NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22619, 23 April 1948, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Hospital Levy on County Based on an unimproved valuation of £5,087,137, the levy due from the Cook County to the Cook Hospital Board for the current year will be £10,598 4s, as against £10,764 last year. Waikaremoana Still Rising At 9 ajn. today the level of Waikaremoana was 1989.3 ft. above sea level, an increase of ,Ift. on yesterday’s reading. Since the beginning of this week the lake has risen .2ft. The rainfall recorded for the 24 hours to 9 a.m. today was .41m.

! Ngatapa Slock Paddock [ A proposal to close the Ngatapa stock ! paddock was recently notified by the Cook County Council with an indication that objections would be considered at yesterday’s meeting. As a result several objections were received at the meeting, these including Waikohu County farmers who use the Ngatapa outlet for their stock. One Ngatapa resident living adjacent to the existing paddock attended the meeting with the special intention of supporting the closing of the paddock. The council recognised the importance of the issue from ihe point of Ngatapa and district farmers, and instructed its stock-paddocks committee to visit Ngatapa and discuss with settlers the possible re-location of the paddock. County Boundary Alteration

“This transfer is long overdue. The Cook County has been carrying a large amount of traffic from the area,” said Mr. E. H. Baker, chairman of the Cook County Council, when a petition was received at yesterday's meeting from three upper Hangaroa settlers praying for the transfer of their properties from the Waikohu County to Cook County. It was pointed out that the three properties adjoined Cook County lands and that they would be a satisafetory addition to the county. The clerk reported t hat another settler’s propery had ! been involved in the petition, but that the trustee for that property had withdrawn his signature. The council : agreed to pass the necessary motion, supporting the petition. ! Revaluation of County Advice that approval had been received for the revision of the valuation of the Cook County, as at March 31, 1949, was received by the Cook County Council at its meeting yesterday from the officer in charge of the Valuation Department’s Gisborne office. The last valuation was made in 1939. The council agreed to meet the officer in charge tp discuss certain features of the revision respecting areas in which property sales have not recently given a lead as to current market values. Members commented that they anticipated a revision in the direction of higher values for properties on the Gisborne flats, and lower values for hill country. Late Start: Good Finish “The late arrival of monetary authorities made the prospects for the season rather doubtful, but the engineer has made Herculean efforts to complete the grant works, and I feel that he has done exceptionally well,” stated the chairman of the Cook County Council, Mr. E. H. Baker, at yesterday’s meeting, when the council was discussing road works. He added that the county clerk also earned a good share of the credit for the season’s completed programme. He moved that the council place on record its satisfaction with the results obtained. Mr. M. L. Holden seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The chairman also expressed his thanks to Mr. K. F. Jones and Mr. R. K. Gardiner, engineer and clerk respectively. “Nice Enough For Labour!” The difficulty of breaking down prejudices created by 13 years of Labour propaganda, based mainly on the fear complex, was commented upon by Mrs. Hilda Ross, M.P., Hamilton, in her address in the Opera House last evening. She recalled, as an example, a recent conversation with an hotel maid in a northern town which started from a casual reference to the difficulty of finding houses. The girl remarked that it would serve some people right if they had the National Party in power for a term, as then they would appreciate what the present Government was trying to do for them. Mrs. Ross laughingly admitted that she was a National Party member of the House. “Oh, _ I didn't know that,” replied .the girl in some confusion. “You’re so nice I thought you were Labour!” Public Service Civility A tribute to the excellent service she had had from the drivers of the road services between Hamilton and Gisborne, on her first journey over the route, was paid by Mrs. Hilda Ross, M.P., Hamilton, when she addressed a substantial audience in the Opera House last evening. Mrs. Ross said that a recent visitor to the Dominion had remarked that New Zealand civil servants offered neither civility nor service to the public. Her own general experience offered a flat denial to that statement, she said, for it was invariably the case that she received excellent service from public employees. The attention she and other passengers had received during her journey from the north was an example of this service, which left absolutely nothing to be desired