LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 224, 16 February 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new milkingshed belonging to Mr. J. Walker, of Tokoroa, was destroyed by fire last Friday. Senior-Sergeant Quinn, who has been in charge of the Rotorua police district for a number of years, has been promoted to Nelson. A reader advises that a foreman in explaining an error in a tally recently wrote that “ the .figures must have j become ‘ obdurated.’ —A clear , case , of obfuscation ! I Eight £1 fishing licenses have been \ sold by the Putaruru post office in , addition to those sold by the trea- I Surer of the Putaruru branch of the Auckland Acclimatisatibn Society. I The Putaruru Town Board rose at 20 minutes past midnight on Monday, there being a hearty and unanimous “ aye ” to the suggestion that the Domain Board meeting be adjourned till next month. Mr. Joseph Norrie, formerly of Matanvata, has been appointed to the chief executive position in the Well- ' ington Public Library. Mr. Norrie, who is a brother of Mr. James Norrie, of Arapuni and also formerly of Matamata, is at present librarian at Leys Institute, Auckland. , A correspondent advises that the figures 3856 enter into every married person’s life,' thus : Take the year of birth, add to it the person’s age, year of marriage, and the number of years married. The total will be 3856, | which is twice the total of the present year, 1928. Try it. A contract has been let by the Main Highways Board for metalling with Waimakariri stream shingle the , whole of the Mamaku hill road, i Rhyolite will be used on a portion of the road as topdressing for the shingle. Although the road is in Matamata county it is of very slight interest to the county, being almost solely a tourist road, but of great concern to Rotorua. A motion of sympathy with the relatives of the late Richard Reynolds, of Cambridge, was passed at. the meeting of the Auckland Accli- . matisation Society in Putaruru last Friday. The' chairman stated that ' the late Mr. Reynolds was the first country president of the society, a position he held for three years. He had done yeoman work in many ways, and was a great benefactor to Cambridge, where he did great work lr. breaking in swamps and planting trees. Members had lost a great friend and comrade in Mr. Reynolds, who was a fine sportsman and true ■gentleman. “ I think the Te Aroha Borough Council might be more frank in their attitude to the public,” said Mr. F. Strange, chairman of the Thames Valley Power Board, at Tuesday’s meeting. Mr. Strange said that when the peak load was reduced by the borough for half an hour to save peak hour charges it was the Power Board that got the blame, but it was quite unable to help itself. Mr. F. E. Flatt commented that the borough should advertise when it proposed to reduce the peak. “We get quite enough bricks thrown at us as it is, without . getting abuse for this,” remarked the chairman. Mr. C. A. Arthur: “Did you say ‘drinks’?” The chairman: “ No, ‘ bricks.’ ” Mr. Arthur: “ Oh, that’s alright, because lack of water is one of the council’s chief difficulties.” (Laughter).

It is understood that Mr. A. Dinnie, who has been engineer-in-charge at Arapuni since the inception of the works, will shortly be transferred to Napier.

Plans and specifications for portion of the Putaruru Town Board’s loan proposals, amounting to approximately £3OOO, were approved last Monday, and tenders for same will shortly be called.

Mr. Guy W. Seton, of Tirau, who has secured more than a local reputation as a breeder of Southdown rams, has for the third year in succession succeeded in obtaining top price at the Hamilton ram fair. A draft of 28 rams sent to the fair on the 9th sold up to 101 guineas and averaged 91 guineas each.

Mr. Owen Jones, 8.A., forestry administrator to the N.Z. Perpetual Forests Ltd., leaves Putaruru during the coming week on a six-months’ tour of the Old Country. While away Mr. Jones will inspect the treeplanting areas in England and Scotland and possibly on the Continent of Europe.

The giving to all electors of boroughs and town districts the right to vote at hospital and power board elections, but to ratepayers only in counties, was roundly condemned at a meeting of the Matamata branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Members thought that only those having a stake in the country, i.e., ratepayers, should, have the vote. At any rate, there should not be the pre,sent distinction.

What would appear to be queer anomalies of the railway tariff were mentioned by various members of the Matamata branch of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday night. Mr. S. H. Gunn pointed out that a case of .strawberries consigned from Auckland to Matamata, if sent to a private person for domestic use cost about Sd in freight, but if to a shopkeeper the charge was about 3s 6d. The same thing applied to bananas. If the empty case was returned the charge was Is Bd. “ Better stuff a couple of cabbages in,” remarked another niember. Mr. A. Bowler recalled an amusing case that happened about forty years ago, where a consignor was informed that the freight on two tanks would be the same whether the vessels yyere full or empty. He therefore sent them up filled with seed oats!

There was a lengthy circular letter front the Auckland executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union before the Matamata County Council at its meeting at Tirau on Friday. By the time the production was waded through one rather gathered that the matters dwelt upon were more fit subjects for the New Zealand Counties’ Association. While the executive keeps on flooding the country with these Circulars, and voluminous other documents, often political propaganda, sent to branches it is. no wonder that over 80 per cent. (25s out of 30s) of the subscriptions of the members of branches is required at headquarters. Mimeographs and duplicating machines generally are among the curses of the age.—Matamata Record.

j “ Some difficulty is being experi- ' enced in the Matamata district ow- . ing to low voltage, and no improve- [ ment can be given by the Public Works Deportment with its present arrangements,” stated Mr. N. G. McLeod, engineer of the Thames Valley Power Board, on Tuesday. “It will be some time before the new substation can be erected,” he said, “ and it is suggested that a temporary sub-station be erected before the start of the next milking season. 1 i believe the Department will be prepared to do this, and the board could loan material and men to the department if they should require this assistance.” Mr. J. Price moved that the department be asked to erect the I temporary sub-station at Matamata. The chairman seconded, and the motion was carried. “ Matamata has the biggest grievance and lias suffered most from low voltage,” said the chairman.