HAWERA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1924, Page 9

HAWERA NEWS.

CAR ISTMAS ATTRACTIONS THE BUSINESS MEN ACTIVE. In the race for popularity among the Taranaki towns during the Christmas season, the retailers of Hawera are determined that- the town shall not be left behind. A comprehensive scheme for the provision of novelty attractions has been arranged, and a commencement will be made on Monday. The business area of the town will b?. gaily decorated with greenery, streamers, flags and special lighting effects, and at the main entrances to the town special lighting has been arranged. On Tuesday afternoon the children are due foi a great treat. At 2.30 p.m. Father Christmas will enter Hawera’s chimney on a motor lorry, and will distribute many tasty things free to the young people. The business people individually as wtjl as collectively are making every endeavour to make Hawera an attractive town to shop in during the Christmas holidays, and almost every window has been specially dressed for the occasion. The effect in the main streets is excellent, and shoppers will have a very wide range of seasonable goods to choose from.

Christmas and New Year's Eve will bi? enlivened with music, and big crowds are expected. With its community lighting and special decorations Hawera should be a brighter town for the holidays than it ever has been, and visitors from far and near should not be disappointed. The holidays decided upon by the Retailers’ Association are: Whole day on Christmas Day and the day following, New Year's Day and the day following. The long nights will be Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and on the Saturday of each week the business premises will close at 6 p.m.

BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT SOUTH TARANAKI ADVANCEMENT. (beater activity is being displayed in the Boy Scout movement in Hawera than has been the case for years, and the troop expects to be comfortably housed in a building of its own in the New Year. Arrangements for the new hall were advanced a further stage at a meeting of the committee last night, when plans for the building were submitted by Mr. T. C. Hobbs, and a suggestion of the Plunket Society to share the building and bear part of the cost was discussed. A committee was set up to confer with tne Plunket Society with power to act. iTenders for the labour of erecting the I building, were received, but none was accepted pending a settlement with the Plunket Society.

I Addressing the meeting, Commissioner F. W. Horner said that General Andrews, on his last visit to the district, was very pleased with the progress the movement was making in South Taranaki. Speaking of the scout training throughout the Dominion, General Andrews said he was anxious that scoutmasters should see that a definite progressive curriculum of training was laid down for each troop. In some centres the scoutmasters were liable to

"ride their own hobbies.” Some instructed the boys in the one line they fancied —for instance, one scoutmaster might be keen on signalling—to the exclusion of other subjects. In the scout manual there was a definite policy of training laid down, and this should be followed by all troops. General Andrew!? had suggested that a boy should qualify for his tenderfoot badge in two months, and then go on for other qualifications without delay. Another point the general wished to stress was that the troop committees should be responsible for the work carried out by the troop. Resolutions were passed requesting the scoutmasters to submit monthly reports of the work of the scouts, and appointing monthly visiting committees for the Hawera troop, the first committee being Messrs. E. Evans and T. C. Hobbs.

THE DIXON BANNER. PRESENTATION TO TAWHITI. The presentation of the Dixon Banner to the Ta whit i School took place at the school to-day, when one of the large class-rooms was crowded with children, friends, and parents. Mr. M. F. Purser, president of the Dixon Banner Competitions Committee, presided, and associated with him were Messrs. E. Dixon (donor of the banner), J. R. Corrigan, M.P., J. C. Campbell (secretary of the committee), and A. Gray (principal of the Hawera Technical High School). Mr. H. W. Jackson (headmaster of the Tawhiti School) introduced the speakers. Mr. Purser congratulated the school on winning the banner, and stated that it had previously been won by the Manaia Convent once and the Hawera Main School twice. The committee were very pleased that such a small school as Tawhiti could put a sufficiently strong team in the field to win the “banner. The competition has been very keen, and the points fairly even. He would like to especially thank the indefatigable secretary, Mr. J .E. Campbell, for •his work in connection with the competitions. The committee was indebted to Mr. Dixon for the banner and to many other people for assistance, especially Mr. Corrigan, who had each year presented two trophies for competition.

Mr. E. Dixon said they little thought w’hen they first started that the competition would grow to such dimensions. It was pleasing to the committee to see the interest taken in the competitions. They were disappointed, however, at the poor support given by the public from year to year. Mr. Dixon then presented Mr. Corri-

gan’s trophy (a brooch) to Miss P. Toy, who won 8 out of the 16 points scored by the school. Mr. J. R. Corrigan, in presenting the banner to Miss P. Toy, on behalf of the school, said he would like the children to realise what was in Mr. Dixon’s mind when he donated the banner. Mr. Dixon believed this was one of the best things he could do. It would mould the characters of the children and help them to go through life. Every day they saw the banner they would think of Mr. Dixon. At Mr. Corrigan’s call three cheers were given for Mr. Dixon.

Mr. A. Gray, on behalf of the Technical High School, also spoke in congratulatory terms of Tawhiti’s win. and Mr. Jackson, on behalf of the school, and Mr. J. Winks, on behalf of the Tawhiti School Cimmittee, replied. 'For his services in coaching the Dixon banner, football and basketball teams, Miss Foy presented Mr. Foy with a case of pipes, and Mr. Jackson presented Mr. Wells, who is leaving his position as a teacher at the school, with a fountain pen and ink and an Eversharp pencil.

The function ended with mutual cheers, and the dispensing of afternoon tea for the visitors.

CHRISTMAS CHEER APPEAL. The Waima'te Plains Ladies’ Patriotic Committee report a most successful day on December 2, the total amount collected being £46 12s, to provide Christmas cheer for soldier patients in the Haera public hospital and Porirua mental hospital. The sum of £5 has been forwarded to the matron of the Hawera public hospital with the request that she will pur chase a suitable present for each soldier patient in hospital at Christmas, and £4l 12s to the superintendent of the Porirua mental hospital to help cheer and brighten Christmas for the soldier patients there. The committee wish to thank the Press for publication of the appeal letters, Mr. Oosgrave for the use of a shop, all who gave to the street collectors, and those who sent contributions to the stall, thus helping to make the appeal such a success. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. Mr. T. L. Cooper, of Dunedin, succeeds Mr. J. Cameron as accountant at the Hawera branch of the Loan and Mercantile Agency, and will arrive in Hawera on Monday.

After an escapade on horseback, as a result of which one of two natives was injured and needed medical attention, two Maoris appeared before Mr. J. G. Osborne, J.P., at the Hawera Court this morning, charged with drunkenness. One was fined 10s, and the other, who took out a prohibition order against himself, was convicted and discharged. An end of the school year function was held at the Hawera Main School to-day, when a number of parents and friends attended to witness the break-ing-up ceremony. The chief item was a Christmas tree for the younger pupils, which was largely subscribed to by the senior pupils. The persistent rumours that Mr. J. R. Corrigan, M.P., would not contest the Patea seat at the next general election were given an emphatic denial by Mr. Corrigan to-day when Approached by the. Daily News reporter. The Liberal-Labour League is actively preparing for the campaign in Mr. Corrigan's interests. A meeting of the Hawera branch on Friday night was addressed by Mr. Corrigan and Mr. H. Atmore, M.P. for Nelson, and a strong committee was set up to organise the electorate early in the New Year.