LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 332, 3 April 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Severe bruises were sustained by Miss Legge, of Tirau, on Sunday evening, when the horse she was riding bolted and threw her into a fence. She was motored to her home where she is progressing favourably. The Rev. Harold Ashworth delivered his final message to his congregation in the Methodist Church on ■ounday evening. The church was crowded, and in the course of his sermon, Rev. Ashworth thanked the people for the kindness extended to him during his ministry in Putaruru. “We are selling an average of four electric ranges and 40 to 45 electric kettles a week,” said the manager of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at Tuesday’s meeting, when mentioning the increasing popularity of electrical household appliances. At the annual conference of electric supply authority engineers in Wellington in June a number of papers will be read by electrical engineers. The use of electricity in drainage and in agriculture are among the subjects to be dealt with. During the course of his address to the ratepayers on Friday evening the ex-chairman of the Town Board (Mr. G. G. Griffiths) stated that a Government valuer recently in Putaruru had stated that there was more new work being done on farms in the Putaruru district than in any other part he had visited. During the course of the meeting of ratepayers in the Putaruru Town Hall on Friday evening, a questioner asked why the water scheme had been shelved, and in reply thereto Mr. Griffiths stated that the Town Board had had no cash to go in for the preliminary investigations. The town was so scattered that it was almost impossible to get an inner area. The preliminary work would involve an outlay of from £2OO to £250. The Thames Valley Electric Power Board has experienced trouble where its lines cross swampy country. The poles along Maukoro canal became quite loose during the dry weather, and it had been necessary to fill and ram round them. In the peat country near Kaihere some of the poles are rising out of the ground, and it will be necessary to resink them. On two of the poles the blocks which were bolted to them have risen clear of the ground. When the poles were erected the tops of these blocks were well below the surface. “ A considerable amount of work has been done in clearing trees during the past month,” stated the engineer’s report at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board. “ There is still a great deal of clearing necessary, and consumers can help by seeing that their properties are clear before the stormy weather sets in. Any damage caused by trees is charged to the owner of the trees, but this is no satisfaction to those whose supply of power may have been interrupted. Notices are being served on the owners of properties where trees are most dangerous.”

During March the Thames Valley Electric Power Board connected up 12 water heaters, 7 electric ranges and 5 motors on farms. In addition 16 consumers had lighting and heating extensions and 12 motors ranging from 5 h.p. to i-h.p. were connected up. The total number of consumers conected to the Thames Valley Power Board’s mains is now 7264. There are now connected and operating 1943 water heaters, 367 electric ranges and 2337 rpotors on farms, of which 1889 are 2 h.p. milking motors. | A start with the metering of the Matamata district will be made next week by the Thames Valley Power Board. The manager stated at Tuesday’s meeting that further supplies of meters had arrived and more would be available.at the end of the i month. } That farmers would have to take a I more militant stand and that it was I a disgrace that the wives and daughters of farmers had to go into the milking sheds, were opinions expressed by the retiring secretary (Mr L. ,M. Nicklin) of the Farmers’ Union at the annual meeting on Saturday.

“It is strange that our job is to sell electricity, but the principal ' work of our mechanical staff of late has been to show people how to economise in the use of power,” remarked the chairman of the Thames Valley Power Board, Mr. F. M. Strange, with a smile at Tuesday’s meeting. “ Still, our aim is to give satisfacj tion to consumers,” he added. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thame? Valley Power Board a letter was received from the Putaruru Beautifying Society stating that it proposed to put the circular space round the power pole near the post ' office down in grass with a rockery ’ at the base of the pole, and asking i' if the board had any objection. The . 1 board agreed there was no objection to this proposal and granted permisJ sion. ■ Mr. T. Cochrane, of Tapapa, had a . narrow escape .from serious injury ' last week. He was riding around s stock when his horse slipped and - rolled over on him with the result , that two ribs were fractured. He , had to be carried home, but he is ' making satisfactory progress towards recovery. T

At th'e Putaruru Magistrate’s Court, before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., on Thursday, Joseph Roland Henshaw (Mr. J. R. O. Loehhead) proceeded against Alfred A. Riggir (Mr. Hut- ; chison) on a claim for wages due in | respect to a painting contract. The original claim was for £l4 7s, of which the defendant paid £8 on January 13, 1930, leaving a balance due of £6 7s. After hearing evidence the Magistrate entered judgment for the plaintiff for £6 7s, plus expenses amounting to £4 13s. There was an exceptionally large congregation at the Methodist Church on Sunday morning, when ten new members were admitted to the fellowship of the church. . The Putaruru company of. Girl Guides, under Captain Jones and Lieutenant L. Miller, and the Ironside troop of Boy Scouts (Scoutmaster Master C. R. McDermott and Assistant-Scoutmaster R. Benton) paraded. The Rev. H. Ashworth was the preacher. “ Meter readers are now interviewing consumers daily in the course of their duties, and in order to give every service possible weekly reports are forwarded to the head office, stating any personal complaint or mechanical defect of a consumer,” stated the manager at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board. “In addition, meter readers report at Te Aroha every alternate Saturday to discuss with the executive any matter that effects the board’s work. This now brings the board’s officers in direct touch with the consumer.” The Putaruru Brass Band will play a programme of music at Arapuni on Sunday, April 6, commencing at 2.30 p.m.*