LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 192, 7 April 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ratepayers' Petition It is understood that a petition is at present being circulated by the Rotorua Ratepayers' Association, entering a protest against certain items in the expenditure of the Borough Council during the past year. Whaka Road Scherrle The Parks and Reserves Committee of the Rotorua Borough Council will meet this week to- consider estimates for the coming year. As soon as the committee has decided upon a definite programme of works, consideration will be given to the preparation of estimates ip connection with the Whaka Roud scheme, and these, in due course, will be submitted to the council for consideration.

Carving For Meeting House The Maori Arts and Crafts School at Ohinemutu will shortly commence work on the carvings for a large new meeting house at Otaki. The * new house, which will be named "Ruatawa" will be 65 feet long and one of the largest in the southern part bf the island. The house will be the headquarters of the Ngati Ruakawa of Otaki, a small tribe which migrated to the Wellington distriet about 60 years ago from the Matamata and Morrinsville distriet. The Ngati Raukawa were at o.ne.time allies of Te Ruaparaha, and it is prehable that their new territory was appropriated as a,. result of the defeat of. the then kolders of the land by that. doughty old warrior. The Ngati Ruakawa carvings, are very much akin to ihose of the Arawa tribe, but have certain definite characteristics which will be brought out in the meeting . house. The carvings of the tribe had almost been forgotten and speeial investigations had to be made to revive. their speeial style.

New Building The new building for the school of Maori Arts and Crafts, at Ohinemutu, is now almost completed and it is expected that the workmen will move into their new quarters within _ a week. The only work now remaining, is the lining of the hnilding and this can be carried out in a few days. . The old building at present occupied by the carvers is the property of the Maori Missions Board, and will probably be used as an entertainment hall in the future. Bowling Finals The final of the Rotorua Bowling Club's singles championship was to kave been played yesterday, but had to be postponed owing to rain. Budd and Williams are the finalists and will meet within the next few days. The championship pairs competition is also in an interesting position. Webber and Williams and Knoggs and Kelly have tied in Section B, and will probably play off on Friday. The A section has been won by Butt and Bertram and the C (Wednesday) section, by Merriman and Richards. As soon as the section tie is decided, Butt and Bertram will meet the winners, and the winners of this match will meet Merriman and Richards.

Further Charges The three young men who were arrested on vagrancy charges earlier in the week, will appear in the Rotorua Magistrate's Cburt this morning. It is understood that further charges arising out of the burglary of a hut at Mamaku, will also be preferred against two of the aecused. Into The Blue The recent experience of a Rotorua garage provides a warning against indiscriminate trust of a prospective purchaser. Recently a Maori entered the garage, and asked to see a second-hand motor-cycle. He was shown a machine and wanted to talce a trial run in order to try out its capabilities. Nothing loth,, the prospective purchaser mounted the cycle and disappeared into the blue, from which he has not so far returned, Uhfortunately the number of the machine had not been noted and this fact is complicating the task of the police in locating the elusive rider.

Maori Records in States In December, an American visitor to Rotorua, Mr. Will Connolly, editor and proprietor of the Helena "Star," Montana, U.S.A., purchased two Maori gramophone records from Mr. Epi Shalfoon, of Arawa Street. This week, Mr. Shalfoon received a letter from Mr. Connolly stating that the records had proved so popular among his friends that he desired to purchase six more, whicli he intended to give away as presents. Mr. Connolly ' stated that the Maori music had made an unusual appeal and he considered the two records he had bought the best in his collection. Imported Sawdust. The importation of about £150 worth of sawdust into New Zealand annually may seem like hringing coal to Newcastle, hut swadust after speeial treatment is very necessary to furriers. A member of the New Zealand Sawmillers' Association was recently asked if sawdust for fur- cleaning could not be-obtained in New Zealand. After inquiry it was found that the imported sawdust was not a straight-out product of the saw-bench. It is actually processed by treatment with cleaning ingredients, and the materials used are a trade secret.

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