DISTRICT NEWS

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 137, 26 January 1916, Page 1

DISTRICT NEWS

MANUREWA. MANUREWA PROGRESSIVE league As from March 31st next the Town Board will come into existence. 1 lie boundaries have been gazetted, but the Government have rot decided whether the Board will be constituted cf five or seven members. Meanwhile the Progressive League :s taking a keen interest ift local matters, and there was a good attendance of members at a meeting held on Saturday eveniug last Reports The deputation arranged to interview the Chi: f Postmaster re collecting Loxes beiDg placed in brown's road and the Valley road reported that the Department considered tl at the boxes were not required The deputation to Martin Bros rc a recreation reserve reported that those gentlemen considered the matter should be deferred till after the war The Auckland Gas Company, whilst reporting favourahly on the district and an extension of the Fapatoetoe gas eervice, were unable to make any definite promise Sports Ground Project 'lht question of a recreation reserve was taken up energetically by Mr E S Pegler, who pointed out that as between Papakura and Auckland, Manurewa was the only township minus a Sports ground, and whilst the price cf land in proximity to the railway was advancing, tte time would come when such a ground would be almost unprocurable. After considerable discussicn the following Reserve Committee was appointed to report at the next meeting :--Messrs Smith, White, Lupton, Pegler and Corin, convenor

General The membership of the League is growiug. Meetings are held every two months, and the interest displayed in Iccal matters shows that residents are out to make the district a model suburb Very little rain, only a shower, fell here on Saturday end Sunday. It is doubtful if the quantity would register cue quarter of an inch. The country is very dry and nothing but just a good fall would do much good The Methodists propose erecting a substantial class roum at the rear of the church on the South road. An estimate of the cost is £l3O. Towards tK i a sum £SO has teen secured, and it is expected that the trce'jon will be completed during March

The oal crops have nearly all been gathered, and have provided good average yields. The local farmers, right throughout the district, will with good hay and oat crops have an abundant store of winter forage The Manurewa Musical Society, after the holiday recess, will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, February iet. The election ot officers and arrangements for the coming season will be dealt with. As a social factor and in the raising ol' funds for needy objects the Society was last year an unqualified success.

The continued dry weather is proving a big advantage to .the works in progress on the railway line from Otahuhu to Papakura, the excavations and fillings on the track are making splendid progress. The clay and mullock is of such a sticky nature that it can be so much more conveniently handled dunng the dry weather Fully alive to the dangerous nature ol the new overhead bridge that crosses the railway, the Progressive League convened a meeting on Saturday night, when there was a g<;od attendance ot memberß present. During an animated discussion it was evident that one and all agn e3 that the danger would be a real one, One speaker pointed out the tact that the motorist, after traversing a very li e stret h of road such as existed between Manurewa and Otahuhu woulJ ne suddenly confronted with city street corner. It was reported that the district's representative on the County Council had made protest to the Railway Departent, receiving a very unsatisfaclory reply. From an expression of opinion of those present the danger could have been obviated by erecting what is known as a skew biic'ge. The apathy of the Road Boards and other Societies interested in this matter was constantly referred to, and after a lengthy meeting it was resolved that a deputation, consisting of Messrs Peeler, Corin, Edwards, Phillip and G Smith, seek the co-operation of the Auckland Automobile Association, nad should together wait on the County Council at their next meeting

TE KAUWHATA.

The 1 ru 11 crops, througfi the setback leceivcd by a lengthy srt-11 of dry weather, together with late 1 toate, ate not so prolific aa they gave signs ol bcinir some tew months pa't, wheu there was a heavy showing of truit buds. Owing to the aforesaid reasons the buda lulled to mature, with tlie result that with the exception of a fair crop of peaches in Mr Ballantyne'a orchard there is a scarcity of ato;:e fruit. I'ears are only medium and apples are none too numerous, whilst grapes are njt up to tli2 standard of previous seasons. On the whole, the fruit farmers' lot at the present time is not altogether a happy one. A scarcity of

