NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1919, Page 2

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY.

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Registered for transmission through the post ao a newspaper.

I The completion of the main cutting on the Waiotera saddle has been causing the engineer in charge of th c railway construction some considerable trouble. The cutting, itself, was put through some time back but the sides have begun to move and th e steam navvy is busy keeping the track clear. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, yesterday made an inspection of the Tauraroa quarry. Operations were in full swing and both Minister and those who accompanied him were much impressed by the good work being done at this busy centre. The Tauraroa quarry is likely to b e a valuable aid to the roading of the North. An interesting relic of the war has come to hand for a Whangarei resident. Some two years ago he wrote a letter to a relative in the State of Virginia, America. By some means the letter came into the hands of the Germans—presumably by submarine interruption of the mail boat —and it has now come back to him bearing the stamp of the German censorship. In the course of conversation with a representative of the "Advocate" ' this morning Sir William Fraser, i Minister of Public Works, said that 1 so soon as the Wak>tera.-Oakleigh section of the railway was completed he would endeavour to arrange for i a bi-v/cekly or tri-wcekly -service on the line, if it were not possible to , complete the gap in time he pointed out that his department had made a good metalled road from Whangarei to Oakleigh and 'bus connection with < the service was quite possible. ■'* The VVaif/tera, Wakiekie and Mangapai districts art* fit; present showing serious signs of the effects of the drought. Paddocks are everywhere down to "bare bone," water-holes and creeks have dried up and the prospects ar e by no means pleasant. Sheup in the districts mentioned are generally standing well up to the drought, but cai,tlh of all kinds show a serious decline in condition. The dry weather, however, is offering a certain measure of compensation by way of opportunity to burn ] off scrub and noxious weeds. ~-— ! Referring to his visit to various portions of the North during hjs recent visit the Hon. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, told an "Advocate" reporter this . morning that he was struck by the absence of any surface men upon the roads. The condition of the roads in many cases was, he declared, due in a great measure to the lack of any supervision of water-tables etc. A j man with a horse could look after ! many miles of road and prevent '. water hawing down the centre in- ■ ! stead of m the 'water-tables. ] The Art of Washing Clean ; without Rubbing! Slice into copper I Oozs. of the pure "Golden Rule ! Soap, add small packet of "NO RUE- ! BING" Laundry Help boil briskly for , thirty minutes, then rinse thoroughly, blue and hang out. Result will i ] delight you.

The Bay of Islands Hospital Board has agreed to guarantee tne Hokianga County Council the sum of i'2oo a year for an adequate water supply to the Rawene hospital. The following have been elected as thf Kawakawa School Committee personnel:—W. S. Smith, W. Wilson, W. A. Bell, J. P. English, W. Jeffcote, Win. Smith, and E. Marsh.

Waiotera, the present railhead south of Whangarei is already becoming a commercial centre. Arrangements have been made f° r oue store to move forward from Tauraroa to that place and yesterday Sir William Fraser granted a lease to another applicant for a store site. In the course of the speeches at Waikiekie th e Minister was assured that Waiotera was destained to be one of the biggest centres in the North. Sir William concurred, but while recognising the undoubted prospects of the junction thought that for some years it would hardiv be as big as Melbourne. The Waikiekie branch of hi.' Farmers' Union, however, have no --•uch limits to their expectations.

At the statutory meeting of householders at Pakaraka, a protest was made against the totally inadequate school accommodation. A number of the settlers present spoke very strongly on the matter, some even stating* if the building was not enlarged they would seriously consider withdrawing their children from the school. A resolution was unanimously carried urging the new committee to take steps to bring before the Education Board the necessity of having the school building enlarged at once. The people of the district are insistently determined in this matter and intend to back the committee up in its request to the board. There are 35 children on the roll, and the building is a mere box. The Britannia Theatre re-opens to-night. *