LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5339, 15 October 1928, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Railway Department’s restriction limiting the reservation of seat's, tq journeys beyond 100 miles is to be removed as from to-day, after which passengers may reserve to and from any stopping station, irrespective of distance. The only train's, excepted from this concessio.ii are the Auck-land-Wellington and Wellington-Auck-la,nd' Limited, though under, special circumstances reservations may be secured oji these tr.ains between Frankton and Palmerston and; Wellington.

An application to the Paeroa Borough Council by a, local builder to h;a;ve the sewerage extended to two cottages he is building 'in •Miller Avenue was declined owing to the want of fund's.

The men employed on rdliief works by Government, department's, on| August 1 totalled, 4129. There were 3313 men in the employ of the Public Works, Department, the Stajtej. Forest s,ervic.e had 787 engaged, while: the Lands Department had absorbed 29. A return presented .to Parliament on the subject set qut al's.o that the average wage (including earnings of co-qperative; contractors) paid to 'married men on Government relief work's, for the three months which ended on July 31 la/.t w.as 12s 7d per day. Single men without dependants earned an average of lOfe l%d a day.

Mr George Mills, a wealthy wire mattress manufacturer, of Sydpey, left a will in which he bequeathed £70,000 towards the erection qf water, troughs ..for horses throughout the world and for the alleviation' of suffering and prevention of cruelty to horses.

The fostering of a contributory qldage pension scheme is advocated by the Government Actuary in the course of liju-, report oh the exqm'inatiqn; of the National Provident Fund for the triennium which qniclejil on December. 31, 1925. “It is somewhat startling to consider,” he ?.a(ys, “that even in such a prosperous country as. New Zealand more than one person in every four, to reach old age is, in rec.eipt qf a free, old-age; pension/ The State’)- annual bill for old-age pension's, has risen ini tiie last ten yean?, from £480,000 ,to £982,000. while in additiojn free widows’ pension's, have soa,red from £38,000 to £302,000. It is. thJerefore in the interests, of the State, no, less than the; individual, that a contributory scheme should, be fostered to stimulate thrift.”

The first of a series of fortnightly socials in aid of the Kerepeehi. Oddfellows Lodge, which lost over £2O worth Qf regalia and furnliture in the Kqrepeehi Hall fire-, was held in the Netherton Hall qn Thursday evening under the pr'omqtion qf the Netherton lodge. There was a good attendance. Mu's.ic, was provided by the Netherton orchestra free of c,barge;. Prizeis for the euchre tournament, were woji by Me's,d!ames Heappey and Bourne and Messrs W- Harold apd C. Scudamore.

At. Thursday’s meei;'n,g of the Haura,ki Plain's, Cqunty Council the treasurer reportedw that the valuations of the various ridings were, as follows : Turua, £236,460 (capital), £138.280 (unimproved), £98,180 (improvements); Turua, Town District, £66.915, £27.590, and £39,325 ; Waitakart.-r.u, £257,934, £132,970, and £96,705; KOpuaralhi, £189,380', £108,299, and £Bl,OBl ; Horahi.a, £237,070, £142,003, and £95,062 ; Ngatea, £345,320, £172,06-7, and £173,253 ; Patetonga, £177,430. £lOl,940, and £75,490 ; Netherton', £262,425, £155,445, an.d £106,980; Kerepeehi, £253,360, £170,190, a,nd £83,170

Member's, of the Nqtherton Drainage Bqard, accompanied by Messrs E. Taylor, lainis, drainage engineer, and O. G. Thornton,-■ resident engine;er, Public Work's, Department, inspected the Await! end of the drainage district on Friday last, and investigated' a scheme for utilising a sum of Government money fqr -.tiie protection and drainage of the locality. A thorough cfxaminai'on was made of the lainfl near the boundary with the Elstqw Drainage Board’s, area, and muth information, of value to the 1 board was given by Mr Taylor. Alternative route's, for a suggested drain were disc.uqsed, and finally it. was, decided by, the bqar.d that the Land's. Drainage Deipartment be asked to make a trial survey of an outlet to the end of the Awaiti panal along the e;dge of the terrace cjn land belonging to Wani. It was thought that 's,and might be encountered qn this rente, and accordingly Mr Taylor agreed to have .testt» conducted. The Ngatea branch of the Plunkqt Society benefited to the extent qf over £22'as a re's.ult of the farilcy dress ball held last Wednesday evening. At the) monthly meeting of members on Thu.ns.dav afternoon it was reported that Nursp Perrin had resigned as from the end of the present month. It was decided tq give: the; Kerepeehi. branch a s.et of baby scales tq replace the ip's,trument. lost when the Kerejpeehi Hall was burned.

Through the simple process of toasting his tobacco the modern manufacturer has been able to effect an enormous improvement in the smoking quality. It Is a well-known fact that eooked food is wholesomer and mor© digestible than raw food, and the same principle applies to tobacco. We do not eat raw meat or fish or drink raw coffee, why should we'smoke raw tobacco. It is wonderful how the flavour of tobacco can be developed by toasting. Try any of the brands and you will notice a marked improvement, and what is also important as a result of the toasting process, the tobacco loses all deleterious properties. Smokers who study khelr health should therefore give this matter their attention, and avoid strong fbreign tobaccos heavily charged with nicotine—they are isure to undermine even the most robust constitution. Not only is the local article purer and more wholesome than most of the imported brands, but it is cheaper, too. Riverhead Gold is mild and aromatic; Toasted Navy Cut (Bulldog), of medium strength; but if you prefer a full body try Cut Plug No. 10 .•