LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 January 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Accommodation at the Hawera hotels and boarding houses has been fully taxed since the commencement of the holiday season, record numbers of tourists having broken their journeys at this town. The majority of the visitors have had the mountain as their objective, and Hawera is growing in popularity as a “jumping oft ’ place lor that delightful scenic resort.

The Borough workmen will to-morrow commence on the clearing and t<\r-seal-ing of the southern flank of Neison Street, which locality is extensively used for parking cars. Later similar work will be carried out in Regent Street- between the Star Office and Furlong Street, the flank in front of the Methodist Church being the one to be so- treated.

Eltham, in common with most of the towns of Taranaki, is noted for the number of neat, well-kept gardens m and around the town. The gardens aie all looking particularly well just new and are a ’credit to the owners. Generally on a Wednesday afternoon in Eltham the main streets are pacaed with a large number of motor-cars, but yesterday it was remarkable to see so few, probably.due to the fact that many of the farmers are busy making hay, and did not come in as usual to town.

The police yesterday solved the mystery surrounding the recent theft of 5s 6d from the public library. The culprit was a small hoy, who will duly make his appearance before the Hawera Magistrate’s Court.

During the Christmas and New Year holidays it is not uncommon to hear of reports of crime committed in the various county districts bv undesirables who drift thence from the cities. Tins year, however, the Hawera district in particular has been exceptionally free from disturbances of any kind, and throughout the holidays the police here have only had occasion to- arrest one iiiebriatto. Tlio "oocl holiday record says a good deal for the commendable manner in which all have conducted themselves.

The great respect and esteem in which the late Mr. Dave Gallalier, captain of the 1905 All Blacks, was held is evidenced by the decision of the New Zealand Rugby Union that when the members of the present All Blacks team journey to France they will visit the last resting place of “Dave” and place a wreath on his grave.

At a dance in Oamaru on New Tear’s night a young lady was the recipient of a brown paper bag containing, as she probably thought, sweets; but on opening the bag a pretty little kitten was disclosed with a card around its neck with the words. “New Year Greetings,” written thereon. — North Otago Times. Many oat crops that have been in stook for eight or ten days are blackening and likely to be rendered useless unless there is a break of fine weather (says the Wairarapa Age). It was considered that much of the hay that passed through the ’flood period could be gathered, but this has not proved the case. Should the unsettled weather continue further heavy losses are inevitable with crops of all kinds. The borough engineer, Mr. J. Sturrock, this morning informed a Star reporter that it was his intention this year to recoat with bitumen six miles of the borough footpaths. There are iust over twenty miles of footpaths in the borough, and if this year's programme is carried out, and seven more miles done next year, the whole of the footpaths will then be in firstclass order. The electric light carnival to be held on January 21 by the Hawera Amateur Athletic Club promises to he an outstanding fixture, as the club has arranged for a visit by four of Wellington’s most successful athletes. The visitors will be Messrs C. H. Jenkins. D. Paris. D. Priestly, and E. V. Dunbar. .Jenkins and Paris are sprinters, Priestly is a, miler, and Dunbra is a field events man.

Burglars who. used scented soap to plug a safe which they dynamited, and cotton gloves to hide fingerprint clues, got nothing except drinks from blowing open two safes and forcing the door of the strongroom of the College of Pharmacy, Swanston Street, Melbourne. There was no money in the safe, but they found four bottles of dry ginger aLe and a bottle of whisky in the president’s cupboard. Two empty tumblers, gloves on the floor, and a nearly empty bottle of whisky, told the tale.

After a trip by ear from Auckland, Mr T. M. Ball, Public Works Engineer, of Stratford, says the roads generally are in very good order, the worst sin-etch being just outside Auckland. The deviation at the Rangiriris is being oushed ahead vigorously, and will soon "be completed, while the Awakino Valley road was in capital order.

While the employees of a leading Taranaki hardware firm were recently unpacking a tank of ironmongery (says the Eltham Argus) a terrible stench was experienced as soon as the receptacle was opened. They persevered with their task, however, and when the tank was about half emptied there was discovered a dead cat and seven kittens also dead. The animal had evidently crept into the tank when the latter was being packed in England, and had not been noticed.

Afforestation has a warm supporter in the person of the Hon. A. fib Ngata, who already has made a start on treeplanting operations on a minor scale at Wai-o-matatini. A manuka hillside near, his home is being prepared for the planting of pine trees, which will come in for .future use. Chatting with a Herald representative, Mr, Ngata said he was satisfied the replanting of the slippy country, spell as the Kai-inanga, was the only solution of such roading problems as this presented. The slips should be planted with willows until the ground consolidated and permitted of the planting of more useful timber. The Kai-inanga was formerly all bush clad, and there was no question that its removal had brought about the present condition of affairs.