LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5378, 23 January 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Criticism has been expressed at the action of the local cricket captain on Saturday, when, om winning the toss, he put Waitoa m to bat firsc. As a result of fielding in the hot sultry weather the Paeroa team went to the wicket with a decided handicap.

In deciding when a certain drainage, contract was to. be completed, the Hauraki United Drainage Board on Friday evening, settled on March. 15 in preference to March 31, for the reason that rain was generally ta be expected towards the; end of March. “ You know, it’s, St. Patrick’s Day, and the Paeroa races about theh,” remarked a member, and the matter was sejttledi

111-luck was certainly encountered by Mr W. Sorensen through the loss of his well-known racehorse Eh Tirni. Some time ago Mr, Sorensen refused an. offer of £lOOO for him, added to which the horse was not, insured at the time of his fatal accident. Thus the participation of Eh Timi in the Bay of Islands Racing Club’s meeting at Kawakawa resulted) in a total loss to Mr Sorensen.

“Fiction holds the niirror up to life,” Mr South s»id at the Booksellers’ Conference in Christchurch (reports the “Star”). “Fiction largely illustrates the agq through which we are passing. If we have a restless, unreal, sexual age, we have it reflected in fiction, We must remember that sex always has had a place in literature, and always will. If some of the Old classics were published for the first time now they wphildl be rejected No publisher of these times would dare to publish them.”

The question whether it pays to take advantage of Government subsidy on small drainage works on account of the cost of the requisite engineering surveys required, by Government departments is frequently discussed by the Hauraki United Drainage Board. In some cases the surveys cost more than the; amount of subsidy.

At the present time farmers On the Hauraki Plains are so busy with the seasonable work on their farms that those men who are local body members experience a difficulty in attending .meetings. The County Council meeting on Thursday last was considerably delayed for want of a quorum, and the Hauraki 'United Drainage Board overcame the difficulty by’ holding its meeting at night. The meeting concluded at ,12.30 a.m.

The Lands Drainage Department is continuing the improvement of the Piako River channel near the Ngatea bridge, two dredges being employed). The right bank is being laid back so much that the approach to Johnston’s wharf has been removed.

Fire Brigade Secretary Malcolm this morning expressed regret that on his return home he found awaiting him record of. three fire ca|lls. This, he said, has broken a splendid record of some ten mplnths without a call, but such things could) not be regulated. However, two of the calls were hardly looked upon as flrejs, and his inspection' of the remains of the house in Hill Street revealed that, considering the distance and time; of alarm," the brigade had, 1 retained its really efficient promptness in executing quite a remar,kable “stop.” For ninq consecutive hours immediately .following his. return to the town he was engaged on fire brigade business, and returns to Auckland bo-mrorow on matters of the service.

To thoroughly disprove and demonstrate that there was no chance of the Ngatea Swimming Club’s floating pontoon bath capsizing, as had been suggested, a trial was made last weekend. Twenty adults were stood along one sidte, and though their wqight submerged the pontoon at that side till the top of the wall was at the water’q edge the Other side of thq pontoon was not raised above its normal position. The trial was very satisfactory.

Several brief interruptions in the supply of water in the Hauraki Plains west water supply mains, have been necessary in the past few nights to enable expansion, joints to be fitted; at the two bridges at Waitakaruru and a c.heck valve to be fitted at Dalgety’s corner, pipi.roa. The pump at Dalgety’s corner will be in operation shortly, for during the times of heavy draw-off these settlers whose farms are on back roads served by small diameter mains have not been getting sufficient water. The purpose of the pump Is to boost up the pressure; in the Ngatea and Pipiroia mains. The pump is coupled direct to an electric motor and there is a standby plant coupled direct to a benziinq engine.

As a result of the intense hept last Wednesday, at the Hikutaia sale three yearling heifers and two big wethers died in the cans.

The railway excursion from Huntly to Tauranga on Sunday was well patronised. Twenty-two booked at Paeroa and 150 at Waihi, bringing the total number of people carried to over 700.

The Hauraki Plains school free dental clinic at Ngatea was reopene.d after the holidays on Thursday last, but as yet sufficient patients have not come forward to keep the dental officer, Miss L. C. Ellis, busy.

■Mr G. H. Heal, Lieutenant N.Z.S.C., who has, arrived in Paeroa. to take up duties with the local Defence Department, is but recently back from England. Leaving New Zealand as a cadet in December, 1925, Mr Heal proceeded to Sandhurst, being commissioned to the New Zealand Staff Carps after studying 18 jnonths at the famous military college, and attached to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers at Borden, near Aldershot, for a year. While with the Imperial Army Lieut. Hqail went through several courses of instructional training and attended several territorial camps. During his stay in’Europe he -visited the battlefields of France and Flanders. Going to England via the Panama ... Canal tv’d returning via Suez, he; circumnavigated t’'.c globe. Mr Heal expressed deep appreciation of the hospitality extended to him during, his residence at Home, and noticed haw interested the English were in New Zealand, and how much they liked New Zealanders.

Mr C. W. Malcolm, local school teacher and fireman, interviewed this morning on his, return from Australia by the “Ulimaroa,” states that he never before appreciated to such an extent the really beautiful scenic and climatic charm of New Zealand. He has visited the cities of Sfydney and Melbourne, travelling between these c.ities by .the Inter-State; railway; has visited the Bull! Pass, Newcastle, and the Blue Mountains, and has not, he says, seen anything to equal New Zealand s'cenejry. Our own railway and tram services, he continued, are superior in many way, and the climate is not ta be compared with ours. New Zealanders" are; not nearly alive enough to the fact that their own country is the real gem of the Southern Seas. One, has only to take such a trip to appreciate fully and lastingly that fortune; has lavishly favoured this land above all cithers.

Whilst the vzet weather experienced during Christmas wepk was the chief cause of the falling off in the number of campers, at the Waihi Beach this year, the unsatisfactory state of the Waihi-Paero.a main road was also a contributing factor (states the Waihi “Telegraph”). Its condition has for some time past been such that many owners of. private cars in the Waikato and other outside districts have preferred to go elsewhere; for their holiday jaunts, but they may be expected to visit our seaside resort again,next .summer, as the road, now under thq control of the Main Highways Board, will by then be in first-class order for vehicular traffic. Progress in connection with the reconstruction of this stretch has been somewhat slow so far, but it is understood that it is likely to be more speedy in the future. At present tile men employed on the job are at work on the road about a mile on the Waihi side of Paeroa.

Though most farmers recognise the value of tractors as time i and-inon.ey savers, it is not everyone who can purchase a tractor. The difficulty in one case, oh a farm in the Longbeach district, was got ovqr )ast week when the occupier hitched a hayrake to the back of his motor truck, and rows were made in record time (says the Ashburton “Guardian.”)

The worthy inhabitants of Berlin are annoyed by the noises made by motor, cyclists in that city, and they have given voice to their grievance; in no uncertain manner. The result is that the police arq stopping all motor cycles and examining their machines. If the machines are not found to be in proper order the ridejrs are politely conducted to the motor traffic office, where an expert tells.them what must be done to render their motor-cycles at least reasonably quiet. If the riders are caught again making too much noise they suffer the dire penalty of having their licenses withdrawn. Why not in New Zealand ?

Particulars of tfte issue or excursion tickets, and train arrangements in connection with Anniversary Day are advertised in this issue.