THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5480, 27 September 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1929. LOCAL AND GENERAL

The annual meeting of the Paeroa Amateur Swimming Club will be held to-night in the Soldiers’ Club.

The trout-fishing season in New Zealand, excepting Rotorua and Taupo, will open on Tuesday, October 1, and close on April 30, 1930. At Rotorua and Taupo the fishing season will extend from Nevember 1 until May 31, 1930. The shooting season for godwits and knots in the Auckland district will open on January 1, 1930, and extend to March 31.

Natives of New Zealand form the bulk of the mental hospital' population, numbering 2948, as against 1646 other British-born patients, according ‘o a return presented to Parliament. The British-born population of NewZealand totals 1,281,214. There are comparatively few foreigners in the asylums, and 17 Asiatics only.

About £BOOO has been sent by New Zealand trade unions, through the Alliance of Labour, to help the timberworkers and miners involved in the industrial disputes in Australia, and the fund has not closed yet, says the “Christchurch Sun.” Most of this money has been sent to the miners, as the timber-workers, who have resumed work, are helping their comrades who have not.

Nearly 10,500 deer were shot in New Zealand last year, chiefly at the instigation of the State Forest Service, which is carrying out a systematic campaign for the destruction of these animals on the ground that they constitute a menace to forest plantations. A few years ago it was officially estimated that there were 300,000 deer in the Dominion, and that the damage they caused to the forest amounted to at least £200,000 a year.

The Paeroa troop of Girl Guides are holding their annual Fancy Dress Dance at the Parish Hall this evening.

Natives who recently visited East Island at East Cape (writes the Te Araroa correspondent of the Poverty Bay Herald) reports that the graves on the southern side of the island have slipped down the hill. The graves were those of members of the crew of the Hinemoa who were drowned about 30 years ago while landing material for the lighthouse. The other grave was that of Captain Gooines of the ketch Sir Henry, which was wrecked off East Island at the same time as the schooner Aotea was wrecked at Waipiro Bay. On the same subject the Bay of Plenty Times states that the late Captain Goomes was wellknown in Tauranga and was the owner of the vessel Tokerau, a regular trader to that port.

The matter of metalling the gap on the Kaihere-Patetonga road between the Patetonga riding loan area and the Ngatea riding was mentioned at the special, meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council yesterday, the chairman reporting that the chief drainage engineer had asked whether the council would contribute. The work would carry a £4 to £1 subsidy. Cr. Motion agreed to find the money out of riding funds, but Cr. Mayn was of the opinion that nothing should be done until finality was reached in regard to the suggested deviation to cut out the Glue-pot Bend. It was decided to ask the chief drainage engineer for a reply to the council’s request.

“With a view to minimising the menace to trout and making a commercial use of eels, I am prepared to catch 50 or 100 tons of eels, and deliver them to the Waingawa Freezing Works for 2id per lb. live weight, in quantities of not less than one ton per day,” said a letter from Mr J. B. McKenzie, of Masterton, which roused a lively discussion at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. The matter was referred to the Fish Committee for investigation.

A unique collection of antique English and foreign coins is possessed by Mr George Page, part proprietor of the Grand Hotel, Te Aroha, who has devoted a lifetime to this hobby (says the Te Aroha News). The gem,, in over a hundred gold and silver specimens of great value, is a complete set of English coins minted in 1887 to celebrate the jubilee of the coronation of Queen Victoria. The set includes a five pound gold piece, slightly bigger than a half-crown, a two pound gold piece, about the size of a florin, and the more familiar crown (5/-), and other- coins to scale down to a farthing. Though the face value of this collection is £9 5s 4id, Mr Page has many times refused offers as high as £7O for this set of English coins.

Replying to questions at the W.E.A. lecture at Cambridge, Dr. Gower, of Hamilton, said that, so far as was known, there was nothing in the supposition held by some that pork, tomatoes, or, in fact, any special food, was a contributing factor to cancer. All sorts of theories were advanced as to the cause of the disease, but the fact was that the medical profession had as yet been unable to ascertain the cause.

There is little fresh to report in connection with the Himatangi tragedy, says the “Dominion.” The sugestion that the family had been poisoned has been carefully investigated by the police, and there is tittle to support the theory. No poison had been supplied to members of the family from the Manawatu Rabbit Board or by retailers. Mr Westlake’s watch, a valuable gold one, which it was first thought was in the fire, has been discovered deposited in the Bank of New South Wales at Palmerston North. On Friday a No. 12 Noble’s shotgun cartridge butt was found a short distance from , where Mr Westlake was lying in the living room and was handed over to the police. The police made further search, and report that nothing of importance has been discovered.

According to the latest estimates the population of the four main cities of the Dominion at April last was : Auckland, 208,580 ; Wellington, 133,320 ; Christchurch, 125,170 ; Dunedin, 84,990. At the 1921 census the population of the four main centres was as follows : Auckland, 157,757 ; Wellington, 107,488 ; Christchurch, 105,670 ; Dunedin, 72,255. The 1926 census showed the position to be as follows :

Auckland, 192,176 ; Wellington, 121,324 ; Chrishchurch, 118,408 ; Dunedin, 855,103.

The other day at the local school an unfinished sentence, “The ship sprang —was set to a junior class to complete. That afternoon two fond mothers were discussing various matters over the teacups when one told of the sentence and added that her little girl had written as the complete sentence, “The ship sprang back." Overhearing the conversation and the hearty laughter at the child’s effort, the hostess’ little girl remarked solemnly : “But, mummy, I put it right; I put ‘The ship sprang forward.’ ”

The drainage rate levied by the Government during the last financial year totalled £7376 14s 6d, of which £7075 14s 4d was collected, togethei’ with £1074 12s 8d of arrears. Consequent on areas being taken over by drainage boards, £1993 13s lOd worth of rates was written off and £344 18s 3d refunded. Rebates amounted to £52 Is 2d, and irrecoverable rates written off totalled £553 8s 6d. Sales of land during the financial year ended March 31 last enabled the Hauraki Plains Settlement Account to be recouped to the extent of £2024 6s. Interest paid on land sold amounted to £ll4 19s lOd, and rents paid £8954 19s lOd. Rebates of rent amounted to £626 17s 3d, and remissions of rent to £836 Ils 4d, whale irrecoverable rents, etc., totalled £1132 15s lOd. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure For Coughs and Colds, never fails. ,