LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3823, 19 October 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A statutory first offender for drunkenness, arrested on Friday evening, was convicted and fined 10s by Mr W. Swain, J.P., at the local Court on Saturday.

It was shown at Friday’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Power Board that the staff has been exceedingly busy during the past month, and the total installations and extensions constituted a record month, there having been a total of 96 connected, including 15 lighting plants, 13 cow plant motors, and 14 separator motors. The grand total of connections in the Board's area now stands at 4538.

At the Empire Theatre on Thursday next the Dominion Sporting Club will stage the light-weight wrestling championship of New Zealand between Anton Koolman and F. Batros. Koolman is known throughout the Dominion as an ex-Olympic champion and as instructor of a great number of amateur champions, and he is recognised as one of the cleverest exponents of the mat game to visit New Zealand. In Batros he will meet a heavier man who is believed to be the strongest wrestler at his weight in Australasia, so Koolman will need to extend himself to retain the title he holds.

The band contest at Whangarei next week-end will see Te Awamutu Band busily engaged, for its members arrive in the northern town early on Saturday morning, take part in two contests in the afternoon and evening. compete in the test hymn competition and attend a church parade on Sunday, and also a united Sunday evening concert, and on Monday another contest is listed. The personnel of Te Awamutu Band totals 32, with Mr R. H. Close as conductor.

“We should rigorously fight to maintain our present status as a town,” said a member of the Leamington Town Board last week when the question of amalgamation with either the Cambridge borough or the Waipa county was again being discussed. The question arose when Mr T. Hounslow withdrew his notice of motion regarding the purchase of a motor lorry for the Board. He considered that when the Local Bodies Bill was passed in Parliament it was probable that the Leamington Town Board would be merged in either the Cambridge borough or the Waipa county. The general opinion among members of the Leamington Town Board was that it would be detrimental to the interests of the suburb to lose its identity as a town. Cambridge is generally of the opinion that an amalgamation would be for the benefit of the district as a whole.

Two plants, hemlock (Conium maculatum) and silibum (milk thistle) have been formally declared noxious weeds in the Waipa County, according to the proclamation in the latest N.Z. Gazette. The latest Gazette contains notification that an area of approximately one aero one rood 13 perches, being portion ot allotment 529, town of Pirongia East, has been proclaimed as a road. At the Dargaville Racing Club’s meeting held at Avondale on Saturday Mr M. E. O’Connor’s gelding British Nation (trained by Mr C. Lewis at Te Awamutu) ran second to Airam in the Nursery Handicap. The new chairs (made by the local firm of Messrs Clark and McMillan) for the council room of the Waipa County Council were in use at to day's meeting, and commendatory reference was made to their comfort and workmanship. Cancellation of a reserve in- the Waipa County is proclaimed In the latest N.Z. Gazette. The area referred to is 14.1 acres, being allotment 192, Ngaroto Parish, block X. The Waipa County Council has consented to tne cancellation. The improvements recently effected to Morgan’s Road, Pokuru, were referred to by a ratepayer who waited on the Waipa County Council at today’s meeting, the Council being thanked on behalf of the settlers. ‘That is a change—we often get just the opposite ! ” remarked a councillor. Mr T. E. Parker told the Waipa County Council this morning, when appealing, as chairman of the central committee, for support of the St. John Ambulance appeal for £4OOO, that circulars had been sent to 240 sports and recreation bodies in the district, and already quite a number had responded with contributions. Some, he said, could afford a donation of only £1 Is, but even if all contributed that sum as a minimum it would be a substantial grant. “We are asking the Government for a substantial contribtuion to our £4OOO building fund appeal,” said a deputationist at to-day’s meeting of the Waipa County Council on behalf of the St. John Ambulance Association. “We may not get 50 per cent of that amount, and it may be only a subsidy on contributions from the public, but we really do expect State aid. However, the appeal is to the public, for people are sympatheic and know the good service rendered by St. John Ambulance Associations.” It was mentioned at Friday’s meeting of Te Awamutu Electric Power Board that the recently-purchased car radio apparatus for detecting faults in the power lines was doing excellent work. The chairman said that while travelling south to confer with the Waitomo Board members over the question of boundary adjustments the Te Awamutu party travelling in a Board car, equipped with the detector, distinctly heard the apparatus locate a fault which persisted for several chains. He was much impressed with the efficiency of the apparatus, and wus confident it would quickly pay for itself. Te Awamutu Municipal Band will leave for the Auckland provincial contest at Whangarei next Friday evening, the Railway Department having arranged for a special carriage to Auckland, due there at about 11 p.m. Then a special train will take several bands and their supporters to Whangarei, due there at about 5.30 a.m. on Saturday. The return train is to leave Whangarei late on Monday evening, reaching Te Awamutu at 8 o’clock next morning. We understand that several supporters plan to travel with the Te Awamutu Band, and the party will number about forty. As the fare (return) is under 25s the Railway Department is certainly making the trip an attractive one.

