DISTRICT NEWS

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 136, 24 January 1916, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS

KARAKA. A pathetic, souvenir ol the "Daisy Patch" at Gallipoli has come to hand among the personal effects of the late Private Leslie G Clark, formerly of Karaka, received by his brother-in-law, Mr D E Dobbins, Northcote. The souvenir it a bible which was presented to the deceased soldier by the Hamilton school children on August 18th, 1914, When advancing with his company 10 the open on May Btb, Private Leslie Clark was killed, the bullet penetrating right through the bound volume ot tie Testament, which he carried in the pocket of his tunic, entered his body, and he died shortly afterwards. Privata Clark, who at the time of his enlistment, was farming at Karaka, left with the main body, and was in the 16th Waikato Company. His eldest brother is with the Eighth Reinforcements and another has enlisted

For the second time this month the Karaka ISoad Board meeting was adjuurned on Saturday owing to insufficient members being present to form a quotum. On Saturday Messrs Batty and ScMaepfer were the only ones to put in an appearance, and the meeting now stands adjourned until the second Saturday in February. It is probable that tte two Karaka bridges will be opaned by the Prime Minister in the lat'.er part of Febtuary, when the one function will serve the two bridges Mr Batty his received advice that Mr E H Hiley will receive deputations regarding the removal or otherwise of the Hunciman railway station on January 31st. Various other matters will also receive consideration

A l;t:er has be-n received from sergeant W Batty, written on tbe "high seas" recently. Btating tbat he was well and was for. ward to getting to the front. Although at first it was novel, be waa then tired of ship lite Ihe rainfall for last Friday at Karaka was .53, and much more fell on Saturday. I'he land was showing the effects of the dry spell, so that the moisture is especially valuable

MERCER.

Considerable activity in connection wi'h trade on the river is reported from several sources, and to meet increasing requirements there is a prospect of amalgamation if business. There is also a probability that a weekly service tetween Mercer and Hamilton will be arranged in place ot the existing monthly trips. Mr C Koosa is to onfer with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on tbe latter matter, and will also meet the Karamu branch of the Farmers' Union in reterencs to a weekly service to the Waipa river. The Pirongia branch of tbe Farmers' Union are endeavouring to form a company and to purchase a £7OO steamer for service tetween Pirongia and Rangiriii, and, further, to expend £6OO on improvements to the Waipa river The errction of a general store tor Mr Hoare, of tbe Kiver View Private Hotel, on the section adjoining that building, will be started at an early date by Mr L List. The Btcck of goods hid already been ordered and business will be commenced directly the building is completed

The staff at the Mercer Butter Factory are considerably handicapped at the present tim?, owing to several hands having enlisted, but the climax will be reached shortly when two more depart for the training camp The Kev Tamora T Poihipi, who since leaving the Theological College at Uisborne, where he studied for several years for the ministry, has resided at Mercer, has received instructions to proceed to Dargaville, where he is to assiit amorgst the Mnoris in that parish We are pleased t) be abls t? repart that M; Harry Dix, who bad been suffering from pleurisy, has re* covered from his illness

ONEWHERO.

At last week's meeting of the Raglan County Council, Cr Moore, the member for the Onewhero riding, referred to a report which had appeared ia the "Pukekohe Times" of a recent issue. In tbat report it was stated that "Cr Moore had explained to a meeting of his ratepayers that tha sam ot £4OO had been given him to spend on road wurks ot various kinds, but the system of County book-keeping was such tbat he could not say what became ot the balance of £730 col - lected in the riding as rates." Cr Moore remarked that the newspaper statement was incorrect. "He did not criticise,"he said, "the Council s system of book-keeping, but he bad said on that occasion that be bad not the baancc sheet, and could not remember: even if he had it, neither ha nor anyone else could understand it, not that it was incorrect book-keeping ai all, but simply that the systsm was beyond the comprehension of the layman." At the same meeting Mr CraWr ford, representing (Jaewhcio riding ratepayers, waited upon the Council and asked if something could be done in the direition of readjusting the riding boundaries —The chairman said it would be useless to do so, as a revaluation was going to be made. Nothing could be don« until next March twelve months, when an opportunity would be given to dISCUSd i(.

TUAKAU SOUTH.

