THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 23 April 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr T. Soft-man's Jersey herd at Hautere this week tested 9.0, while ten days ago the herd tested 9.3 —surely a Dominion record.

A fire a Foxton on Wednesday night destroyed a live-roomed residence occupied by Mrs J. Rcid, and owned by Mr C. Lantz. The house was only insured for £230, and the furniture for £125.

The "Pahiatua Herald" says that acting on instructions from the Defence Department, Sergeant-Major Allen paid a visit to Pougaroa last week with the object of inspecting a site suitable for the building of an aerodrome. In company with the county engineer (Mr R. W. Bond) Sergeant-Major Allen visited several likely spots in the district, a report of which he will submit to headquarters.

Arrangements have been made by Sir Joseph Ward, Postmaster-General, with the British Post Office authorities to make use of the ships conveying troops back to New Zealand to cany mail matter in cases where a quicker despatch can bo made than by the San Francisco or Vancouver routes. It is thought that the use of troopships in this way will be much appreciated by the people of the Dominion. The Westmoreland was the first troopship to bring a mail under these conditions.

There was a large attendance at the annual meeting of the Whakaronga branch of the Farmers' Union. After discussion on several important matters, donations were received to be forwarded to Mr Tailored Cooper's sehemo of offices and rest-rooms for farmers' wives whilst in town. Sir 1!. Vautier was appointed a delegate to the Dominion Conference. The chairman",'? (Mr Romley) report on the year's work was read and adopted. Mr J. Romley was re-elected chairman, and Mr R. Vautier vice-chairman and secretary. The Wanderer Football Clufe (Levin) held its annual meeting lost week, and elected officers as follows:—President, Mr B. R. Gardiner; vice-presidents, Messrs Morton, Suhan, R. McDonald, Nash, Pataka, L. McDonald, Ryder, Ramsbottom, Crystal!, Tatana, Bcvan, Hannan, McFarlanc; coach, Mr M. Winiata; secretary, Mr T. Winiata; treasurer, Mr 21. Suhan; delegates to Union, Messrs Procter and 31. Winiata. Bootmaking.—F. Barrett wishes to notify the public-of Otaki and district that he has resumed business as boot and shoemaker. Old and new customers ! please take notice. Address:*, Dunstan ( Street, Otaki—Advt. !

All members and intending members of the Otaki Gymnasium Club aro invited to attend the animal meeting in connection with the Club, to be held on Friday evening next at the Druids' Hall. There is every prospect of the Club having a most successful session, and it is to be hoped that the lads and young men will roll up in force on Friday night, so that the Club may get a good start.

The following good story, and a true one, has been forwarded to a resident of this district by his brother, who was at the time stationed at Seotten camp, Yorkshire: —The Colonel here saw a man wheeling a wheelbarrow, very full of coal, and some dropping as he jvent along. He rushed op to him

and faid: " Jly man, whsif is it the Navy wants so much?" To which the Yorkshireman replied, scratching his head:-"Why, zur, for the German Navy to cum out!" The Colonel went off quickly in disgust.

It is not generally known, that there is excellent sport for anglers in the far reaches of the Waiotauru stream, Otaki Gorge. Mr A. Seed, manager of the Maymorn Estate, who is an enthusiastic disciple of Sir Isaae Walton, has caught many fine fish in that locality, including seme nice-salmon trout, and yesterday morning landed a very nice brown front, which turned the scale at 4|ib. Mr Seed, has liberated several lots of salmon trout fry in;the Waiotauru, and these have dons, splendidly. He hopes to pat s large -nxtfnber morfc. in the stream during the .coming sea--1 60S, With a little care in stocking. *he "*~ : .imd it* i'raneltes should become; Otak. ' , the fish <io .favonate-folaii b -xietttzi eporir. splendidly, and afford . .- for fishermen. **. ■ For Bronchial Coughs, take .

Woods ' ■ Great Peßgexmin? CJnie,

A dance was held at- the Otaki kiosk Saturday night, and was largely attended. All present spent a most enjoyable time. . . The rainfall in Levin from September 30th to March 31st totalled lSin: Some -IHn of rain fell in December, and 2-lin last month.

Quite a large number of bowlers visited Otaki on Monday, and took part in the tournament promoted by the local club.

