DISTRICT NEWS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 3, 12 January 1915, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

[From Our Own Correspondents.]

f TUAKAU. Under the new police regulations arrangements have been made for a constable to be stationed at Tuakau and the "Bobby." will duly make his appearance when a residence has been secured as promised by the local residents. It is expected that a lock-up, as asked for by the Town Board, will also be provided by the , Police Department before long. ' <*

PUNI.

In grounds on Mr Maurice Coughlan's property, that are ideal for - picnicking purposes, the Sunday School children of tbe Puni Presbyterian congregation, their parents and friends met during tbe holidays and held a most.. enjoyable picnic. There were 150 people present, including 90 children. Visitors attended from all the suirounding districts. Luncheon and tea were proa .; vided gratis for everyone on the Jf- grdund, out of funds niiseJ by subscription. The Sunday tchool child•xl- ' 'ana prizes were awarded to the L winners of races and games. Swinge, r erected by the School Committee, ■ were in constant use during the day. The controlling committee consisted rof Messrs F. W. Matthews (secretary), A. Donald, W. Parkimon, C. Kidd, Warnock and Miss Carter. The men's race was the most exciting event of the day, a large number of enthusiasts gathering to witness, it. The outcome was a tie for first place between Mr W. Hart and Mr W. Parkinson, but in the run-off the former won by a few inches after an exciting finish. The Rev. S. Nixon was among the field in the preliminary stage, but although running barefooted and being " the favourite " for the event he failed to add to his athletic laurels of past days. The ladies' race was won by Miss Preston, with Mrs Reynolds a good second. In a Tug-of-War between a team of Pukekohe boys and a team of Puni boys the visitors were v victorious. A team of Puni girls showed the Puni boys how to pull * in their Tug-of-War against a team of Pukekohe girls, by reversing matters and winning handsomely. These contests were most interesting items, the children being as equally determined as is the case when men meet in similar contests. A credit balance of 13s Bd, which remains after all expenses have been paid, is to be transferred to the Sunday School Funds. The manager of the Puni creamery is one of the very few happy creamery managers who does not have to record a falling off in the J.% daily average of milk suppliedHo his in comparison with the » same period of a year ago. The present daily average, from 10 suppliers, is 300 gallons, which is much the same as the average recorded I during, the same period of last year. The manager of Messrs J. B, MacEwan and Co.'s Fukekehe West- ' ' Puni creamery reports the daily average milk supply at 300 gallons from 19 suppliers/which average is a decrease compared with that oi last year, but in the home-separation there are two suppliers, none being forthcoming last year. I The oat, wheat, hay, onion and i potato crops came on exceedingly \ well, considering the dry spell, and have not that burnt up appearance i that the various crops have in many '. ■ other parts. The crops in the south- 1 west portion of the district are not. I far below the average of previous 1 seasons. Some that have not yet ' been cut have a better appearance 1 than those that have been gathered ' I in, the heads being much larger and I more buJfy. I On the 13i acres recently pur- , chased by Mr F. G. Bradshaw from i Mr J. Wakelin, some ten acres of , I good hay has been secured and ; stacked. Two acres of oats growing | on the same property are expected to furnish something like three tons j of chaff to the acre. Mr Bradshaw i '&~- intends purchasing a milking herd : and starting milking next season. ' * On Mr A. Donald's property of I twenty acres, four acres of oats will i tjsrage about two tons of chaff to .the acre. His erop of four acres of ' I rich tinted wheat are the pride of ' ' i the farm and are growing so 'rigourously that the crop is lying ' ' down. Mr Donald anticipates taking from eight to ten tons of-onions from |L a patch wherelie has sown 81bs of I " Tapps " seed. A previous orop of ■• onions taken from the same hind realised five and a-half tons to five acres. | If the reader can imagine in his mind one and a-half acres, six }. inches high, of that beautiful green I vegetation that grows only on a carrot that is rich in quality, he will have a very fair idea of the excellent crop of carrots that is also doing " exceptionally well, for this time of I the year, on the farm. A crop of twelve acres of wheat that has grown in accordance with I the other good similar crops of the district, is growing on a slope on Mr ■yV. Parkinson's property and a crop of seven acres of potatoes, the second of the season is also doing well. The first crop averaged five tens. Mr A. W. Blackburn, late of Green Lane, the new owner of the farm owned until recently by Mrs Dunbar, has already intimated his intention of milking a larger herd in the near future.

