LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 244, 5 July 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dairy farmers will find the supplement with this issue of outstanding importance and interest, for it contains the first and only full report published in the Auckland province of the research into low-testing and high-testing milk for cheese manufacture carried out by the Taranaki Federated Dairies. The difference between Jerseys on the one hand' and Friesians and Ayrshires on the other for cheese-making milk are informingly set out, and the changes in practice which the report foreshadows will affect the dairying industry to a very m rked degree. The supplement should be kept for future reference.

The South Auckland Power Boards’ League was revived at a recent meeting at Hamilton, Mr. F. M. Strange being elected chairman for the year.

Electric power supply to all factories under the three-party agreement, including the Waitoa dried milk factory, is now be.ing given by the Thames Valley Power Board.

Footballers in the Putaruru district will regret to learn that Mr. R. L. Paterson, the popular Putaruru five-eighths, lost his mother suddenly last week-end after an operation.

Mr. J. V. Johnston, of Tokoroa, has secured the tender for the erection of the new post office at Tokoroa. The building will be erected on the main road between Mrs. Edwards and the garage.

There is quite a mild epidemic of influenza raging in the Putaruru district, many residents being confined to their beds as a result. Several business firms have been so affected that great difficulty has been experienced in carrying on. The members and chief executive officers of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board were entertained at dinner by the chairman, Mr. F. Strange, at his residence, Mangaiti, at the conclusion of Tuesday’s board meeting. An inspection was made subsequently of the area or poles erected for experimental purposes on the chairman’s property.

The total number of consumers connected to the Thames Valley Power Board’s mains now totals COCO, which number includes the Thames and Te Aroha boroughs, Thames consumers totalling 1074 and Te Aroha borough 640. Thirty-four lighting and heating consumers, 13 water heaters, seven electric ranges, an I four motors on farms, one of which was a two h.p. milking motor, were also connected.

The manager of the Thames Valley Power Board, Mr. R. Sprague, stated at Tuesday’s meeting that on June 16 a low tension wire crossing the Waihou road at McCabe’s road intersection fell to the ground during the gale, and was not reported until the following day. In the meantime Miss Jackson, of Te Aroha West, drove over the wire, her horse being electrocuted. No further damage was done. The insurance companv had been applied to for the amount of the owner’s claim, £ls. “ Steps are now being taken for the removal of all trees endangering the board’s lines, and if, after the necessary notification has been served on the owner for the removal, the owner or occupier does not act, it is our intention to remove same,” stated the manager of the Thames Valley Power Board on Tuesday. “If the trees endangering the board’s lines were removed, the interruptions experienced during the past year would be reduced to a minimum.”

The engineer of the Thames Valley Power Board stated in his. report to Tuesday’s meeting of the board that a 12 chain low tension extension on existing main line poles was made on Taihoa road. A short low tension extension on poles had also been made at Tapapa for the Public Works Department shingle dredging plant. A 20 chain low tension 7/16 extension was made on Taihoa road to pick up a new consumer. At Waharoa a short low tension extension was made to pick up a new consumer. The 11,000 volt extension at Maungatautari to Messrs. Peake and Hill had been comnleted, and a 15 lc.v.a. transformer installed. The consumers were given supply on June 15. Pole erection had been completed on the Matamata-Taihoa road and 11 000 volt link and wiring was proceeding.

A unique feature of the EvesDunstan wedding, celebrated in the Putaruru Presbyterian Church last week, was the presence of four generations, relations of the bride, ac/ also both grandmothers of the briiV. They were given a great reception at the wedding breakfast, and a special toast was given in their honour. Mr. C. Lee, of Putaruru, has been laid up with a severe bout of rheumatic fever, but is making a good recovery, and expects to return to business in the course of the next few weeks.

The tale has just been told of a well-known Invercargill business man who recently made an unfortunate slip in speaking to a young woman (reports the Southland Times). It was his invariable habit on encountering a friend to ask after his health. On receiving a favourable reply he would always say, “That’s fine!” and he would then inquire after his friend’s parents. On receiving another favourable answer, he would exclaim, “Fine! That’s splendid!” And now about the slip. On meeting this young woman he inquired after her health. “ That’s fine!” he said on learning that she was well. “ And how’s your father?” “He has been dead for some time,” was the reply, whereupon the usual comment was made. “ Fine, that is splendid; and how is your mother? ” “ Oh, she’s dead, too,” came the reply, and the business man, in accordance with his established custom, hastened to say, “ That’s splendid, too,” before he realised the embarrassing slip he had made.

• The primary industries are of the first importance. They present problems peculiar to New Zealand. Most of the secondary industries, on the other hand, have few, if any, problems peculiar to their location in this particular part of the world. Nevertheless, money wisely spent in giving assistance to the secondary industries in respect to chemical and physical processes would not be grudged by anybody. The problem of the boot industry seems, however, not to be one in which silence is concerned, but rather a problem of business pure and simple—a matter of organisation and factory method. One of the officials who is to commence the investigation is reputed to be a skilful organiser of factory method and factory lay-out, and it is possible Chat he will be able to tell the boot manufacturers something about the efficient management of the workshop. We hope the result will be good, but one would have thought that so oldestablished an industry would hardly have needed assistance in that direction.—Christchurch Press.

Some idea of the effects of topdressing for increased butter-fat production may be gauged from the following particulars supplied by Mr. J. L. Bruce, Agricultural Advisor to the Prisons and Health Departments (says the Southland News). On an institute farm in the North Island, there were, in the season 1924-25, 130 dairy cows, with an average production of 2501 b butter-fat. About 100 acres of grass received a dressing of superphosphate at the rate of 2cwt per acre at the end of the season. Next season, 1925-26, the cows numbered 170, and the average yield of butter-fat reached 2751 b. Another 30 tons of superphosphate was applied on the remainder of the grass land. In the season 1926—27, the cows increased to 210, and the butter-fat average to 3391 b. For the present season the cows number 270 head, whilst the butter-fat average at the end of March was equal to last season, and there are still two good months to go before the present season is completed. Forty tons of superphosphate increased the butter-fat yield of the farm from 32,5001 bin 1924-25 to 94,5001 b in 1927-28.