A lad namsd Edgar Brown, of Foxton, was. thrown from a pony last week through the animal alißSiilg. The lad had the misfortune $o have $ leg fractured.

Aeroplanes arc being made at Home at a cost of about £2OO. Amorica is promised a motor ear made mostly of hvood, which will come on the market at about £6O a cat.

At the camp, of the Presbyterian Young Men's Bible Class Union at Palmerston North, it was resolved to render all assistance possible to the General Assembly's movement to secure the union of churches.

L. Mangham (Otaki) won the Open Handicap (nine laps) at the motor cycle sports held at Napier on Monday, third in.the Open Handicap of twelve laps, and second in tho Hawke's Bay Heavy-weight Championship of twelvo laps.

Fifty-six acres of Crown land in the Wellington Land District, 382 in the Auckland Land Dixstriet, 2160 acres of settlement land in Otago, 974 in Southland, and 699 in the Wellington Land District have been gazetted for returned soldier settlement.

■.. Provision is made by Gazette Extraordinary for securing a supply of butter for local consumption during tho winter. If necessary butter will not be permitted to be exported should doing so trench upon the supplies required to meet domestic needs.

It's not often that hand-made camisoles aro offered at such moderate prices, so all ladies aro urged to pay an early visit to that great house for value, viz., Stiles and Mathcson's. Hero they will find pretty, garments that will delight 'them. Read Stiles and Mathcson's advertisement in this paper.

The holiday passed off quietly in this district, the main attraction being the picnic at To Horo. Several residents made a trip to the Feilding races, while a number visited Wellington. Tho Otaki seaside resort was largely patronised by visitors, all of whom appeared delighted with their visit.

A woman at Whitman, U.S.A., mourning over the reported death of her soldier son, read her Biblo for solace, and came upon the words, "Thy sob liveih." Just then the postman delivered a letter from the War Department stating that her son was not •lead. - ~

Mr Byron Brown (chairman of the Peace Celebrations Committee) has made arrangements for tho Silver Mission Band, one of-the leading musical organisations in the North Island, to visit Otaki on two dsys of the peace celebrations. Toe bandsmen, numbering about thirty, will arrive in Otaki on the Saturday night,, entertain the pub-, lie on Sunday and Monday, and return t.o the city on Monday night.

t The Eotorua post office was broken into on Monday night. The safe was found open and unlocked and two cash boxes, one containing £SOO in cash and cheques and unissued postal notes, and the ether £SO largely in stamps, were missing. The former, with its contents, was found intact under a tree in adjoining premises. It was covered with empty benzine tins. No clues have been found of the perpetrators of the burglary. A well-known Christchurch journalist, who has been on service with the N.Z.E.F. for the past two or three years, writes: "I don't know whether it has vet k-iked out to New Zealand, but Lord Northcliffe is dreaming of world conquest. His latest project, according ; to Fleet Street gossip, is an 'Empire Daily Mail,' on the lines of his paper here and the Paris edition. His scheme aims at the establishment and publica- i tion daily of a 'Daily.Mail' (with extensive cable serviees, features, etc.) in Toronto or Montreal, Capetown, Sydney and Wellington, and he is reported to be prepared to spend £3,000,000, and more, if necessary."

A party of boy scouts from Lower Hutt and Pc-tonc were paying a visit ' to Trentham 'Camp on Sunday afternoon, and were carrying out manoeuvres in the trenches at the Tear of the camp. In these trenches the lads came across a small store of explosives, and finding an empty shell-case nearby, set out, with boyish enhusiasm, to see if they could make a real live explosion. The ' powder was rammed home in the shell- ! ease and a train led to it. Kenneth Waugh, sen of 3lr T. Waugh, set fire to the frail, but apparently was unable to get away to a place of safety before the explosion took place. A terrible explosion took place, and when the . smoke cleared away four bsys were seen ; to have been seriously Burt—Kenneth ' Waugh, of Lower Hutt; Thomas Toiler, •f Petone; Baymond Drake and Robert Clark, of Lower Hutt. Waugh was so seriously injured that he -died within a few minutes. The three other boys were removed as quickly "a* possible to the Trentham -hospital. " Toiler was reported to be in. critical condition. •

