THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5236, 8 February 1928, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A seven-seater Hudson car, owned by Mr J. Woods, engaged in the Tau-ranga.-Auckland Aard. Service, was destroyed by fire near Ngatea last night. The body was completely troyed, but the engine was little damaged.

The daylight saving conditions have' reduced the revenue of the Thames Valley Power Board on meters' approximately £l5OO.

As a result of the fire in Queen Street early y-esterda” morning the water at the main reservoir was lowered nearly two feet. By last night the position had improved, and the, w.ater had risen to within a spiort distance of the top of the wall. The serious aspect is that each day the volume of water coming down Tarariki creek, which is, the source of supply to the main reservoir, is becoming less. However, it is estimated that'the, water supply is just about holding its own.

• The total quantity of butter-fat received by. the, Te Aroha Dairy Company during the month of January just past was 231,0001 b. This shows a 5% pen- cent (increase, as compared with January,, 1927, and an increase

for the season to,. January 31 of. 21 per cesnt. Whereas the. seasonal increase as at Decegnber 31 shows 25 per cent., this was reduced to 21 per cent, by the ejnd of January, through tlie exceptionally dry weather that is prevailing.

The shortage of water for domestic pmpcses on those parts of the Hauraki Plains, outside the water supply ;area is daily becoming more acute, and more and more residents are finding 't necessary to have water canted from the supply mains at Ngatea or Paeroa. Water is also being carted for the Turua school, as the tanks were cleaned out, as; usual, during the Christmas holiday.

Attention is drawn to our advertising columns, wherein an interesting announcement appears, under the name of Mr J. P. Monk, late of Auckland.*

Every credit is due to the Paeroa Volunteer Fire Brigade for the way it responded to the call and taclked the fire in Queen Street yesterday morning, and a splendid stive was» effected. It is rather surprising, however, that the brigadesmten, with their knowledge of the positi°n of fire-plugs and water mains, did not make their conqection from the plug in Princes Street. At that point a two-way flow of water passes through the four-inch main, ensuring a continuous and. regular supply, whereas the plug in Queen Street from which thei connection was made, although giving access t'Q a four-inch pipe, was on a dead-end, and in the event of the breweiry taking fire it would have been decidedly awkward fighting a fire from the Queen Street plug.

At the meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at Te Aroha ymteiday the chairman IMr F M. Strange) exended a hearty welcome to the members and the Press representativejs, it being the first meeting in 1928. He added that the board had an anxious time ahead of it with reference to the supply of power, but he could assure members that other aspects of the board’s operations were satisfactory.