I frivt boxes is also proving: a handicap ow:og to the manufacturers, the United Timber Company, ct Mercer, being short of timber, the prevailing condition of the Waikato river being such that instead cf a regular supply of rafta coming to hand arrivals are only spasmodic. Boxes uie, however, reaching the district from Cambridge and from Hamilton, but the time taken in transit is considerably in excess of tte journey from Mercer to Te Kauwhata. Another serious restriction which has to be faced is the decision oi the Kailway Department to enforce an old regulation dealing with the carriage of fruit on passenger trains, viz, That only seven hundredweight of fruit may be shipped at any one station on a passenger train. Ike regulation has hitherto not been enforced at Te Kauwhata, and consequently growers have bten enabled to take advantage nt the passenger trains which landed the fruit much more speedily at their market destinations than by gcods trains, thus preventing deterioration of the fruit. If a total consignment of seven hundredweight is ehartd pro rata by Btvtr?l giowe's the respec'ive quotas would naturally be insignificant. The greater quan tity of the local supply finds itway to the Wellington markets where prices are better than in Auckland, hence the fruit was takeu to Frankton Junction by passenger train and there reloaded on to the expresses for Wellington, but in ths future the fruit in excess of seven hundredweight will receive only one handling—it will be loaded into a truck at Mercer and taken by a goods train through to Wellington The silver blight is claiming as its victim many of the peach trees. In the meantime, the farmers are planting apple trees between the peaches with a view of takiog all the peaches out later. Unfortunately there is no known remedy for the blight, which creeps into the sapp and gradually kills the tree outright. While the majority of farmers are making preparations for packing the fruit this work is already well forward on ths Experimental Farm, where it is expected a hundred 401b cases of apples will be ready for despatch to Wellington next week

ARARIMU.

The holidays passed over very quietly here, the only event in the form of recreation being a cricket match on New Year's Day. This was played Married Men v. Single, and resulted in an easy victory for the married mep. Still another of our young men has volunteered for service. Mr Garrett Keaney having been accepted by the recruiting ofFcers will go into camp early in February. He was tendered a farewell dance by his manv friends here on Friday night, 21st inst., and presented with a case of pipes, Mr Markham making the presentation on behalf of the residents. The departing soldier, who is a locally reared boy, has the very best wishes oi a host uf friends Harvesting operations are dow nearing completion farmers having had a strenuous time for over a month. Hay crops generally were much heavier than usual, while thus; of oats were well up to the usual average As the weather was fine they were all gathered in tiptop condition Turnips, which this year seemed to be sown later than usual, are again proving an uncertain crop, some complete failures being reported, while in other cases, without any apparent reaeon the "take" is fair to good Cows are rapidly going off their milk, and the total supply to the creamery tlready shows a substantial drop. Present indications portend an early closing this season

PAPAKURA.

Mr W Crawford has left Papakura on a sea voyage which is being taken for health reasons. Mr Crawford has not been felling well for soms time past, and ha feels that a reßt is necessary. The tiip will embody visits to Melbourne and Dunedin. During Mr Crawford's absence his uharmacy will be mataged by Mr Windsor, ot Auckland The Rev A Madill. Presbyterian minister in charge cf the Papakura parish, has resigned his charge. The announcement was made from the pulpit on Sundav, and a meeting will be held in Papakura on February 4th to consider the resignation, and later in Auckland Mr E II Hiley, General Manager of Railways, will visit Papakura on Monday next at atout nine o'clock in the morning. He will afterwards visit Runcinian A system of acetylene gas, which includes irons and cooking stoves, has been installed in the Papakura Hotel by the New Zealand Acetylene Gas Company. Thj "lightirg" ceremony was well attended on a recent evening and the installing tradesman, Mr R Speight, was congratulated on the work That th2 ques'.ion ct a water supply is engaging the attention of the ratepayers is demonstrated by the letters on th 3 subject which are appearing in the "Pukckohe limes." A further letter by "Taihoa" appears in this issue Owing to Friday next being a long night lor tiadesmen in view of Saturday (Anniversary Day) being a public holiday, it has been decided to hold tha complimentary dinner to Messrs Dunn and Somerville on Thursday next in the Papakura Hotel.

WAERENGA.

Never was dancing made more pleasant and enjoyabb than at the Leap Year Ball given by the laoies in the public hall on Friday evening last. There were no "wall flowers." The men were debarred from "sitting out" the dances and what was adjudged to be easily the beat dance held in the Valley was also a lesson to men in the way of conducting such a function to a successful issue. The "shy" young man whs made to participate ia the merry whirl that graced the floor, and by the firm nuthodß adopted by the ladie i many a beginner was seen "out" enjoying himself like the more accomplished ones. The purpose at which the ladies aimed, viz, of assisting the Hospital Ship Fund, may be said to have been satisfactorily achieved, as an amount in the vicinity of £ls will go to swell the fund. About 70 couples were present, including a very fair representation from the Maramarua and surrounding districts. Several musical items were very pleasingly rendered during the evening, and Troopers E Douraey and Calder, returned soldiers, gave interesting accounts of what was accomplished at Gallipoli by our brave New Zealand "boys." The dance music formed a very important part of the function, the combined efforts of Mrs T Larsen, piano, Mr T Larsen, cornet, and Mr Dimock violin, being particularly appreciated. Miss Jefferies ar.d Mrs Keith, M.C. 's, and Miss B Freeegard and Mr J Jefferies, secretaries, accomplished their duties most satisfactorily and deserve the best thanks of all present tor the rssiduous attention shown