LOCAL AND GENERAL

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 7254, 25 October 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Owing to Monday next being Labour Day a steamer will not leave Auckland for Tauranga that day, but the vessels Rimu and Ngatiawa will sail from Auck land at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, arrivhere on Wednesday morning. The Ngatiawa goes on to Ohiwa and Opotiki, while the Rimu is to sail for Auckland at 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening.

Those who contemplate spending the holiday on Monday at the Mount will have the opportunity of making the trip by the Ruru, leaving the Town Wharf at 9 a.m., and returning from the Mount Wharf at 4 p.m.

Much interest is being evinced in the competition for the Carter Cvp —presented by Messrs Carter and Co—to be held on the Camp, Tauranga, between theTauranga and Te Puke Fire Brigades on Labour Day. There will be events for one, two, three, four and five men, and the fact that the water supply is to be used in connection with the events will make for additional interest. The Te Puke team are the present holders of the Cup. The competition will commence at one o'clock. In the evening the visitors will be entertained to dinner at the Bell Tea Rooms, and afterwards to a smoke concert in the fire station. The question of testing a system of light railways in the Dominion is at present before the Government. Albert Dempsey, remanded from Tauranga and Whakatane, appeared at the Thames Court on Thursday to answer four charges of issuing valueless cheques to local business houses. Accused pleaded guilty to all charges. On three charges he was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence, and on the fourth he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The amounts of the valueless cheques totalled £21 goods in the way of clothing, rifle ammunition, also taxi hire being received in exchange. Accused goes on to Hamilton, where he will answer similar charges.

The new American liners are to carry 4000 persons, 3000 passengers and 1000 crew, so that the housing question in New Plymouth would be easily settled were one of them anchored off the coast with a few launches -to bring people into the town. Children could go to school on board. —Taranaki "Herald."

A splendid pictorial budget is contained in this week's issue of the Sporting and Dramatic Review. It is particularly strong on the racing side and covers the Auckland Trotting Club's spring gathering, the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting, the Randwick contests and the Whangarei meeting, together with other interesting photographs relating to the sport of kings. The miscellaneous section also embraces an attractive series.

The auxiliary schooner Fairburn arrived from Auckland yesterday with . general cargo. She left this morning for Motiti Island to load maize for Auckland.

There will be no issue of the Bay of Plenty Times on Monday next —Labour Day.

Recently a young dairy farmer near Opunake, (states the Stratford Evening Post) decided to marry. On the wedding day he milked the cows as usual, motored a distance of 36 miles and said " I will, " and returned home by motor with his bride in time for the evening's milking. Obliging neighbours, however, packed him off on a honeymoon.

The potato blight has made its appearance among potato crops in this district, but so far has not made very great headway.

An addition to the ranks of local sportsmen, in the person of Mr R. E. Wright, has to be noted. Mr Wright has purchased a farm in the Omanawa district. He is the owner of the well-known racer Glenspire (which will probably be a competitor at the Bay of Plenty races on December ioj, and also owns a Marble Arch colt.

It was alleged by the member for Palmerston North in the House of Representatives on Thursday that about 200 men have drifted away from the Mangahoe hydro-electrical development works because the rate of 12s per day (which was the basis of contract rates) was too low. The Minister of Public Worke, in defending payment of the amount, said it was fixed by Cabinet as a standard Public Works' wage, and contract prices were arranged to enable men of average ability to earn it. Mr Nash : That's not enough. The Minister retorted that if higher rates'were paid the Government would be competing against other employers and dragging men away. He knew the weather had been bad, and had prevented men from earning full wages, but he would get the engineer's report whether, on the scale fixed, the men at Mangahoe could earn good wages.

The District Public Works Engineer, with an overseer, was in Waihi on Wednesday afternoon and interviewed Mr J. E. Slevin, borough foreman, in- respect of getting three or four men to commence the construction on Monday next of the Frankton Road bridge. Settlers residing on the south-west side of the main Wai-hi-Katikati road have all along, in consequence of the lack of direct means of communication with the main road, suffered considerable inconvenience, and the construction of the bridge in question will save the settlers in the locality a long detour in order to connect with the main road. Teh bridge, when completed, will fill a long-felt want.—-Waihi Telegraph. The Minister of Lands states that 3000 acres of Hauraki Plains land is now open for soldier settlement. The Postmaster advises that Monday next, being a holiday, only one fujl delivery will be! made by letter carriers, commencing as early as possible in i the morning. Mr J. T. Merry, town clerk of Opotiki, is spending a few days in Tauranga. The annual meeting of the Tauranga Businessmen's As-1 sociation will be held in the Coro-1 nation Hall at 8 p.m on Friday next. j