LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4460, 30 August 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Living for yourself alone, working for yourself alone, ypu will be foredoomed either to oblivion or to infamy.

Everything is in tram fpr the community singing which takes place at the Central Theatre to-night, commencing at 7.45 sharp. The committee has gone to a great deal of trouble in preparing a song-book, which contains some 78 popular songs partly selected from song-books used tn other centres. It is hoped that there will be a big muster to-night, anl thus back up the committee, who have devoted so much time and thought fpr the cause of the “Cheer song germ.” A striking example of the advantage of the Paerpa-Ngatea ca*- service was evidenced on Monday morning, when Brenan and Co’s large Hudson car arrived in Paeroa from the Plains with no less than fourteen passepgers aboard, besides luggage. An eight-roomed kauri house for removal is to be sold by public auction at Mr A. Parker’s auction mart, Thames, on Friday next, September 1, at 2 o’clock. Anyone desirous of erecting a dwelling on the Thames coast Or other residential site is advised to attend the sale. Particulars are advertised. Arrangements are being made tor the appearance here of the famous J. C. Williamson opera, "The Maid of the Mountains.” Mr Lionel Walsh is directing the tour. The opera will be presented to local .theatregoers on. a scale of magnificence nOt yet attempted on the overland tours. Mn Frank O'Sullivan, who was associated with his brother, “Tom Pollard,” for many years, is a head of the opera.

A somewhat weird story comes from a. little settlement not 100 miles from Hikutaia. A native took suddenly ill, exhibiting symptoms that pointed to an early dissolution. "Taking time by the forelock,” a party of friends immediately hurried to the nearest undertaker, and in record time returned with a grand new coffin —a “stock size,” but only tp find the patient still going strong instead of the joyfully anticipated preparations for the inevitable tangi- Placing the coffin well within view of the sick man the friends squatted near the bed to watch for the final flutter that precedes dissolution. Two of 'he watchers, whose thoughts apparently had led them to a similar conclusion, became all at once very alert, rose from their semi-decumbent position took the lid from the coffin, and, lifting the patient in a sheet, carefully placed him in the casket, which, with a little pressure here and there, was found to be a fairly comfortable fit. With a sigh of relief and satisfaction —for had not the perfection of the “fit” warranted the ex-penditure—-the patient was forcibly extracted from the coffin and replaced in his bed, the friends resuming the posture that uneasy thoughts had disturbed, but not until the box had been placed position—under-tbe bed. A'pparently that was the crisis, for the sick man “took the turn,” and is now making rapid strides towards recovery. The questions at present agitating the aboriginal minds are : who is to pay for the coffin ? and to what utilitarian purpose can it be put until its services are required in a legitimate way ? The invalid is the only one whom the psychological puzzles do not interest !

The ordeals of motor-car travelling over Netherton’s roads will soon be minimised, as broken metal is now being put into the worst holes between Carter’s -Corner and the upmetalled portion of road. A punt-load of metal has been dumped at Fisher's landing for the purpose.

Potatoes are evidently not a suitable food for poultry (says the “Levin Chronicle”). A local poultryman stated at, the meeting of the Poultrykeepers’ Association that a potato diet not only discoloured the eggs, but greatly impaired their keeping qualities.

An advertiser in the New Plymouth Herald who offered to give away five purebred Orpington hens which cost. £l2 12s, had no inquiries, though it was a perfectly bona fide effer, probably because people did not realise the position. Arrangements have since been made (the paper adds) to relieve the owner of his burden.

There has been in Masterton during the last few weeks something in the nature of an epidemic of hiccoughs. This is thought to be somewhat of a hardship in a np-license town (says the Wairarapa Daily Times).

A bullock waggon arrived in Gisborne a few days ago, after a threemonths’ trek from Taranaki. The outfit comprised a large waggon containing living quarters for the owner, Mr J. White and his family, who are on tour with him. Ten sturdy bullocks are the means of haulage, and by stages they have accomplished a 600 to 700-mile journey from Taranaki in three months, through the Bay of Plenty.

Overheard in railway carriage as the train drew up at a station not many miles from Auckland. New chum’s daughter : Oh, mother, look at the name of this station, Papa Kura. Isn’t it strange, because we came out on the Ma Kura. It would be funny if the next station is Little Kara ; we would then have encbunte.*ed the whole Kura family. (Explosion from the rest of the passengers). It is stated that during a brief but severe hailstorm at Pukeroro on Monday evening some of the lumps of ice which fell were as large as pigeon’s eggs. The area affected by the storm was very limited.

“Some people say that at £lO a horse-power electricity is dear,” said Mr Waters at a ratepayers’ meeting at Kairanga. “Well, we will compare it to a draught horse, tit takes threa acres to feed one, which, with land at £lOO an acre and money at 6 per cent., is £lB per annum. Add to this interest on cost of. horse (£5O), and the fact that he will die in 10 years, brings up the of the animal horse-power to £26 annum.”