Province and Suburb

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 280, 16 February 1928, Page 14

Province and Suburb

(From THIS SUN*B CorrespondentsJ

PHEASANTS LIBERATED TAUMARUNUI SUPPLIES This week the Auckland Acclimatisation Society forwarded to the Taumarunui Rod and Gun Club 100 wellgrown young pheasants for liberation in the district. Twenty of the birds have been set free in the Ongarue locality, and the remaining 80 were liberated in the Taumarunui area by Messrs. R. F. Harris and A. G. Riches. The club has made arrangejnents with farmers on whose property the birds are settling to prohibit shooting in the coming season, and in other wavs assist in the protection and establish-, ment of the pheasants. FIRE AT KOHUKOHU SETTLER’S HEAVY LOSS During the absence of Mr. H. Rogers and his family, of Runaruna, at the Broadwood Show yesterday, their newly - erected home of eight rooms and all the contents were totally destroyed by fire. A neighbour some distance away noticed a large volume of smoke and found it to be from Rogers’s home. Bush fires are in the vicinity and it is presumed a spark from one of these caused the outbreak. Nothing was saved and Mr. Rogers is a heavy loser. They have nothing left but the clothes they were_ wearing at the show. The United Fire Insurance Company has the building and contents insured for £BSO.

PAPATOETOE RATES LARGE AMOUNT OUTSTANDING Those ratepayers of the Papatoetoe Town Board district who have not yet met their rate demands will have an additional 10 per cent, added to-day. Of the £5,000 levied, just on £2,000 has still to be collected. RAILWAY SOCIAL CLUB TAUMARUNUI SMOKE CONCERT The annual smoke concert of the Taumarunui Railway Social Club was presided over by the chairman, Mr. A. E. Stringer, who mentioned that the club had had a most successful year’s working, and returned special thanks to all who had helped to make the annual picnic at Owhango such a great success. An orchestra composed of Messrs. J. Slattery (violin), R. Lee (cornet) and C. McKenzie (piano) provided bright music for the function, which was very largely attended. Items were contributed by Messrs. Cox, Ward, Simpson, McKenzie, Murrow, Potter and Ellingham. A lengthy toast list was honoured. COST OF MARRIAGE PROPER BUT EXPENSIVE “Marriage Is quite a proper proceeding and what the State wants,” said Mr. Platts. S.M.. at the Te Aroha sitting of the Magistrate’s Court to a lawyer who was asking the defendant. J. Dragoch, why he had got married when judgment had been obtained against him earlier in the same month by Izard and Loughnan for £3B 5s 6d. Defendant when asked if be thought marriage was an expensive business to enter into when in debt, admitted the fact very readily. The magistrate varied the judgment secured previously against the defendant to payment of 7s 6d a week. NORTHERN MAIN TRUNK PUSHING ON WORK Every advantage is being taken of the fine weather by the Public Works Department in the construction of the main line toward Rangialiua. The construction is well down the Waihou Valley, closely followed by the raillaying parties. The number of workmen was considerably augmented by arrivals from the now-completed Pukehuia section, evidently exceeding the number of men required on this section. As a result-forty-five unnaturalised Dalmations have been discharged. An indignation meeting of the Dalmatians resulted in one of their number being sent to Wellington to interview the Prime Minister and the Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works. WATER FOR FIRES MANUNUI REQUIREMENTS At the last meeting of the Manunui Town Board a deputation from the Manunui Fire Brigade attended, and requested that the board approach the Taupiarunui Borough Council with a request for permission to tap the council’s water main in Totara Street in two or three places, which would give a sufficient supply of water for fighting purposes in a portion of the town where it was greatly needed. The brigade suggested three leads off the main, to which seals could be attached, and broken only in cases of fire. The Board Chairman (Mr. Beautrais) assured the deputation that the matter would be placed before the borough council, and if it was not agreed to, the board would consider enlarging its own main in the neighbourhood. The board considered a letter from the borough solicitor (Taumarunui), asking for a settlement of the water supply adcount, and it was resolved to ask for a conference on the matter. The Manunui Domain Board has considered a proposal to form a tourists’ camping ground in the town, and at its last meeting Mr. McKenzie reported that it had been decided that the enclosed space next to Sullivan’s property was most suitable for the purpose. KAITIEKE COUNTY COUNCIL DEFICIT ON BRIDGE At the monthly meeting of . the Kaitieke County Council, advice was received from the Public Works Resident Engineer (Mr. P. Keller) to the effect that the Te Maire Bridge, which was being erected under Governor’s warrant, was now neafing completion, and as the actual cost would exceed the sum mentioned in the warrant, viz., £8,124, by approximately £630, the council would require to take steps to meet the deficit. The meeting resolved that the chairman make arrangements with the Taumarunui County for the opening of the Te Maire Bridge when completed. A request from Kakahi ratepayers that the Council take immediate steps to metal the main road to'the township was dealt with an dit was resolved that the work be attended to when money is available. The chairman suggested that the Government be asked for some assistance. The Engineer, reporting on inspection of power graders made during the month, stated that several more machines would be investigated before a decision was made, but there could be no doubt of the value of such a grader for the County Roads. It was decided to allow the Mayor of Wellington’s appeal for the Mon-crieff-Hood Fund, to lie at the County Office for the signature of anyone who wished to subscribe.

