LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5503, 20 November 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the last meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council, on the suggestion of Cr. H. J. Hare, it was decided to use part of the domain as a temporary automobile park for travelling motorists. A charge of 2s a night was proposed.

At the reception given to the members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce 1929 business men’s train Mr C. Mason, chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council, said he was watching keenly the chamber’s scheme of sending city boys to the country to work. It would help the city, and when the boys were put in the hands of advanced settlers they would be helped to become useful settlers.

The St. Paul’s Ladies’ Guild is holding a Paddy’s Market in the Gaiety Theatre this afternoon and to-night. During the evening there will be a musical programme.

The population of New Zealand (including Maoris) at September 30 last stood at 1,474,365, of whom 752,256 were males and 722,109 females. The population of Cook Islands, Niue, etc., is given as 14,451 Tokelau Islands, 1006 ; and Western Samoa as 44.086, making a total population for New Zealand, her dependencies, and mandated territory of 1,533,908. During the quarter ended September 30 the population showed an increase of 3913, compared with an increase of 2633 during the corresponding quarter in 1928.

The danger of tinkering with a light close to benzine was exemplified by an incident that occurred during the week-end. Mr D. Taggart, of Morrinsville, was endeavouring to solder a leak in a benzine tank and played a blowlamp on to the outside of the tank. Immediately a small quantity of benzine inside the receptacle was turned into gas, and as soon as the flame was played over the hole the gas exploded. Mi* Taggart’s face was scorched, while some of the flying debris became embedded in his forehead.

As this is the season when the pestiferous mosquito begins to breed, it is the time that householders should see that they have no old tins lying about in which rainwater may gather, and should also pour a little kerosene into trap drains. Fortunately mosquitoes are not very troublesome in this town ; yet a few precautions against their breeding are not out of place.

During the recent heavy rains the rivers and creeks in the Whangamata district were ip high flood, and several slips came down on the road at various points. These are being cleared away by employees of the Public Works Department, and the department is now proceeding with the erection of a bridge over the Wharekawa River, which has always been regarded as dangerous in flood times. The structure when completed will prove of great benefit to the settlers. ®

Cows which are coming in late on the Hauraki Plains this season are giving birth to a large proportion of twins, and quite a number of farmers report cases of two sets of twins in one day. One Ngatea farmer with 30 cows has had seven sets of twins.

A project to build stadiums for boxing, wrestling and other sporting events, theatrical entertainment, and various public functions, in the four principal cities of New Zealand has been launched by Stadiums (N.Z.), Ltd., a company which is being formed for the purpose. It is proposed to build the first stadium in Auckland, and the site chosen is on the corner of Khyber Pass and Mountain Road, on a block of land one and three-quarters of an acre in area.

Mr L. E. McDonald announces that from to-morrow he will be taking over the business of Mr W. Bain, hairdresser and tobacconist, Paeroa.

The secretary-manager of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, Mr R. Sprague, and the assistant engineer, Mr G. P. Lindsay, took advantage of the gathering of Hauraki Plains farmers at a clearing sale at Ngatea yesterday to discuss matters in connection with supply and charges with numerous consumers.

Six Pukahu Road settlers have cooperated to secure a water supply scheme, and a contract has been let to instal a high-pressure scheme of the same type as was recently installed on the Kerepeehi block. It will have a capacity of 800 gallons per hour, and will draw water from the Waihou River.

Comment upon the cost of the social welfare services in the Dominion is made in the current issue of the Bulletin of the Hospital Boards’ Association of New Zealand under the heading of “The Burden.” It is stated that during the past year the community has found for social welfare purposes £5,511,390, or nearly one-half of the country’s external trade balance of £12,000,000.