OTOROHANGA NEWS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3894, 26 April 1937, Page 2

OTOROHANGA NEWS

NORTHERN KING COUNTRY NOTES. SEVERE ELECTRICAL STORM. (Our Resident Representative.) Heavy rain set in on Thursday evening at Otorohanga and continued throughout the night, culminating in a very severe electrical storm on Friday morning, when the lightning followed by heavy thunder bursts was sc,mewhat appalling to nervous people. The deluge of rain that followed the electric display produced flooded channels throughout the town, the Waipa River rising rapidly, and much water was apparent on the low-lying flats in the vicinity. A somewhat cold snap followed the storm. N.Z. FARMERS’ UNION. Despite the unpropitious weather' conditions on Friday afternoon, there was an attendance of 26 members at the ordinary monthly meeting of the Farmers’ Union branch in the local Municipal Hall. The president (Mr L. Palmer) conducted the proceedings. . The principal matter before the meeting was the question of transport and the various charges, in connection with same. Owing to a wide difference of opinions, the meeting failed to reach finality regarding a suggested schedule of charges. CHILDREN’S lIEALIIt CAMP. On Thursday morning 140 children from the Northern King Country left by train for Auckland en route to ftiotuihi Island Health Camp. The children were picked up by rail as far south as National Park, being strongly augmented at Taumarunui, Ongarue, Te Kuiti and Otorohanga. Special seating accommodation on the train was provided, and arrangements made for refreshments en route. The children were conveyed to the Island by a special boat, and upon their arrival were furnished with suitable uniforms and sleeping clothes. BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY. At a representative meeting of those interested, in the year 1923, the Otorohanga Beautifying Society came into being. The newly formed Society stressed the need for such an institution for the improvement of Otoiiohanga, by tree-planting and other well-thought-out activities. The movement afforded the cheapest way of advertising and popularising the town. In furtherance of this policy the olbvious scheme was to promote tree and shrub planting on the various spaces then unoccupied, thus hiding from the public view unsightlj' back yards and weed-overgrown localities.

(The work of improvement was duly put in train, but after the passage of a few years languished somewhat, and eventually reached a stagnation stage, ending in a state of flux until the arrival in the town of Mr P. H. Gosse, as town clerk and engineer to the Town Board, some four years ago !Mr Gosse at once interested himself in the beautification of the town of his adoption. In April, of 1933, Mr Gosse took over the sole control of the Society’s activities and introduced many reforms which are monuments to his taste, ability and industry today. All vacant spaces were decorated with rockeries and flower beds, parks were established, and beautified with trees, shrubs, plants and flowers. The funds for these operations were obtained by public subscription and a £ for £ subsidy from the Town Board. The Island Reserve (where the Otorohanga Sports Club hold their annual professional sports carnival), Domain, Cemetery and Esplanades (along the river banks), were all improved, and 14 seats donated by leading citizens were placed in handy positions on vacant locations on Maniapoto Street and the Soldiers’ Park.

Visitors to the town, for the first ; time, admire these improvements and I commend the work of the Society, ■ which was fortunate indeed in secur- . ing the services of a man like the I present town clerk and engineer, who j carried out the necessary reforms— , sc long neglected.