LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 11, 23 May 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr W. H. Hawkins, of Pahiatua, is announced as candidate for that Parliamentary electorate.

At Invercargill on Wednesday a black-smith named Robert Dunlop was fined £lO for shooting ducks out of season, and another £lO for resisting the ranger.

An illustration of the wonderful development of the dairying industry is affording in the case of the Stratford Dairy Company, whose annual turn-over in 1896 was £7500, but has now reached the splendid total of £70,000.

The Hastings District High School is closed, owing to an epidemic of measles, and no less than 22 houses in Hastings are now placed in quarantine until further notice from the District Health Inspector.

In an address at Waimate, in Canterbury, Mr David Jones, locally known as “ the farmers’ champion”, organiser for the Farmers’ Political Federation, said that 70 per cent, of the farmers in the Dominion possessed less than 200 acres, and in 1906 there were only 42 owners of upwards of 5000 acres. Therefore, political power lay with the small or medium farmers.

To counteract the frosts on future occasions, the Hawke’s Bay Fruit-growers’ Association has sent an order to America for a sample of six orchard-heaters of two patterns, in order to test this method of dealing with the frost, and the Association hopes to be able to do something to prevent such a disastrous loss as most of the fruit-growers sustained last October. ! It is expected that this consignment will shortly arrive.

The tenth annual military ball of the Fourth Regiment of New Zealand Mounted Rifles will be held in the Cambridge Town Hall on Friday, l6th June. This is looked upon locally as one of the events of the year, and the forthcoming function will no doubt be as well supported as those which have preceded it. Special train arrangements have been made for the convenience of visitors. Burke’s Band, from Auckland, will supply the music.

A man who has spent his lifetime in touch with the Maoris, and is thoroughly familiar with them, urges, through the Wanganui press, that the young Maoris should be given a place in the universal training scheme. At the present time, he says, the young natives, with but few exceptions, spend their time in loafing, cigarette smoking, and, as he puts it, “ doing anything but work.” He considers that defence training would at least give them something to take a live interest in, and would wean them, for part of their time at least, from idle habits, and be better for them morally as well as physically, besides providing a defence asset of considerable value.

A horse has been lost from the Vicarage, Te Awamutu. and a reward is offered for the recovery of same.

Mr and Mrs Thompson and daughter, of Roto-o-rangi, left Auckland yesterday for a two months’ holiday to Queensland.

The Empire Picture Co. again visit Te Awamutu to-night. Details of the programme appear in another column, and we feel sure the usual appreciative audience will welcome this company.

Applications for registration under the Defence' Act, 1909, are not coming in as promptly as anticipated. The attention of all persons required by the Act to enrol is called to an advertisement appearing in this issue, and we trust it will not be found necessary to enforce the penalties mentioned therein for failure to enrol. Forms of registration may be obtained at any post office or police station.

A number of Holstein cattle are being brought to New Zealand from New South Wales. In the month of March six Holstein cows, sixteen heifers, three calves and one bull were quarantined on Somes Island, Wellington, in accordance with the regulations. The “Wairarapa News” understands that Mr W. I. Lovelock, of Palmerston, the well-known breeder of champion Holsteins, is shortly paying a visit to America, where the breed has been developed to the highest perfection under stringent test conditions, and will bring back several animals from the most famous herds.

It is safe to assume that over a great part of the Wairarapa at any rate, the aggregation of area is going on, and that in many places small farms are becoming big farms and the property of one man instead of two or three (states the Masterton “ Times”). In fact, people in Eketahuna district can point to a number of localities where this has taken place, and is taking place, . and the tendency is even more marked further north ;in Pahiatua County, where a net decrease of nearly 300 has taken place in the population.

