LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1929, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The New Plymouth Aero Club dispatched a cable congratulating the Southern Cross fliers as soon as the news was received.

In presenting the medals to Ngaia Bros., the winning heavyweight team at the Okato tug-of-war tournament last night, Mr. C. Eustace, chairman of the Hall Committee, remarked that a lot was heard about the Maoris dying out. If that were eq] jo siaqpjjeioj eq; ueq; ‘poppn eq ‘os Ngaias must have been wonderful men. Mr. J. Delaney, an ex-Waihi mining contractor, now on Edie Creek goldfield, New Guinea, has forwarded to his daughters at Woihi a collection of alluvial gold specimens ranging in size from a small marble to a fair sized walnut, some being almost pure gold. Mr. Delaney is returning to Waihi in December on holiday leave.

A net profit of £7367 7s lid and a loss of £796 5s 6d are shown in the annual accounts of the Napier Borough Council electricity department and the tramways respectively, being the result of their operations for the 12 months ended March 31 last. When compared with the previous 12 months both accounts show considerable improvement.

Two American women, at present touring New Zealand, were very anxious to travel on the West Coast roads and see the glaciers (relates the Christchurch Sun). Finding that the earthquake had upset their itinerary did not put them off their plans, however. They are going to spend three months seeing the Dominion, and then are coming back to Christchurch to see if the West Coast roads are passable. The sum of £5 5s was voted to the earthquake relief fund by the provincial North Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. The president (Mr. H. E. Blvde) said the executive was not very financial but he thought they should assist their brother farmers who had had such a bad time. The Oakura branch has voted £2 2s to the fund.

In an endeavour to raise funds for sanitary improvements at Parihaka pa a large party of Maoris from the pa paraded Devon Street, New Plymouth, yesterday and entertained onlookers in hakas and dances. The performers appeared to meet with a generous response each time they stopped for another turn, until rain dampened their efforts and the afternoon grew too cool for Maori costume.

During the recent rough weather members of the Opunake Power Board staff had a very strenuous time attending to repairs and maintenance work. At yesterday’s meeting of the board members made appreciative reference to the work done and decided, as a practical method of showing appreciation, to give each of the staff a small cash bonus.

Skidding on the middle of the road as it was being turned from Devon Street into Currie Street, a motor-cycle and its two riders fell to the ground about 1 p.m. yesterday. A minute or two later . a cyclist fell off his machine on the corner of Currie and Courtenay Streets. Last night a boy was thrown from his cycle in Devon Street central. For some days the road surfaces have been coated with soil from building excavations in Devon Street, When this is wet it becomes very slippery and it is suggested that this was the cause of the accidents.

"It is not worth while keeping him in gaol,” said Mr. H. R. Greiner -when Charles Clarke, arrested on warrant on a maintenance complaint, appeared before Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., yesterday. Counsel said he was prepared to withdraw tho warrant, as a summons had been served on Clarke to appear on July 24. There was no prospect of him finding bail. On tho suggestion of Senior Sergeant McCrorie, the Magistrate discharged Clarke in order that he might be brought up on summons. ■ -

Mr. R. Climie, engineer and contractor, well known in Taranaki, was engaged in obtaining ballast metal from the Tukituki River for the Railway Department on Saturday afternoon last, and after altering the draught of a dragline machine hauling shingle through the river, the tower at which Mr. Climie was standing was suddenly thrown over, pinning him to the ground. He was removed to the Waipukurau Hospital with a fractured shoulder and scalp wounds. His condition is satisfactory.

In this issue the Farmers’ Co-op. advertise the demonstration at 1.30 p.m. on Monday next, July 15, on Mr. E. J. Betts’ farm, Normanby Road, Okaiawa, of a special tripod harrows.

Newton King,. Ltd., announce in our auction columns an important sale of pedigree Jersey cattle to be held on behalf of Mr. j. F. Young at his homestead, Lincoln Road, Inglewood, on the 30th inst. It is a complete dispersal of his large “Lincoln Dale” herd, comprising 87 head,, and it is entirely unreserved. This sale should greatly interest farmers wanting good. Jersey cattle.. ’.■■■■!

At Edievale and Heriot, in Central Otago, there has been as much as sft. of snow lying on roads and paddocks. Motorcars were stated recently to be still standing in drifts on the road where they had failed to’ get through. Power board linesmen found that the only way they could cover any ground was by a horse and sledge. . In many paddocks the fences were quite obliterated by the snow.

The condition of the main road from Mahoenui to Te Kuiti is getting from bad to worse. Last summer it started to disintegrate, and now big. holes have appeared, making motor-driving difficult and dangerous. It is a work that should demand the urgent attention of the Highways Board, for its remaking and sealing are works quite beyond the resources of the Waitomo County Council.

