Province and Suburb

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 256, 19 January 1928, Page 14

Province and Suburb

(From THE SUN'S Correspondents.)

FRANKLIN ELECTRICITY RETICULATION LOAN CARRIED The Tuakau ratepayers yesterday sanctioned a loan of £ 34,820 for the reticulation of the Raglan County portion of the Franklin Power Board district. The voting was as follows: Onewhero, for the proposal, 59; against 5; Pukekawa, 23, 2; Te Kohanga, 8, —; Port Waikato, 7,2. TE PUKE SHOW JUDGES APPOINTED The Te Puke A. and P. Association has appointed the following judges for the show in February:—Fat cattle, Mr. T. Vercoe; light horses, Mr. -T. Hinton; pedigree Jerseys, Mr. H. Miers; draught horses, Mr. L. Sisam; grade Jerseys, Mr. J. E. Martin; Friesians, Mr. A. Thirwell; milking Shorthorns, Mr. A. J. McGovern; pigs, Mr. F. Discombe. RODNEY COUNTY ROADS SETTLERS OFFER HELP At the Tast meeting of the Rodney County Council the clerk reported that he had collected £2,000 of rates in arrears during the year and defaulters were being proceeded against. Settlers on the Warkworth-Wood-cocks Road notified the council that by various ways they had raised £l3O toward the cost of metalling 34 chains of the road. The council agreed to subsidise the amount £ for £ and expressed pleasure at the action of the settlers. WAIKATO DRAINAGE WORK BY TE RAPA BOARD Extensive works are being carried out and maintained by the Te Rapa Drainage Board. It is hoped to improve the central subdivision, which extends from to Hamilton borough. The Whatawhata loan has enabled considerable work to be done, and tenders are being called.for deepening the final link in the main drain service. The board has in its operations the drainage of two lakes. MINERS’ EXAMINATIONS WAIKATO CANDIDATES The examinations conducted by the Mines Department started on Tuesday. Eight candidates presented themselves for underviewers and 10 for firemendeputy tickets. Waipa, Pukemipo, Glen Afton, Rotowaro and Huntly are the mines represented, and Mr. William Barclay, inspector of mines, and Mr. James Bishop, a member of the board of examiners, are supervising. The results should be made known in about a fortnight’s time. The examinations are being held in the School of Mines. The director, Mr. Thomas Geddes, is away on a well-earned holiday. HENDERSON TOWN BOARD ECONOMY WITH WATER A letter was received from the Auckland City Council at this week’s meeting of the Henderson Town Board, asking the board to notify ratepayers of certain restrictions in the use of water. The board agreed to do so. The board voted £1 Is to the Auckland and Suburban Local Bodies’ Labourers’ Union in aid of its annual picnic. The foreman reported that £2OO 4s had been spent on scarifying, blinding and rolling on the Valley Road from the railway crossing to the boundary, and on the View Road from the intersection of South Road to the bridge. The work had been done by the board’s staff. HAURAKI BRIDGE PROGRESS OF WORK Steady progress is being made with the erection of the Waihou River bridge between Orongo, Hauraki Plains and Kopu, Thames County, but it does not appear likely that that the hopes of the crossing being open by March will be realised. All the girders are in position, with the exception of those in the span over the river channel and only four spans now remain to be concreted, but the swinging spans have not yet arrived. It is understood that these spans are being assembled in Tauranga and that portion is complete and will shortly arrive by scow. The approach road on the Kopu side is completed, but on the Orongo side much formation yet requires completion before metalling can be commenced. This road is over a mile long. ,i_..

