Province and Suburb

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 270, 4 February 1928, Page 12

Province and Suburb

(From THE SUN’S Correspondents)

HUMAN SKULL FOUND ' NO OTHER BONES NEAR The residents, of Rangiwoa, near Taihape, recentily discovered a skull lying on a ledge beneath a waterfall course, which has been dry for some time. The skull is thought to be that of a European about 17 years old. Constable King, of Taihape, removed it. but was unable to find any bones. An expert lias examined the skull, but cannot say whether it belonged to a male or female. OTAHUHU PROGRESS BOOM IN BUILDING Some 70 railway servants, who are on transfer to the Otahuliu Railway Workshops, have selected sections in and around Otahuhu, on which their homes are to be erected, under the new housing scheme of the department. The work of erecting the homes will commence at once, and the following estates will receive their quota of new homesteads:—Oak-Nui, Otahuhu Central, Lippiatt’s Rose Gardens, Meadow Sweet, Franklynn, and Royton. MINERS’ EXAMINATIONS HUNTLY RESULTS In connection with the examination under the Coal Mines Act, 1925, for fireman-deputy and underviewer certificates, held on January 17 last, the following candidates were successful in obtaining certificates:—Underviewers: George Williamson, Glen Massey; J. Stirling, Huntly; I. Hutchinson, Huntly. Firemen-Deputies: Robert Lawson, Pukemiro; W. N. Currie, Pukemiro; William Byers, Glen Massey; Alexander Learmonth, Glen Massey; Thomas Mitchell, Glen Massey; R. Wilson, Pukemiro: J. Stirling, Huntly; J. Green, Huntly. DEATH AT HAMILTON MR. T. A. S. WARD Yesterday the death occurred in the Waikato Hospital of Mr. Thomas Abraham Stewart Ward, secretary of the Aria Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, aged 44. Mr. Ward was born in Leicester, England, and came to New Zealand 18 years ago. He took up land at Aria, 17 year ago, and later became secretary of the local dairy company. He initiated many improvements and was highly esteemed in the community. Mr. Ward, who had been ill for some months, leaves a widow and four children.

MOTORS IN COLLISION ACCIDENT AT RANGIRIRI A motor accident, with damaging results to one car and a miraculous escape to the passengers, took place last night at 9.30 o’clock half a mile on the Auckland side of Firth’s Pumice Works, Rangiriri. A service car, driven by J. Carter, on route to Hamilton, collided with a private car driven by E. S. Claude going to Auckland. In steering off to avoid the service car the Auckland-bound one was struck in the rear and had both hind whels ripped off and the rear spring and mudguards broken. The service car had a front right spring broken and a tyre punctured. The four passengers escaped unhurt, but one male passenger out of the five in the Auckland-bound car received a slight knock on the head. MANGERE DOMAIN IMPROVING SPORTS AREAS A progressive policy is being maintained by the Mangere Domain Board in the improvement of the playing area at the base of the Mangere Mountain. * Contractors have been engaged for some weeks past in levelling the sports ground, and their portion of the work is now practically completed. The surface has been covered with four inches of sieved volcanic soil and a good drenching of rain would be welcome to consolidate the formation. It is confidently expected that the grounds will be open for play toward the end of the ensuing football season, and should be among the best playing surfaces in Auckland or the surrounding suburbs. DECREASED OUTPUT FROM TAMAKI FACTORIES The continued dry spell is causing a decided drop in the delivery of milk to both of the East Tamaki factories. The whole of the countryside is at present presenting a very barren appearance, and what were once good watering streams are now nothing but a succession of muddy water holes, and practically all the farmers are spending the extra hours of daylight in carting water for fheir stock. The feeding of the cattle is being carried on with ensilage and hay, while a few with smaller herds are managing to keep their output up to somewhere near normal by providing the herd with bran and pollard mash. The delivery of butter and cheese from the respective factories has fallen to about half of the December output. This is due to the forwarding of milk to the town as the farmer-suppliers are unable to keep up, to their contracts.

TUAKAU TOWN BOARD OVERHEAD RAILWAY BRIDGE At a meeting of the Tuakau Town Board on Thursday evening, presided over by Mr. W. J. Taylor, advice was received from the Minister of Railways, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, that he would give careful consideration to the board’s further representations in regard to the terms for the local bodies’ contributions to the cost of the proposed overhead bridge for livestock at the Tuakau railway yards. Members expressed surprise that the erection of the bridge had not yet been started, stating that all the department’s conditions had been agreed to, the two local bodies concerned (the Raglan County Council and the board) merely asking that interest on the unpaid balance of their contributions should not start until the bridge was completed. It was decided to reply to this effect. The question of a water supply for the town was discussed, but members were of the opinion that ratepayers would not a loan for the purpose. It was decided to ask the No. 2 District Highways Council to have the roads passing through the town district—namely, Buckland and River Roads, George Street and Harrisville Road, and Liverpool Street and Bollard Road—declared subsidiary highways in continuation of highways declared to the boundaries of the town. A fee of £ 1 a year is to be charged for kerb petrol pumps, and no more than the present number are to be allowed.

HAXJRAKI PRODUCTION STILL SATISFACTORY The production of butter and cheese on the Hauraki Plains continues to be very satisfactory, and three of the four factories are still making more than in previous years. Only in isolated places is there a shortage of feed on aeount of the drought, and most of the farms -are now producing as much as ever at this time of the year and have feed to spare. This is largely due to an exceptionally fine growth of white clover though all grasses and crops which were well rooted before the dry weather commenced have continued to thrive. The soil contains ample moisture below the surface and the roots follow this down as the surface drys. The district has not been dryer for many years and drains which normally carry water all the year round now have big cracks in their bottoms. The drying of the ground has had some peculiar effects. Little hills and hollows have developed in lawns, buildings have settled down slightly so that wallpapers are showing crinkles and concrete cowyards have been cracked by the uneven settling of the ground beneath them. The dry weather is having a disastrous effect on the macadam roads and the loosened gravel is proving very slippery for motorists, particularly motor-cyclists, so that many minor accidents have occurred. • * * The Hauraki Plains County is probably unique in that every little township has street lights even if only two lights are sufficient to mark the “street.” The county council pays for tw 0 lights in each riding and the settlers foot the bill for the others. That is, except in some cases, for the people of Ngatea have neglected to make their annual contributions, and as a means of impressing on residents the necessity for prompt payment the committee has decided that the lights shall not be lit until the overdue account for electricity is paid, and the future financing is on a better basis. • • * The construction of the Hauraki bridge over the Waihou River between Orongo and Kopu is proceeding apace and the completion of the crossing is in sight. During the past week the turntable of the opening span has been kept rotating slowly machining the ways on which the roller bearings which will carry the weight of the span are to run. This work is now completed and the arrival of the last ,Qf the steel girders if eitp£eted>