LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 December 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is confidently expected that the community street lighting scheme for the business section of the Eltham borough will be “turned on” on Saturday night next. The Eltham Chamber of Commerce have succeeded in securing sufficient .support to enable them to secure a half page community advertisement in the special Christmas number of the Dominion. Ratana and party, who have been on a visit to the Old Country, are due to return to the Ratana pa on December 23. Already his Taranaki supporters are showing their interest, and some liave gone down to Ratana, where preparations are being made to give the leader a great welcome home. Upwards of 4900 natives from all parts of New' Zealand are expected to take part.

The summer flower show and sale of produce and w’ork, under the auspices of the Eltham Methodist Church, will be held at the Town Hall, Eltham, tomorrow afternoon and evening. At the present time there are many beautiful blooms in the gardens in and around Eltham, and there should be a ready response to the committee’s efforts to make, to-morrow’s show one of the best ever held in Eltham. The tea rooms at the show will be open all day from 11 a.m.

A little girl who strayed on to the railway line at Utiku the other dav had a narrow escape from death. She was a tiny tot under two years of age, and she wandered on to the railway line ]ust as a train in charge of Driver Atkins, - of Taihape, was coming into the station (relates an exchange). The child stood in the middle of the track in front of the oncoming train. Fortunately, the driver observed tile child" and applied the brakes immediately and the tram came to a stop within a’few' leet of her.

In conversation with Mr. W. Gilbert (pi6sid6ii± of the Hawera Retailers’ Association) this morning a Star representative learned that retailers are very pleased with the results of the community lighting scheme. Mr. Gilbert said he had not canvassed the opinion of retailers, but several had expressed their satisfaction. As sllow'lng the value of the scheme Mr. Gilbert stated that some shops which had not been connected up were now' coming m, and one shopkeeper -who was new to Hawera had immediately joined one of the first things he did w'as to have his shop included in the community lighting.”