LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5381, 30 January 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The fllni “Dawn,” which caused so much controversy in England, has been banned by the Dominion film censor, Mr W. A. Tanner. completing his engagements in Australia Arne Borg, the celebrated Swedish swimmer and smasher of records, will visit New Zealand: for a week. A working bee was, held at Ngatea on Saturday last, ,when a small number of, men, with hoists and. implements, assembled St the paddoc,k opposite the post office to form a racing track for the Hauraki Plains primary schools championship athletic sports meeting, which i's to be held on Friday, March 8.

Mr H. M. Chrystall, of Christchurch, who was consulting engineer to the Foundations Company, 'of London, one of the tendering firms for the Arapuni contract, visited and inspected tha dam on Saturday. He found water squirting through tjie, heavy concrete walls of the diversion tunnel,. There was no, doubt that the rhyolite beds which existed were not substantial material in which to construct a dam, he said. While not desiring to appear an alarmist, he urged the need for speedily assessing the full danger, and for adequate* provision for warning farmers in danger to move in case of a rupture.

After the meeting of the Franklin County Council on Wednesday afterudon Cr. Dean, inemb'qr for the Mercer riding, received a telegram to the effect tliat the Local Government Loans Board had sanctioned the raising of a loan for the carrying out of. the; flood-prevention scheme at Maungatawhiri. Cr. Dean informed a reporter that as riding member he hoped to 1 have the work carried out in time have it effective during the winter, when the worst floods wer|c expert? enced. During Wednesday’s meeting < f the council the clerk, Mr A. P. Day, was asked to take steps to raise the money, £15(10, a's, sooiu aS advice was received from the Loans Board) that the application had been sanctioned.

The Waihi Amateur Swimming Club is holding a swimming carniv« on Saturday next. Entries close this cvqnjng.

Tiie. English cricket team at present in Australia will not be able to visit New Zealand.

An alteration to the usual 7.45 a.m. Paeroa-Tauranga traip on Saturday next is advertised in this issue by the Railway Department.

Yesterday took place the first cricket match for the Court Cup. Mr A. E. Court presented the cup for competition between the paeroa, Waihi, Thames, and Hauraki. Plains Cricket Associations.

Very slow progress appears to be being made with the construction of the bridge; on the Paeroa-Pokeno highway at Waitakaruru, but the reason is that the concrete foundations are now being laid and work can only be dope at low tide.

The collection oif .grass seed, particularly that of pa'spalum, from the roadsides of the 'Hauraki, is now finding employment for quite a number ■Off men, as well as the farmers’ sons-

A start was made over the; weekend at Thames on the two-reel community comedy, »“A daughter of Thames.” The film is under the direction 'of. Mr Rudall Hayward, and a number of Thames residents have been included in the ea'S,t. The local fire brigade was “shot’’ while making a smart turn-out, and in the course of filming much Thames scenery will be included. The film when completed will go on tour throughout New Zealand.

Commencement, of preliminary construction work by the Aotqaroa Minerals Development Co., Ltd., is apparently heralded. It is proposed to transport the whole ot£ the machinery from the Continent to Thames in one; steamer load. It will no doubt be remembered! that Messrs Armstrong. Whitworth adopted: the same procedure, thqir chartered vessel coming straight from England to Tauranga, discharging her c.argo there. By this means freight charges were greatly reduced.

A second novel by Mr Hector Bolitho, a New Zqaland-born author, is to be published this, month by Alfred Knopf in London and New York. .The novel, which is called "Judith Silver,” should be of gyeat interest to Paeroa and the Goldfields’ residents, as the story commences in Karangahake, with a boy bred there who is then, sent to Cambridge for his university education, and to London for more, earthly lessons. Insanity, murder, love, and marriage come into the severe and unconventional theme of the book, which is be;ing looked forward ta with interest by New Zealand critics.

The cool nights, which have been experienced on the Hauraki, Plains recently have been welcomed by dairy farmers, who have found t'hat their cow's produced much, more than they did in the preceding week of very hot nights.

Particulars of issue of holiday excursion tickets and train ments in connection with the Matamata races on February 2 are advertisetji in this issue.

A great deal of interest has been created in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, ,by the announcement made; in Londcfn by Dr. K. B. Edwards that experiments with, a modified brpmocyanide process indicated that ore treatment costs could be reduced to 10s a ton. It is considered that thq new process, if it cap. be applied successfully to the treatment.of ore on a large scale, will result in the elimination of. conce-ntration and the roasting of eonc.entrate.Sr It will be possible to treat sulpho-telluri.de ore in the same way as oxidised ore is now treated. The genejral impression among Kaigporlie mining men is that the latest metallurgical development gives ground for restrained optimism.