PAPAKURA.

H|ftteiß underatooJ that ten supWf" of the proposal to lay down 'leena and tennis courts on village green (Pohurehure are prepared to subscribe £lO each towards defraying the cost of the proposed work ana also the cost of erecting a pavilion, etc. The matter is under the consideration 0 f the Papakura Town Board, which body has jurisdiction over the green, and has been approached in i> toe matter. Daring a discussion relative to the Noxious Weeds Act at the Papaktira Town Board's meeting, held last week, Mr Willis, chairman of the Board, aaid that be remembered tbt time when there was only enough ,000) for a cart to pass through I gome of the roads in Papakura on iccount of the excessive growth of the bjtckberry.

ONEWHERO.

Mr A. Cathcart has cold ten acres of the education reserve Situated in the Onewhero township), which he leased from the Education Department, to the Raglan Cousjty Council for use as a recreation grouna, and the Raglan. County Council is to band control of the ground over to a committee of Onewhero residents who are to. be appointed at a meeting convened by Mr Moore, to be held shortly. Mr Cathcart sold sections on two previous occasions fot local purposes; one for a post office site and on the other the public hall now stands.

Extensive' works of repairing and metalling roads in the Onewhero and Wairamarama districts are being carried out under tbe supervision of the Kagian County Council, which body has authorised £SOOO to be spent on the work. The metalling and forming of Kaipo Flat is included in proposed works authorised to be carried cut by the same body. The manager of the local creamery reports the daily average of milk supplied to the creamery to be 11,600ib8, and tbe daily average of. ' borne separated cream to be 3411b5. The highest daily average for milk home separated cream during tbe same period, was recorded in November, when the average daily milk supply reached 13,3001bs and separated cream 4001bs. Mr D. A. Moore, who was elected as member for the Onewhero Riding on the Raglan County Council recently, was born at Onehunga in 1867. Mr 8. H. Crawford, who was the retiring membber, had represented the district for a period of nine years consecutively. The result of the poll gave Mr Moore a majority of 22 votes, the polling being as follows: D. A. Moore, 116 votes Onewhero booth and 28 at Wairamarama bcotb, making a total of 143 votes; T. F. Muir polled 113 votes at Onewhero and eight votes at Wairamarama, total 121. Only two ratepayers failed to record their votes, the polling being tbe highest that had ever been recorded in Onewhero. Onewhero's new representative has lived in the district for the paet 12 years, having followed farming pursuits. It was be who organised the Onewhero specials during the industrial upheaval and as their captain remained with the 50 specials and reinforcements from the initial stages of the strike to tin end. He is president of the Onewhero branch of the Reform League, and iu tbe capacity of secretary of tbe branch of the Farmers' Union in the district was responsible for bringing about the amalgamation, six months past, of the two branches of the Farmers' Union that existed in tbe district. He is also chairman of the Onewhero Horticultural bhow Committee, and is a keen supporter of Kugby football.

BOMBAY.

NEW POST OFFICE.

Some two years back tbe Post and Telegraph Department purchased a corner section tbat abuts the Bombay and Great South roads, from Mr S. Allison, Bombay, tor the purpose of building an up-to-date post office tq cope with the requirements of tbe district The successful tenderers, Messrs Briggs and Murch, Bombay, wboss price was £909, started work on tbe building on the Ist July and finished a fortnight ago.

The accommodation includes a mail room, which measures 20 x 18, a public office 12 x 12 with three public counters separated by partitions for the writing of telegrams, etc., and a public telephone box, four living rooms, bathroom, pantry, scullery and outhouse accommodation.

