COUNTRY NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 170, 20 July 1928, Page 13

COUNTRY NEWS.

TE PUKE. Te Puke is now full of activity in the building line. King's Buildings, a handsome tvro-storeyed building with three large shops, and offices and living quarters upstairs, is now completed. Premises for Mr. J. Attrill's hairdressing saloon and billiard room are well under way next to Veitch's shop. The new Bank of Australasia on the corner of Jocelyn and Jellicoe Streets, will be readv for business nest month, while adjoining the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's premises a grocery and drapery shop are to be erected. The annual meeting of the Te Puke Cricket Club was held on Mondav evening, Mr. C. Montgomery presiding. The following officers were elected: Patron, Mr. J. Mahoney; president., Mr. T. E. Palmer; vice-presidents. Messrs. J. Attrill, sen., ,T. r-pcelton, 11. Cuff; secretary, Mr. IT. P. Ileggie; selector and captain, Mr. J. H. Ralfe: management committee. Messrs. J. H. Ralfe, Mason, Salisbury, Walker, Montgomery, Palmer, jun.. and Dunlop. Mr. Cummings was awarded the bat presented b.v Mr. Mahoney for the most improved player for the 1026-27 season. The first practice will take place on August 15. One of Te Puke's well-known residents, in Mr. George Pinckney Ford, died at his residence, Te Tumu, on Tuesday night. The deceased was a member of the Tumu Kaituna Drainage Board, the Kaituna River Board, the Muketu Cemetery Board, and took a live interest in local affairs. He had been ill for only a few days before his death. Mr. Ford will be greatly missed by the residents of Maketu and Te Puke, for he was well known and esteemed. He leaves a widow, who is at present on a. visit to England, and two sons —Mr. Freu Ford, who is a broker in Dunedin, and Mr. John Ford, who is manager for Flax .Lands Development, Ltd., in this district.

OHAKUNE.

At ilie monthly meeting of the Borough Council, held on 10th inst., the Klectric Liiglit Committee recommended that the contract for supplying electric current to the Railway Department be renewed at the pate of <>d per unit net, to include also the railway huts, the hostel, and the railway premises at Rangataua. It was also recommended that a new runner be ordered for No. 1 turbine at an estimated cost of £110. The picture proprietor wrote, stating that the net profits for the last two months, from Sunday pictures, amounted to £7 6/, and he proposed donating them to the local school cocoa fund. A meeting of the Rugby Sub-Union was held on Monday evening. Taihape SubUnion wrote, stating that the Ruapehu reps, owed Taihape an inter-Sub-Union match, and if Ruapehu intended challenging for the Main Trunk Cup this would mean another visit. After discussion, it was decided to advise Taihape that owing to the very poor gate receipts obtained so far this season, Ruapehu is not in a position financially to make either trip. Under the direction of a committee of Horopito ladies a very successful social was held on Tuesday evening in aid of the Ohakune Presbyterian Church. A programme consisting of games, competitions and musical items was presented. Musical items were rendered by the following:— Miss-es Haddock, Lodge, Veale. Ede and Rodsers.

WHAKATANE.

At the second annual meeting of the Whakatane Defence Rifle Club the president read a full report of the operations of the club during the past year and complimented the club upon the satisfactory position disclosed by the balance-sheet. The election of officers resulted : President, Mr. .7. M. Curtis; vice-president, Mr. ,T. Keeley : honorary secretary. Mr. E. W. Newton (re-elected) : honorary auditor, Mr. J. M. Curtis (re-elected). Committees were elected as follow : General committee, Messrs. Edward Law. A. J. Moore. R. S. Atkinson. W. Howatt \V. J. Armstrong, F. B. Cutler. C. A. Timbs: shooting committee, Messrs. Edward Law. F. B. Cutler. A. J. Moore. \V. J. Armstrong and R. S. Atkinson. It was resolved that the club donate £4 4/ towards providing a challenge cup for competition among the Bay of Plenty clubs; also to recommend the general committee to go into the matter of erecting a field telephone on the club's range and to write to the South Auckland Rifle Association for information re the formation of a rifle association in the Bay of Plenty.

OTOROHANGA.