MAN’S LEG FOUND DISCOVERY BY BOYS A party of boys yesterday found the bones of a human leb with a boot on lying on the Whakatane beach. It is believed that the remains are those of a man named Edward- Jaokson, who disappeared in Opotiki district in August. Jackson was last seen in charge of a motor-lorry on the beach road near Huntress Creek. He left the lorry and walked back in the direction of Opotiki. ' The lorry was afterwards seen, on ; the roadside, but no trace of Jackson .was found. TAURANGA HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF ADJUSTMENT The Tauranga Hospital Board met yesterday. The medical superintendent reported that 27 patients were admitted and 32 discharged during the month. Dr. King, resident surgeon, tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and a letter of thanks and appreciation is to be given him. After a conference with the local doctors it was decided not to have a resident officer, but to offer £250 per annum for assistance in administrating anaesthetics, the matron to act as house-manageress. TE PUKE TOWN BOARD ‘‘CLEAN UP” WEEK At its last meeting the Te Puke Town Board decided to warn residents against waste of "water. A new motor-grader has been purchased and the horse machine is to be disposed of. Friday and Saturday of this week have been set apart for a “clean up” of the town. The board resolved that proceedings would be instituted against any persons found riding bicycles or horses on the footpaths in the town board area. Mr. H. Cuff and the clerk, Mr. H. W. Earp, were appointed to attend a conference at Tauranga for the purpose of allocating heavy traffic licence fees. TE AWAMUTU BRIGADE FIREMEN DECORATED A pleasant gathering of local and visiting fire brigadesmen took place in Te Awamutu on Tuesday evening, the occasion being the presentation of honours earned by members of the brigade. His Worship the Mayor, Mr. L. G. Armstrong, presided, and mentioned that the honours had all been earned during the period that the brigade was under the control of the Borough Council, and he assured them that the members of the council had thoroughly appreciated the efforts of the men. The following distribution of decorations then took place:—Five years’ medal to Honorary Surgeon G. J.*Hall; two years’ service-bar to Superintendent T. Narbey, making seven years’ service; five years’ service medals to ex-Fireman F. H. Andrew- and ex-Fire-man C. R. Knowles; three years’ service certificates to Fireman C. R. Pellow, A. Loomb and D. Horan. Later the brigade adjourned to the fire station, where a welcome was accorded Superintendent A. E. Freeman, of Masterton, who is a vice-president of the United Fire Brigades’ Association. He congratulated the recipients of medals and certificates on behalf of the parent association, and hoped that all would stick to the service and loyally support their officers. MT. WELUNGTON BOARD OBJECTIONS TO LOAN At a meeting of the Mount Wellington Road Board on Tuesday evening, presided over by the chairman, Mr. G. Kay, a copy of an objection lodged by the Mount Wellington Ratepayers’ Association against sanction being given the road board’s proposal to raise a loan for the provision of water supply was received from the Government Loans Board. The grounds of the protest were that the board’s proposal to obtain a supply from the City Council was not in the best interests of the ratepayers because the council could not supply its own customers. It was contended that no loan should be raised until the ratepayers had expressed their confidence in the present board at th© coming elections in May. The board’s engineer, Mr. S. T. Dibble, submitted an alternative scheme for a water supply, emphasising the desirability of obtaining a local source, if possible. A wellknown water diviner was prepared to locate a minimum supply of 100,000 gallons a day, the cost of all work in sinking a shaft or boring to be borne by the diviner if the result guaranteed was not obtained. Consideration was deferred.

DISTRICT FIRES

NO DAMAGE IN HAURAKI A very big swamp fire is raginat the Southern end of the Hauraki Plains, but practically no damage has been done and no danger is presented at present. The lire commenced in the Await! some time ago and has noir spread eastward and southward, burn ing hundreds of acres of scrub, creating great volumes of smoke and a bright glare in the sky. On Tuesday tho Lands Drainage Department became apprehensive that the fire would cross the Piako River to the settled land, but investigations showed that the chances were remote. So dense was the smoke over the river on Tuesday morning that the dairy company's launchmen could not see the bow of their boat or the banks of the river and the vessel ran aground on several occasions. PRIZE FOWLS DESTROYED A fire occurred in the residence of Mr. McKinstry, Te Aroha, at four o’clock this morning. The fire started in an outhouse, which was much damaged. The fire extended to the fowlhouae. where 24 prize fowls were incinerated Prompt action by the brigade saved the dwelling from destruction. CYCLE SHOP GUTTED Fire gutted a cycle shop in Taihape yesterday evening. The fire, which started in a storeroom, had a good hold j| when the brigade arrived, but it was extinguished in about half an hour. The interior of the shop was practically destroyed. Two new and two second-hand motor-cycles, two new bicycles, and a number of second-hand cycles were badly damaged. Many [cycle tyres were destroyed. The stock and building -were insured. The shop was owned by Mrs. Barsby and occupied by Mr. G. J. Flight. CHILD WELFARE HAMILTON GIRLS IN CAMP The Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, and Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, medical officer of health at Wanganui, visited, on Wednesday, Camp Ferguson. There are 33 poor girls from Hamilton and 40 Girl Guides in the camp. The weather has been perfect, and the children are having a delightful time. Mrs. H. C. Ross is in charge, and is assisted by Misses M. McKenzie, V Bryant, H. N. Gaze and L. Street. Mrs. R. Seddon, Mrs. W. McNicol and Miss G. Hammond are in charge of a camp of Hamilton and Claudelands Girl Guides at Okete. A useful course in training is being given. The Minister and Dr. Gunn went on to Bryant House, near Raglan, where 22 convalescent children are accommodated at the expense of Mr. D. V. Bryant, of Hamilton, who built the house. Dr. Gunn said she was delighted with everything she saw. Wonderfully good work was being done at Camp Ferguson, and the promoters would be astonished at the results they get. She had never seen anything like Bryant | House in New Zealand or even in America, and considered it an example which should be widely followed.