Brief Mention.

Matamata Record, Volume XIII, Issue 1111, 3 April 1930, Page 4

Brief Mention.

Mr. J. S. Robertson, of the Matamata post office staff, was called away to Dunedin on Monday owing to the serious illness of his father.

During the present season steps will be taken by the management committee of the Matamata Rugby Union with the object of securing its own ground.

Mr. John Harding, of Turanga-o-moana, has sold his farm of some 200 odd acres to Mr. Wattie Holmes, of Okoroire.! Mr. Holmes takes possession on the 26th of this month.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board a motion was passed wishing Mr. J. .B. Thomas a speedy restoration to health, and regretting his absence from the meeting.

Miss Annie G. Robertson, in a letter to the Rev. A. C. Hampton, makes it known that she desires the invalid chair which was given to her late father by friends should be held in trust by the Presbyterian Church for the free use of Matamata people regardless o-f denomination. The right to the use to be first of all confirmed by the local doctor.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board a letter was received from the Putaruru Beautifying Society stating that it proposed to put the circular space round the power pole near the post office down in grass with a rockery at the base of the pole, and asking if the board had any objection. The*: board agreed there was no objection j to this proposal and granted permis- , sion.

The attendance figures for the Matamata Primary School for the month of March are as follows:—Average roll, 187; average attendance, 180.5; percentage of attendance, 96.5. Reporting or the above figures j the headmaster stated that tne ppr- ; centage of attendance was excellent, ! but that an average of 201 was ne- i cessary to retain the present staff. \ Most probably Miss Brown, who was , leaving at the end of the term, would I not be replaced. J

• According to the March number of the Journal of Agriculture the leading junior two-year-old Jersey cow tested last year under the C.O.R. system was Ivondale Oxford Lass, tested by Mr. R. S. Tuck, of Waharoa, which yielded 12,1081 b of milk and 7311 b of butter-fat in 36§ days. The average yield of the 164 junior two-year-olds tested was 3881 b of fat. “ Meter readers are now interviewing consumers daily in the course of i their duties, and in order to give ! every service possible weekly reports ' are forwarded to the head office, | stating any personal complaint or : mechanical defect of a consumer,” j stated the manager at Tuesday's meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board. “In addition, meter readers report at Te Aroha every alternate 1 Saturday to discuss with the executive any matter that effects the board’s work. This now brings the board’s officers in direct touch with the consumer.”

A small shipment of poles for the Thames Valley Electric Power Board arrived at Thames on March 27, by the “ Port Waikato,” direct from Newcastle and were railed to- Matamata and Te Aroha.

Messrs. H. R. Harding, F. Gibson, 0. McCabe and P. Catchpole, of Turanga-q-moana; ‘left/by motor car for Galatea 'and Lalge Waikaremoana for a fortnight’s deer-stalking.

Severe bruises were sustained by Miss Legge, of Tirau, on Sunday evening, when the horse she was riding bolted and threw her into a fence. She was motored to her home where she is progressing favourably.

During March the Thames Valley Electric Power Board connected up 12 water heaters, 7 electric ranges and 5 motors on farms. In addition 16 consumers had lighting and heating extensions and 12 motors ranging from 5 h.p. to 3;-h.p. were connected up.

On Tuesday last at Hamilton a dinner was tendered the Rev. J; T. Burroughs, late clerk of the Waikato Presbytery, and now Moderator for the same Presbytery, by the n&QiSi ters and elders of the Waikato Presbytery. Rev. A. C. Hampton attended from Matamata.

The total number of consumers conected to the Thames Valley Power Board’s mains is now 7264. There are now connected and operating 1943 water heaters, 367 electric ranges and 2337 motors on farms, of which 1889 are 2 h.p. milking motors.

Two loan polls were held at Putaruru yesterday. The first one, to borrow £BOOO for the erection of a Town Kail, was rejected by 101 votes to 32. The second one, to borrow £BSO for a recreation ground, was carried by 71 votes to 62.

A start with the metering of the Matamata district will be made next Week by the Thames Valley Power Board. The manager stated at Tuesday’s meeting that further supplies of meters had arrived and more would be available at the end of the month.

That farmers would have to take a more militant stand and that it was a disgrace that the wives and daughters of farmers had to go into the milking sheds, were opinions expressed by the retiring secretary (Mr L. M. Nicklin) of the Farmers’ Union at the annual meeting on Saturday.—Putaruru Press.

“We are selling an average of four electric ranges and 40 to 15 electric kettles a week,” said the manager of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board .at Tuesday’s meeting, when mentioning the increasing popularity of electrical household appliances.

