LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 16, 10 September 1931, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

• --s Only Fifty Per Cent. "We have got to faee the position that this year not more than 50 per cent .of the rates are going to come in," said the chairman of the Rotorua County Couttcil, Gr." H. ;P. Ford, at yesterday's meeting of the Couricil. Few Fire Callls. The Rotorua Fire Brigade has had an exceedingly quiet time recently. There have ]oeen only two calls to chimney fireii and orie false alarm sinee the commencemeiit of the .quarter bxi June 2^, and ihe last fire of any magnitule was that at the vegetable shed in the Government Gar-r dens, which was burned to the grourid on June ..The siipefintendeht, Mr, T. Anderson, when visited by a "Post" representative yesterday, rqmarked that Rotorua was a good town for inr surance companies, as very few firps of any consequence ever occurred here, and thJse that did were usually quickly put out before much damage was done. > Council's Protest. The Rotorua County Council has decided to protest against the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill heing promoted; in the House o,f Representatives by Mr. R. Semple, M.P., on the grounds that it is liicely to bririg Couiity Co'uricils undef the jurisdictiori of the Arbitration Court. At yesterday's meeting of the Council, the action of the chairman (Mr. H. P. Ford) in telegraphing a protest to the Bill was approved. Maori Hospital Fees. According to a recent statement by the Minister of Health (Hon. A. J. StallworthjOp the Wairoa Hospital Board is successfully operating a scheme under which Maoris in the dis-

trict are contributing towards hospital board fees. The Rotorua County Council, at its meeting yesterday, displayed some interest in this Statement, and it was decided, on the suggestion of the chairn^an, Cr. H. P. Ford, that inquiries should be made from the Wairoa .Hospital Board for further information in connection with the scheme. The opinion was expressed that j co-operation by the Maoris in the Rotorua district might be enlisted along similar lines. Rating Crawn Lands. The Rotorua County Council yesterday decided to support the Waimea County Council in its endeavour to secure an amendment of the Rating Act to provide for the rating of Crown lahds. It was also decided to ask the Waimea County to include in its protest opposition to the Govern- , ment action in taking over European land for afforestation and native land develophient purposes, without first obtaining the opinion of the local authority concerned. In this connection, it was pointed out that the Council had lost thousands of acres for rating purposes owing to the fact that largi/ areas of European land in the district had been taken over by the Government for the purposes mentioned.

County Unemployment Work. It was mentioned, at yesterday's .meeting of the Rotorua County Council, that since April 1, the Council has paid out over £5000 for unemploy:ment relief purposes. The county ;clerlc reported that at the present rate of payments, approximately £7500 would be paid^ out for unemployment work during the current 12 months period. This money, of course, is not paid out of county funds, but is the Government allocation from the unemployment contributions.

Golf for Saturday As heavy rain caused the abandonment of the first round of the Golf Club's electic handicap match last week-end, the match will be played next Saturday. The draw of partners and times will he the same as that for last week, the only alteration being that Kelly is to play the Rev. Hetherington, at 12.30 p.m. , Overloaded Lorries '■ The traffic inspector, Mr. D. M. Ford, reported to the Rotorua County Council yesterday that he was having trouble with overloaded trucks coming into Rotorua under cover of. night. He instanced several cases on the Atiamuri, Taupo and Mamaku Hill Roads, where lorries overloaded with posts. were avoiding his efforts to catch them by travelling at night. •He had received corq.plaints from surfacemen on these roads about the damage these lorries were causing. Mr. Ford's report was adbpted and he was instructed to use his own judgment regarding prosecutions. Hohesty Still Persists Honesty is still a modern virtue despite all cynicisms to the contrary. Last week, the Maori Forestry worker, who found the stolen Public Works i payroll at Murupara, immediately reported his find and handed over a sum of money sufficiently large to be tempting to men in much less straitened circumstances than were his. Then on Tuesday with something less than a shilling in his pocket, a relief worker picked up a sum of money in a Rotorua street, and lodged it immediately with the authorities. I No Developmerits Rotorua police accompanied by De-tective-Sergeant Thompson, of Hamilton, have returned to Murupara to continue investigations in connection with the burglary of the camp safe, on May 4 and the finding of a portion of the £2158 stolen on that occasion. Yesterday no further developments were reported.