LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 431, 3 December 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postponed clearing sale to be conducted by Messrs Dalgety and 00. Ltd. on Mr George Hartley's farm at Patumahoe was by error in telephone instructions announced in our last issue as to take place on Thursday next whereas it is to be held to-morrow (Wednesday). The St-condary Dr-paitment of the Pukekohe District High School has recently supplied two cadets for the Public Trust Department at Wellington, viz. Masters James Cronin and Gordon Fitness, both having been admitted for duties in the Public Seivice as the result of their i successful performances at last year's examinations. The gardening column of the last Saturday's " Auckland Star " contained the following letter written to the gardening Editor by " A.J.T," Pukekohe, viz: " Thanks for your suggestion, some months back, about planting peas in sandy soil in a seed box, and then transplanting them to the garden when some two or three inche." high. I put this into practice with Maincrop Abundance and Marrowfat peas, with splendid results. The sardy soil caused them to throw a root system so that they transplanted easily, and came away without (•heck. I gave them good manurial and cultivation treatment, and the results have been astonishing Tlu* rows are now nearly three feet and loaded with pods. The fir-t boiling was picked on November 17th. This method of treatment certainly beats the slugs and the birds, and gives the peas n great start under good conditions. The well developed root system produced j enables them to draw quickly up m the plant food available in the soil I applied a couple of dressings of wood ashes whnh proved very efficacious. As showing the speed of this system I may say that this Maincrop sowing h giving us peas as soon as an early dwarf p.-a that was planted in the ordinary Wiiy six weeks beforehand I have never soen healthier or more vigor i mis ppas, and the slight trouble in- j volved has been well repaid." j

Mr Charles Clarke, the genial proprietor of the Pukekohe Hotel, returned home yesterday after having been an inmate for several weeks of a private hospital in Auckland for eye trouble. Although telegraphic information from Wellington is that the Hon. Q. W. Russell (Minister for Public Health) has announced that the regulations prohibiting stock are in force until the end of this week it is understood that the Acting Chief Health Officer in Auckland (Dr. Frengley)

lifted the embargo as from yesterday so far as the Auckland Province is concerned. Sales as advertised are therefore being held. Advice was yesterday received from the Minister for Defence (the Hon James Allen M.P.) by Mr R. Bilkey, of Pukekohe, that his youngest son, r te. N. T. (Dick) Bilkey had been admitted to hospital in England on November 16th suffering from chronic pulmonary disease. Prior to this development Pte. Bilkey. who before his enlistment was a member of the staff of the Pukekohe branch of the Bank of New Zealand, had been reported as making good headway towards recovery from serious wounds he received in action some time ago.

Polling, previously postponed by instructions of the District Health Officer, for the election of a representative of the Papakura Riding on the Mannkau County Council, in succession to Mr A. Muir deceased, will take place on Friday next between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. the polling booths being at the County Council office in Auckland, at the Alfriston Public Hall, and at the Manurewa Public Hall. The candidates, four in number, are Messrs T. J. Corin and E. S. Pegler (both of Manurewa), D. A. Reid (Alfrieton) and P. Roy (Weymouth)

Three deaths from influenza nave taken place in Pukekohe within the last few days but one only was that of a resident of the borough, viz Mr Thomas Henry Moore. The deceased, who was 33 years of age, was a member of the local firm of Messrs Gallagher, Howe and Moore. Up to recently he was also engaged in farming at Mauku. He succumbed on Friday at his residence. The other two fatal cases were those of Mr Robert Byron Moore, of Mauku, and of the infant son of Mr T. A. Valentine, of Bombay. The former passed away on Saturday at the temporary hospital and the latter on Thursday at a private nursing home. Stock sales were, by permission of the District Health Officer, resumed yesterday, Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons, Ltd. holding their postponed monthly sale at Pukekohe. There was a good yarding and for an off day the attendance was satis factory. Bidding was brisk and practically everything changed hands. Grown steers made up to £l4 Bs, best 3 year olds £ll to £l2 5 8 , 2 year olds £8 to £9 10s; 18 months to 2 year old heifers in calf realised £5 10s to £7 7s 6d, empty cows £6 to £9 10s, fat gows £9 to £ls ss, yearling steers £5 to £6; this season's calves (best) 38s to smaller 29s to 355, others 15s to 24s Bulls fetched £5 to £2O ; best dairy cows and heifers £l2 to £l6 ss, >thers£6 10s to £ll. The matter of the re-assembling of County Councils seems rather complicated owing to the fact that the statutory annual meetings of such authorities for the election of chairmen did not take place on the date fixed by law, namely the fourth Wednesday in November, owing to instructions issued by the Health Department. The Counties Act makes no provision in regard to postponed meetings, so it is considered that an Order-in-Council will be necessary to legalise the position. In the meantime a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Franklin County Council was held last Thurs lay, when monthly payments were authorised.

