LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5382, 1 February 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Paeroa District High School reopens on ’ Monday next. Sunday next, .Sunday, is the day appointed by Synod for the holding of Services of Thanksgiving for the fruits of the harvesj. The Church’s great thanksgiving service, the Holy Eucharist, will be sung at St. Paul’s Church at 9 a.m., the Rejv. R. L. Connolly, vicar c ; f Te Aroha, being the celebrant and preacher,. Festal evensong will, be sung at. 7 p.m., when the Rev. E. M. Cowie, Archdiepcon of Waikato, will be the preacher.

The activities of the Paeroa Boy Scouts, a unit of a world-wide organisation covering every country and using nearly every language, are more c ; r less in abeyance owing toi the; resignation of their late scoutmaster. No one so far has come forward to fill the vacancy, a fac.t much to be regretted. The wonderful training the Scouts give to a boy is tots Wqll known and recognised to be enlarged upon, but with this in view one would think that surely there is to be found in Paeroa some citizen who would take over command of the troop and it from disbandment.

Since January 23 eight special trains have passed through Paeroa f.rcjin Taneatua laden with, s'heep for variolas parts, of the Waikato district and else;where. There were about 30 waggons to each train, and as a waggon carries about 60 sheep, the total carried was upwards of 14,000. These formed! part of a consignment of 35,000 s'heep driven overland from the Gisbqrne district to the railhqad, a. task that occupied three weeks. As just on 21,000 more sheep have yet to be railed through, eleven or twelve further specials will be required.

From small begjnnngs of a few years ago ragwort, which in 's,ome parts of New Zealand is almost as great a pest as blackberry, is rapidly gaining ground on a number of vacant sections in tlie Karangphakc district, and may be expected to : spread further afield unless steps are taken to eradicate it. It has alrealy obtained a good grip at Mackaytown, and has made its appearance in and around Paeroa. The seeds of this pest are lighter than those of the Californian thistle, and will blow for miles in a strong wind before settling dcjwn. Concerted acton on the part of farmers is necessary to stamp out the menace.

The first of the Hauraki Plains programme of one-dsay cricket mate,hep will be played to-morrow. Kopuarahi will visit Waitakaruru, Orongo; will play at Kaiherp, and Pipi-' roa will travel to Ngatea.

Particulars of. train arrangements and issue of excursion tickets in connection with, the Tauranga A. andi P. Show are advertised in this issue.