All the latest improvements have been fitted in the dwelling, rooms, the hot and cold water system beiog laid throughout There is a high pressure boiler in tbe kitchen and a large roomy wardrobe is built in tbe bedroom and a linen press in the hall.

A special installation in the new post office., which the settlers in the district will view with satisfaction and take every advantage of, are the twenty-one private letter boxes. These will be looked on as a boon by the 'farmers. The building is built of totara and is approached by concrete steps.

Previous to December Ist laat the mail, which is brought from the station by coach, arrived in Bombay only once daily—in the mornings—but since that date, by arrangement with the coach proprietors, two mails, norning and evening, now arrive in tbe district.

Mr R. McCowen, the proprietor of the Bombay store, is acting as postmaster,

Some previous 0 storekeepers of Bombay *»ho have also held the joint position of postmaster are: Mr Chas. Andrews, for a period of 38 years in tbe old portion of the present store, and Messrs F. Ford, J. E. Jones, T. Warden and J. Evans. The last-named acted for a period of fifteen years, and was succeeded by Mr McGowen. A date for the opening of the post office had not, up to tbe present, been decided upon. A committee consisting of Messrs H. Long, E. Wootten, J. Shaw, and S. Allison (secretary), Mesdames H. Wootten, Barker and tbe Misses Wootten (2) arranged daring the holidays an outing for tbe children attending the Bombay and Pa para t a Methodist Sunday schools, in Mr R. Wootten'a paddock, Bombay. Daring the day a large number of children and their parents and friends joined in tbe games played. Races arranged for the juveniles were participated in by an enthusiastic throng uf children, who in tbe latter part of the day were presented with prizes, lea was provided, free of co*t, on the ground. The boring operations for water by Mr S. Allison on his property facing tbe Great South road proved futile. Although the bore was sunk 316 feet in the bowls uf tbe earth "Adam's Ale" did not put in any appearance. Mr S. Allison reports having sold, on behalf of Mr G. Wright, a property situated on Barber's Road, consisting of 27} acres, at £l6 per acre, to Mr T. Christie. The manager of tbe Bombay creamery reports tbe daily average of milk supplied to the creamery at 11,3001bs from 42 suppliers. The average daily supply for the same month of last war was 14,0001 bs

lrom 45 suppliers. The daily supply of cream, home-separi»tton, from the nine suppliers is ISOIbs. The potato crops in the district — those that have been dog—have been very successful and those that are still in the ground are looking well, but wheat, oat« and barley crops in general are r.ot nearly as good aa those of previous seasons. The annual meeting of the subscribers to the library was held in the library on Saturday evening last, Mr W. E. Cornthwaite presiding. The report showed that 87 new books had been added to the library during the year, making in all 1497 bonks in the library, nearly 600 having been taken out during the year. The balance-sheet showed a credit balance of £35 5) 9d. The following committee of management was elected, viz., Messrs W. K. Cornthwaite, A. French, J. 'E. C. Evana, R. J. Corbttt and G. T. Proude. Mr Cornthwaite wai re-elected chairman, secretary and treasurer, and Mr A. French was re-elected auditor. The chairman reported that he had filled in the necessary application form for Government subsidy, and mad 3 the necessary declaraiton.

RAMA RAMA.

The spell of tine "we!ilier~ i? being taken advantage of bv the authorities that control the roads of tbe Kama Rama district. A large gang of men are working, improving the road in front of the Rama Rama store. Already tbe roads in that vicinity have been somewhat improved, and judging by tbe appearance of the pyramid shaped stacks of broken metal that are to be found at different stages on the Rama Rama-Bombay main road it is evident that some very noticeable improvements are to be made on that road before tbe winter sets in. The welcome rain that fell so heavily on Tuesday in some of the surrounding districts was only alight in the Kama Rama district, and made little difference to tbe grass. The hay and barley crops, as in other districts, are only fair, the dry season having impoverished the crops in their earlier stages. Owing to the continued dry spell of weather the daily average milk supply to the Rama Rama creamery which is 70001bs) is lOOOlbs lower than the average daily supply for the same month of last year. There are 38 suppliers of milk to tbe creamery and 10 home separation suppliers, which is an increase for home separation, over last year's total, of three suppliers. Tbe daily average supply for home separation is 169 gallons, 6 gallons more than the average for the same month of last year. The month of September, 1914, was the best month the company bad ever experienced at the Rama Rama creamery, the daily average of mlik having then been between ll.COOlba and 12,0001b5.