Owing to the requirements of the Health Department the usual public school examinations have had to be postponed It is now announced that the Junior Scholarship Examination will be held on the 17th and 18th December, while it is also arranged that the Intermediate (Senior Free Place and First Teachers') Elimination will begin on the 6th Jauuary. It is a matter ef satisfaction in Pukekohe that, besides the candidates who are entered for the foregoing, another batch have been recommendec 1 by the teacher and inspector f-r Senior Free Places on the strength of their work, atten.lance and progress during the year, viz , George Archie Blake, Edward Anthony Costello, Eric Cyril Franklin, Erica Vivienne Leaman, Richard G. Lysnar, Avis Jane Potter, and Eric H B. Waters. These seven candidates will however be also -xamined on the 6th January and following days for Public Service Entrance and Senior Scholarship. That 'going to law' is often a costly usury was the experience gained by i couple of litigants in a case heard at the Pukekohe Magistrate's Court last Thursday. The parties to the action in question were Messrs A. P dome and Amos Smith, both of Buckland, the former suing the atter for £59 7s 3d in respect of mtterial supplied in 1913 in connection with the manufacture of a potato sprayer patented by Mr toiith and for agency fees claimed o l)o due on sales of the sprayer. From the evidence it appeared that he plaintiff financially assisted to put the sprayer on the market. The '■ase, which first came on for hearing in July last had since been repeatedly adjourned for various •iuses, costs of adjournment and vitnesses' expenses in connection herewith being in turn borne by either side. On Thursday the Magistrate (Mr F K. Hunt) was engaged tor some hours in investigating items in dispute also credits claimed by the defendant and in the end he ruled that only 8s 4d was owing, for which amount he gave judgment ordering each party to pay their >wn costs. Mr H G. R. Mason appeared for Mr Home and Mr J. G. Haddow for Mr Smith.

Interested parties are reminded that Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons Ltd.' are to hold a special dairy sale at Pukekohe next Thursday, whilst Mei'rs Dalgety and Co. will hold their ordinary monthly stock ■ale at Tuakau on Friday.

Messrs J. T. Stembridge and Co. advertise elsewhere in this issue particulars of entries for the usual weekly sale to be held at their Pukekohe auction mart next Friday. ' The Pukekohe Bowling Club has j not entered for the Lambert Cup competition this season but, in reply ( to a communication from the Auckland Centre, the Club expressed ; willingness to take part in a country club's competition provided the games could be played somewhere in the vicinity of Auckland. Notification has, however, now been received from the Centre that that scheme has been dropped, no replies having been forthcoming from other clubs There is satisfactory evidence that the pestilence which has been stalking abroad throughout our Dominion has everywhere passed the crisis and that matters are fast returning to normal. It has been an awfully sad and painful experience; neither age nor sex has been spared, and many valuable lives have been cut off apparently in the height of their usefulness. In many cases parent 3 have been removed, leaving large families of young and helpless orphans to the care of strangers Widows have been bereft of all their children, and in some cases whole families have been garnered by the Grim Eeaper. The toll of lives has been large, and when the figures for the whole Dominion are available it will possibly be found that the total of deaths due to the epidemic is not far short of the number of men from the Dominion who were killed during th 9 war. Coming just at the conclusion of the great struggle it effectively militated against the rejoicings over that event, as it was recognised that we had escaped one calamity only to be faced with another—that the laurel wreath did, indeed, contain the leaf of poison ivy. But the epidemic did one good thing it brought ont the inherent good of the people. The men and women of this district rose to the occasion nobly and grandly. All classes strove valiantly to alleviate the sorrow, the distress, and the suffering which were so prevalent. Frail and fragile women courageously forgot their own disabilities and ailmento in their anxiety to succour their less fortunate sisters, and busy men cheerfully sacrificed their own interests in order to minister to the needs of others. A record of the beautiful deeds and kindly actions performed in the cause of humanity during the past awful weeks mayhap never will be published, but none the less it stands to the credit of the community, which is the better and richer for the general recognition of the great cardinal fact that we, as individuals, do well , as a community, are indeed "our brothers' keeper."