THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, October 12, 1938. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 96, 12 October 1938, Page 2

THE OPOTIKI NEWS Wednesday, October 12, 1938. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Competition Winner. G.wenneth Button is announced as the winner of a cake in a recent competition in connection with the Plunket Society. s Mr. Sullivan and) Farmers. . “In the nine electorates of the South Auckland division there are over 30,(XJO enrollmembers of the National Party and new applications /are. rolling into in heavy,munbers every day. That gives some indication of what the dairy fanner really thinks of the so-called Labour Party,” said Mr. W. Sullivan, in his Bay of Plenty, campaign. Coast Transport Service. In connection with the transfer of control of Ward's Transport, Limited, to Mr. J. O. Miisgrave, Gisborne, it is announced that the headquarters of the service will remain at Ruatoria for the present. Air- D. Crooks, formerly manager of the. Auclcland-Gisborne Transport Service, has been appointed to manage the coastal highway service for Air. Alnsgrave, and will direct operations from the Waiapu centre. Woodlands Hall Request. At the monthly meeting of the Opotiki County Council, a letter was received from -Mr. W. H. Pilkington, secretary of the Woodlands Hall Committee, who wrote stating that the constant turning’of school buses in front of the hall had formed a wash, putting water down in froirh-pf the hall. Cr. Maxwell said that 'four buses turned there twice each school-day. The council decided to put gravel in front of tin 1 hall. • Unusual Hole-in-one. A hole-in-one that did not come under the usual classification and was not to be celebrated in: the customary manner was performed’ during the week-end by P. 13- Hairy while playing oil tile links of Air. J. Burns-Graham, Hangaroa. Gisborne, during the progress of the‘Town v. Country match by members of tin* Poverty Bay Golf Club. Barry drove a long ball from one of the tees, the ball striking the ground and then bouncing ihto the pocket of A Hr. Kl. Al. Hutchinson, the club president. The latter player, surprised, took the ball from Ids pocket and dropped it lor Barry to continue his game. Benefits and Friendly Societies. The Aliiiister of Railways, the Hon. |),’(], Sullivan, when spoaikng at Clisborno last week, stated that, one Nationalist pamphlet iuul compared the Government scheme with that ol the. friendly societies, and said that benefits bad been unfairly sot out. I‘or instance. the sick benefit under the-Gov-ernment scheme was stated as £1 » week, compared with £2 a week from friendly societies, but the pamphlet did not mention the £1 was lor the father only, while provision was also made by 'the Government for the wile and children of the sick mail, whereas tlic friendly societies paid sick pay to the member only. Hedges on Roadsides. At the monthly Meeting of the Opotiki County Council on Friday last, an opinion was received Irom Alessis. Potts and Hodgson regarding overhanging hedges and hedges growing on the roadsides. The opinion stated that Witli regard to hedges growing on the roadside the council had no power to compel occupiers ol land to cut the plants unless they were actually planted by the occupiers. Only il the hedge were declared a noxious weed could the council compel occupiers to clear .plants up to the centre of the road. The council had power to order overhanging hedges to he cut hack. “Lights Out.” Humorous reference to the Gisborne Opera House incident on Friday, when the lights failed during the Hon. D- («. Sullivan’s address, was made at Alatawai on Saturday night by the Minister’s namesake, Mr. \Y. Sullivan, National candidate for Bay of Plenty. He was referring to the enthusiasm ho had met throughout the electorate. “The chairman and the audience have always been waiting for me.” lie said. “The lights liavh been lit and they've never gone out, and .1. don t think they will go out on the National Party this day jveek.” (Applause and laughter.)

National Campaigning. Air. W. Sullivan, National candidate, visited, Toa Toa on Alonday afternoon and addressed approximately '3O electors. Following the old Alotu road, Air. Sullivan visited Hustler’s mill, where lie had an interesting chat with over a dozen voters. Duplicate Transmission Line. Mir. Dicker, reporting at yesterday’s meeting of the Power ! Board, stated that the new duplicate' power line from ArapunL-twas. how f well under way. In d suggestion that the present line wdukl"be removed he was able to assure that the department had ’lio intention of removing the existing lific until the Waikaremoana-Edgecumbe transmission line was completed. Twenty-five Years’ Service. During the monthly [meeting of the Opotila County Cbuncil on Friday, Air. W. W. Upton, county engineer, mentioned that he had just (completed 25 years’ engineer for the council and fmembers of the council to occasion with hi in at* ~ithe conclusion L,of the meeting.. The chairman, Air. AY. Gault, congratulated. Mr. ODpton, stating that.it was a hue record and. that Air. Upton had served the council faithfully and well.. f' % | ’I County Overdraft Reduced. Special mention was made by Air. J. T. Alerry at the monthly meeting of the Opotiki Oounty. Council on Friday, that the council’s bank overdraft has been reduced from £II,OOO at the beginning of the year to £4OOO- - council has carried a large overdraft for many years and in an endeavour to improve the position and save paying so . much interest the council has watched i its expenditure very carefully. The position at present is very much sounder than it has been at this time of the year for a considerable time. The rates collected for the first ,30 days was 52 per cent, of the current year’s rates struck. The council’s decision to increase the rate slightly will be appreciated as a wise step. Power Beard Labour. < At the monthly meetirig of the Bay of Plenty Power Board held yesterday, Air. J. D. dicker, engineer-manager, referred to the difficulty in coping with work on hand and stated that there was sufficient work in the W hakatane area to keep a gang going for 24 weeks. The board was losing a lot of revenue owing to inability to secure the necessary labour. There was suificient work in the Opotiki area to keep a gang employed for" three months. Air. Alitehcll said the position was very serious. Mr. Dicker stated that the shortage of houses in both Opotiki and YVhakatane was one of' the chief difficulties. During the depression no apprentices had been trained and other workers had drifted out of the electrical trade and taken up other occupations. The engineer held out little hope of any immediate relief.