LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 292, 13 July 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Zealand Loan and Mer cantile Agency Company will hold their usual monthly sale' of stock at Tuakau on Thursday next.

A clearing sale on behalf of Mr P. B. Davis is to ho held on his farm at Paparata on Thursday next by Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons. Particulars will bo found in an advt in this issue.

With a total of eight birds exhibited Mr J, J. McKinney, the well-known Pukekoho poultry fancier, won five first prizes, one second and one third, at the Huntly Show last week. A reminder is given of the "At Home " to be held to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon in the Premier Ifall, Pukekohe, under tho auspices of the local branch of the Women's Patriotic League in aid of the Barnardo Saturday Fund. The patiiotie work performed by Dr Barnardo's homos deserves recognition by the public.

Seyoral sections on tho old showground at Pukekohe, although destined to be building sites, have recently been ploughed up preparatory to being laid down for potato crops. Tho u-ual "earl)'" potatoes will not bo forward this year as owing to tho excessive amount of rain the seed lias either not made growth or has rotted

Owing to a truck and guard's van at the rear of a goods train jumping' tlw points at tho northern cud of Drury Station on Wednesday the train from tho Waikato duo at Auckland at 2 10 pm. whs [ dolayod at Drury for an hour, tho main lino l>oiny blocked. Tho operations of attempting to roplaco tho truck and van on tho rails wore watched with intorost by passengers Repeated efforts by moans of sleepers to restore tho wheels on to the metals having proved unsuccessful the dorailod portion of tho train was hauled for a considerable distance along tho permanent way to tho station crossing whore 011 tho points being encounterod it regained its proper position. '

A special sale of dairy rattle is to be held at Tuakau on Friday n >xt: by Messrs Dalgetv and Co., Ltd. Opportunity of the occasion of the dairy suppliers social at Pukekohe on Tuesday last was taken bv the Military Farewell Committee to present Pte. Black lege, who vas back in the district on final leave, with a safety razor and in handing him the gift Cr Barter expressed the wish of all that he would in clue course safely return to the I >ominion.

Whilst the Prime Minister was speaking outside the Pukokohe Post Office on Monday afternoon a lighted match, carelessly thrown on the ground by some smoker, caused what easily might have been a tragedy for a lady's clothes caught fire theroby. Mr Le«. Brown, captain of the Ptikekohe Fire Brigade, happened to he standing near and with great promptitude he succeeded in smothering the flames.

In reply to questions put to him at a meeting of dairy suppliers at Morrinsville last Friday as to whether cheesa would pay better than butter next season Mr Goodfellow, Managing Director of the Waikato Co-op. Dairy Company, said it depended on what price cheese was sold to the Imperial authorities. 110 noticed Canadian cheese had been bought at 11 Ad per lb. If 1 OAd was secured for the cheese output of the Dominion cheese would pay better than butter.

The matter of tne claims of Pukokohe as a centre for the establishment of a Technical High School was brought undor the notice of the Prime Minister (Mr Massey) on Monday last by a deputation of tho Pukokohe School Committee. Mr Perkins, Chairman of tho Committoe, explained the difficulties under which the Secondary Department was now being carried on, temporary promises having had to be requisitioned at the Oddfellows' Hall. Mr Massey promised to confer with the Minister for Education.

Speaking at Morrinsvillo last Friday Mr W. Goodfellow, Managing Director of the Waikato Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, laid great stress on the importance of keeping up quality on account of the competition of margarine. To give an idea of how much margarine was used at Home he statod in two or three weeks as much margarine was consumed as butter was exported from New Zealand in one yoar. Advices received from the company's agents were to the effect that they expected New Zealand butter for several years after the war to fetch 150 shillings per cwt.

Notification has been received by the Aucklaud Boarl of Education that it has boen decided by the Education Department, subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Council, to abolish the special junior free place examination. Candidates for free places in high schools who are not scholarship candidates will in future have to rely on qualifying in the Standard VI. examination. Those who will be over 1 •"> years of age on December 1 of this year, and will, therefore, be ineligible for a free place on a proficiency certificate, will be permitted to enter for the junior national scholarship examination, and those reaching a satisfactory standard in that examination will become eligible for free places. No other candidate who is not a candidate for a scholarship will be permitted to sit fur tho junior national scholarship examination

Mr J. Pilkington, having accepted an appointment as the New Zealand representative of an English manu facturing firm, will be leaving Pukekoho next week to make his headquarters in Auckland. Mr Pilkington, who for some years past has been in charge of the c'rapery branch of Mr W. Roulston's business, has made many friends in Pukekoho, his uprightness of character and conscientiousness of purpose being widely recognised. He has taken groat interest in local educational matters and is a member of the Pukekoho School Committee and he has also boon an active official of the Methodist Church. Mrs Pilkington, on her part, lias always rendered valuable assistance at concerts and similar gatherings with vocal contributions.

An individual, at lirst presumed to be a resident of some distant part of the Franklin Electorate, " blew " into the banquet held in Mr Masse} '> honour at Pukekoho on Monday last and had his till of the choice viands provided. When a.died for his ticket before the toast-list was started he calmly informed the dinner secretaries that ho had not one but had been invited in. Upon being requested to pay the cost of the ticket (15s) his reply was : " Fifteen bob : why I have not fifreen pence." And the " deadhead " then made his exit from the hall coolly protesting against being deprived of the opportunity of taking part in the subsequent proceedings of sharing ill the drinking of the toasts.