OTOROHANGA INEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16268, 29 June 1916, Page 10

OTOROHANGA INEWS.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At the Chamber of Commerce meeting letters were received frears the Bank of New Zealand and the Union Bank of Australia declining, during the war, to open ; daily branches in " Otorohanga. It was decided to draw the Town Board's attention to the insanitary state of the main" street. The executive was empowered to deal with the matter of the valuation of native lands. The president said the valuations were being made as though land was being purchased on very easy terms instead of for cash. A committee, consisting of Messrs. J. Ormsby, Monntfoot, Parry, Phillips and Atkinson, was set up to investigate the matter of wiltW • Carriage between v Oiowhanga and To Kopua, a distance of 10 miles down , the Waipa River, up to . which point a Pirongia company is being organised to dear and deepen the river for motor and . barge traffic, to operate by next summer. If it is" found practicable to extend the service to Otarohanga great savings in freight charges on certain classes of goods are expected to be made. The drainage scheme between Te Kuiti and Otorohanga will operate,. to assist in the clearing of the river, atid.^ it-, should be possible to revive lighfcS river? traffic, such as the natives used in clden'days, 'as. far south as Te Kuiti. Good progress has been made with the erection of the new butter factory, and it is anticipated ifi will be opened by October 1. The Te Kuiti • factory is expected to reopen on July 24, and Gicrohanga suppliers , will, meanwhile, send cream there. For May and June the company paid out Is 3jd per lb for butter-fat, and a further bonus of Id per; ibis anticipated, bringing the average for cream delivered daily at the factory up to fully Is 4d per lb, "a figure hardly exceeded by any butter-making company. Mr. \V. Goodfellow, managing director of the Waikato Co-operative Dairy Company. Limited, addressed meetings of suppliers at Otewa, Maihiihi, Rangiatea, and Te Kawa last week, and gave figures of the growth of the . company's business. It is understood that the Minister for Railways is sending a Departmental officer down to report on the proposed drainage scheme between Te Kuiti and Otorohanga. Last July the railway service was badly disorganised between these points .in flood-time, and if the railway can be,,shown to benefit the Department will give financial help. Mr. C. W. Campbell, who has been a short' time attached to the' Presbyterian Church- 'ill'" Otorobanga r ; has been accepted for service in the ambulance corps, ana • leaves for training next week. The second monthly euchre social in aid of the Soldiers' Comfort Club realised £7 5s 6d net. Mrs. McPhee won the prize for ladies and Mr. Fitzgerald the prize for men. Mesdames Pettit and Holden and Misses Clarke and liushnell supplied music and the ladies' committee a dainty supper. Mr. Taylor was M.C. Mr. L. Poynter, Government orchardist, addressed the local branch of the Planners' Union this week on " The Farm Orchard." He gave a pruning demonstration in Mr. Murphy's orchard.