The annual meeting of the Bowling Club took place last night, Mr. T. Tomlins presiding over an attendance of 40. The balance-sheet showed a profit on the past year of £40 10/1. Improvements valued at nearly £50 had been made to ground and buildings daring the year. The membership in the past season was 48. The following officers were elected: Patron, Mr. R. Green; president, Mr. 11. Crosby; vicepresidents. Messrs. G. H. Fry. C. B. Message and P. H. Rowe; committee, Messrs. J. Turn bull, W. Babe, J. C. Quinlan, A. Morley and R. Bell; green superintendent, Mr. J. H. Saunderson; match committee, Messrs. Fry, Saunderson and R. Porter; secretary, Mr. H. W. Atkinson: auditor. Mr. ID. T. Gorton. Mr. J. J. Walker's herd averages under the New Zealand Herd Testing Association show that the herd of 86 cows averaged 332.01b butterfat in 275 days. The herd includes 20 two-year-old heifers. The 12 highest cows averaged 4471b butterfat and the 20 heifers 2801b butterfat. The following will represent the Otorohanga Golf Club against Te Awamutu on Saturday : Mesdames Smith. Boles, Cowern, Ellis, Simms, Misses Barker, Lawson, Kerr, Hopkirk, Messrs. Black, Francis, Craig, Fortescue. Rees. Fry, jun., Ellis, Cox, Morley, Fry. sen., Alexander, Selbie, Whyte. The M.U. Oddfellows recently opened a lodge in Otorohanga, and have a membership of 30. Last night a most successful ball was held in the Town Hall, attended by 200 dancers from all parts of the district. Mr. W. Nelson, who secured first prizes for honey at the Auckland Winter Exhibition in 1025, 1026 and 1027. had a number of his finest jars of honey broken when taking them up for this year's show, and only got second place for his exhibits. He has one order from an Auckland specialist for five tons of lioney for the coming season. Mr. William Baucke, whose book, "Where the White Man Treads," has just been reissued in a second and revised edition, had the misfortune to fall from a ladder whilst working in the country, and has been confined tt> bed for some days. At 81 his mental and physical activity is remarkable. Intensely cold weather has been experienced locally this week, the thermometer registering 12 degrees of frost on Tuesday and Wednesday and 10 degrees on Thursday. A baby carnival, in aid of the funds of the Otorohanga Plunket Society, which intends building a Plunket and rest room at a cost of £350, is to be held next month. The annual report shows that during the past year a total of 1888 cases were treated by the nurse at the local branch. Four huge cream tanks, each weighting 4J tons, have Just been installed in the local factory of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, Ltd. Each tank holds 2000 gallons of cream, and being glasslined, is easily cleaned. The tanks are also jacketed with a refrigerating mixture of brine, which enables the cream to be kept at an even temperature. The Otorohanga Rural Credit Association held its statutory meeting and has elected the following directors: Messrs. H. A. Lurman, G. D. Hall. J. J. Walker, and J. C. Petersen. Loans totalling £3050 have been approved, and .applications are coming in regularly. Mr. Lurman was appointed chairman and Mr. J. F. Trapski secretary.

At » farewell social to Mr. and Mrs. C K. Birchall and family at Kio Kio, Mr Birchall was presented with a solid leather suitcase, Mrs. Birchall with a handsome travelling rug, and Misses Doris and Ruby Birchall with solid leather blouse cases.

TAURANGA.

The quarterly meeting of the Tauranga Fire Board was held on Wednesday, when there were present Messrs. H. Clav, T. L Blnney C. Whiting, and Jas. Padlle, 'superintendent of the brigade. I nhis report for the quarter the superintendent stated that* alterations authorised at the main station had been held up on account of electric wiring. Some trouble had been experienced with the new electric alarm service during stormy weather, and it was recommended that the syren be periodically tested. Two member? of the brigade had left the district. Messrs. W. Griffiths and D. McPbail were appointed to fill the vacancies. The annual meeting of the fire brigade was held on Wednesday night in the social room at the main station. Mr. .T. Padlie presided, while Messrs. B. C. Bobbins and F. Armer were also present. The balancesheet showed the brigade to be in a sound financial position, generous support having been accorded by the public and the Fire Board. Competitions had resulted as follows: Superintendent's medal, won by Fireman W. Padlie; deputy-superimtendent's medal, won by S. Snowden ; Mr. McNamara's trophy. Fireman Bickers; Campbell. Ehrenfriend and Co.'s Cup, Foreman A. Stewart;

*- u P> Bickers; Foreman's Stewart s shield. H. Bickers. A medal presented by Deputy-superintendent Snowdcn. tor the runner-up in the Randle Cup. was won by Foreman Stewart. Service medals were presented to members for service, ranging from Superintendent Padlie's ll» I years down to seven years. The Rotorua brigade was successful in winning the Chilton Cup in competition among Bay of Plenty fire brigades at Tauranga, held "daring the year. Officers were re-elected. Councillor A. X. lies presided at the monthly meeting of the Tauranga Borough Council, in the absence of the Mayor (Mr. B. Dire). Several requests for improvement to streets were received and referred to committees. The matter of extending the street lighting electric service to the railway station was referred to the electricity committee. It was resolved to ask the Public \\ orks Department to improve the town clock tower at the post office to protect the clock from the weather. Letters were received from the Chamber of Commerce and the iacht and Power Boat Club, urging the Council to take steps to provide public saltwater batl.s. It was resolved that a reply be sent stating that the matter would receive consideration shortly A *>/« per cubic yard for the delivery of Good yards of Aongatete stone on the foreshore was accepted, and the engineer wasinstructed to proceed with the erection of elevator and screen at the crusher. It was decided to procure a new car for the enei- ? n ~t n .make an allowance for a motor ejele to the inspector of 10/ per week. Owing to the fact that a two-days' show Til'! b , e bo,d n . ext year - the annnal subscription for members was increased to £1 It 1?' to „. r . un a district court at the next Hamilton W iutcr Show. A proposal to organise week-end excursioiis to Tauranga was placed before Mr D InTirwi ,i SJ ? uJ « le Railway Pepartment intended running a number of the trips in the near future, and arrangements were made with a local committee to secure Its co-operation in making trips to local places of interest and in registering the local accommodation so that the Railway Department could, when booking excursionists, also book board and lodgings in Tauranga.