'.Mr. T. Cochrane, of Tapapa, had a narrow escape from serious injury last week. He was riding around stock when his horse slipped and rolled over on him with the result that two ribs were fractured. He had to be carried home, but he is making satisfactory progress towards recovery.

“It is strange that our job is to sell electricity, but the principal work of our mechanical staff of late has been to show people how to economise in the use of power,” remarked the chairman of the Thames Valley Power Board, Mr. F. M. Strange, with a smile at Tuesday’s meeting. “ Still, our aim is to give satisfaction to consumers,” he added. <

The headmaster of the , Matamata Primary School advised the school committee on Tuesday that the first Tuesday in the month was a more satisfactory day for meetings than the last Tuesday, and if this day could be adhered to it would facilitate matters. The committee decided to leave the question for the annual meeting of householders to deal with.

The following nominations have been received for the most popular girl, Matamata, 1930: Misses Ella Johnstone (14), Frances Bowers (10), J. Kilbride (8), M. Mclntyre (6), M. Fitzgerald (4), May O’Hara (4), Phyllis Whitworth (4), Eva Johnstone (4), Lena Roberts (4), M. Barton (4), I. Rowe (4), K. Darragh (4), M. Delaney (4), V. Cowan (4), Arnold (2), C. Cranson (2), M. Skelly (2), K. Mann (2), N. Barnes (2), L. Ryan (2), M. Molloy (2), J. McCardle (2), C. Delaney (2), C. McIntyre (2). ‘Many informal nominations have been received, includingmarried ladies, and gentlemen both married and single.

i A peculiar game-bird has made its appearance on the property of Mr. T. H. Prowse, Matamata. The bird is slightly smaller than a pigeon, has a long eel-shaped head and neck with golden feathers on the breast, while its tail is somewhat lengthy and about two inches wide. The bird',is fairly tame and cheeky, and has been frequenting Mr. Prowse’s orchard for some days. Though water and grain have been placed for it, so far there is no indication that the stranger is helping itself to the food offered. Mr. Prowse has had good experience of game-birds, but cannot place this specimen, which has the ways of a pheasant, but looks like an impossible cross between that bird and a sparrow-hawk. “ A considerable amount of work has been done in clearing trees during the past month,” stated the engineer’s report at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Power Board. “ There is still a great deal of clearing necessary, and consumers can help by seeing that their properties are clekr before the stormy weather sets in. Any damage caused by trees is charged to the owner of the trees, but this is no satisfaction to those whose supply of power may have been interrupted. Notices are being served on the owners of properties where trees are most dangern

Mr. F. N. Truelove, of Matamata, leaves next week for Wellington, in which centre he Will take over the management of a licensed hotel.

At the annual conference of electric supply authority engineers in Wellington in June a number of papers will be read by electrical engineers. The use of electricity in drainage and in agriculture are among the subjects to be dealt with.

Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Arnold, “ Wairere,” Turanga-o-moana, have been paying an extended visit to the South Island. They visited their daughter, Mrs. J. Brinsted, at Fendalton, Christchurch, and they later visited Mrs. G. Hewitt, of Upper Riccarton, formerly of Turanga-o-moana. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold also' visited Oamaru, Timaru and Dunedin-.

The Thames Valley Electric Power Board has experienced trouble where its lines cross swampy country. The poles along Ivlaukoro canal became quite loose during the dry weather, and it had been necessary to fill and ram round them. In The peat country near Kaihere some iof the poles are rising out of the ground, and it will be necessary to resink them. On two of the poles the blocks which were bolted to them have risen clear of the ground. When the poles were erected the tops of these blocks were well below the surface. «

Two teams from the Matamata Fire Brigade competed in a Cambridge hire Brigaae tourney on Saturday. The members maxing the trip were Messrs. A. Goodwin, C. Hill, K. Henry and K. Tong. Though not successful in gaining a place in the award lists, tne members concerned enjoyed the experience, which was largely of an educative nature. With the exception of Mr. Goodwin, the members of the teams were inexperienced, having never taken part in a competition before.

After an absence of nearly 30 years, Mr. Jack Landells, of Matamata, New Zealand, is paying a visit to his birth-place, Coburg, and staying with his brother, Mr. W. G. Landells, J.P., In his youth Mr. Landells was well-known in the athletic world. He played football with the Brunswick, Coburg and Preston clubs. In New Zealand, where he is engaged in pastrol pursuits, he has represented various counties playing in the Rugby code.—Brunswick and Coburg Gazette.