LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The new concrete bridge over the Kaihihi stream on the Main South Road near Okato is completed and the filling oil either side is well on the way to completion. A very short time should see the two-way structure available for traffic. Good progress is also being made by the contractors with the filling at the new Katikara bridge at Tataraimaka. ‘‘Bobby calf” wagons are still to be met on the Taranaki county roads, but they are not of such frequent incidence as was the case a few weeks ago —a sign that the dairying season is in full swi’”*. The number of calves to be seen frV-uig about in the paddocks is an indication of the increased numbers that are being reared this season as compared with the past two years. Crash! Sharp fragments of glass flew all over the pavement following by a few rugs, a deck chair and a roll of linoleum in Devon Street shortly after midday yesterday. What had often seemed possible to a window-gazer had actually happened in Lobb and Company’s furniture shop. A roll of linoleum standing on end had, while an assistant was dressing the window, toppled over with disastrous result to a good sheet of thick plate-glass which was not built to stand unexpected strains of such a nature.

A Taranaki resident, who has not visited the coastal district for some considerable time was greatly struck with the marked improvement in the appearance of the country between New Plymouth and Opunake. As the result of top-dressing the pastures are looking particularly healthy, and they have responded wonderfully to the favourable weather conditions of the past few days. Towards Opunake a considerable amount of ploughing is being done, and after 1 this land has been cropped and laid down in permanent pasture a further increase in production should be recorded. Judging by the activity about the school grounds the Opunake District High School possesses a live committee that is not only progressive but takes a pride in its institution. Already considerable tree-planting has been carried out along the frontages, and now a gang of men is engaged in laying down a couple of modern tennis courts in permanent material, while ploughing and levelling operations are being‘.carried out' on another considerable portion of the area, ft will not bo long before what a year or two ago was a rough and somewhat uninviting paddock will be transformed into a modern and wellequipped’ schoolground of which any district might well be proud. “I feel there is a tendency among the public to lean too much on the Government,” said Mr. G. H. Bell, chairman of the Taranaki Co-operative Herd Testing Association, at the annual meeting in New Plymouth yesterday. Referring to testing and to the calf-marking system, he said Government support had been asked, but it was felt they should not continue to ask for this help and that when placed on a proper footing the movement should be self-supporting. The Government assistance was appreciated and probably a little help would be needed yet a while, but the federation had set up a central executive to investigate means of placing the movement on a sound and independent basis.

With a view to placing apprentices at electric power stations on a better footing the Opunake Power Board has decided to submit the following remit to the annual conference of power boards: “That owing to the small power boards being unable to continue the employment of apprentices when their apprenticeship has expired, this board recommends to the Power Boards Association the necessity of provision being made for the continous employment of apprentices who have made satisfactory progress in their profession, and that the association should evolve some scheme whereby the employment of apprentices is governed in a proper manner for encouragement of youths seeking employment as apprentices to power boards; After having undergone repairs, the second of the two guns flanking the Ballance Statue in Moutoa Gardens has been put back into position, says the Wanganui Chronicle. A very interesting history is wrapped up in this old gun. It was landed from H.M.S. Haszard in the North Auckland in the ’forties, and is probably the first rifled field gun ever used. It was. used at the Ruapekepeke siege and at the attack on the Ohaeawae Pa. Reference to the latter fact is made by Judge Manning, author of “Old New Zealand.” The gun remained in the Bay of Islands district until the end of the war in that locality. It was then sent to Wanganui, and was part of the defence of the stockade, It was deemed so important that a sentry was always guarding it night and day. Later it was'used in almost every engagement on the West Coast between Raleigh (Waitara) and Waitara. Throughout its career the gun did not do much harm. It is recorded that on one occasion a Maori woman, carrying a baby, was killed by it, but the infant escaped.

The conditions existing in Taranaki regarding the weekly half-holiday being held by various towns and districts on various days formed the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Opunake Power Board yesterday. It was stated that shops in various centres observed either Wednesday, Thursday- or Saturday, whereas banks and solicitors’ offices, as well as the majority of other offices, closed on Saturdays. The board was unanimous as to the desirability of introducing a universal half-holiday, but there was diversity of opinion as to the day. A majority of the board was opposed to Saturday, as.they held that Saturday was the most suitable day for the farming community to visit their market town. Cr. Collins said ho would prefer to see any other day declared the universal half-holiday. The opinion was also expressed that if the banks could be induced to observe their half-holiday on some other day all other offices would follow suit. Seeing that New Plymouth had the Saturday half-holiday Mr. W. C. Green favoured that day being observed in the Egmont county,- but Mr. J. S. Tosland said the business people of Opunake would never agree to the holiday on Saturday, which had always been the shopping day. The discussion arose out of ;l recommendation by the secretary of the board that the office staff observe the Saturday half-holiday. It was decided to give the proposal a month’s trial. An application for a section of Crown land in the Omona district is notified for public information by the Lands Department in this issue. A special general meeting of the Wanganui Collegiate School Old Boys’ Association will be held in Messrs. C. L. Duigan and Company’s room, Wanganui, on October ”26, at 7.30 p.m., for the purpose of giving consideration to the proposed new rules of the association.