Around Hawke’s Bay

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 2

Around Hawke’s Bay

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS. HASTINGS, Last Night. With eight days to go before the 10 per cent, penalty upon unpaid rates is imposed and less than half the total rate paid, tho indications point to this week’s being an exceptionally busy one at the offices of the Hastings Borough Council. To date £20,495 has been paid out of the total of £42,000 struck; just Dver £IO,OOO was paid in the past week. The record day was last Thursday, when during the 24 hours £2460 was paid in, this exceeding the figure of the previous Monday by just on £IOO. Contrary to expectations yostercluy morning’s mail did not bring in tho revenue anticipated, the total rates paid in. by noon to-day being less than £IQO. ' Glorious weather on Sunday encouragod big attendances at tho various beaches in Hawke’s Bay, and throughout the day there were thousands of people gathered along the coastline from Waimarama to past Wostshore. Conditions were ideal for surf-bathing, md there was ample evidence that tho sport of surf-board riding is rapidly increasing iu popularity, tliore being a surprisingly big number of boards in. use at all the beaches. Quite a number ,of yachts were seen in and around 'Napier, and their crews, which, were oi quite substantial numbers in many instances, earned the envy of many who had to content themselves with “sunaing on the sands. ’ ’ “As you are aware Traffic Inspector \V. E. Yates will soon be leaving the joint Hawke’s Bay counties to take up a position with tho Main Highways Board,” wrote the Hawke’s Boy County Clerk to the Waipukurau County i Council on Saturday. “It has been suggested that he be presented with a letiter of commendation and appreciation of his services under tho seals of tho eight counties in his district. ’ ’ The council agreed to the suggestion. Mr. H. M. Christie, M.P., forwarded ,io the Waipukurau G.Q. on Saturday 'a copy of a letter from tho Minister of Public Works, declining to take any further action in connection with (he survey of the Tukituki and Waipawa rivers owing to lack of support by the local bodies. Ors. Monckton and Tansey expressed the opinion that £IOOO was too much to spend on a survey. Tho former stated that, if the proposal had been to spend the same sum on practical work, something would probably have been done. The letter was received. Tho benefits of being a good swimmer were realised on Sunday by a number of onlookers at Hauinoana when a man was confronted with the task of swimming ashore from the middle of tho river-mouth. In ah endeavour to put to sea for fishing purposes a rowing boat carrying two men shipped a large amount of water at each . wave, the surf being fairly heavy, until the boat was over half-full of water. Realising the danger in Which they were placed, one of the men jumped overboard to lessen the weight. After 150 yards of toiling with surf and currents ho readied the shore rather fatigued yet little the worse for an experience which would have become more complicated had the swimmer been not so good in the water. “We can’t do any more goodwill work for the ratepayers, as it is costing us too much,” remarked Mr. F. B. Logan, chairman, at yesterday’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council when referring to the eradication of noxious weeds on roadsides. “The destruction of these weeds in future is to be the responsibility of the ratepayers,” he continued. “The council cannot be expected to employ men and pay them the high wagos they are now receiving to cut noxious weeds. In future the council’s employees will havo to be confined to doing actual road work. I recognise that noxious weeds are becoming a great problem. The Department of Agriculture has sent out hundreds of notices to propertyowners, and if the weeds are not cleared off road frontages the council will in no way be responsible.” The high price of 2s Id for petrol in the Hawke’s Bay district was considered by Cr. W. Tucker at yesterday’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council t.o. be exorbitant. The fixation of prices was passibly sound in principle, he said, but he objected to the fixation of prices for petrol in Hawke’s Bay being on the highest scale in New Zealand. The council decided to approach the Government favourably to consider Hawke’s Bay in the arranging of the new districts, and to ask that the price bo fixed on as low a basis as possible.