LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 8 May 1914, Page 7

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Bert. Wallace,. formerly of the Whangarei Post Office, has been appointed postmaster at Hikurangi, and will take up his duties next week.

On Thursday evening a benefit In aid of the Whahgaroi Cricket Club will take place at the Lyceum Cinema, when a special programme will be screened. ,

■■•' The steamer Tokomaru is expected to sail from Whangarei Heads to-mor-row night with the biggest shipment of frozen stock that has yet been lifted from the port. ,

The members of the Auckland Education Board who will retire this year by rotation are Messrs E. 0. Banks (East Ward), J. D, MeKenzie (North Ward), and G. Edgecumbe (Wesjb Ward). It is understood that they will stand for re-election The election will take

place in August

It is Understood that the' tenders

are to be called at an early date, for Jβ-* the new Hikurangi Post Office. This announcement will be received by the residents of the mining township with

pleasure, as the present building- is unsuitable in every way for the steadily growing requirements of the place.'

The Irish national game of hurling is evidently going to become a feature in New Zealand sport., A club has already been established. in Auckland, and. a movement is well afoot to form a similar club in Wellington. Hurling is something akin to hockey, but is played with fifteen a side, and generally the Tules are such as to permit of faster play.: ' ■■■ ■■;.'.■' ■- V ■■.;;■-..' :

Good bags of teal ducks have been obtained in the'vicinity of the Kaipara lliver and the swamp districts, but not much in the way of other desirable birds has been secured. Those sportsmen who went into the hilly country and further north were fairly successful among pheasants, quail, teal and duck. The large number of pheasants going through from North Kaipara and the Wajroa show that some, sportsmen have had good outings. * ;

In spite of a gazette notice and the ■widest publicity some people are unaware of the fact that shooting of imported and native game is absolutely prohibited in Whangarei county for the present. season. Misconception appears to have arisen over the five mile radius prohibited area from Whangarei Post Office, and it was evidently thought that the shooting of the game referred to could take place in the county outside of it. This, however, l is not so—the whole county is closed.

There are now indications that the recent demonstration, organised by the local friendly societies on behalf of the children's ward at the hospital, is likely to result in the eclipsing of all previous records, including the magnificent effort made by'the commercialtravel- ,- ler;.! last year. Donations continue to reach th e treasurer, the latest being a surn'of £6 (per'Mr McGregor) subscribed solely by sr'hool children to provide a Whangarei Public School cot. With the usual subsidy the fund is approaching* the £300 mark, a limit which it is " id W attain before the accounts are closed. . ■.',.. :'-'•.'

A very good programme has been arranged in connection with the benefit concert which will be given on May 20 in aid of the North Auckland Court funds, and the indications are that the financial results will be very satisfactory.

• The Whangarei Senior Cadets paraded yesterday in their new uniforms of khaki, which giv c the boys a smart and soldierly appearance. The slouch hats, however, are gorgeous affairs with a brilliant' band round them of red, black and yellow.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of its members the Whangarei Chess Club is now a very live concern and regular meetdngs will be held throughout the winter months. A number of interesting games were played on Wednesday evening and a growing membership indicates that chess, to use an Americanism, has '' caught on locally.

The Weather Bureau reports:—Southerly winds, moderate'to strong; squally at times. The weather will probably prove cold and showery. The night will probably be very cold; then the weather should improve. Barometer rising. Expect high barometric pressure again. Tides and sea moderate.

Complaint was made toy a lady yesterday that a perambulator, which she had left outside a shop in Cameron Street had vanished, and for a time a suspicion of theft was entertained. The solution of the mystery was somewhat humourous. It appeared that a lady friend had wheeled the pram, higher up the road while under the impression that that was the wish of the owner. A stray pram, was naturally a rather conspicuous object, consequently little difficulty was met with in returning it to the anxious and inquiring owner. , The Kauri Gum Commission arrived in Whangarei to-day, having held a meeting at Opuawhanga yesterday. Whangarei will now be their centre for some time, during which they will visit the gumfields at Poroti, Mangapai, Ruakaka and Parua Bay. The Commission has travelled hard and covered an enormous amount of ground, having now visited and taken evidence in four counties —Bay of Islands, Whangaroa, Mangonui, and Hokianga. The chairman of the Commission is Mr Wm, Stewart, chairman of the Bay of Islands County Council.

"I say this without fear of contradiction, that there isn't a worse piece of metalled road /than that on TJikiponga anywhere between Auckland and th e North Cape," said Cr. 4 Grant at the meeting of the County Council to-day.

"It is simply scandalous," he concluded, "and we must take action right away." The engineer agreed that the road was very badly cut up in consequence of the Borough Council continuing to haul metal,over , it. After some discussion it was agreed that the chairman, with Crs. Mclnnes and Chadwin, go out and inspect the piece of road in question during the luncheon adjournment. Th e Mayor (Mr W. Jack) also accompanied the party, who visited the locality in a motor car. Further discussion on the matter had not been brought*up when we went to press.

"All I know about it is that I saw in the press report of their meeting that they had fixed upon the night they would meet and that they would meet here. They haven't asked whether they may or may not; they ar c simply going to ' meet in the Council Chambers. ' '' This was all the clerk could say at the meeting of the County Council to-day in explanation of the Whangarei School Committee having decided upon the use of the council rooms for meeting purposes, except that on one occasion when the committee came along in the ordinary course of things he had advised them, to write, to the Council and come ,to some .definite arrangement. This they had failed to

do. '' They burn our gasa and they dirty our floors! Who pays for that?" asked Cr. Morey. Some discussion followed as to what might be considered a fair rental for the use of the meeting room, and it was finally decided that bodies like the School Committee, who met monthly and burned gas, should pay three guineas per annum; others— agricultural societies or farmers meetings and the like, which were usually held in the day time—should be free.

. There are at present at the Municipal Buildings two ibeautiful silver shields, and each has an Interesting history. One is the emblem of victory secured by the Whangarei Court at the last Auckland winter show, and which for some months past figured in the North Auckland Court at the Auckland Exhibition. The other is known as the patriotic shield, and the engraven lettets upon it record the fact that it was subscribed for at the time of the South African war by the residents of Whangarei county. It was intended that this shield should !be competed for annually by volunteer organisations, but as the movement died in the advent of the territorial scheme, the shield was consigned to oblivion as far as any competition was- concerned. Inquiries have been made on several occasions regarding it, and kjuite recently the then Mayor, Mr T. H. Steadman, approved of suitable steps being taken' to offer it for competition. It is understood that originally there were certain conditions attached to the temporary ownership of the trophy—it cannot be won outright—and these, to some extent, would need amending to meet the presentday state of affairs. One suggestion now made is that the mayor and county chairman should meet some of the patriotic residents who donated the trophy with the object of arranging for it to be shot for annually by either the cadets or territorials.