LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2803, 20 November 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Throughout the Dominion to-day intermediate examinations for senior free place at high schools, and also Public Service entrance examinations are being held. The Paeroa Defence Rifle Club is holding a practice at the local range to-morrow afternoon in preparation for the club competitions, which commence on the following Saturday. The shooting will be at the 300 and the 500 yard ranges.

In a recent fishing empetition in the river at Mercury Bay between three visiting anglers several nice schnapper were caught, the largest being 171bs. n weight and the next 161bs. Mr Clements was the winner, the junner•it) being Mr. Booth.

The supplementary roll for the Thames electorate, which has just been printed at the "Hauraki Plains Gazette” office, contains the names of 1,061 electors, and Records the removal of 511 names from the main roll. There are thus 10,579 electors in the district, as compared to 10,703 in 1928. .

According to the statement of a Councillor at last meeting, the Coromandel County is to be congratiflated on its position as one of the lowest rated counties in New Zealand. He stated hat the Council was in a better finan■ial position than most, other local bodies.

One of the domestic water supply •’ams at Karangahake was emptied on Wednesday afternoon, and the residents of the township were without water until next morning, due to the breaking of the mains during blasting operations by some of the relief workers who are engaged in widening the Gorge Road. Warnings of the presence of the pipe by the County Engineer had been ignored* Temporary repairs were effected yesterday morning, but the road widening scheme will necessitate shifting the pipe in the very near future.

The approaches to the new Komata Stream bridge, which since the bridge was opened for traffic two months ngo, have been surfaced with rough river gravel, are now being completed. The rough metal has been blinded with sand and the whole road well rolled. Fine chips are to be laid and when this is done the road should be as good as any. The two months in which the new. filling has been subject to the weather and the traffic •should have caused it to consolidate properly.

The Main Highways Board’s steam road roller, while engaged in rolling the approaches to the new Komata bridge Wednesday afternoon encountered a soft patch on the upstream side the Paeroa end of the bridge and sank a couple of feet. Being t nable '< move Under its own power, the •idler, which weighs about nine tons, was raised by jacks until a firm foundation could be provided on big pieces of timber. The machine was able to recommence work at about 11 i.in. yesterday morning.

Of local interest in the Divorce Court. .Auckland, yesterday, was the petition for dissolution of marriage filed by Cicely Annie Hill, of Waihi (Mr (\ N. O’Neill) against • William George Hill, of Whangarei. the were married at Paeroa in 1914 and lived at Karangahakc, Paeroa and other places. In 1923 Mr Hill turned petitioner out of the house, and she then obtained a separation and 'maintenance order ■><rainst him. Mrs Owen, petitioner’s mother, gave corroborative evidence that the parties had lived apart since the date of the order. A decree nisi was made to be moved absolute in three months, with costs against the respondent.

Unpleasant jobs have to be done in printing offices at times, as in all other businesses, but a little job that was brought to the “Gazette” Office this week almost broke the hearts of the stall. It was none other than Io destroy about £GSO of bank notes. This was a two months’ accumulation -,f worn out £1 and 10s notes from one of the local banks, and although they had been plainly marked “cancelled” with a rubber stamp, it seemed a pity to cut them to pieces with the office paper guillotine. Two bank officials watched the oneration, and carefully collected all the pieces. At one time about £20,000 worth of £1 and 10s notes were cancelled each •veek by an Auckand bank, but since the Government tax on notes has been raised the banks have, in addition to doubling the charge for keeping customers’ accounts, been making the old notes last longer.

Shearing has been in full swing this past week in. the Mercury Bay district and the Whitianga saleyards have been availed of to a fair extent for that purpose.