THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which Is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5366, 19 December 1928, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which Is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ivan S'okolic, the Croatian, who was arrested on November 27 at Paeroa on a charge of assaulting Joseph Brenan the night previously, appeared before Messrs F. E. Flatt and E. Edwards, J’s.P., at the Co.urt this morn-; ing, and was remanded in qustody to appear at Auckland to-morrow at 10 o’clock. Mx- Clendon, who appeared for the accused, offered no objection, stating that bail would be morq conveniently arranged in Auckland.

The population of Hamilton is now said to be .17,290. Auckland has the largest population of all New Zealand citfqs, with 205,610; Wellington is next with 129,680, then Christchurcix with 123,140 ; Dunedin, 83,790 ; Wanganui, 27,200; Invercargill, 22,% 865; Palmerston North, 20,880; Napier, 18,600 ; Timaru, 17,530; New Plymouth, 16,880 ; Gisborne, 15,160 ; Hastings, 15,120 ; Nelson, 12,060. The total population of cities and) chief towns is 725,985.

It is very seldom that a judge tejlls a prisoner who has; pleaded guilty in the lower Court .that if he had pleads ed not guilty and been properly dc- ( fended he would have beqn acquitted, but such was the statement made by Mr Justice MacGregor in the Supreme Court at Wellington last week when Ralph John Garrett, aged 19, ed before him on a charge of rape dt Taihape.

Mr C. S. Foster, secretary of the Hauraki Plains combined primary schools championship athletiq sports meeting, has received a fine solid silver cup from the trustees of the Herbert Smith Fund as a trophy for the school winning the championship at the forthcoming contest in Feb-, r.uary. The cup stands on a wooden base, and is about 10 inicheX in height. Its cost price was £B, and it is a trophy well worth any school making an effort to win. Details of the competition will be finalised at a meeting in a few weeks’ time.

The Waihi mine and thq Victoria battery at Waikino will be closed down for the Christmas and New Year holidays from midnight tomorrow (Thursday), and work will not be recommenced until 8 a.m. on Monday, January 7.

The 'Mangatarata district is looking particularly well at the present and the pasture is in better heart than it has been for many years. Four mo.tor-lorry loads, of fat lambs left the district on Monday for the freezing wqrks.

On Saturday evening last there was a narrow escape from serious accident at Waiomio on the Thames Coast road. A seven-seater. Hudson car went ever the bank, in consequence of the driver not beinig acquainted with the turns in the road. Strange to relate, none of the passengers was injured, but the car was badly damaged.

The driving of the pilejs for the new bridge over the Waitakaruru stream is proving a slow job, owing to the nature of the country necessitating them being driven for 12011 to secure an adequate foundation. The bridgq will be of concrete, with steel girders, and is being built by the Public Works Department.