Province and Suburb

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 200, 12 November 1927, Page 5

Province and Suburb

-- - (FYora THE SUN’S Correspondents.) _ j

yoijfSG MAN’S DEATH SUDDEN ILLNESS attending n dance at Ngaroma evening, a young man (D V, Hubert T. Armstrong became p»ffl«“. n tay ed with iriends for the ill. in “ He became more seriously ill, taken home. His family detaA, ,n bring him into Te Awamutu rld? J a rment. but he died on the jourjcr if** js believed that death was abscess on the brain, but Jjfinquest is being held to-day. CHECKING SPEED the best method Tfe wisdom of a traffic inspector , lln Wins UP a speeding motorist in a 10ll ° car was questioned by Mr. Wilson. S.M., in the Hamilton cn'urt yesterday. He said: “I do not L nrove of this method at night, bedrivers are encouraged to aeca“ te in order to avoid the blinding , of the lights of the inspector’s nr as reflected in their mirrors.” Tie explanation of the inspector was ~, the lights were turned on full to sete,:t numbers. ilr Wilson, however, was firm in .minion that a motor-cycle was the Wit means of securing a check on ipeelsINSTRUCTOR WANTED HAURAKI REQUEST For many years the various farmers’ organisations on the Hauraki Plains and the Hauraki Plains County Council and latterly the various local bodies of the Thames Valley, have mado representations to the Agricultural Department to have an instructor stationed in the district to advise the farmers on many local difficulties. At Thursday’s meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council, a reply was received from the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, that it was not possible to appoint a fields instruction officer for Hauraki Plains and Thames Valley at the present time. The instructors now located at Auckland devote a fair proportion of their time to these districts, and jive requests for advice prompt attention. The Minister pointed out that it must be realised that there were quite a number of districts where intensive instruction is needed and the department was doing all possible to provide the required instruction with the money that was available. He pointed out that it would be appreciated that, for instruction work, it was necessary to have men not only well equipped with the necessary knowledge, but also possessing the faculty of being able to impari iL to the farmers, and to be of direct assistance to them in connection with all phases of farm work. It his not of late been easy to find suitable applicants to fill positions requiring the exercise of these qualities, the more so as the expansion of the instructional works of the fields division has had the effect of absorbing most of the suitable, well-trained men as they have become available. WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waitomo County Council as held at Te Kuiti on Friday, t ie chairman, Mr. L. It. Jones, presiding. Mr. J. C. Rolleston, M.P.. forwarded a copy ox the Premier’s letter regarding the Government’s intentions with respect to native rating, and stated that, according to Press reports, the Government’s attitude was not fully understood. On the motion of Crs. Rose and "Wilson, it was decided that it be a recommendation to the Native Minister that out of any moneys to be paid to the natives by Government departments, the amount of rates owing ■hould be deducted. The Waitomo Caves Settlers’ Association wrote stating that the increased Main Highways Board grant was not sufficient to recondition the worn-out road. It was decided to endorse a resolution that the Minister be requested to provide money for reconstruction, as well as extra maintenance allowance. Messrs. Ellis and Burnand, Mangapeehi, solicited the coyuncil’s support regarding the erection of a temporary store by voluntary labour for Mrs. Gray, of Poro-o-tarao, whose premises bad recently been destroyed by fire. It was decided to assist in the matter. Chamber Bros., of Mokau, asked for the council’s assistance in clearing willows from the Mokau River, as they were becoming" a menace to users of this waterway. Clifton County Council had also been asked to assist, and the writers suggested that if the ua'o councils and themselves each contributed £33 6s Sd, and then obtained a subsidy, this amount would be sufficient to keep the river open for traffic. ' he , ma^er was left in the chairman’s ! tnds to act in conjunction with the engineer as he thought fit. Curry informed the council that on the Mapaia.Soutli Road had agreed to apply for a loan for reform's and metalling from Mr. C. Reade’s p ? ? ; rty to that of Mr. E. Pittams, and t^lat the necessary steps be taken commence the work. This was agreed to. engineer submitted a report on Purchasing a road r£ a * r - Councillors thought the purand 1 T’° he a great saving in time for la k° ur - and expressed preference left°” e °* Brit ißh manufacture. It was cone!? hands of the engineer to t a 6 la?e°r St < lat U e i . table ‘ J ' Pe a " d hauraki plains county progress of works PIL? p ° rt Presented to the Hauraki showfa C ,K Unty Council on Thursday totaiii? ,at main highways subsidies not had been claimed, but Peehi The of the Kere41° nnn r u a<ls loan had been raised, and XethJl* acl been made available for the over^J~ L n roads loan work. The bank w epp raft was £7,658 10s, and there ThA of £1,560 5s 3d. 15s for the month were £220 froiYr;!L from rat es. and £251 27s 3d j- . misce haneous sources. thr*oV C€ "? to ratepayers in arrears, servJ* lng Proceedings, had been ? h ed * Wlt h little effect. CanwT COUnty inspector, Mr. R. 11. Hum** oll, re Ported having caught st>f*n* r< s? s niotorists exceeding the hmits. After discussing the it s hv°P’ the counc ‘il decided to review to Ws respecting speed limits, and » caught r prosecutin S the offenders road n<ier was accepted for carting th,, u- f tal for the Pekapeka" section of j “ighway. lb* ec i d ®d to take steps to secure Boarn # ent of the Local Bodies’ Loans loan *° r t^ le riding road orders were adopted referfo the loans pf £l,lOO, at 6

