LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 452, 21 February 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Franklin County Council, per advertisement in this issue, invite tenders for various roading contracts, etc. The three P's-the plough, the pig, and the potato—were the mas-ter-factors in the war, says Mr Prothero, the English Minister for Agriculture. Franklin County ratepayers are reminded that a penalty of ten per cent will be added to all rates unpaid by the 28th mstint, and that prosecutions will be enforced in respect of all outstanding rates. The Manukau County Council, by advertisement in this issue, announces that the special roll of ratepayers has been prepared in respect of the proposed loan of £2,000 for a portion of the Turanga riding. The N.Z. Farmers' Co-op. Bacon and Meat-packing Uoy. will be buying pigs next week as follows:—Pukekohe, Monday ; Buckland, Tuesday; Pokeno, Wednesday; and Te Kauwhata, Thursday. Can crops be shocked by electricity into yielding greater abundance? This is now being tried on two thousand acres of wheat in Great Britain, and the results will be published with great interest. The Railway Department announces that a special train will leave Auckland at 7 a.m. to-morrow (Saturday), calling at Pukekohe at 8 20 а.m., for the Te Awamutu races, returning from Te Awamutu at б.5 p m. Factories are being set up in England to deal with surplus supplies of potatoes in two ways—either to convert them into potaton flour for mixing with wheaten flour or for making farina —that is, potato starch for use in the textile indusrry, Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons, Ltd , announce that owing to Saturday, March Ist, being one of the days of the Pukekohe Show, their sale at Waiuku (previously fixed for that date) has been postponed to Saturday, March Bth. Ihe aims and objects of the Protestant Political Association will be explained by Mr Moore, the provincial secretary, at a meeting to be held in the Premier Hall, Pukekohe, next Tuesday evening, for the purpose of establishing a local branch of the League. At the Waiuku Magistrate's Court last Friday, Messrs William and Anthony Henry McDonald, farmers, of Otaua (trading as McDonald Bros ) claimed from the Northern Steamship Co , Ltd , the sum of £2l Ins 4d, in respect of one bale of wool lost during its tiansit by the Company, on or about September Bth, 1917. The balo was one out of ten bales sent on the Company's boat Arapawa by the plaintiffs to Messrs Binney and Son, of Auckland, nine only being delivered. Somo evidence was given, and the caso was thon adjourned to Auckland, for further vritnosses to be callel. Messis Alfred Buckland and Sons' sules for next week include their ordinary monthly stock sale at Pukekohe on Monday, a clearing sale at Mr Chas Gillard's farm at Papatoetoe on Tuesday, a cleaiing sile on Mr J. Franklin's farm at Mauku on Wednesday, and a clearing sale on Mr J. G. Thompson's farm at Bazorback on Thursday. For particulars see advertisements.

The N.Z. Loan and M.A. Company are to hold a sheep lair at Clevedon on Friday next. Particulars of entries are advertised in this issue. Referring to the condition of dairies, Inspector Bennett stated at a conference as to milk supply at Hamilton on Monday that the Health Department had nothing to do with the milk until it left the shed and was offered for sale. All dairies had to be registered, and it was the duty of the Stock Department to see that they complied with the regulations. A Pukekohe resident, who was on a visit to Auckland this week, is congratulating himself that he was not affected by the fire that broke out in the Thames Hotel last Wednesday night. On the previous evening he had occupied one of the rooms adjacent to the seat of the fire, and had booked it again for Wednesday night, but was not on the premises at the time of the conflagration. The matter of officially welcoming home men who left Pukekohe with the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was referred to by Cr Armstrong at the meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council, held last Wednesday evening, He stated that he understood that several of the men were returning by the next boat. It was decided to hold a " smoke concert" to officially welcome home the " boys." At a conference at Hamilton re that town's milk supply, Inspector Bennett, of the Health Department, taid he knew of cases in which the customers left receptacles for the morning's milk which contained dregs of beer, coffee, etc, and these people blamed the milkman if the milk aid not keep sweet. The vendors stated that it was a common occurrence for the jugs to contain the remains of the previous day's milk. The meeting recognised that under these circumstances the blame for unsatisfactory milk could not be laid at the door of the vendors. Friday and Saturday of .next week will see the usual large assembly in Pukekohe for the Franklin A. and P. Society's Show. Indications are that the annual event will prove even a greater attraction for the public than in former years, and certainly the Show officials are making every effort to secure success. Competition in the stock classes is promising well, and the home industries section, which has a special appeal for lady exhibitors, should again be a feature. Saturday will be People's Day, when there will be a splendid programme of ring events, at which some new features will be introduced. The omission to write " not negotiable "on a cheque is one that tradesmen should regard as extremely risky, as a case just reported to the police proves (says the Lyttelton Tiroes). A Christchurch tradesman paid an account with a crossed cheque for £24 odd. The person to whom it was paid lost it, and the loss was reported to the bank and payment stopped. Meanwhile the finder of the cheque had forged an endorsement on the cheque in the name of the person to whom it was made payable, and had tendered it at a city establishment in payment for a suit of clothes valued at £4 10s. This was on Friday night, at an hour when it would not have been easy to find out the genuineness of the cheque. The firm, however, accepted the cheque, and gave £2O in change, together with the suit. The cheque was paid in, but payment was stopped. However, it is stated that the drawer of the cheque will have to honour it, whatever further action he may take in the matter. Included in a draft of returning soldiers due to reach a New Zealand port at an early date are the following Trevor Allan (Waiuku), Arthur Cook (Onewhero), L-Cpl Arnold L. Cooper (Papakura), L-Cpl. Chas. W. Fitzpatrick (Alfriston), Harry Gordon (Pukekohe), Sergt Ernest Hill, M.M. (Karaka), Richard E. Justin (Manurewa), L Cpl. John McQuire (Waiuku), Ernest P. Pellow (Onewhero), Wm G. Ryan (Papakura), Wm. Sanderson (Papatoetoe, Cpl. Thos. Steenson (Pukekohe), and Joseph Tooman (Pukekohe East.)