OPUNAKE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 September 1924, Page 7

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

PLUNKET SOCIETY. The monthly meeting of the committee was held on "Wednesday, Mrs Watt presiding. The secretary (Mrs T. S. Hickey) reported tha,t the concert recently held netted a return of £9 15s 6d, expenses in connection therewith being £4 13s, gross takings £l4 8s 6d.

A. vote of thanks to those who had assisted in the concert and its preparation was carried unanimously. It was decided that the financial position did not at present warrant the society in arranging for weekly visits of Nurse Dix. An effort will be made later on to raise funds, when it is hoped that the response will enable the more frequent visits to eventuate.

Mrs Hickey intimated that she was shortly taking a three months’ holiday, and asked to be relieved of the secretaryship for that time. Reference was made to the interest taken in the work by Mrs Hickey, who had faithfully carried out the many duties pertaining to the position since the inception of the society. It was unanimously resolved to place on record the member’s’ thanks and appreciation of the services rendered by Mrs Hickey. Mesdames H. Barraclough and A. Richards were appointed joint acting-secretaries.

SACRED CONCERT

A large attendance of the public greeted the second of; a series of sacred, concerts given by the management of the Federal Band in the theatre on Sunday evening. The band are doing very excellent work under the, able conductorship of Mr J. Humphries, who. has spared neither time nor expense in carrying out the task voluntarily taken up by him. It must be very gratifying to Mr Humphries and the committee to have the public show their appreciation of the work of the band, as was so freely demonstrated on Sunday evening. The programme was greatly appreciated, and the numerous items,were each recalled. If the standard set, in the concerts that have been held is maintained in the succeeding ones the audiences will be well repaid for their attendance, “and the funds of the band should be substantially strengthened.

OBITUARY. The sympathy of their many friends is extended, to the Rev. and Mrs H. A. Moore in the sad bereavement'they have suffered iu the death of their daughter Dorothy, aged two yearsj who passed away on Saturday morning after a short iUness. There was a large attendance of sympathisers at the funeral, which took place on Monday. Rev. J. D. Smith, of Manaia, conducted the last sad rites. OPUNAKE POWER BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Electric Power Board called for the 12th inst. was postponed to the 16th inst. on account of the notification coming to band on the 11th inst. that the Gover-nor-General had appointed the five representatives of the Egmont County district selected by the meeting of ratepayers in the Town Hall recently, namely, Messrs W. L. F. Chambers, J. S. Tosland. J. Hickey, junr., E. A. Collins, and T. H. Sinclair. There was a full attendance of members on the 16th inst., Messrs C. A. Trotter and J. P. Burton being in addition to the five named above.

The chairman explained that the meeting had not been called with the due statutory notice, but in view of the election of the town representatives being held on the morrow he desired to meet the recently-appointed members. He said it would. rest with the meeting whether the ordinary business would be dealt with or not to-day. He extended a welcome to the new members.

It was unanimously resolved that the meeting be treated as an ordinary meeting ,nnd the business be dealt with.

After the minutes had been confirmed Mr Tosland said that, provided the notice of motion given by Mr Sinclair to “revoke a resolution passed at the April meeting of the board, by which the representative of . the Opunake Times was excluded from the hoard’s meeting,” was in order, he would move that the same take precedence of business. After some discussion the meeting unanimously resolved to take the notice of motion, which was seconded by Mr Tosland and carried unanimously. The decision was conveyed to the Times office by telephone, and a. reporter was soon in attendance.

The chairman gave notice of motion that he would move at the next meeting of the hoard that the resolution agreeing to sell power to the Taranaki Power Board be rescinded. He explained that when negotiating the Taranaki Board had agreed to erect a special reticulation line to take the juice from Awatuna, whereas that board now proposed to take it over the Kaponga Board’s lines. The engineer explained that the proposal to float through on the Kaponga system was altogether a different proposition to that placed before this board by the representatives of the Taranaki Board, and it was not feasible nor practicable for us to supply current under such an arrangement. Mr Tosland said that he hadi been approached by settlers in the Warea and Puniho districts, who are anxious to have the power lines extended to that area.

It was resolved on the motion of Mr Collins that the hoard call a meeting of those interested in that district, to lie held at Warea on a date to he arranged, with a view to ascertaining what support would he forthcoming and to discuss the matter of extending the inner area.

On the motion of Mr Chambers it was resolved to advertise locally the special rates charged by the hoard to consumers for heating and cooking, namely, 2d per unit, with a minimum charge of 5s per month. Mr Tosland proposed that the Nopera road he the next road to be reticulated.—Seconded by Mr Collins and carried.

On the motion of Mr Tosland, seconded by Mr Sinclair, it was resolved that members be supplied with particulars of actual costs of milking plants working by motor, giving number of cows, size of milking plant, etc., and that members canvass farmers who are not already using electricity. Mr Chambers stated that, in his case with a herd of 39 cows the cost would not exceed £ll per annum. The chairman stated that he had given instructions to the .secretary to furnish to each member details of the expenditure of the loan to date, the revenue received and the expenditure; also the particulars of the estimated revenue for the next 12 months. The

latter amount, he said, on a conservative basis was over £6OOO.

On the motion of Mr Collins, seconded h,v Mr Hickey, it was resolved to commence the meetings at 11 a.m. for the future. Mr Harrop, of Pihama, wrote damnific damage for loss of two dairy cows killed by coming in contact with a fallen live wire. Consideration of the claim was deferred to next meeting.