TE KUITI HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY CASES As a result of the Waitomo County Council’s protest regarding the treatment of specific cases at the Te Kuiti Hospital, which has been the cause of a certain amount of feeling in the town and district, a doctor has stated his views on the matter from a medical standpoint. He points out that when the local hospital was first mooted it was decided that the institution should be purely for emergency cases, where there was an element of danger in taking patients on to Hamilton. The doctor stated that cases of tonsilitis and adenoids could not be classed as dangerous, and that a charge of £2 was made by the Waikato Hospital Board. The board had entered into an arrangement with the

Te Kuiti doctors, and it was left to them to decide which cases were not emergency ones. The term of the agreement was for 12 months, and if any alterations were desired, at the expiration of that period would'be the proper time to have these made. Regarding the appointment of a superintendent, he said that it was a matter for the board to decide, but the expense would be enormous for such a small institution, and would be a heavy burden on the taxpayers. Jn conclusion, he wished to dispel a wrong impression that the local doctors were unsympathetic toward the hospital, and emphatically stated that it was their intention to do all in their power to make the institution of service to the district. HAURAKI VETERINARY CLUB MEETING OF EXECUTIVE The executive of the Hauraki Plains Farmers’ Veterinary Club met at Ngatea on Tuesday evening. Mr. G. T. Davidson presiding. In connection with a mysterious malady affecting cows’ udders, a report was received from the Government veterinarian advising that it was a form of contagious mammitis. The. steps to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease, and an outline of curative treatment, were given. The Hauraki Plains County Council having advised that the club’s representations relative to the establishment of abattoirs had been deferred for consideration, it was decided to again urge careful consideration, and, failing the establishment of abattoirs on account of the costs to ratepayers, to insist if possible that all cattle intended for human consumption be slaughtered at the Thames or Paeroa abattoirs when the Hauraki Bridge was opened. The action of members procuring drenches and drugs from the club at cost price for non-members was deprecated, and strong exception taken to the action of a travelling salesman in making statements to the effect that the club’s surgeon could not cure vaginitus, with the idea of pushing the sale of his own cure. The statements were untrue, and the club sold its drugs to members at much below the price asked by the travelling salesman. It was decided to take legal action to collect outstanding accounts. WAIHOU BRIDGE CONTRACT

RAISES SLANDER ACTION “It is unavoidable that where there is a great deal of ill-feeling and, as in this case, mere trifles should be exaggerated. The whole action is the outcome of a general feeling of ill-will connected with the Waihou Bridge.” That was the summing up of the Magistrate in dismissing the claim for £2OO damages made by William James Lopdell, contractor, for the construction of the Waihou Bridge, against Thomas Joseph J.ames, clerk of works, for alleged slander. The case was heard before Mr. Platts, S.M., at the monthly sitting of the Te Aroha Magistrate’s Court, and he further held that the statements made by James were not slanderous as they did not refer to the contractor’s general insolvency, but only to this particular job, which, whether they were right or wrong, were able to be made. Further it was a point as to whether Lopdell, not being a trader in the technical sense of the word —one who buys and sells goods—could claim slander damages on the kind of statements made by James. Evidence was given by two workmen on the bridge that James had come to them while they were at work and had casually volunteered the information that Lopdell was a bankrupt as far as the Waihou Bridge job was concerned. Defendant stated that the men to whom it was alleged he made the slanderous statements had come to him for the information —he haxi not gone to them—and further he had never mentioned the word “bankrupt,” but had just said “unfinancial.” He had not said anything about Mr. Lopdell’s general financial position, but simply about this particular job. The position was that he considered Lopdell had not sufAicent money to finish the job, and it was of that position he had spoken.

WAIHOU BRIDGE OPENING ARRANGED The Waihou bridge, concerning which there has been so much trouble during the past few months, will he opened next Wednesday, February 22, by the Hon. A. D. McLeod Minister of Lands. The Prime Minister, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, is unable to attend.

GREAT TAINUI CANOE HER LAST RESTING PLACE At a sitting of the Native Land Court at Kawhia, on Wednesday, Hereurni and other Maoris applied to have the piece of land at Maketu, Kawhia, under which, according to tradition, the famous Tainui canoe lies buried, vested in Te Rata Mahuta, under the provisions of the Native Land Act. The object of this application was to have the land set aside for the erection of a monument to voyagers in the canoe. The subject was fully discussed at a meeting of Maoris last March, and the native owners of the land were unanimous in their desire to have Te Rata Mahuta appointed sole trustee, and for the trusteeship to descend to his male heir. Mr. E. P. Earle, who presided over the court, said that the application would be forwarded by Judge MacCormick, in a report to the Goveror-in-Council, who was empowered, under the section of the Act in question, to vest the land in Te Rata Mahuta.

BIRKENHEAD BOROUGH PLENTY OF WATER At the Birkenhead Borough Council meeting last night three new bufldiig permits were granted totalling a value of £1,214. A sum of £2 2s was voted for the funds of the Northcote and Birkenhead Regatta Club. The secretary of the newly •constituted No. 2 Motor Licensing Authority asked for particulars by which th# Birkenhead Council were empowered to grant licences for two motor-cerr to run as omnibuses. The town derk reported that he had sent a copy of the by-laws under which the licence! were issued, and a copy of the solidtor’s letter to the council advising tl» course which had been pursued. A letter was received from the owns* of these taxis stating they did mt w'ish to run in the daytime* on todays or on holidays, anc were wiUfcg on these days to take out separate taxi licences. After discussion th* council by six votes to two approved of the timetable. The clerk reported that Lake Takapuna was now five inchtis above hijfe water level, this representing a drop of five inches in the fortnight. The engineer reported that line* chains of footpath had been obstructed and covered with ashes h Glenfield Road, in order to glte approach to new dwellings. It was agreed to tar the cemetery paths.