PATEA HARBOUR AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1929, Page 6

PATEA HARBOUR AFFAIRS

BEACH BECOMING POPULAR. PROGRESS OF ERECTING DRAG. The growing popularity of the Patea beach was mentioned by the chairman, Mr. . T. Christensen, at the harbour board’s meeting. He said numerous cottages had been erhcted on the foreshore. The board) - did not receive any ground rent from these, and he thought the time was coming when the board would have to consider making a change. Such a charge need not necessarily be high, but any rents received would be.devoted to a scheme of beach improvements. The harbourmaster and pilot, Captain W.'Tinney, reported the channel over the bar was fairly good. There had been good water on the bar and on the eastern wall, but it had been shallow on the western side. On sounding the bar on September 23 he had found 7ft in line with the beacon, Bft on the eastern side, and 12ft on the bar, with sft on the tide gauge. There had been five arrivals in port and the same number of departures during the month. “We are pleased to hear that your' board is going to give further consideration to the placing of a light on the western wall,” advised the Wellington Merchant Service Guild. An expensive light was not needed as the distance between the walls, was so short. The chairman suggested that while the men were working at the beach they should erect a lamp-post on the end of the wall. The matter was left in the hands of the local committee. The chairman reported on the progress: of the erection of the drag plant at the beach and invited the board to pay a. visit of inspection. At the conclusion of the meeting this was done, but the engineer had not had time to place the necessary gear on the opposite side of the river. A demonstration of the machine working in the sand was given. It” was decided that before the drag commenced work on the bar soundings should be taken over the area to be dragged. It was also thought that soundings should be taken periodically, in order to . ascertain the increased depths. It was decided to write' off the board’s estimated assets a sum of £369 as depreciation. When the matter was being discussed the chairman -stated that the balancesheet would' show a deficiency of about £2OO. That Was particularly unfortunate because except for extraordinary expenditure on the drag (£700) and house (£200), the board would have showed a profit. The board held its meeting yesterday, there being present Messrs Christensen, R. Corrigan, S. Blake, W. H. Watkins, A. Pearce and A. N. Williams.: GENERAL ITEMS. 1 The Hibernian Society’s dance will .he held this evening in St. Joseph’s Hall, Hawera. Music will be supplied by an orchestra of six instruments. At their Union Street rooms, Hawera, at 1.15 p.m. to-morrow,' Messrs R. P. Morrissey and Co. will offer at auction an assigned stock of grocery, crockery, hardware, tobacco, fancy goods and stationery. The Haw-era Bowling Club has decided to open the season on Wednesday, October 16. On Labour Day, October 28, a tournament will be held for full rinks, all South Taranaki clubs being eligible to compete. The Hawera Jersey Cattle Club's pedigree bull fair is to be held to-day at the Glover Road sale pavilion. The offering is a very large one and the quality of the entries is exceptional, so that a successful sale is expected. The first lot will be offered at 10 a.m. September was by no means a wet month at Hawera, the total rainfall registered being 3,66 inches, while the total for September of last year was 6.64 inches. There were 16 days last month on which rain fell, the greatest fall in 24 hours being .94 . inch, registered on September 2. During. September, 1928, there were 21 wet days and the greatest fall recorded was .83 inch bn September 12. ' - GRAND THEATRE, HAWERA. “THE RINGER” TO-NIGHT. The play of “The Ringer,” from which the British Dominions film, to be shown at the Grand Theatre, Hawera, to-night is adapted, takes a prominent place among the most brilliant of modern stage successes. Adapted by Edgar Wallace from his story, “The Gaunt Stranger,” its ingenious plot and clever characterisation took the public by storm and carried the play to success almost literally throughout the world. At Wyndham’s Theatre, London, where it was first produced, it ran for a whole year. In the English provinces it has been staged in practically every town, and has been by far the most successful touring play for years. Large numbers have seen it in Germany, where it has been played in over two hundred theatres, and it has enjoyed remarkable triumphs in France, America, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Holland and even India. Every Australian playgoer remembers Maurice Moscovitch’s triumphant toui of Australia and New Zealand, and the sensation it caused wherever played. It is therefore estimated that over eight million people have seen the play. The film version is equally entertaining, being even more thrilling, for many extra scenes were put int-o the screen production. Leslie Faber, recognised as England’s greatest character actor, is particularly fine as Dr. Lomond, and Annette Benson is delighted as Cora Ann Milton. No one who sees the screen version will he disappointed. PERSONAL. Word has been received at Hawera of the death at Wellington of Mr. James Muir, at the age of 38. He was the youngest son of the late Mr. T. E. Muir, of Hawera. At the annual, meeting of the Hawera High School Cricket Club a motion of sympathy' with the relatives of the late Mr. Clem. Allen was carried. Mr. W. W. Thomas said that the deceased had been captain of the school team for two seasons.