THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4947, 5 March 1926, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cablegram from London states, that Dr. Crossley, formerly Anglican Bishop of Auckland, was knocked down by a motor van in London. His skull was fractured and he died shortly afterwards.

The excursion to the Waihi Beach on Sunday was not attended with the success that was anticipated in view of the very satisfactory results of the two previous excursions. The train on Sunday ran from Frankton Junction, calling at intermediate stations. The visitors from Waikato were very few, only six boarding the train at Frankton and eight at Hamilton. In all, the train carried fortytwo passengers.

Star of Paeroa Lodge,. U.A.O.D Monday, March 8, thirtieth anniversary, installation of D.P.; presentation P.D.P. Collar; visit of Bro. T. H. Wilson, Grand vice-President,. A. D. Bro. J, Darbyshire presiding at 8 p.m. sharp.*

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board the chairman observed, when the engineer reported that a transformer was being erected near Kerepeehi, that this was because of the Lands Drainage Department’s proposal to instal a. 40 h.p. motor to drive a pump to assist pie drainage. He had been laughed at when, some years ago, he had predicted that surplus power would be used for assisting the drainage of swamp lands. Later in the meeting it was stated that the Lands Department also proposed having three 150 h.p. motors installed for the purpose of driving pumps on the Kerepeehi block, where during flood times the land is lower than the level of the river for long periods.

Two children were poisoned at Wanganui on Friday as the result, it is alleged, of eating apples that were not wiped after being bought from a hawker. Immediately after the girls had the fruit their legs became temporarily paralysed, their tongues became black, their eyes swollen, and their brains affected. Their parents lost no time in enlisting medical aid, and antidotes were administered. The suffering of one girl was rendered more acute because she ate a whole apple, while her friend swallowed only a few mouthfuls.

It would be difficult to eclipse the beautiful reproductions that are a feature of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review” this week. The sporting section fully deals with recent racing and trotting meetings, and the Auckland Motor Racing Club’s cycle sports at Takapuna form a striking series. The artistic double page comprises famous American athletes, Christmas in the North Sea, and winter sports in Switzerland. Besides the usual series of stage and motion picture portraits, there is a wide range of miscellaneous pictures, embracing many of local happenings.

Rugby football will be commencing on the Hauraki Plains before very long. In accordance with a resolution of the management committee last August, the annual meeting of the union will be held during the present month, and some of the clubs have already fixed the date of their annual meetings. The decision to make an early start was arrived at owing to the interference of club competitions in previous years by representative matches.

Paeroa Presbyterian Church, Sunday, March 7, 11 a.m. Preacher, Mr F. E. Rapps, also at Waikino, 3 p.m. Rev. J. A. Ryburn, interim-Moderator at 7 p.m., congregational meeting following. Newcomers and visitors heartily welcome.*

The substantial fine of £15, with 7s costs, was imposed on Mrs E. Rutherford, owner of a piece of land at Okauia, by Mr J. H. .Salmon, S.M., at the Matamata Court on Wednesday, for failure, after repeated notifications, to clear away blackberry from the land, as required under the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act.

A slight accident happened to one of the special trains which was conveying portion of Wirth’s Circus from Waihi yesterday morning. As the train was shunting at Paeroa at the Hill Street crossing two of the carriages containing the horses and one other became derailed, and it was not until the afternoon that they were all reinstated on the lanes. The derailment did not cause any delay or inconvenience to the ordinary running of the trains, or to the circus, as the horses were transferred into other trucks.

At the February meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board it was decided to urge upon the Railway Department to have electric power installation in railway stations and railway houses. The department’s reply was to the effect that it had drawn up a comprehensive programme of electric lighting embracing all stations and departmental houses throughout the Dominion where current is available, including 261 railway stations and 890 houses. With the large expenditure necessary the work must be spread over a number of years, all installations to be taken in order of urgency.

Amongst the list of names of those who were successful in passing the C (final) examination for eligibility as Associate Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, is that of Mr Arthur P. Grant, B.E., of the local staff of the Public Works Department. To be a member of the Institution is the highest paper qualification to which anyone can attain in the engineering profession, and it speaks well for the mental calibre of the young men of the Dominion that out of the 136 candidates from all parts of the world who passed the final examination in October last 23 were New Zealanders.

Mystery surrounds the disappearance from Raglan, a week ago, of a

farmer named Arthur Willis, aged 53. Willis, who is a married man, but whose wife and family reside at Koromatua, occupied a three-roomed house on a farm at Raglan. On the Tuesday night he was supposed to go out fishing. The same night the house was destroyed and Willis has not been heard of since. The police searched the ruins of the house, but there were no signs of human remains in the debris. Parties have also been scouring the neighbourhood, but so far no trace has been found of the missing man, whom some suppose to have been drowned.

At the meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council yesterday a petition was received from J. J. Brown and four other ratepayers of the Karangahake riding asking that the portion of the Karangahake riding west of Dominion Road and including Rotokohu be transferred to the Paeroa riding, as it was thought that by this the administration, representation, and work could be carried out more efficiently from the Paeroa end. Cr. Corbett said that there was no question of the community of interest, but the matter could not be considered until the proper time for making such alterations, when it would receive attention.

Owing to the lateness of the notification of the postponement of the Auckland tennis match at Ngatea few other matches have been arranged for to-morrow. The Hopai club will play Ngatoa on the latter’s courts, and many handicap matches will be played.

At the Rotorua Magistrate's Court on Monday Richard Randall Keene, of Waipukurau, an absentee land owner, was fined £50 for failing to destroy rabbits on an area of 29,000 acres at Murupara. On application of counsel defendant was allowed until March 27 for payment of the fine.

The Waihi train’s dock at the Paeroa railway station was brought into use for the first time yesterday morning.

Does tobacco-growing in New Zealand pay ? The answer to that question is: Look at the rapidly increasing number of men on the land who are now turning their attention to tobacco culture in this country. The early attempts to put New Zealandgrown tobacco on the market (about 30 years ago) were, it must be confessed, disappointing. The samples produced were very crude. But modern methods of culture and treatment of the leaf have completely altered all that, and as an average crop of New Zealand tobacco is now worth £56 an acre (sometimes more) there can be no question about tobacco culture paying the farmer. As to the “weed” in its manufactured form, it is excellent. Unlike most of the imported brands, it contains very little nicotine, and may be indulged in ad lib without harmful results, while the toasting of the leaf (quite a new idea) develops flavour and aroma surprisingly. Undoubtedly this industry, already flourishing, is destined to become of national importance. Leading lines are: Riverhead Gold, mild; Navy Cut (Bulldog), medium; and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullhead), full.*