LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The draw for the prize (an oil painting) in the art union conducted by the Fitzroy Seaside Park committee was held last night, the winner being I. Fans, Inglewood.

The Egmont County Council yest--"d..y decided to give the engineer a free hand to insist ratepayers on clearing gorse and other noxious weeds from their road frontages.

The sum of £25 was voted to the earthquake relief fund by the Inglewood Borough Council last night. It was decided to open a subscription list at the council office, and the town clerk was authorised to accept donations.

The New Plymouth Aero Company, it is understood, is considering the purchase of an aeroplane. An Avro-Avian plane is being sent by the Goodwin-Chichester Company, the New Zealand agents for this type of machine. The plane, piloted by Captain Bolt, is expected to land at the Bell Block aerodrome at 2 p.m .to-day after flying from Wanganui. The Hustlers’ sale which is now in full swing are now oft'ering bargains at prices far lower than cost. Grasp your opportunity by securing some of these &iips for yourself, and benefit by our loss.

Speaking at Eltham on Monday night, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, MJP., stated that tfio borough of Eltham had the first tar-sealed road in New Zealand. “It stands to-day,” he said, “having lasted over 25 years.”

The permanency of settlement in the farming districts behind Inglewood is well exemplified in the community spirit being displayed in some of the localities. Waitui has now put in the piles ready for the erection of a public hall, while the Lincoln Road people have a fine hall completed some months ago.

“If the requirements of the regulations were strictly enforced, practically every farmer in the district would be before the Court, would he not?” asked Mr. E. M. Mac-kersey of the stock inspector, in the To Kuiti Magistrate’s Court, during the hearing of an action against a farmer for failing to clear his property of noxious weeds. “A large number of them would,” replied the inspector. The Fitzroy beach area has been the venue of several energetic “working bees” comprised of the Fitzroy Seaside committee and helpers during the past few Saturdays, and an appreciable amount of improvement has been effected. The energies of the committee have been concentrated mostly on clearing lupins and levelling the entrance to the camp site. About 60 yards of clay has been carted down to the bottom of the present road with a view of making a turning place at the bottom of the cliff. The band rotunda is to be placed in the centre, of this area. As a party of motorists rounded a bend on the Tarata Saddle yesterday afternoon they were suddenly confronted by a large and heavy tree root lying in the centre of the road, surrounded by a quantity of earth and broken branches. The car was pulled up just in time to avoid a collision. Apparently the recent rains had loosened the soil on the bank above with the result that the partly decayed trunk fell down the steep decline. Had it toppled as the car was passing, it is probable there would have been a serious accident.

An interesting comment on the work of the Main Highways Board was offered by Mr. J. B. Murdoch, chairman of the Hawera County Council, in a speech at Eltham on Monday night. Mr. Murdoch said that since its Institution in 1922 the board had taken over 6000 miles of main highways and 3000 miles of secondary highways. He thought the latter especially important, for it would be wiser to open up highways to the back country than to spend large sums on the construction of main reads running parallel with the railways and, by their presence, encouraging cutthroat competition with the railways in the transport business. Over 200 campers used the Fitzroy camp site- last season and, judging by the satisfaction of those who used the area and the broadcast they made about its qualities, that number promises to be doubled or even trebled. "Get in early to avoid the rush” is the slogan adopted by the seaside committee, and it has been resolved to mark off the camping, areas in sections, each site being marked with a metal difec. It is thought each camper could be issued with a receipt for his area, and in this manner the caretaker would be able to cope satisfactorily with the rush and keep a check on the business.

Several speakers at the dinner at Eltham on Monday night complained of the burden of hospital levies upon local bodies. Mr. J. S. Connett, chairman of the Taranaki County Council, said that the Government, the patients and the local bodies all contributed to the hospitals, and the local bodies had to find a huge sum. Their ratepayers undoubtedly suffered an injustice, for every man had to pay his rates, with a 10 per cent, penalty if he were late, and further costs if he were sued. The hospital patient was let off if he could not pay the fees, but the man on the land had to pay his rates, including the hospital levy, no matter what his position. The cost of roads was mentioned by Mr. J. B. Murdoch, chairman of the Hawera County Council, when he spoke to an Eltham gathering on Monday. The concrete roads being built around Auckland, he said, were costing as much as £12,000 a mile, while Taranaki Avas constructing its tar-sealed roads for £3OOO to £4OOO a mile. Under these circumstances a question was bound to arise as to the distribution of funds handled by the Main Highways Board. If Auckland and Taranaki each received the same rate of subsidy on their main roads expenditure, the payment to Auckland would be by far the greater, and this would suggest the necessity for a more equitable distribution of the available funds.

Mr. P. Keller, district engineer to the Public Works Department at Stratford, thinks the riding system of administering counties could be improved. In voicing this opinion when responding to a toast at an Eltham gathering on Monday, he said certain ridings might constitute the richer part of a county and other ridings the poorest part. He thought some of the funds from the richer ridings should go to help the poorer, for in some districts he knew —he had not been long in Taranaki — the poorer back country was apt to be neglected. Ho wondered whether the back country would benefit if the Government made the retrospective payments on account of road expenditure now being sought by county councils. The first birthday celebrations of f e St. Mary's Young People’s Club, New Plymouth, at St. Mary’s Hall last evening attracted a large gathering and all enjoyed a delightful evening’s entertainment. At the supper interval a large birthday cake provided by the club committee was presented, and Mrs. Stevens presided over its disposal. During the evenin v Miss Bedford entertained with a recitation and Mr. lan Shaw delighted with a song, while Mr. B. A. Hirst gave an extra fox-trot, the dance music for the rest of the programme being provided by Smith’s Melody Boys. Mr. B. A. Hirst was M.C.

At the dinner given in his honour at Eltham on Monday night, Mr. C. J. Belcher related some of his early experiences in Taranaki. Taking up a section about five miles out of Eltham in 1895, he spent three winters in felling the bush before he deemed it wise to settle on the spot with his wife and family. He wore dungarees and a singlet in the bush, and generally was wet through all day. On one occasion a passerby gave his mate and himself the cheerful news that their camp was on fire. All they could rescue was well roasted potatoes, and after eating some of these they walked into Eltham —a sorry-looking pair. Mr. Wilkinson was Mr. Belcher’s only friend in the village, and he proved a good friend, procuring clothes for him and lending him money. Mr. Belcher went to Wanganui by train, by the steamer to Wellington —-the roughest trip he ever had —and by train to his home in the Wairarapa. Later he established his family in Taranaki, on the property where he still lives. “Some people chopped the bush and sold out,” added Mr. Belcher. “1 never looked back after taking anything up.” '. 1 ;£ '