PITARURU PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 44, 21 August 1924, Page 2

PITARURU PRESS ,

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

... Main Street ’Phone 28 - - P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Porfccs and Dallim ore’s Buildings.)

The rainfall at' Putaruru during Julv. as registered by the school gauge, was 3.8 inches. The previous month (June) it totalled over .) . baches. Hyde Park, London, is said to be the busiest spot in the world. For 12 hours from S a.m. to 8 p.m. 06,039 vehicles passed a given spot in one day. Assisted by Grand Lodge officers and in the presence of a large number of visiting brethren, M.W. Bro. Oliver Nicholson, Prov. G.M., dedicated Lodge Matamata, 265, N.Z.C., on Tuesday evening. The demand for land in Putaruru has been stimulated by the commencement of the Arapuni contracts, and several residential sections have been sold the past week, at prices ranging upno £l5O per quarter acre. It is understood that the additional connections with the Putaruru telephone exchange now being installed will bring the total number of connections to well over the 100, entitling the subscribers to a telephone service from 6 a.m. to midnight, as against 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at present.

A pleasant euchre party and dance was held in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening of last week in aid of the Church of England funds. Mr. J. Barnes acted as M.C. and Mrs. Barnes (piano) and Mr. H. Pearse (cornet) as the musicians. The euchre prizes were won by Mr. A. K. Day and Mrs. R. McLeod.

Mr. G. Foster, who has been on the clerical staff of the Thames Valley Power Board for nearly four years, has been appointed assistant secretary to the Thames Harbour Board. During Mr. Foster’s stay of 18 months in Matamata, he had made many friends, particularly in musical circles. Prior to coming here, he was attached to the Paeroa office. Mr Foster leaves Matamata next week in order to take up his new position as from the 25th inst. of this month.

The dance held by the locfge of Oddfellow's in the Town Hall on Friday evening attracted some 30 couples, to whom the evening gave much pleasure. The orchestral music by Messrs. M. Cooper (piano), W. Hayes (violin), W. Dodd (piccolo) and A. Brown (piccolo) was largely responsible for this successful result, while the good floor and the capabilities of Mr. C. D. Brown as M.C. were also contributing factors. Mr. Milward gave a humorous recitation, “ Mrs. O’Rorke,” and Mrs. Aspden obliged w'ith the music for an extra dance.

Speaking regarding the dried milk and dairying industry at Matamata, Mr. F. J. Nathan said that in the East, and Japan in particular, the authorities had come to the conclusion that to compete with the Western world they would have to raise the average stature of their people. They had an edict that every child at school must receive one cup of milk per day; and the only way they could do this was by using the dried milk product. He advocated a delegation to the East to further the interests of New Zealand.

Tenders are now being called for mail services for three years from January 1 next. In this district the services are: Putaruru-Puketurua-Arapuni daily; Putaruru - Waotu, thrice weekly; Putaruru-Liehfield-To-koroa - Atiamuri - Oruanui - Wairakei - Taupo, thrice weekly; Putaruru* Lichfield - Tokoroa - Ongaroto Siding - Mokai, daily, with a minimum of three trips weekly. The three lastmentioned services are made alternative to various other groupings, which would serve the same purposes. The chief alternative is the RotoruaWairakei - Taupo service as against a Putaruru - Wairakei - Taupo service.

The tall pine trees behind the Putaruru hotel, which constitute an old land mark, are now being felled. Modem progress, in the form of electric light lines, passing beneath these stately trees along the roadside, has necessitated this to avoid a repetition of the accident some wee&s ago of one of the trees being blown down by the wind and falling across the lines, considerably damaging them and interrupting the electric pow'er service. The pines ranged in height up to about 100 feet and measured up to 11 feet in circumference at the base. They were about 33 years old.

The question of the constitution of the country centring on Putaruru as a separate county w'as informally discussed at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday evening by members with the Tokoroa delegates present. It w-as pointed out that the Putaruru and Tokoroa ridings of the Matamata county had no community of interest with the other seven ridings of the county, while the Waikato bridge at Arapuni would make Putaruru the railway centre for a big area of the Waipa county on the western side of the river. The settlers there would then use the road to Putaruru as their outlet, but their rates would be spent in the Waipa county. Other speakers considered the prospect and desirability of a new county doubtful, stating that the Government view' was in favour of enlargement of counties rather than division of them.

Mr. R. T. Smith’s butchery delivery starts on or before Monday next, when his cart will make regular calls, thrice a week in the town and two days a week in the country areas.*