At a meeting of Te Awamutu Electric Power Board last Friday the sec-retary-manager (Mr D. T. B. McArthur) stressed the nqfed for an early purchase of additional condensers for use in various parts of the Board’s territory. He recalled that several condensers were purchased about five years ago, and the outlay was recouped in twenty months by improving the power factor, on which the Board’s payment to the Public Works Department was based. Since then the condensers had done good service, but the development of more business made it desirable to purchase a further supply of condensers. The Board authorised the chairman and the secretary to purchase additional condensers as required.

Mr Frank Potts, of Pokuru, .waited on the Waipa County Council at today’s meeting, on behalf of his son, asking for an adjustment of the rate arrears on his property to a level approximating the new valuations. The property is Maori owned, and applicant is endeavouring to complete a lease. The arrears accumulated were prior to his lease. It was pointed out that the valuation was unduly high, and the land was infested with noxious weeds. Applicant intended to clean it and put it all into grass. Cr Onion said he would favour an adjustment, as it would be an advantage to have the land cleared; at present it was a menace to adjoining lands. It was agreed that applicant pay last year’s and the current year’s rates.

Sotting out at dawn from Richmond aerodrome, Sydney, on the last stage of her flight from England to New Zealand. Miss Jean Batten arrived at Mangere aerodrome at 5.5 p.m. on Friday and' received a magnificent welcome. It was a crowd keyed up to a high pitch of excitement that scanned the southern horizon at Mangere as 5 o’clock approached, bfl®kvhen, after one or two false alarms, the outline of the monoplane became unmistakable in the distance, the previous excitement was as nothing. Not a soul but was deeply stirred as the smart little machine circled about the aerodrome with its girl pilot visible through the cabin windows, and the moment when, at 5.5 o’clock exactly, the monoplane side-slipped into a landing will remain a memorable one for all present. After the strenuous ten days of her journey, and the demonstrations accorded at Sydney and Auckland, Miss Batten has been resting quietly, during the week-end, but she plans to leave on Wednesday on a tour of the Dominion—but not by air.

Portion oi a road in blocks 11 and 12, Maungatautari S.D., comprising about 351 acres, is declared in the latest Gazette to be a Government, road.

The Waipa County Council was informed at to-day’s meeting by the engineer that plans had been prepared and completed for improvements to the Hairini-Puahue Road, at the junction with Long’s Road, and including a few chains of that road.

The Department of Agriculture’s scheme of ragwort eradication, as adopted by the Waipa County Council at 10-aay’s meeting involves employing gangs totalling fifty men, and in addition to the Department’s payment of 15s per day tne Council would have to contribute Is per man per day to bring the wage up to the standard of 16s per day.

While indulging in skating at the Town Hall last Saturday evening a young man named Thomas Wilson, of Te Awamutu, collided with another patron, and sustained injuries to his leg, necessitating medical attention. Subsequently he was sent to the Waikato Hospital for an X-ray examination, as there may be a bone fracture.

