LOCAL AND GENERAL

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 156, 10 March 1939, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Matawaii Stock Sale. Bidding was 'not • animated at the Matawai stock sale on Thursday when an offering of '3OOO sheep came forward. The small attendance of buyers did not include any outside representatives. Totangi Oil Bore. In the latest bulletin issued in connection with the effort to locate oil at the Totangi Dome, New Zealand Petroleum, ’ Limited,- state “Totangi No. 1' lias reached a depth of 2980 ft., in mudstone formation. The deviation, at 2 degrees, is unchanged.” Herd-testing. For the period ending March 2nd., the Opotiki East, group of the Bay of Plenty. Herd Testing Association secured the highest average. The 1141 cows in the grofip averaged 30 lbs. butterfat. Opotiki West with 29 lbs. butterfat with 2071 cows occupied second place with the Efdlgecumbe and Thornton groups. The association average was 27 lbs. butterfat per cow, 2*5,621 cows being tested. High Temperatures. The temperature in Opotiki during the week has been very high and yesterday morning’s reading was . the highest in the North Island. Temperatures at 9 o’clock were: Auckland and Tauranga 67 degrees, Opotiki ,-71, East Cape 65, Gisborne 62, Napier 60, and Wellington 54. Up-keep of Rest Rotfm. Advice that there click not appear to be any statutory authority to enable the council to contribute towards the upkeep of the: ladies’ rest room in Wairoa, and that the expenditure came under the heading of “unauthorised,” was received from s the Controller and Auditor-General at the last meeting of tlie Wairoa County Council. South African Cricket Test. On the fifth clay of the final cricket test between Marylebone & South Africa. the Marylebone batsmen completed tlieir first innings with a total of 316, and at the drawing of stumps South Africa, had lost three wickets in the second innings for 193 runs, play finishing early on account of had light. With the score at 190 South Africa had not lost a wicket, but the bad light, was responsible for three batsmen failing in a procession.

Gisborne Railway Revenue. The Gisborne section of the railways has just had a busy period, particularly with the carriage of livestock, and for the four weeks ended) March 4 the gross revenue increased by £3BB, compared with ,the corresponding period last year. During the past four weeks. 22,948 .sheep were carried. an average of more than 5500 per week and on increase of 3527 on last year’s period, while cattle, totalling 280, numbered approximately six times that of the previous period. The carriage of timber showed a slight decline, while other goods, principally metal, increased in tonnage. Waipaioa River Bridge. “Work has been completed on two spans at the Gisborne end of the ■Waipaoa River bridge, Kaiteratahi, even to the handrails,” reported the resident A.A. patrol, Mr. D. M. McGregor. at Gisborne on Wednesday. “At the Te Kara lea end one span has been completed, while the concrete decking on the second span will he laid on Wednesday or’would® lirdlrd laid to-day (Wednesday) or to-mor-row, leaving two spans to finish the bridge. These two spans cannot he completed in the meantime owing to the pile-driving operations around the two central piers, which are being provided with a steel-.sheathing.”

Woodlands Club Team. The Woodlands cricket team for the week-end .will be selected from the following:—G. Fox, D. Clark, Davies, Pipe, Baigent, Beattie, J. Shove,. Pilkington, Brown, McGregor, McLaughlin, Jones. Roadmen’s Cottages. Tlie Public Works Department recently accepted the tender of Mr.. -A, H. Kirk for the erection of three surfacemen’s cottages at different pointsalong the Matavvai-Opotiki, via Motu. main highway at a price of £1049. Results of Yacht Race. The yacht race for the McGregor Cup, held on Sunday last, resulted as follows : —Flying Cloud (Talbot) (handicap 10 min.), actual time 59min. 30 sec. Ist.; Viking (C. Cedierman) (10 min.), 1 hour 17f min. 2nd. ■ L'Hiron—delle (It, Lynch) (8 min.), 1 hour 6i min. 3rd. ; Lelane (T. Larmer) (scr.), 594 min. 4tli. Pile-driving Completed. The last pile of,the Opotiki wharf extension contract was driven on Wednesday and the work of concreting the decking will now be undertaken. It is interesting to note that the whole of the pile-driving was completed in fine weather, no time being lost as a result of rain. Bay Cricket Team. The following players have been selected to represent the Bay of Plenty cricket team to met Sir Julien Calm’s, touring team at Rotorua on Wednesday next: —L. Spring, O. Gilliam (Rangitaiki), R. Smith, R. Lendrum, M. Le Pine (Opotiki), Barry Budcl,. Bullock-Bouglas (Tauranga), Andrews, N. Bailey, Chadwick, D. Ewert (Rotorua). Twelfth man, R, Barlow (Rotorua.) Raukckore Bridge. * Work is now being pushed aheadoil completing the last two spans of the big Raukokore bridge, and the contractor, Mr. J. G. Kerr, is expected to have the structure completed by the beginning of April. Tourists using this scenic Highway during the Faster holidays should have little trouble in making tlie journey as tlie Public Works Department has been doing extensive improvements to tlie highway which is reported to he in-first-class order. Clearing Fifes. The fires oil the hills to the south of Opotiki were whipped up by yesterday’s strong-wind and spread rapidly, burning over a wide area by night. This morning with no wind, there was litle evidence of the fires. Theseason lias, been very favourable for the clearing up of .stations and the lack of wind during the early part of tlie dry .spell enabled most fires to - helit without danger of spreading beyond! bounds. Messrs Gordon Bros.. Upper Otara valley, report having had a very successful burn, this being the first, clearing fire for some seven or eight years. The dry dantlionia grass enabled the fires to consume a great deal of rubbish.