at ai 6 er pe'r TO c r e € „ h t aP f *°j*' council’s qua” ter-share ot the c^Vof MorrinsviHe *%£*? Lo e a n ns a^rd- d 0,6 L °- 1 Bodta? mSff wrofe Udemanding the council's reason for not accepting the Highways Board's cmJribution of half the cost of a new bridge at Waitakaruru. The council replied that the Waitakaruru riding was already too heavily burdened, largely on account ot the heavy maintenance required bv the long stretch of highway through natrv e and other unproductive land to bear an increase of rates. It was suggested that the Highways Board reconstruct the bridge, and that the council refund the money by easy instalments over a number of years. The Piako County Council advised that test piles must be driven before the specifications for the Maukoro bridge, on the Patetonga-Morrinsville Road, would be approved bv the Public Works Department. It was unlikely that monetary authority would oe granted before March next, but the work need not be delayed if the authority of the Public Works Department could be obtained. A committee was appointed to confer with the resident engineer of the Public Works Department. FERRY AND BRIDGE CROSSING THE PIAKO Supporters on the Hauraki Plains County Council of the proposed bridge over the Piako River at Pipiroa on the Auckland-Thames main highway attempted at Thursday’s meeting of the council to secure a division in favour of starting the building of the structure. This crossing has been advocated for nigh on 20 years, but the £12,000 it will cost has been an unsurmountable obstacle, and about two years ago a ferry was installed. The "group of settlers which has always advocated the bridge petitioned the council last month for an improvement to the approach. On Thursday the engineer, Mr. F. Basham, reported that this work would cost £BS, and he mentioned that the ferryman had informed him that the steepness had caused little inconvenience. Cr. Parfitt pointed out that the steepness of the approaches was known to carriers, who therefore avoided the ferry, with the result that the council was losing revenue. The ferryman was not receiving complaints. Ppinting out that further expenditure on the ferry would be unjustified if the bridge was to be commenced shortly, Cr. Harris moved that steps be taken, as requested some years ago by the Public Works Department, to acquire certain land required in connection with the approach road. Cr. Parfitt seconded, pointing out the growing need for an improved crossing. Crs. Madgwick and Mayn, the leaders of the opposition to the bridge, ridiculed the idea and with Cr. Reid stressed the point that the cost of the land would have to come out of the council’s general account, which was already overdrawn to over £9,000. Cr. Hicks was against farmers being rated for bridges for the travelling public. Cr. Madgwick said that the statement that the Highways Board would force the issue could not carry any weight. Cr. Reid urged that the council should give attention to the bridges near Waitakaruru which were unsafe for traffic. The motion was defeated on the votes of Crs. Fisher, Reid, Hicks, Madgwick and Walton being supported by Crs. Parfitt, Miller, Harris and Mayn. The improvements to the ferry were then authorised. OTAHUHU DENTAL CLINIC BENEFIT ENTERTAINMENTS The final performance* of the two plays, in aid of the Otahuhu dental clinic, was rendered at the Orpheus Theatre, Otahuhu, on Thursday evening before a very satisfactory house. The performers all acted well, and improvement was noticed on the first recital. The plays staged were “The Doll’s House Party” and “The Sleeping Beauty.” At the conclusion of the performance, Mrs. McFarlane was the recipient of a beautiful bouquet from Mr. Petrie, chairman of the School Committee, and a number of the performers received boxes of chocolates, in appreciation of their very successful efforts. RAILWAY ACTIVITIES PREPARING FOR THE POPULATION When the new railway workshops ara completed in Otahuhu the district population will show a large increase. Up to the present time, the department has subdivided a block ot land, partly in the borough area, to accommodate close on 200 homes, to house the new population. It has been stated by those in authority that the population of this residential suburb will increase by 5,000 souls in live years, solely on account o£ the erection of the workshops. That the department is alive to the housing problem was evidenced some time ago when some of the managers of the department visited Otahuhu in search of suitable sections for building purposes, and after a very searching investigation returned to Wellington and reported on the subject, the result being, it is understood, that a special train carrying employees of the Petone and Addington workshops will visit Otahuhu on November 26 to inspect the localities recommended and to make selections. After extensive experiments, the department has found that the renting of the houses on the one day's pay per week basis does not pay, and they have now decided to allow the employees to select their own sections, and the department will erect the houses, and the men v ill repay the principal and interest on the deal.