"Apparently." says'the;'Wellington Trades and Labour Council in its annusl report, "the Government requires ike camps for the purpose of making preparations for the next" great-war. It liiiiy be noted, incidentally, that the I daisy newspaper*". contains eolunms of ' caciw of arsiy cSeeri v. ho are being 'promotes! -.in ..rank and pay since fee war concluded. It woala a» : if the National Government, is hx4ptag' its friwds-io .dif' into soldiering poutiou?.. It will fee ike dsty of'iscW!>rkirg T*eoi>la to ckaJ3e»gft this inilirerv' c 2iJL c J" ?*■ J -- 6 tarceit p£***ifcle oppOXCTUtj* "

Cabinet haa'-.dccla-red fnat Anzac Day (Friday next) will be a. general holiday- ." "" ■ Sniekeless cartridges, horse and eow covers, etc., are advertised at low rates by Mr Howard Andrew. The Otaki Hospital is full of patients at tho present time, and the staff arc having an extremely busy time. I ©n Friday next (Anzap Day) Holy Communion will be observed at All Saints' Church, Otaki, while a commemoration service will be held in the e-VGiiijig at 7 o'eloek, as advertised. "We remind our readers est the plain amd ,*asi«y dress danse to be' held at Manaksaru te-morrew night-. A most enjoyable time is promised, all. who attend. , • Very heavy rain on the Tararuas during Monday night was responsible for.' a large volume of water in the Otaki j river. This, together with high .tides, I caused a flood on the low-lying lands at Kangiuru.

The heavy rain on Monday night brought down another fair-sized slip on tho Waiotauru road, Otaki Gorge. The County Council roadmcu, assisted by settlers, promptly got to work yesterday to clear the roadway.

You cannot do better than buy your footwear from me. Just opened: Gent's heavy boots, in chrome, kip and greenhide leathers. Also showing: A nice range of ladies' footwear in glace, box and chrome leather (for winter wear). —lrvino's Shoe Store, Otaki.—Advt.

The golf championship final was fought out yesterday between H. L. Young, of Palmorstoa North, and Imlay Saunders, of Wanganui, the former winning. 5 up and & to play.

There will be no election for Harbour Board representatives, so far- as this district is concerned. Only two nominations were received, and Messrs J. C. Cobbe and M. Cohen havo therefore been declared elected unopposed.

The church services itfHho Anglican Church on Easter Day wore splendidly •attended, and tho solos given by Miss Myra Sawyer (Wellington) and Miss Evelync Jones were fully appreciated. All communion service* were well attended.

A party of fire . young Lcvinites started off on Good Friday up the Otaki Gorge with tho intention of crossing tho Tararuas to Greytown. After starting oft" up Judd's track on Friday afternoon nothing has been seen of them, so they have evidently pushed on, though the weather has not been favourable, for mountaineering.

1 The Maymorn Co., Ltd., wons a large i block of land, comprising some 10,000 | acres, extending from a little above the ■ Otaki Forks to tho Upper Hutt Valley. j On the Otaki side of the range the pro- . perty extends some two miles on either side of the Waiotauru stream, and, on tho south-eastern side, slightly ovw the top of Mt. Kapakapanui. Practically the whole of tkis great estate is still covered with virgin bush. Mr Poison, ;i well-known New Zca-

land farmer, sometime ago made a.visit to Australia, whore lie made- a .special study of tbc conditions there under the* Labour Government. 'Mr Poison will deliver an address, touching on his observations in Australia, at the Druids' I Kail, Levin, on Saturday, May 3rd, to 1 which all members of the Manakao j branch of the Farmers' Union arc in- ! vited to attend. Farmers should take full advantage of this opportunity.

It is not generally known that there are a great many wild cattle on the Tararua, ranges. Some little time ago, when journeying from the Upper Hutt Valley through the bush to the Otaki Gorge, Mr A. Seed and a. rtomnnniivn

Came across a great herd of wild cattle, estimated at fully 500 head. Thia great herd was grazing in the bush in a high basin of country at) least six or seven miles beyond the Otaki Forks, lying between Mt. Kapakapanui and Jit. Hector. In this big basin the country is comparatively ojter, and. in the distant future will probably be broken into good farm land.