It was mentioned at to-day’s mating of th Waipa County Council, that acceptance of the offer from the Department of Agriculture entails an approximate additional cost of £3OO to the Council before the end of the present financial year. The Council assumes responsibility forclearing noxious weeds on Crown and Native Lands.

It would seem, from remarks at the Waipa County Council meeting today, that there are only three very badly-infested properties in the whole county at present where the owners or occupiers claim that they are financially unable to do their share in the general attack on the ragwort. Many other places are more or less infested, but improvement is apparent, and most farmers welcome the cooperation of the Council’s noxious weeds inspector.

One of the greatest surprises on an Auckland racecourse for several years occurred at the Dargaville Racing Club’s meeting at Avondale on Saturday, when High Star won the Maiden Handicap. The dividend on the win totalisator amounted to over a .epntury and three-quarters and was the largest since Versant won on the same course, in October, 1933, and paid over £2OO. High Star was supported to the extent of only £5 119 s for a win and £l7 for a place.

“In their own interests, farmers would be wise to utilise all their resources during the next few weeks in purchasing and applying sodium chlorate while prices are still low. All the eradication work done lessens the likelihood of a special ragwort rate being struck by the Council next season,” said a member of the Waipa County Council at to-day’s meeting during the discussion on ragwort control.

When speaking at to-day’s meeting ef the Waipa County Council in support of the St. John Ambulance £4OOO appeal, Mr Parker, of Hamilton, told of the attitude taken up by a member of another local body, who contended that the whole cost should be borne oy the Government, by means of what be called "costless credit.’’ “If you or he can tell us how to get that ambulance station without having to find £4OOO worth of that good old pounds, shilling and pence, we shall be glad to hear oi it!" said he.

To what extent is a fire brigade legally liable if a fire extinguisher it has serviced fails to act? That was the matter of an inquiry received recently by the Wellington Fire Board from the Hawera Fire Board. The board decided to refer the matter to the Inspector of Fire Brigades (Mr R. G. Butcher). The superintendent (Mr C. A. Woolley) said that if a modern extinguishei' were faithfully serviced by a man who knew his job, it could not fail to operate.

The good work that has been and is being done by the Cawthron Institute to find and breed large quantities of a parasite that will really destroy ragwort, was favourably commented upon at to-day’s meeting of the Waipa County Council, and it was decided to donate £lO towards the cost of the work. Other local bodies in the affected area are also contributing. Members took the view that it was vital to assist in finding an antidote to the ragwort pest, as a diminution in ragwort growth would be beneficial to all rural dwellers.

Fishing in the Tukituki River at Waipukurau a local fisherman hooked a rainbow trout weighing over 11b, states a. message from Waipukurau. Bringing the fish into the: bank preparatory to landing it the angler was unable to drag the fish ashore, without great effort. Eventually it was landed, but its tail was in the mouth of a big eel which was also pulled to the shore'. The eel weighed over 301 b. Apparently after the trout was struck by the fisherman the eel attempted to make a meal of it and thus met its fate.

In his report to to-day’s meeting of the Waipa County Council the noxious weeds inspector, Mr G. M. Wall, said two gangs of men from Te Awamutu and one from Cambridge had been employed and they were doing splendid work, and a large area of country has been cleared. It is pleasing to report,” said Inspector Wall, “that much more sodium chlorate is being used this year. Large quantities have been sold by the dairy companies at cut rates, and the sales from the County depot over the last month have exceeded the whole of last year.”

Lower retail prices for New Zealand butter on the London market have stimulated the demand and improved inquiry was reported at the end of last week. A reduction of Id per lb in the retail price of New Zealand butter in the previous week was followed by a similar reduction last week to Is per lb. In the meantime the Danish price remains unchanged at Is 3d per lb. Quotations for New Zealand finest salted remain at 95s to 96s per cwt, equal to approximately 11.18 d per lb f.0.b., as against the guaranteed price of 12.56 d. The Port Hunter, which carried the first of the State marketed butter from Auckland commenced discharge ilast Wednesday, and the present stored stocks include some of her shipment, which comprised 64,956 boxes.