WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1921, Page 2

WAITARA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Mr. A. HaywaVd, guard >n the local railway, had the misfortune to get his hand in between two buffers whilst shunting recently, and had to run along with the train pntil the hand could be extricated. It was fortunate that Mr. Hayward did not lose consciousness, otherwise it may have been more serious. Two fingers were badly crushed, and it will be some time before he will be able to resume duty. The freezing companies and the Employees’ Federation having come to terms over the bonus question, the men started killing operations on Thursday last. It is anticipated that the works will be in full swing again after the holidays. The next boat to load meat will be the s.s. Whangaratta, early in January, and will g'o to the breakwater. The meat from Waitara will be railed to Moturoa for shipment. One of the captured German machineguns that was allotted to Waitara arrived on Wednesday last, and is housed at present at the office of the borough overseer. It was turned out at Erfurt in 1917, and bears evidence of the late struggle with its bullet marks. The towri has still to receive a trench mortar and another machine gun. The local retail shops report fair busies during New Year’s Eve, and quite a lot of people were about town. The local Municipal Band enlivened the evening with selections of music, which were much appreciated. As on Christmas Eve, the town was quite orderly, but some irresponsible persona in the “wee sma’ hours” opened the Ntw Year by removing gates and throwing them anywhere. On New Year’s Day the town presented a drab appearance. The proverbial two men and a dog were about the sole inhabitants of the streets. Stratford races were the principal attraction, whilst others went picnicking. Four rinks from the Waitara Bowling Club hied themselves to Hawera for a friendly match with the latter club. After a close finish in the morning game, Waitara was 6 down, but in the afternoon they could do nothing right, and sustained a bad beating.