LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10885, 11 August 1932, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The frosty weather and southerly breezes are Impeding the growth of grass. Last month there were sixteen frosts and so far for August eight frosts, last night being the sixth in succession. In Waikato districts the frosts have been very heavy, up to nineteen degrees being registered, while the maximum in the Tauranga district would probably be seven degrees. Generally speaking pastures are well top-dressed and harrowed and if light warm rains came there would soon be a good growth of grass. Reports from Pukekohe state that early produce crops have been nipped by frost, but nothing of the kind is reported in this district.

A special meeting of the Tauranga I Borough Council was held prior to the ordinary meeting last night to pass a special resolution in connection with the sale of property to the Crown. There were present, His Worship the Ma’yor, Mr B. C. Robbins and Crs lies, Bloor, Wallace, Newsham, Law, Whiting, Norris and Allely. An apology for absence was received from Councillor J. M. Daines. The Mayor moved: that the Tauranga Borough Council agree to sell to the Crown as and for. a recreation reserve, part of Allotment 527 Parish of Te Papa, County of Tauranga, containing 5 acres 2 rds 32pch more or less (subject to survey) for the sum of £25, the special resolution to be submitted to an ordinary meeting of the Tauranga Borough Council in September for confirmation as a special order. The motion was seconded by Cr Allely and carried. The property adjoins the racecourse domain.

The monthly meeting of the Tauranga District High School Committee, which was fixed for Tuesday evening, lapsed for want of a quorum, only four members attending. Mr B. P. Andrews, the Chairman, was away in Auckland, .and other members were unwell or absent from town.

The Matamata County Council is doing splendid work on its portion of the Tauranga-Matamata highway over the Kaimai. A gang of workmen are engaged in gravelling and the result is a good running surface. The gravel is obtained from a quarry on the roadside in a very handy position for transport in either direction. A number of sharp corners have been cut off and the roadway widened in places. A very noticeable improvement is the cutting out of the twin bridges on the summit by a small deviation to the westward, which removes a very sharp turn. The Matamata Council is to be complimented on the excellent improvements that are being carried out.

The serious work of the Council is often tempered with a flash of humour.. At last night’s meeting, in discussing the borough gardener’s report, Cr Allely stated that dogs were nearly as much nuisance as the cows. Cr Bloor asked the Mayor if the Council proposed selling some of the gold fish. The Mayor replied in the negative, although the Council might have a fish supper. No doubt these fish would have proved very palatable to King Midas. Perhaps Cr Bloor’s suggestion might meet with success, as we have not heard to date that there has been a decline in the price for gold fish. Or that! they were solid 14 carat or even 9!

The Tauranga Hockey Association’s fortnightly card evening was held in Foster’s Tea Rooms last night and was well attended. The prize-win-ners were Mr and Mrs Hartnett. A 8.40 last night when His Worship the Mayor enquired if there was any further business to bring before the Borough Council meeting there was no reply and accordingly the meeting was brought to a close, a surprise to all Councillors, for it is not for many a month that a Council meeting has ended at such -an early hour. The cold snap evidently has had the effect of livening up the meetings, for the fireside is much more acceptable than sitting listening to lengthy discourses on matters of rather less than national importance.

One hundred and fifty head of cattel are entered for the Loan and Mercantile Agency, Co.,’s sale to be held in the Judea yards on August 17. A reward of £lO is offered by Mr R. Perry for information leading to the identification and conviction of any person or persons removing timber from his section adjoining the school reserve on the MatamataTauranga Road.