LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 51, 2 July 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Subecribe's and advertisers are to netj that as from today there will ba three issues of "The Tines" every week, namely on Mnnday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

A further letter dealing with Butterfat Pavmeit? made by the Waika'o To-opsra'ive Dairy 0., Ltd., the miter being Mr F. Lowry, of Pokeno Vslley, will appear in our net issue.

The Pukekohe dairy factory and creamery, which has been closed dowi. for a few weeks during the installation of a new pasteurisation plant, is to re-open nn Monday, th«j 12th inst., when supplies of milk or cream will bs again received. Owing tu pressure on our space several items of interest have to be held over until our issue ot Monday nsxt, including reports of the Pukekohe Magistrate's Court and of the meeting cf the Papakura Road Board.

Messrs Robt. Miller and Co., expert tailor?, of Pukekohe, are offering special attractiors in latest patterns ot overcoats and suit?. Particulars will be found 10 the firm's advt. in this issue. Tradespeople are warned against accepting £lO not.s wilhout first carefully scrutinising tbe same. One of the bogus notes for tbe foregoing amount now in circulation was "passed off" on to a business man at Mercer last week. A formal notice appears in our advertising columns with respect to the statutory acquisition of certain land at Opaheke tor the purpose of a road being construrted thereon by the Karaka Roari Board.

Mr E. Allan, of the Buckiand Nurseries inserts a seasonable announcement in this issue that be has good lines of cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce plants, and also shrubs, ready for purchase for planting purposes.

Tha Pukekohe and Waiuku Methodist Circuits are celebrating their Foreign Mission Anniversaries on Sunday next, when the collections in every place will be devoted to tbe missionary furd. Last year the old Franklin circuit reached the premier place in the Methodist Church in its contributions per member, and this year the effjrt will ba well sustained.

Sitting as a Commissioner by instruction of the Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Frazer, S.M., will hold an enquiry in the Pukekohe Courthouse on Friday next in respect of tbe proposed alteration of the Pukekohe borough b:undaries. Objections have been lodged by various ratepayer; to the proposal to transfer them ti Franklin County, and the Commissioner will take evidence accordingly. Go behalf of Mr S. N. West, Messrs Alfred Buckhnd and Sons are to carry out a clearance Bale '<n the farm at Aka Aka on Tuesday next, when the effects will include a choice herd of 46 dairy cows and 23 yearling heifers. For the convenience of purchasers a conveyance will mret the arrival at Pukekohe of the 7.17 a.m train from Auckland.

Messrß Cooper and Curd are working at top pressure at tbeir carriage factory and motor garage in Pukekohe, in order ti keep abreast with current demands. All classes of farm vehicles are constructed by the firm and farmers' needs are particularly studied* by them. Messrs Cooper and Curd have at the praeent time available for sale a couple of second-hand tip drays, one with 2i inch tyres and the other with 1 inch tyr's. For particulars see the firm's advt. On view in the shop wi.ictow of Messrs thotbolt and Co.'s drapery establishment, King street, Pukekohe, is a display cf trophies presented to the Pukekohe Rod and Cun Club lor competition. The donors include Messrs Beatty and Marshall, C. Penny, K. Perkins, C. Clarke, W. Wright, C. Roadley, Colonial Ammunition Company, C. Shotbolt and Co , C. Armstrong, J. Todd, F. Craham, Wm. i'ownson, J. Patterson, S. W. Mills, K. Miller, W. Roulston and W. Jones. Mr T'ued, ex-Mayor of Newmarket, visited Pukekohe on Wednesday as the rcpreser.tative of the Bituco Road Binder Cumpany, in connection with the company's, effer to lay down in Pukekuhe an experimental road crossi g formed of tbe company's patent material known as "Bituco." It is claimed that Bituco, which is a betuminous compound, gives a coating to a road that is capable of standing both climatic conditions and heavy traffic. I Mr Teed conferred with several members of the Borough Council, and in place of the construction of a crosEing, Mr Teed offered a considerable concession to the Council it a purchase was made of material to be laid down for a certsin length in King street, with a guarantee of efficacy. Suhject to ratification at the n xt Council meeting tbe offer was accepted. It shiuld be mentioned, however, that any treatment of the road as proposed cannot, to give beneficial results, be undertaken until the rainy s?a;on has passed.

At meeting ft ihe P.S. 4. to b: htli in the Odcif .Hows' Hell, I'ukf ki he, on Sunday afternoon ;tx\ the sp.aker will be Mr W. W t-t- art, of Aucklin' 1 , f-ii aubj ct (ring •' Lie Bibl: and "Social Econoni s." The vital statistics for di~ trkt of I'uktkJhc for ihe eiidi'g 30th June last a e: liirths 84, deaths 10, mmiages 5. The figures for the corresponding period laet year were 41, 12, 14. it should be stat?d that Mercer, wnich was last year included in Pukekobe. is now a separate district.

Ihe auction sale of building sections situate on tha eld Show Grounds, Pukekohe, held yesterday by Messrs Buckland and Sons, in conjunction with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantila Agency Company, attracted a gathering of about 100 interested parties. Mr C. Brroks acted a auctioneer. Very few offers wtr«?, however, forthcoming, the reserve prices beinj regarded as too high. For the first section offered, viz., adjacent to the Pukekohe T»nnis Club's Courts, the bidding started at £BO and finished at £llO, the buyer being Mr H. Bockitt. Of the remaining 40 sections only one w?s actually disposed of, Mr W. Guest being the purchaser n £142 J Op. Another section was ' knocked down" to Mr A. B. Barter at £9O, but not being d airous of being a buyer Mr Barter gava a cheque equal to the first year's rent as a donation to the A. aid P. Society in lieu of possession. X Ihs existing condiUm of the Dominion's potato market is naturally att-actin? a considarable amount~of interest in Pukekohe in view of the district being one ot the largest Drcd'icitig areas of "spuds" in New Zsahnd, more particularly in regard to ths supply of early varieties. At the present time local sticks era pratically depleted, and southern imports will have to be requisitioned to provida for locil requirements until "i:ew" potatoes are available. Pukekohe growers will, provided the weather iu favourable, Etart next season's supply in a few instant even as soon as'the latter dnys of August and the month of September, and from tha latter period onwards to December the productions will gradually increase, followed by the main crop in the early monihs of the vear. Naturally "new" potatoes in August or September fet-h more or less fancy prices, but subsequar.lty the values of ths Pukekohe crops largely dpand on the sto:ks ii hard in the South Island. Keports

from southern merchants are that supplies, owing to considerable exports to Australia and other countries having taken place, will provide very little "carry over" to be nn hand when tie Pukekthe season opens, and colour is lest to that statement by power having been taken by the Government to prohibit further exports. The indications therefore are that Pukekohe growers will distinctly profit by a most favourable market, with pric.s ruling high, for next season's crop. The recent spell of heavy rains has of course retarded growth and, as stated in our last isau l , has in several instances caused the seed to be washed up to the surface, but in some favoureJ situations the crops are alriady above the ground and are doing well. With prospects as they are and sowing for early sorts not being general for some little time yet, the probability is that

the area allotted in the district to potatoes will be larger than that of recent yeats.