The mediaeval toll-gate system of maintaining roads has greatly incensed the Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister for Public Works. In motoring through from Eltham to Manaia his objection to this form of raising revenue took the practical form of refusing to pay toll, and with his party, he smilingly indifferent to the veiled threats of the- gatekeeper. To one of the latter the Minister remarked : “ This relic of barbarism is a vanishing institution, and when it goes, as it will one of these early days, I hall see if I can’t find someth. * better for you to do than inhering’ with the freedom of th on the King’s lie

A fine of 5s was imposed on R. Walsh at the Magistrate’s Court at Stratford last Friday for having driven twelve loose horses on a borough street. Walsh said that he was driving the horses and that there was a man in front of them, but the Borough Inspector contradicted this, stating that both men were behind. The S.M. remarked that the bylaw laid it down that horses driven through the streets must be led by a rope or halter or otherwise be under proper control. He thought that horses would be “ under proper control” if they were taken along the street at a walking pace' with a man behind and a man before them. Although there were men behind and before he did not think the horses would be held to be “ under proper control ” if they were being trotted along.

We would call the attention of the authorities of the town to the necessity of calling a meeting to arrange a fitting celebration of the Coronation in Te Awamutu. Other places very much smaller than this have their arrangements already well in hand, and unless something is done soon we shall be too late to give an adequate expression to our feelings of loyalty and respect to the Throne. We do not think for a moment that this matter has been neglected thus far through any feeling of disloyalty, but simply through neglect on somebody’s part to take the necessary steps to convene a meeting to make the necessary arrangements. We would suggest that the worthy chairman of our Town Board take the matter in hand at once, and convene a meeting of citizens at an early date, and so give an opportunity for all in favour of the project to air their views on the matter.

in another column notification is given by the Te Awamutu Town Board that all sanitary! accounts unpaid for the quarter ending March 31st must be paid at once. Vehicle and drivers’ licenses are also due.

At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Druids’ Lodge held last evening Bro. W. Groves was unanimously elected to Jfce position of secretary, a vacancy which had been caused by the resignation of Bro. J. Stewart.

We give a final reminder of the dancing classes arranged by Misses Lennon and Schulze, to commence in the Town Hall on Thursday. Pupils will be taken from 7 to 8 p.m. on the opening night, following which a dance will be held as advertised in another column, to which all are invited.

That bridge players are devoted to the game was evident from the large number present at the Tournament held in the Town Hall on Friday evening. Some very enjoyable play followed, which resulted in Miss Mitchell winning the prize in the ladies’ section, the gentlemen’s prize going to Mr H. Jones. It is understood these Tournaments will be held regularly, an announcement which will be welcomed by all players.

While working on the road at Hairini yesterday contractors unearthed three skeletons from about two feet below the surface. Remains of a box were also found, the three bodies having apparently been placed therein before burying. Near by were a pair of scissors and several broken bottles. The skeletons are in a very good state of preservation, and to all appearance seem to have been buried at a comparatively recent date. We are at present unable to throw any light on this matter, but probably some of the older residents may have some recollection of the burial.

That Te Awamutu is growing is shown by the new residences in course of erection throughout the town. The erection of new business premises -is equally marked, more particularly »in Alexandra Street. On the corner of Market Street the foundations of a building to order of Mr D. Bockett for municipal chambers are practically completed, and this building promises to be a valuable addition to our town. On the corner of Teasdale Street Mr Teasdale has cleared his section to make room for extensive two-storied buildings, and this work when completed will be a decided improvemet to our business centre. To the order of Dr Henderson Messrs Wheeler and Irvine will at an early date proceed with the erection of shops in the section adjoining Mr J. B. Teasdale. With these and other prospective works, who can say but what Te Awamutu is progressive, and with the speedy allotment of the Crown sections opposite the Rost Office and the removal of the few remaining buildings to the proper frontage our main thoroughfare should prestnt a very much more modern appearance. We congratulate Messrs Bockett, Teasdale, and Dr Henderson on their enterprise in providing what has for some time been a greatly felt want — more accommodation —and feel sure their actions will meet with well-warranted success.