Brief Mention of Happenings in Matamata and Vicinity.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 18, 14 February 1924, Page 2

Brief Mention of Happenings in Matamata and Vicinity.

The annual general uieeting- of the Putaruru Rugby Union has been convened for this week. The next regular sitting of the Putaruru Magistrate's Court is to be held on Friday, March 28. The owners of the scow Hero (states the Gazette) have cause to remember this week’s trip of their vessel on the Piako river. Coining up on Wednesday morning she caused the high-voltage power cable to be dam- ] a god, and on returning the following morning collided with another vessel, both sustaining damage. A small boy named Verdun Till met with a painful accident at Okauia last week. It appears the little fellow was Tiding to school when his horse stumbled, with a result that he was thrown, sustaining a fractured upper jaw. He was taken to Matamata for medical attention, and is progressing favourably. The scarcity of metal was commented upon by the engineer of the Matamata county Council on Friday. He stated that metal was urgently required for various works, but sufficient quantities could not be obtained. Various quarries which had been approached were booked right up. The position could only be improved by securing metal in the winter and dumping it. The publisher of a farming journal has a most persuasive way of collecting unpaid subscriptions. Writing to a Morrinsville body he stated:— “ Yours is one of the few remaining ■unpaid subscriptions on our books. We know you are busy and can well appreciate that an account might be easily overlooked. But now that we are writing to you about your account we hope you will send your remittance along promptly.”

One big paddock of Caiilornian thistle is what this district is coming to,” —So said a member ol the Brunswick branch of the Farmers’ Union. The re-valuation board for solder settlers' farms, namely, Messrs. H. M. Martin, of Ngongotaha, A. Sutherland, of Whakatane, and J. Price, of Matamata, have been engaged in the Putaruru and Tirau districts during the past few days. j The following are the return ; of supply received by the two local cheese factories during January, the figures for the previous January being' given in parenthesis for the purpose of comparison: Puketurua, miilc received 417,4521 b (412 6681 b), butterfat content 16,453.701 b (16,112.381 b). Tokovoa. milk received 489,5481 b (494,8031 b), butter-fat content 18,462.461 b (19,562.451 b). In reply to Cr. E. J. Darby at Friday’s- ‘meeting of the Matamata County Council, the engineer stated that a grader outfit would be returning to the Putaruru riding within the next few days. Cr. Darby asked that il continue the grading at Pukgturua, prepare the Overdale road for metalling, and finally grade as many of the other earth reads as possible before winter. , At its meeting on Tuesday, the Thames Valley Electric Power Board decided to review the position of agreements, covering time-payment system. This specially refers to those users who arc in arrears. A sum of £29,000 already stands to the debit of users. In reviewing the agreements it was decided to have a .report on the whole of the defaulters, as sucli report would give the Board a better idea of the position when details of a new agreement are formulated. “ The total number of consumers connected to the Board’s mains at January 31. 1924,” reported the manager of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at Tuesday’s meeting, “ were 3281, which includes 783 milking motors (the borough of Thames and To Aroha are not included). There were 225 motors on meters and 30 milking motors and 45 light and heating consumers connected during January. It is anticipated that well over 800 milking motors will be connected at March 31 next.” ■ A discussion regarding the suitability of various materials for electric power poles took place at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, it being suggested that concrete might be suitable. The chairman (Mr. F. H. Claxton). engineer (Mr.’ M- G. McLeod). manager (Mr. K. Sprag H ue) and Mr. Strange were elected a committee to consider the matter of future supplies for poles. Three tenders for the Overdale metalling scheme were received at last Friday’s meeting of the Matamata Countv Council. The lowest —and it was ‘the lowest by a considerable amount—was from a contractor who has already in hand a fairly big contract. The matter was. left in the hands of Cr. Darby and the engineer to ascertain whether or not he could undertake both mbs this autumn, it being desired that both should be finished before next winter. A request was received from Wife Main Highways Council at last Friday’s meeting of \ the Matamata County Council asking that a specified return giving particulars as to estimated maintenance, capital expenditure, etc., on main roads through the county be filled in and returned to the Highways Council. The chairman nohited out that the capital expenditure would depend very largely on what financial assistance the Highways Council would give, for if there was a certainty of a good subsidy from that body the ratepayers would probably authorise loans tor the main highways. The matter was left to the engineer. ( The Matamata County Council, at its meeting on Friday, decided to purchase another steam roller. The engineer explained that with Lie many metalling works in the county the roller the Council at present had could do but a small portion of the work, and this meant that, a good deal of the metal could not be rolled. He submitted details he-Tiad obtained of second-hand steam rollers for sale r-rui it wr? decided to purchase, the lowest priced of these provided it proved satisfactory on inspection, the money, £750, to come out of the plant loan. ‘ An interim reply has been received by Cr. E. J. Darby to the requests he made to the Ron.* J. G. Coates when the Minister visited the Putaruru district in December. The reply includes the following*: “In regard to the lowering of rise on the Arapuni road between the hotel corner and the town hall, Putaruru, as suggested by you. the part in question is only nine chains long and the grades, ranging from 1 in 17 to 1 in 20, are quite satisfactory for all classes of traffic, and besides suit the present permanent level of streets. In regard to the railway matters mentioned by you, these have been referred to the Railwav Department for consideration, and a further communication will be sent to you jn due course.” A novel entertainment for the public is arranged for next Tuesday night, when a moonlight carnival will be held on the War Memorial park at Putaruru, as a preliminary to the garden fete, which is fixed for March 22 this'year. At 7?30 p.m. a pro--1 cession will leave the post office on its way to the park. All owners of cars are requested to join in this procession and convey as many of the public as possible to the grounds. Fancy dress costuming will be a fea!tu?;e of the evening, handsome prizes having been donated for both ladies and gentlemen, the wiryiers to be decided by public vote. Outdoor games, I dancing on the green , ! no heels), supper and ice cream stalls will he attractive items of the evening's enterItainment, which promises to be immensely enjoyable for all who attend. Remember the date. Tuesday evening next, February 19.*