The llaxmills have settled down to work again, and are in full swing. Auckland merchants predict a serious shortage ol shipping space. There ia none ottering till March and there is a chance that the market may decline in the meantime, will prevent advantage heme of the good prices now Also a serious congestion is to happen in the storage shet's in Auckland, whilst all the extra storage charges will come out of th 9 miller's pocket. Labour is scarce and it is salV to say that the millj would rot b; able ti carry on well without the Maoris, who are adepts at all classes of flax work

The fiver it getting shallow m, though it wants over a foot i reach low summer level yet. he tides atfect the river liver up ist Tuakau bridge cow at spring des, and lp -the lower reaches' slow Kaiingsti, the current turns ack up tor it least three hours •ch tide. Consequently there is a ashing back of sand and a gradual ilting up. In some places th*re i only eighteen inch9s of water i tbe channel at low water. The haanel on the northern bank of he river leading to the Aka Aka 9 almost completely blocked, and great accumulation of sand is aking place at the outlets of some f the drains, particularly the Eastern drain, 'lhis will ultinattly have the effect of causing he drain to silt up for a consideribla distance back, and artificial neans will have to be used to :lear the sand away, as there is lardly any scour, consequent upon

the groynes having diverted the :urrent to the otler side of the river. A dispute between the Waikato Flaxmill Employees' Union and the Flaxmill Employees of the Auckland district is set down lor hearing before Mr Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, on Monday, February, 14th. Mr J Clifford, Morrinsville, Mr E T Frost, Tuakau, and Mf J Eynes, Te Puke, are

appointed assessais for the employers. The claims are for ihorter hours, higher wages and compulsory preference to Unionists.

TUAKAU.

By instructions of the owner Messrs J T Stembridge and Co. offered far sale at their Pukekohe Auction Mart on Friday last a property at Tuakau consisting ot one rood, being Lot 361, Tuakau North. Bidding atopped at £26 and the ressrve not being reached tbe property was "passed in." TUAKAU POSTAL 6EBVICE. Mails Close ax Tuakau For Auckland daily noon, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. „ Buckland, Pukekohe, Drury and Papakura—daily—noon. „ Mercer and Pokeno—daily 9 a.m. ~ Whangarata—daily—s p.m. „ Onewhero and Te Hirua-daily —11.45 a m. „ Pukekawa—Tues, Thurs., Sat. —9.45 a.m.

„ Thames, Botorua and Lower Waikato--daily—10.15 am. ~ Wellington and Bouth—daily— 10.15 a.m. and 5 p.m.

PAPAKURA.

Tbe iarewell dinner to* be held on next will, it is now also intended, do honour to Mr Soroe:ville, of the Railway Department, who will shortly go into camp as an officer. Tha annual bapuka excuraion will b? held from Fapakura in February, and judging from past experiences

will again prove a popular outing. Seats can be booked at the Papakur Hotel On Friiay evening Brunette's Pictures were shown here for the ti-st time, to a large audienc?. The advertisement attained by the firm through the excellence of the films shown should stand it in good atead for future visits. The music was excellent, and the orchestral items and mandoline duets were papular items and were rendered very artistically. The star picture, "Woman," was in three parts and

told a story full of pathos and detailing immense trials of a good voman. A number of other films, each worthy of a place in any programme, were shown, the principle of which was "Hearts and Flames." The Papakura Magistrate's Court ia to be held on Wednesday next, be sitting having been poatponed from to-day

WAIAU PA.

The Waiau creamery duly closed down on Thursday and now forms a depot fjr the leceipt of cream, all the suppliers having adopted home separation methods. For the purpose of giving advice where

wanted, Mr Sbaw, the travelling representative of the New Zealand Dairy Association, paid a visit to most of the suppliers on Thursday and found tbe new planfs working well in every inatar.c?. Nine new separator were installed during the week, their capacity ranging up to ninety gallons per hour, and geveral new engines were also requisitioned. Some very smart work was done at short notice in getting the various plants ready for operation. In one c«e tfce engine was only ordered in Auckland five days beforehand, and it had to be conveyed by rail to Pukekohe and then by road to Waiau Pa, but by Thursday a shed, with poncrete floor and base, had been elected and the engine wes

merrily working away In spite of the dry weather experienced some remarkably good milk cheques were forthcoming lor last month, one ot the local suppliers getting a return of little short of £l5O wi'h a 4 teat

CLEVEDON.

A meeting to appoint an Executive Committer to administer the local Soldiers' Belief Fund was held on Thursday evening, Mr A D Bell presiding. The following were appointed: Kev Woud and Messrs A D Bell, Hawthorn and McKoight. The object of the fund is to give relief to any returned