On Saturday the Ararimu Tennis Club paid a return visit to the Rama Rama courts, when a very enjoyable day was spent. Some of the games were very close and were keenly contested, the home team eventually proving the winners by 11 sets to 1. The follwing are the scores, the visitors being mentioned first:—Ladies' doubles: Misses J. and A. Markham v. Mrs Sharp and Miss Donahoe, 3--9; Misses Keaney v. Mrs Oldham and Miss L. Donahoe, 3—9; Mrs Lewis and Miss Keane v. Misses Stewart and Donahoe, 5—9. Men's doubles: J. Dining and Waters v. Sharp and Donahoe, 3—9; W. Markham and Lewis v. Crouch and Girdwood, 3—9; Messrs Markham v. Kern and Flay, 9—5. Combined doubles: Miss A. Markham and Dining v. Mrs Sharp and Donahoe, 3—9; Miss J. Markham and Waters v. Miss A. Donahoe and Sharp, 2—9; Miss Keaney and Markham v. Miss L. Donahoe and Girdwood, 6—9; Mrs Lewis and Markham v. Miss Donahoe and Kern, 6—9; Miss Keane and Markham v. Miss Stewart and Flay, 5—9; Miss Keaney and Lewis v. Mrs Oldham and Crouch B—9. In the results of the Junior Scholarship Examination, I notice the names of three pupils of the Rama Rama school, Jennie McKay, Gordon Maxwell and Ernie Smith, as having gained scholarships. Tbe headmaster is to be congratulated on tbe success of the school generally, having presented 10 scholars for the annual examination, all of whom gained proficiency. The continued dry weather is having a disastrous effect on the milk supply; if rain • does not soon come the turnip crops will be badly affected by the drought as well and will make the winter fted very short. ,

POKENO.

Th? new railway station, which is being built about 100 yards south of the present station, is being pushed ahead quickly, a start having been made to put the weather boarding on. There are eight carpenters and bricklayers working on the job. Ibe space allowed for office accommodation in the building is considerably larger than the measurements of the present office and space for a luggage room (which was not allowed for in tbe old building) has been provided for in tbe new. This extra addition will be welcomed by the travelling public of Pokeno and by the railway staff. Two other additions which will be "extras" are a lamp room and lavatories.

Mr J. D. Kagan and his mother, who sold their property and stock in the Maungatawhiri Valley to Mr Charlton, have left for Auckland. Mrs Fagan was one of tbe oldest identities of the district. Both mother and son will be greatly missed in the district.

Mr J. C. Patterson, Mangatangi, has sold his property to Messrs Moore Bros., and Mr Seed has purchased Mr R. 11. Forbes' propery, Pokcno Valley.

Mr W. G. Blackwell, vtho has been assisting Mr G. Kearney, stationmaster, with the clerical work at the Pokeno station, has been transferred to a similar position at the Remuera station.

On Tuesday evening last, as a result of the heavy downpour of that day having washed away a portion of the foundation of the railway line on the Pokenu-Mercer section, near the Pokeno railway station, both rails at tbat point*dropped a few inches. Temporary repairs were quickly effected, and on Wednesday a ballast train brought a gang of labourers from the Pas rata section to Pokeno, and with some of the local labourers—totalling twenty in all permanent repairs were carried out.

PUKEKOHE WEST.

