc have- to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the tenth annual report of the Department of Industries and Commc-rce. The report deals with the work of the department during the- year ended April 30, 1927. Though condensed, it covers various subjects which come under the department’s purview, but does not purport to deal with matters -of a routine character.

During the year ended March 31 last 300 railway houses were cut at the department’s Frankton Junction housing factory. Since the inauguration of tlie housing scheme- the total number of houses erected for the department is 965. and non-depart-mental 122. Hot and cold water service.-! and baths have been provided in all houses, and, where available, electric light and sewerage have been installed.

Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure For Couphs and Colds never falls.