The Opunake Power Board yesterday voted £lO 10s to the earthquake relief fund. The matter was brought forward by Mr. C. O. Edmonds. While supporting the proposal, Mr. J. S. Tosland expressed the opinion that as it was a national loss the Government should have taken the matter in hand and compensated the sufferers out of the Consolidated Fund so that all would bear their full share. On his suggestion it was resolved to add to the motion expressing sympathy, an assurance that the Government would receive full support from the board in any action that it might take, towards giving full and adequate compensation to sufferers.

The hardship undergone by a family on the Pitqne Road in sending their children to school was stressed by Mr. W. Hall at yesterday’s meeting of the North Taranaki provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union. Mr. Hall said that each day the children had to walk six miles to school and six miles home again, and often in the winter time the mother had to go out with a lantern to meet them. It was sometimes as late as 7 p.m. when the children reached home. It was stated by Mr. A. K. Alpe that, according to the Act, the Taranaki Education Board would bo unable to afford any relief and it was decided to apply to the Government to bring down legislation to give education boards facilities to deal with such cases.

Members of the recently-formed New Plymouth Debating Society met last night under the chairmanship of Mr. W. Brown. After giving a brief address on the objects of the society, the president (Mr. C. H. Weston) announced that he would offer a prize for the member who, in the opinion of the committee, made the most progress as a speaker. Mr. Weston was accorded a vote of thanks. The rules of the society were adopted, and it was decided that the first debate should be held in the. Victoria League room on Friday, July 26, at 7.45 p.m. The motion will be ‘That moving pictures do more harm than good.” Mr. H. W. Insull will lead for the affirmative and Mr. R. L. Cooper for the negative. A searching inquiry by the police into the real source of advertisements seeking the acquaintance of “young girls with a view to matrimony,” was asked for in a question given notice of by Mr. R. McKeen (Wellington South) to the Minister of Justice in the House of Representatives. Mr. McKeen said the object of such an inquiry would be to ascertain whether the motive of the advertiser was honest and conscientious. The Minister was further asked whether he would take steps to make it compulsory for such advertisers to publish their addresses so that their bona fides could be investigated if necessary. “There is, I believe,” Mr. McKeen added, “ample evidence where middle-aged men desire to meet young girls of tender years, and something should be done immediately for their protection; otherwise a grave danger may be constituted to the young womanhood of the Dominion.”

It is not generally known that the piece of land in Queen (Street, New Plymouth, now turned into a rockery in front of the Taranaki Club, was set aside in the early days for a specific purpose. Near to this locality is the Mangatuku stream, which runs through several properties, thence under King, Egmont and Brougham Streets, subsequent-, ly joining the Huatoki stream, and so to the sea beach. In the early days it was proposed to divert the Mangatuku to the sea. in front of tho Terminus Hotel, and the land in question was set aside for this purpose. In those days money was not available for the work and the scheme was allowed to lapse.

In conversation with Mr. F. Carrington recently a Daily News representative learned that the first piece of land leased in New Zealand was situated in New Plymouth. This block was situated between King and Dawson Streets, and was named Devonport. The locality still bears that name on old maps and title deeds. The sections offered for lease were small, just large enough for a small house and tiny back yard. Early settlers took up tho holdings, and it was not long before numerous little homes sprang up. These were for the most part built with punga trees and other bush timber that in those day .grew in profusion in the locality. For roofs a thatch was made from the swamp raupo that could easily be procured close by. A feature of these roofs was that when properly put on they withstood the roughest and wettest weather, and lasted for many years.

The East End seaside resort at New Plymouth, now the playing ground for thousands of people each year was, up to fifty years ago, a favourite seaside resort of the Maoris. Even in the early settlement days of New Plymouth large numbers of natives from inland visited the locality m the summer and autumn months. On the flat land near the mouth of Te Henui River there were Maori whares in which the visitors slept. Many deep-sea fishing canoes were kept there, and during the fine weather season would put 'to sea and return with large hauls of fish. In those days the Maoris were particularly fond of shark, of which largo numbers were captured, split open and dried in the sun for winter use. During the drying process the aroma arising was potent and pakehas gave the locality a wide berth during the operation. *The Maori name for the East End beach was “Autere” there being a pa of that name near the mouth of the river.

A 5-roomed house and {-acre for £lB5, at Elt'ham, is advertised for sale by W. H. and A. McGarry. See auction page.

There is remarkable activity thesf’ days in the Melbourne’s showroom as a result of the huge reductions on all classes of apparel during the currency of the firm’s Great Winter Sale. This is a wonderful opportunity. of securing really smart clothes at a great saving in price.

Wintry weather is likely to continue for some time yet, but the problem of how to meet this weather will be solved if you buy now at McGruer’a Winter Sale.

The Hustlers’ sale which is now in full swing are now offering, bargains at prices far lower than cost. Grasp your opportunity by securing some of these snips for yourself, and benefit by our loss,