OTAHUHU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 339, 18 December 1917, Page 3

OTAHUHU.

A report on the Borough Council finance was submitted by the Town Clerk (Mr W. J. Dinnison) at last Thursday's council meeting. The reoripte for die month of November amounted to £195 6s lOd and the balances on the various accounts wer;»: District fund account (debit) £3503 16s Id, cemetery account (credit) £&6 0s lid, park account (credit) £l6O 15s 3d, domain account £36 14s Bd. The expenditure to date on the district fund account as from April Ist, including a debit balance brought forward of £2988 17s sd, had amounted to £6907 14s Bd, while the receipts totalled £3403 18s 7d, leaving a debit balance at date of £3503 16s Id. The report was adopted and accounts amounting to £264 lis 3d were passed for payment.

At the Otahnhu School on Friday afternoon a pleasant ceremony took place in the school grounds where the children were lined up, the occasion being the annual presentation of prizes and of the proficiency certificates. Mr J. Hunter, on behalf of the School Committee, made the presentations and in doing so delivered an address pregnant ! with sound advice to the children, in which he emphasised the need for taking advantage of every opportunity to fit them for their future life. He also counselled the scholars to be thoughtful of their parents who devoted much time and sacrifice for their benefit. The speaker made a happy reference to the kindly interest taken in their work by their Headmaster and teachers which he trusted would be rewarded by further diligence on the part of the scholars. Mr Hall, headmaster, in thanking Mr Hunter for his kind words expressed a hope that they would be in their new school at Easter. He paid a tribute to the energies shown by the School Committee to whom they owed so much. All the work of the scholars was then open for inspection and the parents were favourably impressed with the quality of the work displayed. Special anthems will be sung on Sunday next by the choir at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church. A bicycle belonging to Mr McDell and left outside his shop on the Great South Road on Friday afternoon mysteriously disappeared. The matter has been reported to the police. No little sensation was caused in Otahuhu yf sterday by a rumour that > two of the Germans who had escaped from Motuihi Island had been captured at Westfield. Unfortunately, however, the report was erroneous. What actually happened was that two men of foreign extraction called at Messrs Kempthome, Prosser and Co's chemical works on Saturday morning and applied for employment. They were informed that they could be engaged as from yesterday on the production of their enrolment or registration forms. On re-appearing at the works yesterday they failed to produce the necessary documents and the police were then communicated with. One of the men, a Dane, satisfied the authorities as to his bona fides, but the other, who is a native of Germany, was taken into custody to appear in Auckland to-day on a charge of having changed his name during the currency of the war con trary to statutes. As a sequel to a quarrel which took place on the 10th inst in which blows were struck a local resident was charged at the Otahuhu Police Court on Wednesday last with having assaulted and done actual bodily harm to a neighbour. The accused was remanded on bail until to-mor-row.

Official notice is given by advt. in this issue of the Otabuhu Borough Council's intention to charge a ten per cent penalty on all rates not paid by January 23rd next. For the Christmas trade Mr John Hall caters for all requirements. For the " inner man " he supplies prime cuts of beef, mutton and lamb, while his grocery and provision store is well stocked with goods of the highest quality to meet the Christmas demands. This old established shop is sure to have a " big rut-h," for folks will have something to eat and Mr Hall knows how to supply all needs.