For years past, the ambitions of many ot the young folk of Pukekohe West have been in favour of forming a Tennis Club in this district and during the pant week their ambitions were fully realised at a meeting held in Mr J. Wright's barn, when it was decided to establish a club to be known as the Pukekohe West Tennis Club. Mr W. Dazeley was elected tn the chair, and tbe following officers were appointed:—President, Mr W. Adams: vice-presidents, Messrs W. Dazeley, J. Pollock, H. Stuart, W. Wright, J. Wright; committee, E. -Adams, J. Lalta, H. Keynolds, H. Pollock, J. Black, J. Moffitt and N. Stuart; .hon,. secretary and treasurer, Mr D. R. Revnolds. Mr Dazeley kindly offered free of charge a corner section of hii property, which would allow for two tennis courts to be laid down. The section is surrounded on two sides by hedges, and should make an ideal spot for tennis courts, being both sheltered and in a central position. The offer was accepted with thanks. Temporary courts are to be laid down during the present season, and arrangements fur permanent grass courts for season 1916 will be mads. The committee wcrked on the site of their proposed courts last Saturday, pegging two courts oil and piaclr.g the fiere»;ary postin the ground. It is anticipated by members that games will be started on Saturday of next week. So far 25 men have joined the club and 16 ladies. In addition a lane number of residents of the district have intimated their intention of becoming members of the club.

Shortage of water is causing some difficulty, but Mr W. Dazeley is kindly coming to the assistance of his neighbours, whose supplies have given out. The bore sunk on Mr Dazeley's property is thus proving of great value. At first the bore was sunk 64 feet without striking water. Operations were then carried out a tew yards distant from the previous site and at a depth of 195 feet a beautiful flow of excellent drinking water was reached. By means of a windmill tbe water is pumped into a tank, and Mr Dazeley has the idea of running it from the tank to the paddocks on the farm for the use of the cattle on bis property.

TUAKAU SOUTH.

Large numbers of people made their way to the cool, shady banks of the river during the holidays. Excursions were run by the local launch owners and were well patronised. On New Year's Day trips were run to Port Waikato and a most enjoyable day was spent. The Maoris held sports there and gave the proceeds to the Belgian Fund. Fishing was also indulged in by many and good hauls were secured. Fish are very plentiful at present, and it is a common thing to see a boat come in with two to three hundred, caught in a couple of hours or even less. Quite a number of people were camped at the Heads for the whole week's holidays, and the wharf presented quite a busy appearance with all the launches moored there. Some came from as far up as Hamilton. A couple of members of one party were unfoitunate enough to get severely sunburnt while running about on the sands without boots. So severe was the effect that a medical man had to be called in and it will be quite a fortnight before the patients will be able to walk. The river is exceptionally low at present, and it takes careful navigation to negotiate the channel without grounding. The flax-milling industry is stagnant yet, owing to the effect of the war, but millers are looking forward to a revival. The past whitebait season was a good one and the local cannery put up a recdrd pack, which will shortly be shipped to Australia, where it is in good demand as one of the most favourite brands on the market.

The School Committee met£s on Wednesday night last Communication was received from ths Education Board stating tbat members of the Board would visit the district shortly to go into tbe matter of larger school. The committee also decided to call a public meeting of householders for Wednesday, 13th inst, at 7.30 p.m., to lay before them certain matters relating to the proposal to have the school site removed.

The local motor car service, which has been disarranged through an accident to the car, is expected to resume in about a week.

PUKEKOHE EAST.

The annual New Year's Eve ball was token advantage of for giving a fitting farewell to Miss M. A. Jones, who is leaving the district. Large .numbers were present and a most enjoyable evening was spent. A general favourite, Miss Jones has always tak«n a leading part in all tbe amusements in the district, and was also tbe energetic secretary of the tennis Club. In a wellworded speech .Mrs D. Keene wished her all happiness and future prosperity, after which "For She's A Jolly Good Fellow" was sung with great enthusiasm. Miss Jones briefly responded.