LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 7, 26 January 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands gives notice in our advertising columns of certain rural land at Pokeno open for selection.

Tenders are invited in an advt. elsewhere in this issue by Mr F. W. Mountjoy, architect, for labour for tbe erection of a cottage at Pukekohe.

Friday next (Anniversary Day) being a public holiday our usual Friday's issue will be made on Thursday. Advertisers and readers are requested to note the earlier publication. The Dairy Produce Committee has fixed the wholesale price for butter and ' eggs for tbe week ending January 30th as follows:—Butter: Factory, Is 2}d per lb; farmers', separator and dairy, 8d per lb. Eggs, Is per dozen. m

The BEST bacon and ham in New Zealand. Dimock's Swan brand. Obtainable from F. PERKINS & Co. Pukekohe.

A capital crop of wheat, deipite the dry season, haa been secured by Mr H. Keith on his farm on the Paerata road. Five acres were devoted to the cereal and it is estimated that the yield will work out at tO bushels to the acre.

A meeting under the auspices of the Mauku Railway League is to be held on Saturday evening next in the Patumahoe Hall, when the important question of the selection of sites for railway stations on the new line will be under consideration. Local residents ate invited to attend.

Mr P. Farrington, a reading contractor and carrier, who has during his 18 years residence in the Franklin County carried out to the satisfaction of the parties concerned numerous roading contracts, has a notice in our advertising columns, of this issue, stating that he is prepared to do carting and ploughing.

Notwithstanding the continued drought, on the 21st instant the New Zealand Daity Association, Limited., distributed amongst its suppliers the sum of £66,055 9a lid, , covering butter-fat supplied during December. The amount distributed for the corresponding month last year was £71,212 16s 3d

A fistic encounter in King street yesterday afternoon between a whits man and a native engaged the attention of a J P.'s Court this morning. The pakeha maintained that he had only acted in selfdefence, the Maori having forced the fight on him. This plea was accepted by the Bench, as whilst the pakeha was discharged the native was called upon to pay fine of 10s. A similar penalty was also inflicted in the case of another Maori, who hud imbibed too freely yesterday.

That popular annual acquatic fixture, the Mercer Regatta, will again be held on Friday next (Anniversary Dav). Good entries have as usual been secured and the various N races will all be keenly contested. Apart from the attractions of the various events picnic parties will be provided with their customary amusements. The Railway Department announce special ra ; l»ay arrangements and excursion fares for the event.

On account of Friday next (Anniversary Day) being a public holiday a change in the evening on which the shops remain open becomes necessary. In accordance with the arrangement come to by the members of the Chamber of Commerce that a holiday on any other day should not affect the customary Saturday half-holiday, most of the local business establishment} will also close as usual at 1 p.m. on Saturday, but will remain open until 9 p.m. on Thursday. A notice, signed by various traders, to that effect appears in our advertising columns. Mr C. Roadley, however, informs us that he and others will observe Saturday as the late evening for shopping.

Accidents to vehicles, as the result of the many sharp turns on the road between Pukekohe and Mauku are ot more or less frequent occurrence, the spot known as Hart's Corner having a particularly dangerous bend. On Thursday afternoon at the point referred to, two ladies in a buggy failed to safely negotiate the corner * ith a horse that was giving trouble, with the result that the conveyance was overturned and partially wrecked, th« ladies being thrown out on to the ground. Considerably shaken and not a little hurt, a passing motor car took them into Pukekohe and another vehicle had to be utilised to enable them to return to their home at Paerata. Another illustration of the dangerous nature of the acute turns in the road was afforded this morning when one of the Waiuku motor cars crashed into a strainer post adjoining a corner property. The occupants were violently ejected and one of the lady passengers was severely cut about the neck by coming in contact with the shattered glass wind - screen, necessitating medical attention in Pukekohe. The car was badly wrecked and had to be abandoned by the roadside, pending being towed into Pukekohe for repair. The increasing number of motor cars using the road renders the many sudden and sharp bends an even greater source of danger than in past days to traffic coming from an opposite direction, and unless the corners are improved by being rounded off a serious smash, possibly entailing loss of life, is liaole at any time to occur. Trie authorities concerned are the Pukekohe Borough Council and the Franklin County Council, both of whom in their respective localities should give the matter attention.

Speaking at the farewell gathering given to Police Sergeant Willcocks at Pukekohe on Thursday last, Mr F. Perkins, in the course of his reply to the toast of the "Commercial and Agricultural Interests of Pukekohe," quoted figures which well demonstrated the rise and growth of tbe town. After referring to the fact that during the last four years (the period during which Sergeant Willcocks had been stationed in the district) Pukekohe had Been the telephone system installed with now over 100 subscribers, delivery of letters by letter-carriers instituted, a Borough Council formed, a County Council established with headquarters offices in Pukekohe, waterworks constructed, a local newspaper come into existence, and nearly every business establishment in King street re-built or enlarged with numerous new shops, Mr Perkins went on to give statistics. Passenger tickets, he said, issued at the station for the year ending March 31st, 1911, totalled 40,255 of a value of £4068, compared with 57,700 tickets of a value of £5300 tor the year ending March, 1914. Goods sent away four years ago included 75,000 bags of potatoes ard 10,000 bags of onions, but now over double that quantity was despatched together with a considerable amount of butter, eggs, beef, pork, chaff, etc., tbe last official year having given tbe railway a revenue from that source of £7654, or £I4OO higher than the previous record. Goods received at tbe station last year totalled 26,565 tons, affording a revenue of £10,168, or £1553 in advance of any previous year. Four years ago only six men were employed in tbe local Government establishments., viz., tbe railway station and post office, but now the joint staffs numbered over 20. A new station and goods shed had also been built but already they had proved tuo small for requirements.

At the Premier Hall on Friday night th? Lyceum Company will screen a special holiday progtamme. Later announcements will appear in the next issue of this paper.—Advt. A form designed by Mr J. T. Stembridge, cleric to the Franklin County Council, to facilitate the Bystem of Ccunty Council bookkeeping as regards items of special payments, has received the comrnendation of the Government Auditor for the district, who has advised other local authorities that the particular system introduced by Mr Stembridge is well worthy of adoption. Messis J. T. Stembridge and Co., report ready sales were effected in all departments on Friday last on the occasion of the opening of their new auction mart in the presence of a crowded attendance. Prices ruled as follows:—Onions, Id lb; green peas, 7d to lOd peck; cabbages, Id to 2d each; beans, id ib; cucumbers, 3d each; marrows, 3d to 7d each; peaches, 2s 9d to 3s 4d per case; plums, Is 7d to 2s per case; apples, cooking Is 9d to 2s 3d per case, desseit 3s 9J per ta»e; roosters, aged, Is 3d to Is 9d; cockerels Is Id to Is 3d; hens, Is ti Is 6d; ducks, Is 6d to Is 7d. The next sale takes place on Tuesday next at 2 p.m.

The Canadians have had the luck to be the first of our Colonial troops to engage the enemy, and every part of the Empire will feel gratified to learn how worthily they have upheld the highest traditions of our race. Their steadiness under fire and the courage with which they charged the enemy with the bayonet seems to have won the admiration of the regulars who witnessed their work. There are a hundred thousand of these hard-bitten voyageurs, backwoodsmen and farmer in training to follow the thirty thousand who have already reached England, and probably another hundred thousand ready to join the colours when wanted. Our Lady of the Snow has always been the most loyal of daughters, and her sons may be fully trusted to give a good account of themselves when facing the enemv.