LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6441, 22 January 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

One of the finest stretches of road in the Thames Valley is the road from Waharoa to Wardville. This road was recently put down by the Piako County Council and is a credit to all concerned. Such roads are a valuable' asset to the districts that are fortunate enough to possess them.

“I lost eight acres of turnips through the rain that came just before Christmas Day,” said a district farmer. “Out of the whole eight acres there is only about an acre that has grown.” As such a return would mean a waste of land for the season the farmer is going to break up the eight acres again.

The Waharoa Butter Factory has been having ail average output of about 16i tons of butter per day, but as the holding capacity is being increased an average of 18 tons per day could be turned out. The biggest one day yield was 20 tons 6 cwt. This record was turned out one day last year.

Mr Walker, manager of the Waharoa Butter Factory, informed a representative of the Te Aroha News that the dry spell in December considerably reduced the production of butter-fat for the month. The amount of butter-fat received at the factory was 406 tons in November and 350 tons in December. In November, 1923, 46 tons more was received than in November, 1922, when the total amount was '360 tons. In December 1923 there was a decrease of 22 tons on the amount received in 1922, viz., 372 tons.

The value of the Lawsoniana as a shelter tree is becoming increasingly recognised by district farmers. Mr Thompson, of Waharoa, has 250 healthy trees planted. These he sesured from the State Nursery at Rotorua. It will be of interest to local farmers to know that Lawsoniana trees can be obtained at the State Nursery at about 12/6 per 100 for year old trees. In order to make sure of obtaining them it is necessary to order some months before the time of planting. The Nursery can now supply orders for two-year-old trees of different species.

The ’phone number of J. E. Wild, housepainter, signwriter and paperhanger, is 208.*

The Education Department has offered £2OO reward for information leading to the conviction of person or persons responsible for the recent fires at New Market. and Epsom schools:

Two tenders for the completion of the concrete work on Stanley Road were dealt with by the Piako County Council on Monday. Messrs Dcvey and Ryan tendered £l2 per chain, and Mr Hickey £l6. The engineer’s estimate was £9 per chain. A private offer was made later by Mr W. Taylor of Paeroa to do the work for a sum of £lO per chain. Messrs Devey and Ryan being the lowest tenderers were offered the work at £lO per chain, but declined it. The work was subsequently let to Mr Taylor at £lO per chain. The length to be done is 108 chain*. . ' *

Phone number of Hy. Warner, wellborer. 250 Te Aroha. *

District Grand Master, Bro. Sayers, of Auckland, accompanied by other district officers of the M.U. Oddfelows, visited Waitoa on Friday night to confer higher degrees on members of the Waitoa lodge. Four members, including one lady, were recipients of the higher honors.

Probably the best line of fat lambs in the Wairarapa this season were killed out at the Waingawa works a few days ago. Coming off a Gladstone run, the mob of 1700, out of a 2000 flock, averaged 37 lbs.

The Health Inspector, commenting on the death toll from tuberculosis, says Auckland and Canterbury head the death lists, and that eighty New Zealanders died from tuberculosis during the last seven weeks.

Anticipating an early start being made with the Matamata drainage works, three contracts for which were let last week, the influx of labourers to Matamata has begun. Temporary employment has been found for one or two of them on Town Board work and private activities.

Large motor lorries, capable of carrying 150 sheep each, are being freely used in the Wairarapa for conveying sheep to various parts of the district. A splendid motor service from Masterton to Wellington is also decreasing the revenue of the railways.

Discussing the eruption of Ngauruhoe a Taumarunui Press reporter learned that when the main trunk line was being put through several years ago it was quite a common thing for the volcano to erupt, and explosions within the mountain could be heard amost daily by the men working on the line.

The Matamata Town Board decided to accept tenders for the sewerage scheme. For the reticulation work and the construction of a septic tank, the combined tender of Mr 11. Rothery, of Te Kuiti, for £4152 6/- was accepted, and for the main sewer that of Mr H. Adams, of Onehunga, for £7988 17/6, was accepted. One tender was declined. The whole of the work is expected to be completed in from seven to eight months,

“We were paid only 4d a pound for our butter in those days and had to carry it three or four miles, and then be paid in sugar and tea,” said Mr J. G. Oates at Carterton the other night, referring to the early development of the Wairarapa. And yet there are some people who do not appear to know what the co-operative factories have done for the farmer in putting his dairy produce on a sounder financial basis.

The road from Paeroa to Thames is in a very bad state just now, more especially after Hikutaia has been passed. There are so many holes that it is quite impossible to dodge them, and a journey by car is not likely to be forgotten in a hurry. At the Thames end workmen are engaged in putting down a tar sealed road, and satisfactory progress has been made. It is a pity, however, that the rest of the road does not receive some temporary attention, considering is is so much used. 1

“Kauris are one of the most primitive types of conifers to be found anywhere in the world,” said Professor Thomson, of Toronto University, prior to his departure by the Niagara recently. He had come to New Zealand with the object of examining them at first hand, and was much impressed with the quality and variety of their wood. As yet he did not know what could be done in the way of acclimatising them in Canada, but some investigations would be made along that line. “It is very probable that kauris are the stock from which the others conifers have descended,” concluded the Professor.

As showing that it was not all joy to be the owner of a cow, an Auckland man recently stated in Court how he had been aroused on a recent Sunday morning to remove a cow, presumably his, from a neighbour’s garden. For about two hours it resisted all efforts to round it up, even though attempts were made to lassoo it. Finally it was caught. Only then did he ; discover that it was not his cow. This experience prompted Mr J. W. Poynton, who was on the bench, to relate an episode concerning a Nelson resident, who, hearing a horse in his garden one night, hastily summoned the poundkeeper, and had the animal impounded. Next day he found it was his own horse.

Bank Manager’s Wife.—A Wellington lady touring North Auckland wrote to her husband that Q-tol was invaluable in soothing Sunburn and Mosquito bites. 2